Weakness & Vulnerability

Prayer

Not for the Weak

Not often you watch a genuine opportunity to literally “turn the other cheek” - I’m thinking about the incident at the Oscars, Will Smith slapping Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife’s bald head (though I’m not sure if Chris Rock would have let him do it a second time).

Of course, it was huge news, everybody chiming in on whether Will Smith should have done that or not, stood up to defend his wife’s honor - at least in the way he did it.

The whole thing was surprising because we don’t see a lot of that anymore, violent act in response to being made fun of. Yet, there was a day and time when that was commonplace - men would go to great lengths to defend their honor, including challenging the “rapscallion who impugned my honor” to a duel, an actual gunfight (which is pretty amazing to think about).

Speaks to our desire to be seen as strong, to be able to stand up for ourselves or those we love, defend our honor. Last thing you want to be seen is as weak.

As I’ve reflected on this, I think there is a time to stand strong. Exert your strength. Face the odds. We see the command in the Bible, as told to Joshua - “Be strong and courageous., as he is about to lead the Israelites into battle against the Canaanites. It’s hard to imagine what strength and courage the Ukrainians are having to muster up in order to face the invading Russian army. I think about the fact that if I were a Ukrainian, I’d be in the age range, I’d have to stay and fight.

But part of going deeper into discipleship requires not just those moments that we show strength, but also that we embrace our weakness and vulnerability - and that’s what I want to talk about this morning on our final week of our Deeper Still sermon series.

This is something we normally avoid - it seems so counter. Why would we want to embrace weakness and vulnerability? Even the word itself, vulnerable - it comes from the Latin, “vulnerare”, which means “to wound.”

If I make myself vulnerable, I’m going to get wounded! Someone’s going to take advantage of that, degrade me, harm me.

I certainly don’t want to be seen as weak. I don’t like for people to “get” me. I prefer to be seen as someone who’s competent, strong, ready to lead - isn’t that what it means to be a good leader? You know what the heck you’re doing, make hard decisions, put together a with plan, let’s go! Strong and courageous!

I want to take a few minutes to invite you to look at the life and ministry of Jesus, to see whether or not he led out of weakness and vulnerability.

Consider the circumstances of his birth…Parents couldn’t find a place to stay, they were at the mercy of strangers. Within the first couple of years he and his family had to flee to another country because his life was in danger. He was a refugee.

We catch examples in his ministry - relied on support of others - in particular, women, to continue his ministry. Think about the story of his encounter at the well with the Samaritan woman. He has to ask her help just to get a drink of water! Basic necessity in life and he needs help to get it.

Today is Palm Sunday, beginning of Holy Week. We commemorate Jesus entering into Jerusalem, crowds waving the palm branches, shouting, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

This was Jesus’ big moment, he was finally proclaiming publicly that he is the Messiah, the long-awaited King who would rise up and bring salvation to the nation of Israel.

If there were ever a moment that you’d want to come in with a show of strength, riding a big powerful horse - a stallion, surrounded by your well-trained army, marching in unison, ready to take on the fight, this was it.

Jesus comes riding in on a donkey, no armor, no sword, no soldiers. Just his ordinary group of followers - fisherman, a tax collector, the women. It’s really an almost laughable scene.

By the end of the week, he will be absolutely weak and vulnerable. Arrested in the middle of the night - and as soon as a sword is drawn to defend him, he orders that it be put away. He goes without a fight. When he’s not facing trial, he’s being mocked and beaten.

Never once does he try to defend his honor as the Roman soldiers blindfold him and mock him for being considered a prophet. They play games with him, hitting him with a club and asking him to guess who struck him.

They mocked him for claiming to be the Messiah, the King. Why they crafted a crown of thorns, put a robe on him, a scepter (at stick) in his hand. I don’t know about you, but if I get mocked, everything in me wants to fight back. To come right at them.

Then he gets spit on. That’s about the ugliest way you can express contempt for someone.

Mockery is not just from the Roman soldiers, but from his own people - who yell at him while he’s up on the cross, if you’re the Messiah, the Savior, you better start with saving yourself, buddy. And what does Jesus do in the midst of it all. Nothing. He just takes it.

