________________________________________________

SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2008

THE SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Matthew 10:40-42 (A cup of cool water)

________________________________________________

TODAY’S SERMON THEME:

The recent floods in the Midwest remind us of how devastating water can be -- and also how precious it is for our survival. Our Gospel lesson today reminds us of another type of water that is even more important -- the water of life, which is God's gift to us through the Holy Spirit. Fresh drinking water quenches our thirst. The water of life saves our souls. And we have been given the command to offer both to those around us.

________________________________________________

1. Tens of thousands of people throughout the Midwest woke up to a different life this morning. A life where the familiar points of reference were suddenly and irretrievably taken away. Ripped away. Flooded away. The reason for all of this was the Mississippi River -- in particular, the horrendous flooding along the river over the last 10 days or so. I am certain you have seen the photographs: Downtown areas underwater. Farms flooded. Crops washed away. Businesses swamped. Those who lived here in Fargo in 1997 -- during the devastating overland flooding -- know what the unrestrained power of water can do. In perhaps the greatest paradox of all, water brings us life but can also take it away. We must have it to live, but too much of it can cause death.

2. I have been through several floods in my life . . . and I know what the unrestrained POWER of water can do. But I have also studied the Mississippi River -- as a newspaper reporter in Memphis in the 1970's. I know that the River is horribly polluted -- and its waters are not safe for consumption. I was one of the reporters -- in 1977 -- who wrote a series of articles that led to "Warning" and "Danger" signs all along parts of the River: Do not swim. Do not drink the water. Do not eat the fish. This incredibly beautiful river is, literally, a cesspool of bacteria. Its "fresh" waters are -- today -- anything BUT fresh.

3. And I guess what frightened me the most -- upon seeing the recent flooding -- was the reminder about how precious water is. Quite frankly, we cannot live without fresh drinking water. And even though two-thirds of the earth's surface is COVERED with water, nearly all of it is too salty to be consumed. Just consider: (1) Only 2.5 percent of the earth's water is NOT salty -- and most of that water is locked up in polar icecaps and glaciers; (2) Of the fresh water that is left, about a fourth is located in remote, unreachable areas. And the rest arrives at the wrong time and in the wrong place (by way of hurricanes, monsoons, typhoons, floods, tsunami); (3) And, as incredible as it sounds, only .08 percent (that's "point zero eight" percent) of the world's water is available for human use. And human use is increasing by 10 percent or more every year.

4. Does that sound frightening? It should. But there is more. Growing populations, inefficient irrigation, and increasing pollution have caused 12 parts of the world to be declared as "crisis points" for fresh drinking water. One of those areas is the Midwestern part of this country -- where the Ogallala Aquifer is being drained at an incredible rate. The only other North American crisis point is Mexico City, where aquifers and lakes are being emptied so rapidly that the entire city is sinking. Other crisis points are in Turkey, Spain, the Mideast (Israel and the Palestinian areas), Central Asia, the Nile River area, Western Africa, Southern Africa, the Ganges River in India, the Yellow River in China, and Southern Australia. (While we were on vacation recently in Texas, the extremely volatile Central Texas area above the Edwards Aquifer was put on notice -- water pumped from the aquifer is going to be rationed very soon). Here are a few more things to consider about fresh drinking water:

(1) 20 percent of the world (1 in 5 people) has no access to safe water.

(2) One person in TWO lacks safe water for sanitation.

(3) Every single day, 30 thousand children die before their 5th birthdays -- due primarily to lack of safe drinking water.

(4) Each day in Haiti, as just one example of many, families walk up to 10 miles to pay water vendors HUNDREDS of times more than the water costs to produce. Haitians have an average per capita income of $300 -- and 15 percent of that ($45) goes for water.

5. NOW does that sound frightening? It is in this context that I want us to hear again the words of the Lord Jesus from this morning's Gospel lesson -- from one particular verse, Matthew 10:42. And here it is: "Whoever gives a cup of cold water to one of my little ones . . . will not lose his eternal reward." In other words, even a gift of a cup of cool water, given to a child, is worth an eternal reward, in the eyes of Jesus. DOES THIS SOUND INCREDIBLE? It should. Let us put this incredible verse in context:

(1) The entirety of Matthew 10 is a record of Jesus' instructions to His 12 apostles. He gives them power and authority over evil spirits, and gives them His commands to bring healing and wholeness to the common people.

