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December 9, 2007 Matthew 3: 1-12 Rev. Steve Gehlert I love words. I love to play word games like Scrabble or Pictionary. Love to study their origins, their meanings. So, on this second Sunday of Advent I want to do a word study with you, to study a word that has lots to do not only with John the Baptist's message, but with the state of our souls, and therefore, the meaning of his message for us today. The word I want to study with you is cleavage. Cleavage! Now, if that startles or shocks you, that's because in our modern world, focused as it is on sex, our understanding of the word's meaning has become narrowed down to one thing, and we all know what it is, something a woman shows, to make herself more attractive, fashionable, or sexy. But let's start backward, at the root of the word, which is cleave, a verb, which means to separate or divide. The past tense of the verb is cleaved. "The knight's sword cleaved through his enemy's armor." That leads to a related word; a certain kind of knife, used to separate big chunks of meat is called a cleaver. Which leads to an activity, as in the word, cleaving. "He spent all morning, cleaving the steer they had butchered" (with what else, his cleaver). But that's not all, there's one more word, another noun, cleft, which refers to the place, in the separation, the divide, as in "He hid from the outlaws in a cleft in the rocks." But in our modern world, at least among the more literate, we might be more likely to hear, "She stuck her cell phone in the cleft of her cleavage." Now, you might be saying to yourself, "That's interesting, Steve, but what's it got to do with John the Baptist's message, and the state of my soul? On this second Sunday of Advent, why should I studying the word cleavage? Or, cleave, cleaved, cleaver, and cleft, for that matter?" I'd respond that it's important because our narrow understanding of this word reflects what's become the focus of our lives. I'm not talking simply about the physical, the sexual. I'm talking about how we think we find our worth, by finding something that'll separate us, make us stand out, make us special, so we can lift ourselves above others, get in with a certain group, and feel superior. That's why our understanding of the word has become so focused on one thing! Showing cleavage is a way for a young woman to separate herself from the crowd, make herself stand out, so the guys will notice, and so she'll be in with the girls who are seen as "hot." We focus on one definition of cleavage because it's a way to cleave, to separate yourself from the crowd, to assert that you're something special. We focus on that because that's how our culture says you prove your worth. So, if a young woman decides to seek her worth in that way, in terms of what she's got to show, something everybody ought to either desire or envy; that becomes her ticket to being somebody. So, she dresses to show "it." And it works, in a sad, destructive way. Guys pay attention. The girls who want to be "hot" and pay attention, too. And she becomes somebody who's entitled, entitled to be pouty, rude, unkind, or mean. She doesn't have to show basic care or kindness, or consider what her words or actions do. Because she's got "it" such concerns are beneath her. That's what those who aren't so desirable have to worry about. That's just the beginning of what's sad and destructive. She gets trapped in wrapping her identity around her appearance, something that can never really make her feel good about who she is on the inside. And, there's still more sadness beyond that. That takes us back to the root of our word, cleavage, which, again, is cleave, which means to separate or divide. What's also sad and destructive is that when you seek your worth in separating yourself, lifting yourself above others, not surprisingly, what you get is a cleavage, a separation, a destruction of relationship and community. So, a group where everyone was accepted for who they were, without having to impress anyone, and kids came together because they cared about each other, wanted to be together, begins to lose all those things that made it beautiful. It's cleaved, separated, divided, as some, trying to find their worth by asserting their superiority, make that more important than caring for each other. That's really sad! But you see it unfold, as some, no longer interested in the whole group, only in the ones who are "cool" or "hot," depending on what term you want to use, don't want to bother if the "right" kids aren't there. That's the cleavage that divides what was once like a gathering of brothers and sisters. But that's not all. No, because if your worth depends on showing your superiority, then you've got to let others know it, and what better place to do it than where everybody had seen themselves as equal. So, that's what happens! In one way or another, the group is told that they no longer matter. If asked, "Are you coming," the answer's, "I don't know." Which means, "it depends on who's coming and whether I've nothing better to do." If asked to lead, forget it. The answer is, "I'm not sure I'll be able to be there," which means, "it doesn't matter enough to me to be sure I'll be there." So, the group gets the message that they're beneath you. That's the second division, the second cleavage, the one that comes from some having to show that they're too cool, or too hot, to care. Now, what I've said about young people and the cleavages, separations, divisions, that develop among them, is just one example of the separations, divisions, we create, because of our insecurity, our need to assert our worth. There are many others, and just as many ways of creating them, because the impulse to seek our identity and worth, not in relationship with God and others, but in things that separate us, that we think lift us above others, is alive in us all, no matter what our age or situation. Young people may use physical appearance, but so do adults, along with lots of other things. It may be success and wealth, whatever shows what we've achieved, house, car, clothing, whatever can be used to create a separation from those who aren't so successful, at least as some measure it. So much of what we buy isn't because it's needed, but because we think it proves our worth. It may also be knowledge, and how it can be used to impress, the separations it can create from those who don't "know" as much, who don't have the background, education, or experience. So much of what's said isn't because it needs to be, but because it's supposed to show how special we are. Or, it may be being in control, able to impose our will on others, getting them to do what we want, without