“Holy Real Estate” 8-14-16

HOLY REAL ESTATE

Chilmark Community Church

August 14, 2016

II Samuel 7:1-14

Mark 6:30-32; 53-56

Rev. Vicky Hanjian

Being the king of the Israelites had its perks, not the least of which was the real estate that came along with job. King David lived in a sumptuous house of cedar – a commodity highly valued by royalty back in the day. But while he enjoyed his luxurious home, he felt guilty about having such a neat place to live in while the Presence of God was housed in a tent near-by. So – David had an idea. He looked at his own royal dwelling – – he looked at the tent that housed the ark of the covenant that represented God’s presence among the Israelites – – and decided that the tent was not good enough. God should have a house at least as nice as the one in which David lived. At first, getting through the permitting process seemed easy. David went to his prophet, Nathan, and mentioned his idea about building a temple for God to live in. Nathan, being a good supportive prophet to the king said “Great Idea! Go for it!” David gets the permit in hand.

But God had a different idea. A true prophet doesn’t get to use his/or her own words. Nathan hadn’t consulted with God first. Nathan had to retract his “go ahead” to David and he had to go back to David with God’s better idea – hoping that the king wouldn’t shoot the messenger – – because God was not particularly pleased with David’s grand real estate scheme. God withdrew the building permit. Sounds a little like local politics going awry!

Imagine David appearing before a heavenly zoning board of appeals: God says: Who are you to build a house for me??? I have never lived in a house!! I have been with my people since I brought them out of Egypt and I have never lived in a house – I have always moved about with them in a tent! When did I ever ask them to build me a house of cedar??? David’s plans for a dream house for God begin to wither. God reminds David of all the ways that God has moved in David’s life: I brought you in from the pastures where you tended sheep. I made you a king over Israel. I traveled with you into battle. I protected you and my people, Israel. I led them to a land where they could live and prosper. God is the actor – not David. God is a self described God–on-the-move. Permit denied.

There is some deep background background to the story. Israel was gradually shifting from being a wandering group of tribes to being a more settled community. As a royal city, Jerusalem was becoming the center of Israelite culture. Other religions in the surrounding lands all had their temples. The authority of their rulers was legitimated by their various priesthoods and religious practices. Socially and politically, Israel was undergoing changes. Israel had already won the argument with God about having a king. First there was Saul – and then David. Now the king wants a temple – a permanent place for the worship of God – a religious center that will legitimate the power of the king as God’s servant. David is all for it. God has other ideas.

The ark that traveled with the Israelites throughout their 40 years in the wilderness was a powerful symbol of God’s continual movement with them – no matter where they were. It was a paradoxical symbol that represented God’s presence and availability, but also God’s fearsome, unapproachable power. Most fundamentally, the moveable ark symbolized the un-compromised freedom of God to be God in God’s own way – free to go and come – uncontrolled by the limits that a fixed location in a temple might imply. Indeed, when God spoke to Moses at the beginning of Israel’s story, God said “Tell the people I am Who I Am – – I Will Be Who I Will Be.” It seems as though God has had no change of mind about exercising the unfettered freedom to be who God chooses to be.

And so – a play of words appears in our story. God says to David: So you want to build me a house I do not need and don’t particularly want. Let me tell you about the house I want to build for you.

The Hebrew word beit is used in a variety of ways in the story. The most common translation of beit is “house.” But when it is referring to David’ s home it is translated as” palace.” A few verses later, the word “beit” means “temple.” The meaning of the word shifts again to something entirely different when God uses it. After God reminds David of the Divine preference for freedom, God tells David about the kind of house that God will build – – that house will be a human one – – it will be a people – – a living community of people who will be faithful to God – In God’s story, the beit or house that God will build will be a dynasty that will grow forth from King David and his offspring. God took a huge risk by making a commitment to build a house for David – a human temple in the form of a dynasty to carry the Israelites into the future. Unlike the fixed rigidity of wood and mortar and stone, a human house or dynasty is malleable, and fluid and often unruly and unpredictable -sometimes downright messy. David never does get to build a temple for God. Eventually, a grand and glorious temple does happen, but it is David’s son, Solomon who is known for that accomplishment – – and that is another story.

