"Out Of The Ordinary"

By Rev. Billy D. Strayhorn

(Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12)

Hebrews 1:1-4 [1] Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, [2] but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. [3] He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, [4] having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. Hebrews 2:5-12 [5] Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. [6] But someone has testified somewhere, "What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? [7] You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, [8] subjecting all things under their feet." Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, [9] but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. [10] It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. [11] For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, [12] saying, "I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you."

(NRSV)

INTRODUCTION:

Have you ever noticed how ad campaigns for new and improved items all use the same words: Bigger, Bolder, Better, Brighter. Some of them even begin to sound like Tim Allen, "More Power".

That's one of the reasons why I love this passage from Hebrews. It almost sounds like a first century ad campaign for the Messiah. It's not quite as bold as the opening to Superman but the claims are much the same. Remember how Superman opened, well you could adapt that to fit this passage: "More superior than all the angels. More powerful than all the prophets. Able to hold the world together with a single word. Look up in the heavens. It's a bird. It's an angel. No, it's Jesus the Messiah."

I don't mean to sound sacrilegious. The point I'm trying to make here is that like advertising and television, the claims that Paul makes about Jesus are pretty stout. There are some pretty extraordinary things being said here. But then, Jesus was pretty extraordinary.

Through Jesus, the extraordinary entered the ordinary in order to empower the ordinary to do the extraordinary. And that's what I want to talk about this morning.

I. THE EXTRAORDINARY:

A. For me, this passage is all about the Incarnation and the ordinary. It's about Jesus, the extraordinary Incarnation of God. It's God becoming one of the ordinary, one of us, so we could know the grace and glory of God's salvation. Wow.

It absolutely blows me away and boggles my mind, to think that Jesus, the extraordinary, perfect sinless Son of God would dare to take off the Royal Robes of Heaven, put on the corrupted gowns of our flesh and blood, step into our world and become one of us.

Joan Osborne has a song out entitled "One Of Us". In it she asks, "What if God was one of us. Just a slob like one of us. With a job like one of us?" And that's the point Paul makes. Jesus, the perfect Son of God, for whom and through whom everything was created, put on flesh and blood and became one of us.

B. Hebrews says that Jesus is the very image and likeness of God. The very nature of God is in Jesus. Through Jesus all the Universe is empowered and held together. It's unthinkable that Jesus could step into the sin filled world of corruption as one of us. Just look at us. The News is filled with civic and national leaders involved in pornographic lifestyles. Teenage "just for the thrill of it" violence is on the rise. Every week seems to find another child abandoned and left in a dumpster or the back of a pick up or on the doorstep of some home. Despite all of our efforts at Peace Talks, the Middle East just seems to keep erupting in violence. Poverty,drugs, discrimination, consumerism, selfishness, alcohol, violence, war, famine, political corruption, religious corruption, who in their right mind would want to step into the middle of a situation like that and try and change it? They'd be crucified.

The amazing, extraordinary thing is that the perfect, sinless, Son of God did step out of heaven and become one of us. The extraordinary became one of the ordinary. "Just a slob like one of us." And therein lies our hope and our salvation.

II. THE ORDINARY:

A. The Good News is that because the extraordinary became one of the ordinary; we, the ordinary, are enabled and empowered to do the extraordinary. We are enabled and empowered to do the extraordinary work of God in this ordinary old world.

It's pretty extraordinary what we did yesterday. Everyone here working together to make a small dream come true.

Look at the building, that's pretty extraordinary, too. All of us pulling together, digging a little deeper, making the same sacrifice for God's work to carry on and touch others.

There are lots of ways that the extraordinary is accomplished through ordinary folks like us. Look at the extraordinary work that takes place every single Sunday through the hands of our interpreters. God's Word is proclaimed so that all can understand.

B. God uses and sanctifies the ordinary things and ordinary people of life for the extraordinary work of God. We touch people's lives with the grace of God everyday. When Rachel Matyastik was three she told her mom one day, "I really love Jesus and God."

You know, I can't think of any simpler or better affirmation of faith. It's obvious that Rachel has been touched by what she sees and hears at Church and at home. But also by what she sees and hears in each of us as we live out our faith in front of her and all the other children of the Church. I celebrate that. I celebrate the fact that we are living the vows we take at every baptism. Rachel and the other children of this Church are proof that the extraordinary is being done in the midst of the ordinary.

And the wonderful extraordinary thing about it is that no one is ordinary if they have given themselves to God to be used by God to glorify God. When we give ourselves in service to God we are used in extraordinary ways.

CONCLUSION:

This morning we come to one of the most extraordinary aspects of our faith, the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Today we will participate in the extraordinary by eating ordinary bread. There's nothing special about the bread we use. It's bought at Kroger's or Albertson's. But it is made extraordinary by our faith, by the event in which we share, and by the significance we place upon it. It becomes more than just ordinary bread. It becomes an extraordinary means of Grace. Through a small bit of bread and a little bit of juice, we experience the presence of Christ. And we are fed.

As you are fed this morning, with this extraordinary bread from heaven, ask yourself this: How can I give my ordinary self so that God can use me in extraordinary ways?