On our recent holiday in Girraween National Park, we went on many interesting walks. Some were on prepared tracks, but others were longer walks not defined by any tracks.
One such walk was to "the Match Sticks". The name isn't on any map, but from Castle Rock we could easily see a small collection of rocks which protruded above the gum trees and, from this vantage point, fitted the description. That was our goal.
Two of us had been there before. We led the party to where the track crosses a shelf of bare granite. We left the track, heading over rocks and through bush towards our unseen goal. Without difficulty, we found them. Match sticks? Close up they were high slabs of granite stacked side by side, inviting the young explorers to climb through them and over them as high as they could. Wildflowers and birdlife abounded - wonderful surroundings for the lunch we had brought with us.
We had reached our goal! But now we were watching our time. We knew we couldn't stay here for ever! This couldn't be our final destination! Even in late September the nights can turn cool to cold here. We had come for a walk, and weren't prepared for an overnight stay. We would have to retrace our steps or chart a new course towards Castle Rock and the track back to the camping area.
From Castle Rock we had seen a large high area of bare granite beyond the Match Sticks. It was marked grey on the map. If we moved onto there, the contour map and compass would help us chart a route back to the Sphinx/Turtle Rock track on the next ridge.
There were many fascinating things to see along the way. Look at the Running Postman - the Red Kennedy Pea. Isn't there are lot of False Sarsaparilla - Hardenbergia - in flower this year? Watch out for the Prickly Moses! Are those droppings from a wombat or a feral pig? But our main focus had to return constantly to our goal. Down there among the trees Castle Rock disappeared from view. None of us had been this way before. Wherever there was an open space, we checked our compass bearing. Yes, as expected, we were still on track.
Decisions of detail were constantly being made. In fact, every member of the party took a turn at leading some time during the trek. Will this bare rock lead to a two-metre drop? Or will it gently slope down to the ground? Is it better to go to the left or the right of this tree? We had seen a line of rock and hikers on a track at the right end of it. We weren't at all sure they had spotted us, but they answered our cooee. If this is it, we are almost there. But no, it is similar, and we have further to go. All our decisions were related to the goal. That didn't make the hike dull or boring. On the contrary, the long view added excitement and purpose.
"As Jesus made his way to Jerusalem, he went along the border between Samaria and Galilee" (Lk. 17.11). The Jews and Samaritans didn't get on at all well. Samaria was in central part of Palestine, between Judah and Galilee. When Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC, most Israelites were taken into exile in Assyria and foreigners were brought in to replace them. The whole region became known as Samaria and its people the Samaritans. These foreigners accepted the first five books of the Israelite Scriptures, but mixed them with other religious beliefs (see 2 Kings 17.29ff). When the Jews (from the Southern Kingdom of Judah) were returning from a later exile, these Samaritans resisted their return and their rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem. There were a whole series of further incidents that kept the animosity alive. So bad was the relationship that, when Jews had to travel between Galilee in the north and Judaea in the south, they would typically cross the Jordan to avoid Samaria.
But for those who were social outcasts because of leprosy, there were no such barriers. Their movements were strictly controlled. They had to live in isolation from the rest of the community. (The Good News Bible talks about "a dreaded skin disease" for two reasons - in the Biblical languages "leprosy" is a broad term covering more than just what is now called "Hansen's disease" and it is a term which implied a stigma.) In Leviticus 13 we read that "A person who has a dreaded skin disease must wear torn clothes, leave his hair uncombed, cover the lower part of his face, and call out, 'Unclean, unclean!' He remains unclean as long as he has the disease, and he must live outside the camp, away from others" (Lev. 13.45-46).
There were ten lepers living in a group. They had heard about Jesus and called out to him for help. In response Jesus sent them to be examined by the priests. The priests had to administer tests which showed whether or not people had been cured of the disease. "On the way they were made clean" (Lk. 17.14). Jesus didn't touch them on this occasion. He called them to exercise faith. As they did so, they were healed.
All of them were healed. Can you imagine their excitement? Not only was the numbness gone - the numbness that causes injury and disfigurement - but lost fingers and toes were restored! There was no question to them or to anyone else that they were healed. They still had to have this extraordinary healing confirmed by the priests so that could be allowed to take their place in society again.
All of them were healed, but only one of them turned back to thank Jesus - "praising God in a loud voice," "he threw himself to the ground at Jesus' feet and thanked him" (vv.15-16). The one who returned was a Samaritan. And Jesus said to him, "Get up and go; your faith has made you well" (v. 19). That, of course, was true of the others too. As they hurried off to the priests, they were exercising faith in the word of Jesus. Their faith also had made them well. Their healing was not with withdrawn because of their failure to give thanks. They received the blessing of healing, but missed the blessing of a relationship with Jesus.
It is significant that the Greek words translated "your faith has made you well" are identical with those translated "your faith has saved you" in Lk. 7.50. Lutheran scholar, W.F. Arndt, comments, "The faith of the Samaritan had not only led to his physical health but had brought him full salvation, the forgiveness of his sins, a place among God's children. In the case of the nine, faith had gripped their hearts in the hour of bitter need, but it had evaporated when the misery was gone."
Why do we come to church week by week? Collectively, there are many answers we might give to that question. All of us in some way or another come seeking - and receiving - a blessing, an encouragement, a challenge, a word of guidance or advice… The danger is that we then go on our way without entering into a relationship with our Lord - a relationship not just for present need but for all of life.
In Philippians 3.10-11, Paul wrote, "All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life." Is that our passion? Is that our goal? Is that what we are here for? and what we go out from this place to live out day by day?
Reflecting on our Match Sticks trek, we had a many and varied experience - as we kept our central goal in mind. And in daily life - as well as in the specific worship, work and witness of the Church - our life will be rich and many needs met as we keep in focus our central goal of knowing Christ and experiencing his resurrection power.
Have you believed to receive a blessing from the Lord? Good! Have you thanked him for that? Do you want to know him better? Don't sneak off as a secret admirer! Come to him. Yes, it will mean coming with all of your life. But after all, he gave his life for you. As Paul wrote, "You do not belong to yourselves but to God; he bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God's glory" (1 Cor. 6.19b-20).
Knowing God and serving God - the two are inseparably linked. We do not truly know God if it doesn't result in service. And we cannot truly serve God if we do not know Christ and the power of his resurrection - that spiritual dynamic which the risen Christ released on his people at Pentecost.
And together as a congregation we need to constantly check our bearings - are we still on target, still heading straight towards the goal?
Christ's commission hasn't changed. It is still so clear. "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age" (Mt. 28.18-20).
Is that what we are committed to doing? Is that why we need to expand our facilities? Is that the drive behind our new style of organising our congregational life? Is that behind every decision and action we take here at Buderim in the name of Christ and his Church?
These are important probing questions. We aren't to do things "because they have always been done", nor because "a change would be good." We are to think and act in response to Christ's commission, in accordance with his written Word and open to his continued presence in us and with us by his Spirit.
As with our Match Sticks trek, there are decisions of detail to be made along the way. We have been given a goal and principles, but not detailed instructions. Our detailed decisions must always relate to our goal.
This is a call to commitment and action. The time ahead won't be dull or boring. Our privilege is to know and serve Christ at a time of opportunity and growth. He has promised to go with us. Are you ready? Then let's go forward together with him!
Back to Sermons