There is a joke that has been around a long time about a man who gets stranded by a flood. As the waters began to surround his house, a man in a row boat came by. He told the man to get in and he'd save him, but the man said, no, he had faith in God and would wait for God to save him. The flood waters kept rising and the man had to go to the second floor of his house. This time a man in a motor boat came by to rescue him, but again the man said ‘no.’ He was going to wait for God to save him. The flood waters kept rising. By now the man was out on the roof. A helicopter then came by and lowered a rope, but the man refused help again. He had faith. He had such faith, he was sure that God would rescue him. Of course, the water kept rising and the man drowned.
When he got to heaven, he asked God where he went wrong. He had complete faith in God, but God had let him drown. "What more do you want from me?" asked God. "I sent you two boats and a helicopter."
As silly as the joke seems, as obvious as its message is, it is actually uncomfortably profound. When we pray for someone with cancer or who is having surgery, what do we expect God to do? Are we hoping for a miracle? If there is a cure, it is far more likely to come from the right medicine, from the doctor’s knowledge or the surgeon’s skills. If we have to rely on miracles, we just may be in trouble.
It is estimated that two hundred million people have visited the “Our Lady of Lourdes” shrine in France since the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Bernadette one hundred and fifty years ago. So many people came after the nun’s vision and claimed to be cured of diseases that the shrine assigned a medical professional to investigate the claims of miracle cures. That continued until 1905, when at Pope Pius X request, a Medical Bureau was set up to examine these claims. In the one hundred fifty years, from those two hundred million people, most of them expecting themselves or someone they love to be cured; expecting a miracle; there have been 67 validated cures.
Instead of looking for something supernatural from God, let’s look at how God works in the real world. When the Babylonians conquered Israel, they deported much of the population to Babylon. The Israelites were there so long that most of that generation died and the idea of going home to Jerusalem was just a dream to the few old men left. They felt abandoned and forgotten by God, but God had not forgotten. Second Isaiah came along and told them God had not forgotten. We read those reassuring words, “Can a woman forget her baby at the breast, feel no pity for the child she has borne? Even if these were to forget, I shall not forget you. Look, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.”
It took two generations, about fifty years but they were rescued and set free to experience that promised homecoming. The way it happened was that Cyrus, the King of Persia, ever expanding his empire, defeated the Babylonians and released the prisoners. Did God work through Cyrus? His coincidental rescue of the Jews was not such good news to the Babylonians, or any of the other nations he conquered and whose people were killed. He wasn’t just a good guy. War was a way of life, though Cyrus moved us an inch toward sanity. He was the first to issue a decree on his aims and policies. These were inscribed on a clay cylinder, which now resides in a British museum, and is known to be the first declaration of Human Rights. 1
Many of you know the old gospel hymn that combines Isaiah’s assurance with Jesus’ words from the gospel reading; “Be not afraid, whate’er betide, God will take care of you.” It can happen, but God may come by boat or helicopter or “out of the blue,” but don’t count on it. God may come in a way you would never suspect and God may come fifty years from now, but God always comes in the form of a person. Whether or not God will rescue us is anything but certain, because it depends on what each person does.
One day a young woman went to see the campus pastor. She was crying her eyes out. She was a lesbian attending a conservative Christian college and she had been outed; found out and word was getting around the campus. She knew it wouldn’t be long before the word would get back to her father who was a Baptist preacher and a very stern man. She knew that when her father found out, he would reject her. She explained all of this to the campus pastor and he said, "Let me save you the trouble of worrying about it. Sit right there while I call your father."
He picked up the phone and dialed this pastor, this minister, this Baptist preacher and said, "Your daughter is in my office. Over the last several months she has proven to be one of the loveliest, kindest, most gentle Christians on this campus. She lives her faith." The father immediately responded with pride and said, "You're right. She's wonderful. She's glorious!" He went on and on about how wonderful his daughter was. Then the chaplain, said, "I'm glad we agree. In the next thirty seconds I'm going to find out whether you are worthy to be called her father."
2
As I said, God always comes in the form of a person. The apostle Paul says that we need to be that person. People should think of us as Christ’s servants, he says. It is expected that we be found trustworthy. But do not judge. God knows the heart.
Pastor Mike Yaconelli had a deacon in his church who didn't "deak!" He just didn't do what he was supposed to do as a deacon. One day Yaconelli said to the deacon, "I have a group of young people that go to the old folks home and put on a worship service once a month. Would you drive them to the old folks home and at least do that?" The reluctant deacon agreed.
The first Sunday the deacon was at the old folks home, he was in the back with his arms folded as the kids were doing their thing up front. All of a sudden, he felt someone tugging at his arm. He looked down and here was this old man in a wheelchair, his hand reaching out. The deacon took the old man's hand and the old man held his hand all during the service. The next month, it happened again. The man in the wheelchair came and held the hand of the deacon. It happened again next month, and the next month, and the next month. Then one month, the old man wasn't there. The deacon inquired about him and was told, "Oh, he’s still here, but he's down the hall, right hand side, third door. He's dying. He's unconscious, but if you want to go see him, you can."
The deacon went and found the man with tubes and wires hanging out all over the place. The deacon took the old man's hand and prayed quietly. As soon as he finished the prayer, the old man squeezed the deacon's hand and the deacon knew that he had been heard. He was so moved by this that tears began to run down his cheeks. He stumbled out of the room and as he did so he bumped into a woman. She said, "You know, he's been waiting for you."
The deacon said, "What do you mean?"
She said, "That’s my father. He told me that once a month Jesus came to this place. ‘He would take my hand; and he would hold my hand for a whole hour. I don't want to die until I have the chance to hold the hand of Jesus one more time.'" 3
1. H. Meij H.P., “A Portrait of Cyrus II,”
2. Tony Campolo, "Becoming What God Intended You to Be," 30 Good Minutes, Chicago Sunday Evening Club, 2004.
3. Tony Campolo, "Becoming What God Intended You to Be," 30 Good Minutes, Chicago Sunday Evening Club, 2004.