(2) But He also says He is sending them out "as sheep in the midst of wolves." They are to travel lightly, to be prepared, to stay focused, and to remember His words and His instructions.

(3) He also warns them that people very close to them -- parents, brothers, sisters, children, friends -- will turn against them because of their acceptance of His ministry.

(4) But they are to STAY FOCUSED -- reaching out to all, including the least of His children, those outside the margins of society. His true disciples will always (a) deny themselves, (b) take up their Cross, and (c) follow Him. And among His followers, those who given even a cup of cool water to one of His little ones will receive an eternal reward. A reward in heaven. A place in paradise.

6. Let us dig just a bit deeper into the mystery of water. In the Greek New Testament, four different words (with seven variations in all) are used to mean WATER. BUT THE WORD THAT JESUS USED (20 TIMES IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, IN PARTICULAR JOHN CHAPTER 4) IS "HUDOR" -- which refers to FLOWING water -- from rivers, fountains, pools, moving water. And Jesus often combines "hudor" with "dzao" or "zoe" -- which means "WATER OF LIFE." Or, LIVING WATER. Hudor dzao. Jesus knew the importance of water -- and the importance of ministering to the "little ones" among us -- the poor, the sick, the friendless, the needy. But we would be mistaken if we looked at Matthew 10:42 from simply a physical point of view. As with all of Jesus' words, especially His words about water, there is a deep spiritual component -- one that we see very clearly in John Chapter 4.

(1) This is the passage where Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob -- in the middle of the day, when the sun is hot, and the dust burns against the skin. Jesus asks the woman (whose name is never given) for a drink of cool water. (2) The woman protests, because Jesus is an orthodox rabbi and she is a woman of Samaria. Such a woman should have NO INTERACTION with such a man. (3) But Jesus tells her: "If only you knew who it was who is asking you for a drink, you would ask HIM and HE would give you LIVING WATER -- hudor dzao -- water that wells up into your soul unto eternal life."

(4) Jesus then reveals the woman's entire history to her. And she recognizes Him as a prophet. "Sir, give me this water always," she says. (5) HUDOR DZAO -- the water of life -- also appears in Revelation 22:1, when it refers to the LIVING WATER that flows from the throne of God. Living water. Everlasting water.

7. The main point I want to make this morning is this: The recent floods in the Midwest remind us of how devastating water can be -- and also how precious it is for our survival. Our Gospel lesson today reminds us of another type of water that is even more important -- the water of life, which is God's gift to us through the Holy Spirit. Fresh drinking water quenches our thirst. The water of life saves our souls. And we have been given the command to offer both to those around us.

So . . . Just HOW do we do this? How do we offer "a cup of cool water" to the least of the Lord's children . . . and also the "living water" of the Holy Spirit to those who have not tasted of it?

A simple answer: We cannot do it. Not on our own. Not relying on our own strength and on our own resources. With all my heart, I believe we can accomplish this basic command from our Lord only through the power of the Holy Spirit, working through us. And to access His power -- and His mercy, and His grace -- we must offer ourselves to Him, humbly inviting Him to take possession of our wills, and of our lives. We must FIRST be FILLED with the "living water" of the Holy Spirit, before we can accomplish the Lord's work in our lives. For what God calls us to do, He also empowers us to do -- if we will let Him. So we FIRST must ask Him to fill us with His Presence, with His Love, with His POWER. And then we ask Him, in all humility, to OPEN OUR EYES to the needs of "the least of His children" all around us -- those in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity (as we say in our Prayers every Sunday). We ask our Lord to open our eyes . . . and to open our hearts. And then we ask for the COURAGE to do THE THINGS HE CALLS US TO DO. There is great thirst in our world today. And, in a very real sense, we must choose whether we will be part of the solution . . . or whether we will remain part of the problem.