And, of course, Jesus’ hanging on the cross is the essence of weakness and vulnerability. Naked, absolutely exposed. Arms and legs nailed down, utterly unable to move - in that situation, you are completely vulnerable. Anyone could come up to you and do whatever they wanted and you couldn’t do a dang thing to stop them. You are helpless.

Sign that hung above Jesus’ head, nailed to top of the cross. It was common practice, way to tell crowds who this criminal was and what crime they committed. Sign above Jesus’ head read, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”

Pontius Pilate had that written as a way to mock Jews, but it was God’s sovereign work at hand - sign declaring that this man, weak, vulnerable, hanging on cross, is the True King of Israel. Did Jesus lead out of weakness and vulnerability? You better believe he did.

This was all part of God’s plan - to save us through weakness and vulnerability. As Peter Scazzero writes in Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, “Jesus did not approach his death as a superhero.”

And this is our final aspect of how we move from shallow Christianity into deeper discipleship. According to Scazzero, weakness and vulnerability is one of the most important biblical pathways to grow in spiritual authority and leadership, along with all the other things we’ve been talking about: being before doing, following the crucified, not Americanized Jesus, embracing God’s gifts of limits, finding the hidden treasures in grief and loss, making love the measure of our spiritual maturity, breaking the power of the past.

But this morning, our main point is embracing the gift of our limp, our weakness, our vulnerability. Spend time talking about that.

Why Weakness and Vulnerability. Why is learning to embrace this so important?

For starters, because it is reality. We are weak and needy creatures. And remember, reality is where we meet God, because God is fountain of all reality, source of all truth. He is the most real, most true being. If we are going to meet God, it must be in reality.

Jurgen Moltmann: There is no differentiation between the healthy and those with disabilities. For every human life has its limitations, vulnerabilities and weaknesses. We are born needy, and we die helpless.

Some of our weakness comes simply because we are created beings. We rely on the Creator to provide all that we need. As Matthew 5 reminds us: He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. We can’t make sun rise or the rain fall or air stay in atmosphere - the basic necessities in life all come because of God’s sustaining grace. We are weak and vulnerable creatures.

But our weakness is exacerbated as a result of the Fall. When I say, “the Fall”, I’m referring to Adam & Eve, when they first chose to sin, turning away from God, seeking their own way. They fell from God’s grace.

God’s curse, consequences of sin, came down on Adam: Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life, it will produce thorns and thistles for you. That curse was a guarantee that our work would always be marked by frustration and sense of incompleteness.

And to Eve: Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you. A curse that relationships will be marked by pain and misunderstanding. Consequence of our sin move us into greater weakness and vulnerability.

Not only is our weakness and vulnerability simply reality of our situation, but if we embrace the gift of our limp, it will spur us toward God. It’s why God cursed Adam and Eve - why any good parent doles out consequences for disobedience. Because I know this behavior is bad for you, I’m going to discourage you from it with painful consequences. Because I want you to pursue the good.

Which in God’s case, is God himself. He is the good. Our weaknesses are meant to drive us to God, to seek him, to recognize our need for him and his saving grace in our lives.

Consider the difference between the two brothers from the story of the Prodigal Son, this painting from Rembrandt really brings it to light...

If you remember the story of the Prodigal from Luke 15 (and if not, please go read it, it’s a brilliant story). Younger brother who turns his back on his father, demanding his inheritance early - goes and squanders it all. The older brother stays dutifully on the farm, working. But this painting captures the difference between the two - it captures the return of the younger son:

That’s the younger brother kneeling before the Father - repentant, broken, vulnerable. I need your help. I need you. And it captures the Father’s welcoming response, his warm embrace of the son.

Contrast that with the posture of the older brother - standing alone, separated, I don’t need you. I’ll do your work, but just so I can get what’s coming to me. He is oblivious to his weakness, so he stands alone in his self-reliance.

When you consider the very nature of faith - it always puts us in a vulnerable position. We’re always gauging who we can trust and how much - in every conversation. How much of my true self will I reveal to them?

We’ve had this old hot tub in our backyard for years - finally (finally!) got help in getting rid of it. Guy who was helping me get rid of it brought some guys I didn’t know, I got a couple of neighbors. We trying to figure how to move this monstrosity to trailer. So common, you get a group of guys together - nobody wants to be guy who doesn’t know…what to do, how to operate basic tools…weakness.