being challenged, without regard for their thoughts or feelings. So much of what happens then is all about making others submit, showing superiority by being in charge. Or, it may be being autonomous, a law unto ourselves, responsible to no one, free to do what we want and not do what we don't want. Then, life is about is showing those around you, even those close to you, that commitments don't matter, what's important is your own comfort and convenience. There are so many ways desire to prove our worth create cleavages between ourselves and others. What's the result? Not just youth groups divided by insecure kids trying to find their worth by showing what they've got and reminding others that they haven't, caring less and less about each other, it's adults creating divisions out of the same insecurities. It's a society divided because those who've "made it" feel that the rest should be impressed with them, defer to them, and be instructed by them. It's marriages and families "cleaved" by one person who has to dominate, impose his or her will on the others, without regard to their thoughts or feelings. It's marriages and families fractured by the willful autonomy of one person, whose desire for comfort or convenience, is more important than the people with whom he or she shares life. Our insecurity about our worth, and our attempts to prove it by separating ourselves, lifting ourselves up, claiming a right to rule ourselves and others, creates all kinds of cleavages, all kinds of divisions, and the result is pain and broken-ness. That's not how God intended it to be. We were created for real relationship with God and each other. That's what God's always wanted, and what we in our desire to separate ourselves in order to claim a special worth for ourselves, have always resisted. Yet God's never abandoned God's hope for us. That leads me back to my word study, to the "archaic" meaning of cleave the root word I've been talking about. Archaic, means original, old, and very much out of use. The word archeology comes from it. Well, the archaic, the original meaning of the word cleave, was "to adhere to, to bind to, to be faithful to." As in, "If you love me, cleave to me always!" The only sense of separateness implied was that cleaving to someone, binding yourself, being faithful to someone, always means separating yourself, cleaving yourself, from other things which might attract you. That's what God calls us to do. When God called Abraham and Sarah to leave their settled life and go to a place they'd be shown, God called to cleave themselves, to separate themselves from a culture which worshipped many gods, so that they could cleave to, be bound to, the one true God. God called them so that through them, all people could cleave to God, be bound to, be faithful to, the God who gives them life. When God freed the Hebrews from slavery, it was to cleave them from that oppression, so they could cleave to God, bind themselves in covenant to God, and become a people who'd be light to the nations, who could help all people find their way back into right relationship with God and others. In some ways they sought to do that. They brought other people into the faith. They offered baptism to those who wanted to become part of God's way. Baptism symbolically washed their sins away, so they could be right with God, and begin a new relationship with God as part of God's people. But more often, the Jews distorted God's call to be a blessing to all people, a way God could bring all people back together again, into something that separated them, divided them, lifted them above, made them better than, other people. So, their mission, being a people chosen to bring blessing to all, became an excuse for feeling separate and superior, an excuse for cleavage, for a separation in the one humanity that God created, loved, and wanted to restore. That's why John calls the Jews to baptism. Before, baptism had only been for Gentiles, a way to wash their sins away, so they could belong to the people who were bound to God and each other. But John's telling the Jews, because you've thought yourselves better, holier, superior, "You need to be baptized," to be washed of sin. In your desire for superiority, you've turned from God, you've created cleavages that divide the humanity God loves. Turn from all you've been doing to claim special privilege, position, or power for yourself, and come back to God, God's ways, and being God's people." He said it with extra passion to those who used religious knowledge and position to lift themselves up and create divisions, separations, cleavages, between themselves and others, calling them "a brood of vipers," warning them that God's judgment, God's anger was coming. But even with the anger, do you see what God does, in spite of all the divisions, the cleavages we've created with God and others? God comes to us, cleaves to us in the old fashioned sense. God comes to us, declaring that the separation will end, that nothing we've done, or can do, will be able to keep us apart from God's love. Nothing we've done or can do need keep us separated from each other. Think about what that says about God, about the greatness of God's love, and God's determination to have our love. But also think about what that says about us, about how much we matter to God. How much we matter to God - that's the source of our worth! Why don't we accept that for ourselves? Accepting the worth God gives us, rather than chasing after one we try to create for ourselves frees us from all this struggle to separate ourselves, lift ourselves up, show that we're special, with our appearance, our stuff, our knowledge, our power, our disdaining even to care. Isn't that good news? Good news that God loves us so much, that we matter so much! Good news that God is going to overcome all the separations, divisions, cleavages, we've created! Good news that all the separation can end, and our relationship to God and one another can be restored! Good news that we can be free of the struggle to create and prove a worth that can never be created or proven but only received free, as a gift. The world says, that you find your worth by separating yourself, so you can lift yourself up, get what you want, do what you want. God says that you find your worth by coming together in relationship, in true community with God and one another, so you can give yourself, and receive the gifts that God and others have to give. God knows that we find life in relationship, in community, and God is determined for us to have it. God promises to come to us in a child who will make that possible. Can we humble ourselves enough to receive the gift? |
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