Sermon: "Choosing Teams"
The Right Reverend Charles G. vonRosenberg
Third Bishop of East Tennessee

Separation and division come about because of judgment. Those are themes in our readings and collect for today. And those also are actions in our everyday lives that we practice all the time. Separations and divisions of all kinds happen after some judgment is made.

For instance, I remember as a boy the process by which Saturday teams were chosen on the football field or the basketball court. Two people – usually the best players – were identified as captains. And then they separated the rest of the players into two teams. The available players with the most skill were chosen first, as the process of division into teams proceeded. The captains went through their possibilities, choosing in turn until the teams were filled. Thus, you see, separation and division into teams came about because of a judgment made. That is, the captains made judgments about who the best players were.

Of course, parenthetically, I remember quite well my visitation to St. Paul’s last year. There was a certain separation then that was quite evident between the one or two LSU fans and those of Tennessee!

In the First Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul writes of a basic kind of religious division or separation. He says that there are two types of people – the type of Adam and the type of Jesus Christ.

Adam was a natural man, if you will. That is, he lived by some basic rules of survival. Adam was given all that he needed, as the story is told in Genesis. And Adam also was given limitations on his behavior.

Indeed, in the natural order of things, such limitations certainly do exist. For instance, if a bird accustomed to warm weather does not fly south at this time of year, he will be in trouble. Also, squirrels must bury nuts to have supplies for the winter. And – on a slightly different note – people had better put anti-freeze in their cars…This is the natural order of things – sort of, anyway.

However, Adam exceeded the limitations prescribed for him. He ate fruit from a tree that had been prohibited. And, breaking such natural limitations always brings about clear consequences. Birds freeze if they don’t fly south; squirrels go hungry without nuts; and radiators crack if anti-freeze is not added.

Thus, the type that Adam represents must follow certain rules. And the consequences of ignoring those rules is final … that is, ultimately, death.

But the type that Jesus Christ represents stands for something else. Rules are still there. Right and wrong certainly do exist. However, in Jesus Christ there is forgiveness also. There is the possibility for reconciliation even though a rule is broken. Thus, the result of breaking the rules is not final. It is not ultimate. It does not have to end in death.

Now, an interesting – but troublesome – thing about human nature is this: everybody breaks the rules … everybody. And remember that with Adam, breaking the rules means death. Thus, St. Paul writes this observation, in theological terms: “For since death came through a human being (that is, Adam), the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ”(15:21-22).

And so, going back to my boyhood analogy, two captains stand in a field – Adam and Jesus. All of us are the potential players on one team or the other. There must be a division based on some kind of judgment. But here is where the analogy takes an interesting twist. The captains do not accomplish this particular division. We do. We choose which team to join. We choose our captain. Is it Adam – whose natural way leads to death – or is it Jesus Christ – whose way of forgiveness leads to life?

Today’s collect refers also to the theme of separation. In this case, a particular separation and its cause are mentioned. In our collect we prayed in general for “the peoples of the earth”, and about them – about us – this observation was made: we are “divided and enslaved by sin.” The cause of our division and separation from one another is sin.

Now, what is this sin that divides us from each other and which enslaves us? It seems to me that there are two general categories of sin. First, certain aspects of our attitudes and behavior set us apart from other people. That which does this – which sets us apart from others – is sin, by definition. For instance, excessive, unchecked ambition and competition set us apart from one another. Also, hatred and prejudice have a similar effect. These are things that divide us from other people, and they enslave us as well. We are put in slavery and in isolation by excessive ambition and competition and by our hatred and prejudice. These attitudes that set us apart from other people are, therefore, sinful.

There is a second category of sin – of things that divide and enslave us. And this, it seems to me, involves those things that cause guilt in us … appropriate guilt, that is.

Sometimes we feel guilty about things over which we have no control and for which we are not responsible. That is inappropriate guilt, and it is a problem for many people. However, at other times, we may be aware of our involvement – past or present – in some moral or legal wrongdoing. That awareness may lead to a sense of guilt that is quite appropriate indeed. And, therefore, appropriate guilt indicates involvement in sin.

Remember, though, that in Jesus Christ there is something more than the natural result of sin – and that is forgiveness. If we choose Jesus Christ as our captain on the field of life, then there is hope beyond our own sin. The hope is that while we may be “divided and enslaved by sin”, the power of Christ – the power of forgiveness – will free us and bring us together under the rule and captainship of Christ. That’s the hope which is the object of our prayer this morning.

Finally, another separation was referred to in our Gospel reading today. Interesting, once again, this separation has to do with choices that the players make, not the captains.

The Gospel describes Jesus sitting on his throne as the King of glory. And we read that “he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats…”(25:32). But actually, the separation happens because of what those people did or did not do in life. That is, people choose their team by means of certain actions and behavior.

Jesus says that people choose him – and choose to be on his team – if they give food to the hungry and drink to the thirsty and welcome to the stranger and clothing to the naked and visits to the sick and the prisoner. These familiar words of Jesus make the point quite clearly: “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me”(25:40).

That’s how we choose to be on Jesus Christ’s team. We choose not to be divided and enslaved by those human prejudices that are indeed so divisive. Rather, we choose to be freed and brought together with all sorts and conditions of men and women under Christ’s rule, with Jesus as captain and as king. We choose not to be divided from other people, but rather to feed the hungry and to give drink to the thirsty; to welcome the stranger; to clothe the naked; and to visit the sick and the prisoner … and all in the name of Jesus Christ and for his sake. That choice puts us on his team.

Thus, in conclusion, the matter is a fairly simple one … one for which we have responsibility. There are two captains out on the field of life. Which one do you choose to follow?

Copyright © 2002 The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee