S. Edward Yang
Pasadena Presbyterian Church
August 23, 2015
“Seeing the Invisible”
1 Kings 8:16,10-11; John 6:55-63
When I saw this passage for today’s lectionary, I was both scared and excited. Scared because this is a difficult passage to exposit. How can I explain Jesus’ statements on eating his flesh and drinking his blood? Yes, this passage can be understood in light of the Lord’s Supper. But there is so much debate on how to interpret this passage. At the same time, I was excited because today’s lectionary readings relate to my dissertation work on places of worship as well as recent experiences as a hospital chaplain.
The 1 Kings 8 reading recounts the events after the completion of the Temple. After spending countless resources on this building that is described as a “house of God,” King Solomon offered a prayer of dedication. In this prayer, he seems to have recognized something preposterous about what he has done. Was he really building a house for God? How could this be? Solomon states that even the heavens cannot contain God. Then how can we claim that God would dwell in a humanly made building?
This view if reflected in our Reformed theology. In the Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 23, it states, “Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious worship, is now, under the gospel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable by, any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed: but God is to be worshipped everywhere in spirit and in truth.” (Book of Confessions 6.117) In other words, we should not claim any place as being more holy than another.
It very affirming that we can worship God anywhere: whether in a sanctuary such as the one we are in, in a home, or outdoors. At the same time, there is a problem when we take this view to its extreme and think that it does not matter where we worship. One way of describing the problem would be the following: If we claim that God is everywhere but that God cannot be seen, then it can very much feel as though God is nowhere. Once again, if we claim that God is everywhere but that God cannot be seen, then it can very much feel as though God is nowhere.
Growing up, I was often taught that God is invisible; that we cannot see God because God is spirit. This idea got funneled down to the notion that the spiritual world is all that matters. Since God is spirit, we should only focus on the spiritual life. Thus the physical world is not important. These ideas affected me immensely.
I became a Christian as a high schooler in a Korean American church. I was excited about my faith. During that time, I also loved to draw and paint. In fact, I began my undergraduate studies at UCLA as an art major. But at that time, I could not justify my study of art with being a Christian. I was taught that I should focus on helping people spiritually. And if I couldn’t do that, then I should at least make a lot of money and help support those who are really doing “God’s work.” Well, I knew that there was no guarantee of making lots of money as an artist so I changed majors.
A Bible verse that relates to this negative view of the physical world is part of today’s Gospel lesson. It is the following four words: “the flesh is useless” (John 6:63). Once again, it is the idea that only the spiritual world matters because there is no value to the physical world of the flesh is useless. But is that what Jesus really meant by those four words? Was he saying that our physical body is useless? Was there no value to the physical world?
Let us look again at our Gospel lesson. In John 6:63, we see Jesus’ statement “the flesh is useless.” But there is more in that sentence. Before this phrase, it states “It is the spirit that gives life” (NRSV). The Greek word for “spirit” is pneuma, and this word can also be translated as “wind” or “breath.” As “spirit” it can be either a lowercase “spirit” (that places it in tension with flesh) or as an uppercase “Spirit” (in referring to the Holy Spirit). The NRSV translates it with the lowercase “spirit.” But I contend that the proper understanding for this verse is uppercase for the Holy Spirit. Throughout the Scriptures, it is the Holy Spirit who gives life. It was the Spirit who hovered over creation. It was the Spirit who filled Adam’s nostrils. It was the Spirit who empowered Christ in his earthly ministry. And it is the Spirit who gives us life today.
How does the Spirit do this life-giving work? If we look again at our Gospel lesson, we can see that the Spirit works through our physical world. Jesus said that in order to abide in him we needed to eat of his flesh and drink of his blood. Why was he using the physical actions of eating and drinking? In part, Jesus was referring to his sacrifice as he gave up his life for us. With faith, we receive Christ’s benefits. Would it not have been easier if Jesus said, “If you want to abide in me, then believe”? But there is something important about the physical acts of eating and drinking. When I think about these words, I am reminded of how we are not only people of the Word but also of the sacraments. John Calvin’s definition of church is where God’s Word is preached and the sacraments administered.