I think that’s why we often resist entrusting ourselves fully to Jesus. Leaning on him - his wisdom, his way. It puts us in a vulnerable position. We prefer to trust ourselves more, stay in control…like the older brother.

I love this one quote from a young man named Drew who was learning to embrace weakness and vulnerability: “Hearing about vulnerability and weakness was shattering. It seemed too risky - nice enough to sound good, but at the same time a little too dangerous. To be honest, it was a bit terrifying.”

Of course, the crucial question is, who’s more trustworthy - you...or Jesus?

Those who hearts are most given to Jesus are those who’ve come most broken before him, who’ve come face to face with their weakness and vulnerability and it drove them to their knees before Jesus.

It was only after Peter denied Jesus and broke down weeping that he was really ready to take on the mantle of leadership in the early church.

David, after being confronted with his sin of adultery and murder, wrote in Psalm 51:17...My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

Paul was keenly aware of all his gifts and credentials as an apostle - but that’s not what he led out of…2 Corinthians 12:7-9, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul embraced that weakness as a gift from God.

What drives you to your knees? What are you pleading to God about?

Here’s thing. We embrace weakness and vulnerability because it allows God’s power and wisdom to shine through. God, the one who is truly worthy - is glorified (next Sunday we’ll be reminded of God’s power shining through following suffering and death - the weakness and vulnerability of Jesus).

Paul realized this, 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Take this verse seriously - how counter this is! We try to hide our weaknesses, cover over them, bluff our way through. Paul boasts about them. Because he recognizes that here is exactly where God’s power enters in. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Scazzero: Never occurred to me that my weaknesses and frailties might be part of God’s design and will for me.

In the brief moments it has occurred to me, I find myself wanting to dismiss the idea (because it is terrifying!). But what if we took this seriously, this idea of embracing the gift of our limp, our weakness and vulnerability?

That like Paul, it would be something rather that we would boast about? Or at least be willing to openly admit to one another. I don’t know. I need help. I’m not doing well with this.

Spiritual Disciplines - “We endeavor to live in such a way that our posture toward God is one of constant brokenness and vulnerability - one in which we lean into God to be lavishly overwhelmed by his love.” How do we lean into God? Two exercises to put into practice this week:

First is to bring your weakness before God.

Where is your weakness revealing itself? What’s the thorn in your side? Sooner or later, we all have something - a child with special needs, addiction, emotional difficulty such as depression or anxiety, wounds from an abusive past, a chronic illness, childhood patterns of relating to other people that cause you to feel desperate for change, a broken relationship you can’t fix...

Let it bring you on your knees before God (literally, pray on your knees), in a posture of humbleness and need, relying solely on the grace of our Father. Be the younger brother, embraced by Father

Be attentive to postures of defensiveness, make this a spiritual exercise this week, to be attentive to when you are being proud and defensive. Scazzero offers a helpful list:

I am guarded and protective about my imperfections and mistakes. Those close to me would describe me as defensive and easily offended. I easily notice the flaws, mistakes, and imperfections of others. I give my opinion a lot, even when I am not asked. I struggle with holding grudges and with asking for forgiveness. I rarely ask others for feedback on how I can improve or change. I find it hard to ask others for help. I find it difficult to say, “I don’t know” in front of others.

When you see these postures in you, use it as an opportunity to repent your pride and humble yourself before Jesus.

Inspiration - I want to bring us back around to this idea that it’s exactly in our weakness and vulnerability that God is seen - and what a beautiful thought that is. Others get to see the beauty and power and majesty of God! Isn’t that what we really want? Pressure’s off! We don’t have to have it all together (like we ever did anyway!). But the fun part it’s in us that it’s seen.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:7 - But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. He’s talking about us - we’re jars of clay…just common pieces of pottery, with chips and scrapes and broken pieces. But we hold treasure of the Gospel - the light of Jesus Christ in us.

There’s a Japanese art form called Kintsugi. The art involves taking broken pieces of pottery and putting them back together with gold. The name Kintsugi means, “to join with gold”. It’s vivid illustration of exactly this - just a jar of clay, broken, but it has this treasure, this gold, the love and grace of Jesus Christ holding it together. Makes it truly beautiful.

So, let’s embrace the gift of our limp, take seriously embracing our weakness and vulnerability.