"DISAGREEING WITHOUT BEING DISAGREEABLE"

“DISAGREEING WITHOUT BEING DISAGREEABLE”

Luke 2:22-40

22 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord

23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"),

24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him.

26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah.

27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law,

28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

29 "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word;

30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,

31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."

33 And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.

34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed

35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed--and a sword will pierce your own soul too."

36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,

37 then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day.

38 At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.

40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Here’s a question for you. What do the following have in common? Rick Warren, Mark Texieria, Bernie Madoff, the $700 billion taxpayer bailout and a holiday tree? If you’re not sure what they have in common here’s the answer. They’re all hot button issues right now. Mention anyone of them and you’re bound to make someone very angry. Take Pastor Rick Warren for example. He wrote the best selling book The Purpose Driven Life. He’s also the pastor of an incredibly successful church that has done a lot to fight AIDS in Africa and global warming. Some people don’t like his theology though when it comes to abortion and gay marriage. So, they were furious when Barak Obama invited him to give the Invocation at his inauguration. Then there’s Mark Texieria. Ever since he signed that $180 million baseball contract last week Yankee fans love him and Red Sox fans hate him. Next there’s Bernie Madoff. His family will probably tell you that he’s a nice guy. Anyone who lost money in his $50 billion ponzi scheme, on the other hand, will probably tell you that he’s the devil incarnate. Moving on to the taxpayer bailout the polls suggest that the vast majority of people think it’s an absolute waste of money. Finally, what do you call that brightly decorated tree on the Common. Is it a Christmas tree or a holiday tree? That’s a question that can get a lot of people’s blood boiling in no time at all. Patience after all is in short supply.

That’s why it isn’t hard to understand how a science teacher felt one day when he caught two of his students goofing off in the middle of his class. The teacher gave the students a detention and made the two students stay after school. While they were there he went over the day’s lesson with them again. The two students though weren’t very motivated to learn about the heart and how blood circulates through the body. Eventually, the teacher became frustrated and lost it. “Look,” he said, “if I stood on my head the blood would run into it and my face would turn red, right?” The two boys nodded their heads in agreement. “So,” the teacher asked, “why doesn’t the blood run into my feet when I’m standing up?” One of the boys started to chuckle and suggested, “Because, your feet ain’t empty.” The teacher gave him another detention.

Why is it that when people have to be so disagreeable these days when they disagree? You see it all the time. You see it in the politicians. You see it on the talk shows. You see it at work and at school and on the streets. That’s not what the good Lord wants of course. That’s one of the reasons why I really like what happened that day in the Temple. Eight days after Jesus is born, Mary and Joseph go up to the Temple in Jerusalem to dedicate their new born son to the Lord. While they’re there an old man by the name of Simeon takes the baby Jesus in his arms, and says, “Lord now let your servant depart in peace according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

That graced filled moment is quickly repeated when an 84 year old woman named Anna also takes the child in her arms and praises God.

That’s one of the really beautiful things about the Nativity Story. It brings all kinds of opposites together in perfect harmony. Think about it. You have an elderly man and woman gleefully holding a tiny new born baby, and if you back the story up a bit, you have heavenly angels mingling with earthly shepherds. You have wise men offering expensive gifts to a child who was born in a humble stable to poor and simple parents. You also have people and animals living comfortably together in that humble stable. Also, take another look at the words that Simeon said when he held the baby Jesus in his arms. According to Simeon that child was going to be a messiah for both the Jews and the Gentiles.

In the birth of the Christ child, God seems to be telling us that it is possible to have your differences and still live together in peace and harmony. It is possible to disagree and not be disagreeable. Social Security versus funding for schools, keeping welfare versus cutting taxes, protecting the environment versus creating jobs, saving unborn children versus freedom of choice, cries of reverse discrimination versus cries for Affirmative Action. It doesn’t always have to be a take no prisoner’s fight to the death.

It is possible to disagree without being disagreeable. So, here are 6 Commandments that you might find helpful when you’re not seeing eye to eye with someone.

THE SIX COMMANDMENTS FOR DISAGREEING

1. The first Commandment is to remember that when you argue it’s more important to listen than it is to speak. That’s maybe the reason why God gave us two ears and only one mouth. Maybe it’s because God wants us to listen more and speak less when we argue.

2. The second Commandment is to ask yourself this question. Is the issue you’re arguing about really all that important? After all there are children who are starving in India. In other words what you’re arguing about might not be all that important in the grand scheme of things.

3. The third Commandment is to remember that respect is a two way street and you have to give it before you can get it.

4. The fourth Commandment is to remember that opposite of a truth is a lie and the opposite of a great truth is another great truth. For example, someone might insist that men make good ministers while someone else might insist that women make good ministers. The opposite of a great truth is another great truth which means that sometimes people on opposite sides of the fence can both be right.

5. The fifth Commandment is to remember that you’re not God which means that you could be wrong. That by the way is the reason why I always begin the sermon each week with the same prayer. “May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts upon the Scripture be acceptable in Your sight O Lord.” The prayer is a reminder that it is an awesome responsibility to speak for God and God forgive me if I do not do that faithfully.

6. Finally the sixth Commandment is to remember that it is always more important to love than it is to be right.

So, it is possible to disagree without being disagreeable. That’s why I really like the poem about “The Blind Men And The Elephant.” The poem was written by John Godfrey Saxe and it goes like this:

There were six men of Hindustan - To learning much inclined,

Who went to see an Elephant - (Though all of them were blind),

That each by observation - Might satisfy his mind.

The First approached the Elephant, - And happening to fall

Against his broad and sturdy side, - At once began to bawl:

"God bless me! but the Elephant - Is truly like a wall!"

The Second, went and felt the tusk, - And cried, -"What have we here?

So very round and smooth and sharp? - To me it’s mighty clear

This wonder of an Elephant - Is truly like a spear!"

The Third approached the Elephant, - And happening to take

The squirming trunk within his hands, - Thus boldly up and spake:

"I see," said he, "the Elephant - Is truly like a snake!"

The Fourth reached out his eager hand, - And felt about the knee.

"What most this wondrous beast is like - Is mighty plain," said he,

"'It‘s clear enough the Elephant - Is truly like a tree!"

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear, - Said: "E'en the blindest man

Can tell what this resembles most; - Deny it no one can,

This marvel of an Elephant - Is truly like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun - About the beast to grope,

Then, seized upon the swinging tail - That fell within his scope,

"I see," said he, "the Elephant - Is truly like a rope!"

And so these men of Hindustan - Disputed loud and long,

Each in his own opinion - Exceedingly stiff and strong,

Though each was partly in the right, - And all were in the wrong!

The next time you’re not seeing eye to eye with someone stop and think about that sacred moment when Simeon held the Christ child in his arms; two opposites that come together in a moment of grace filled peace and harmony. Just because you disagree doesn’t mean you have to be disagreeable. Amen.

Rev. Dr. Richard A. Hughes

December 28, 2008