Our liturgical furnishings affirm this belief. We believe in the importance of God’s Word preached as symbolized by this pulpit. We also have the table that represents the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. And we have the font that represents the sacrament of baptism. Even when these furnishings are not in use, they serve as symbols for what is important in our worship. I appreciate how visible these furnishings are in our worship space. They echo a deep truth of Jesus’ words that we need to partake of Christ physically – through the act of eating the bread and drinking the wine – as well as spiritually. Foundational to this truth is that Christ who is God became human. Christ became incarnate. He took on flesh like us. God who is invisible could be seen, touched and heard. Christ became human so that he could be with us and we can be with God.
So the flesh is important. But we cannot forget the Spirit. If we focus only on the flesh then we’re missing the point. If I could rephrase v. 63, it would be “Without the Spirit, the flesh is useless.” What does this mean for us? I believe the Gospel lesson for today is teaching us to be present. To explain what I mean, I would like to share a personal experience. Rather than communicate it from the pulpit, I think it’s appropriate to share it from the floor.
Recently, I completed an internship as a hospital chaplain (which is part of the requirement for ordination as a teaching elder). One of the units that I was assigned to was the Emergency Room. This might sound exciting, but for first month, there was very little for me to do there. Unless there was someone near death, there seemed to be little need for a chaplain. So most of the time, when I visited the charge nurse to ask if there were any patients for me to visit, the answer was “No, not really.” But one afternoon, there was a very different response. I was told to stick around because a teenage boy was coming in on full arrest (meaning that the heart and lungs have stopped working). Few minutes later, I watched as paramedics wheeled him in. One paramedic was pumping the chest of the boy’s lanky and unresponsive body.
My job wasn’t to directly work with the teenager. Rather it was to help the parents. At one point the nurse manager was directing me to setup a couple chairs and a box of tissue outside the patient’s room. Some time later, the mother arrived. She was taken to a triage room and I was told to meet her. When I walked in, there was a police officer and a school district nurse. And the mother was sitting in a chair with her back to the door. Although I couldn’t see her, I could hear her sobbing. I entered and introduced myself. But the mother didn’t hear me, she thought that I was a doctor and begged me to save her son. The police officer told her that I was not a doctor but rather a chaplain. This time she heard and begged me to pray for her son.
I could imagine how she felt but I didn’t know for certain. So we talked. I asked her some questions and found out that her son volunteers at the hospital. But for some questions, there were no responses. So I asked the mother if we could pray together. She said yes. I was trained as a chaplain to be respectful of all the religions we encounter in the hospital. We were instructed to ask people of their religious background in order to thoughtful pray for them. So I asked the mom what her faith tradition was. She said Buddhist but as soon as she did, she added with desperation “I can transfer! I can transfer!” I told her she didn’t have to. Although I could not explain to her, I didn’t want her feel as though she needed to bargain with God. I held her arm and we prayed. As she sobbed, I spoke a prayer out loud for her son’s healing.
Soon after we went to the patient’s room. I briefly spoke with her husband who claimed to have no religious faith. By then, I wasn’t sure if I could do anything to help this family. While I was waiting in the hallway, my supervisor stopped by to check on how I was doing. I shared with him that I didn’t know what to do to help this family. He told me that what the family needs right now is someone to be with them and be a calming presence. I told him that I could do that. For the next 7-8 hours, I stayed with that family. Much of it was in the waiting room: sitting, standing, talking with medical staff, waiting for updates, and praying. I continued to see the family. In the following days, the teenager recovered. After a couple weeks of rehab and a procedure, he and his family were able to go home.
As an assignment I wrote a reflection on my experience with this family. I wrote about what it meant for Christ to come to earth: “While I often consider Christ’s ministries of teaching and performing miracles (along with his death and resurrection), I forget the fact that he was primarily present to a world in pain. Through this patient visit, I have a greater appreciation for why Christ is also called ‘Immanuel’ – ‘God with us.’ As a follower of Christ, I seek to emulate Christ’s willingness to be present with people.”
I don’t we need an extra-ordinary event of someone near death in order for us to be present. We can be present with others with our words and our actions. I hope that through today’s worship service you experienced God’s presence. If there is anything you are not sure of with regard to what was said or done in the service, please talk with someone after the service. As you experienced God’s presence, I challenge you to be more present: to be present to your family, to be present to your friends, to be present to your neighbors and to be present to the world that God has called you to.
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