Walter Brueggeman argues that this story of God and David’s disagreement about the building of a temple is at the dramatic and theological center of all the writings of Samuel. He argues that, indeed, it is one of the most crucial texts in the Hebrew scriptures for our faith and ministry today. Brueggemann further suggests that is really David who needs a temple for God in order to legitimate his own political power as king and warrior.¹

It is interesting to note how, in many cultures, kings and emperors devoted massive amounts of money and human resources to build temples to their gods. Armen and I traveled in China a number of years ago. The great distinguishing mark of all the temples we visited was their incredible size – sometimes covering multiple acres of land – and their lavish ornamentation. In ancient Chinese religion, the emperor was the direct link with the gods. Even today, political leaders, at least in this country, look to religious institutions to legitimate their claims and promises and platforms. A photo op on the steps of a cathedral or a small town church, an appearance at a synagogue or mosque lend a politician a certain credibility and legitimacy, even though this often turns out to be an illusion. Whether the issue is abortion rights or gay marriage or war or peacemaking or the economy or immigration policies, the religious institutions in the land are often sought after to serve a legitimating function as various political issues are debated in the public realm. This will be an interesting process to observe as November approaches and candidates pull out all the stops in their efforts to convince voters of the legitimacy of their positions.

Now, God does indeed legitimate David’s rule –but not by wanting a temple in the way that David expects. God gives David legitimacy through a few reminders: David remember – – I took you from your shepherding and made you a prince. I have been with you wherever you went. I have removed all your enemies from your path. I have given you safety and triumph. In all the history of this relationship, David gets no credit at all. David’s power and his rise to kingship are all God’s doing. David is the creation of God’s powerful, relentless graciousness.² David’s kingship is the product of God’s freedom to move at will in order for God to create the witness that God wants in the world. And God’s freedom resists the confines of real estate.

I couldn’t help linking this story of God’s insistence upon the freedom to come and go as God pleases to the story of Jesus in Mark’s gospel.

In verses 30-32 of Chapter 6, Jesus and his friends have just re-grouped after the trauma of the death of John the Baptist. They are in shock and grief. Jesus sees that his friends are tired and hungry. So many people have been besieging them for healing and wisdom that they haven’t even had time to stop for a sandwich. So Jesus invites them to come away to a quiet place and rest. They get into a boat to head for a deserted place for awhile. It is interesting to note that neither Jesus nor his friends had to check to be sure all the lights in the house were turned off, that there was no water left running or that all the doors were locked. They didn’t make arrangements for the lawn to be watered or for the newspapers to be collected each day. There was no real estate. Jesus gave the invitation – and the group moved.

A story of the feeding of the multitudes is inserted here. It stands independent of the verses that we have read and the verses that follow. But if we go right to verse 53, Jesus and the disciples, presumably having had a brief respite on the boat, have crossed over the Sea of Galilee – they land and are immediately plunged again into the work of healing the sick who are brought to them from every corner of the region. Again – there is no mention of office hours or clinic space or zoning requirements or adequate off-street parking – – Jesus and his friends are on the move – – and once again we are confronted with the freedom of God to be God where and when God chooses – – and great power is unleashed by Jesus for the healing of God’s people.

God chose David and empowered him for divine purposes. God established a dynastic house that brought God’s people forward. God became real again in Jesus – always moving in unexpected and uncontrollable ways – – free and unpredictable – – undomesticated as it were.

Human beings will perhaps always need sacred space in the form of temples and churches, synagogues and mosques. It is, indeed, often in sacred space that we receive spiritual inspiration and direction for our lives. It is often in context of worship in the sanctuary that we do, indeed receive both legitimation and direction for the work we are called to do, the power we are called to exercise. Indeed, God seems to be more patient with that these days. But God also needs real estate of another kind. God needs a house, a dynamic dynasty of the faithful. God needs a people who will know that God cannot be confined within sacred space – but must always be on the move. God needs a living temple – – a people who can easily move at the Spirit’s direction to meet the needs of God’s people. The Spirit of Jesus stands always in our midst ready to move. Always ready to pull or push or prod us into the work of listening and caring, of loving and attending, of feeding, healing, clothing and liberating all who stand in need of what the Holy One will offer through each one of us. Today we need to add the work of sheltering, providing adequate affordable housing for our fellow islanders, to the ancient biblical injunction to care for the children of God. God requires a mobile temple – – preferably one with arms and legs and a brain and a heart. God’s holiness resides in the very human temple that each one of is. Are we the people God needs? A few years back, there was an affordable housing advocacy group on the island called “Houses On The Move.” Might that name describe us as the people of God? Are we willing to be holy houses on the move with this ever moving God? Are we willing to become Holy Real Estate? The Divine Lure to each one of us is to freely move at the invitation and guidance of the Spirit – to be a Holy House on the Move with an ever-moving God.