I have visions of many things
But happiness is just an illusion
Filled with sadness and confusion
What becomes of the brokenhearted
Who have love that's now departed
I know I've got to find
Some kind of peace of mind
Maybe.
(This is a sermon from a few years back - still seems fitting)
Most of you know I'm a firm believer in the "gospel according to Motown" and this song is one of the greats. Jimmy Ruffin, 1957 (yes, over 50 years old, and if you actually remember it...you don't have to admit it!), but for such an upbeat tune, the lyrics are downright depressing. But just work with me here, and keep this song handy.
Let's do some time travel here. Let's go back, way back. Back to A.D. 30, in a synagogue in the town of Nazareth. The place is packed this Sabbath, because word has gotten out that Jesus, local son made good, will speak. And when He speaks, people tend to listen. Not just for the scripture, any Joe Shmoe could do that, but He'll get to talk about it as well, and Jesus spoke as if He really understood.
Now, Jesus is walking to the podium, reaches to the wall behind him and pulls out a scroll. Gently kissing the seal, he open it up, then unrolls it, and begins to read.
"The Spirit of Adonai ELOHIM is upon me, because ADONAI has anointed me to announce good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted; to proclaim freedom to the captives, to let out into light those bound in the dark."
(The Complete Jewish Bible - Isaiah 61:1)
He carefully rolls the scroll back together, kisses the seal again, and replaces it. In the pause, the congregation is getting excited, and the whispers are everywhere. "This is one of the Messiah scriptures! I can't wait to see what he says. OK, so its not one of the 'blast the enemys' ones, but it's still good!"
Jesus stood before them and said "This day has this scripture been fulfilled in your presence."
The audience was stunned.
"What did he say...this day this scripture will..."
"No, he said this scripture has."
"But that would mean he's the...oh no, he's not going there! We know his brothers, we know his mother..."
"Nobody knows the father!"
"How dare he blasphemy in G*d's house?"
"KILL HIM!...STONE HIM!"
The men picked up stones and chased him, but just when they thought he was caught, he simply walked through the midst of them.
Wow, these guys were really ticked off, but why? Well, for one thing, making the claim of Messiah was dangerous at best. But the Messiah they were looking for was one that would "crush the oppressor" not "heal the broken hearted". They had taken just about enough of Roman rule, thank you very much. So this didn't set well at all.
Just what did Jesus mean by "broken hearted" anyway? The word for broken here is "Shabar" which translates "break in pieces, tear, rend violently, quench". That's a lot more than the "Boy loses Girl" those words usually bring up. So how deep was this "broken heartedness"?
Let's hit the way back machine again, and travel all the way back to the garden (another great song, BTW). Eve out gathering ingredients for her famous apple dumpling, and the serpent appears.
"Eve, you don't want those...look what I've got over here on this tree."
But we're not supposed to eat those."
"Oh, but come on, this fruit is to DIE for."
So, she eats. And where was Adam? Not off naming the animals! Scripture says she ate, then turned to him, gave to him, and he ate. Yes, folks, Adam was there the whole time. Adam could have stopped it at any time, but...he didn't. And that's when the "broked-ness" occurred. At that moment we were "rent violently" from God himself, torn, broken in pieces, ...quenched.
What becomes of the broken hearted? "I have come to heal the broken hearted".
Well, let's see how that healings going so far, shall we? In the last two weeks (this was back in 2007).....
Don Imus proved racism is alive and kicking.
The Duke lacrosse case showed hatred can be stirred with no evidence.
A gunman goes on a university campus and shoots 50 people, killing 32.
One day of Iraq bombing kills over 230, wounding hundreds more.
Oh, and in a small printing shop in Turkey, men broke in and slit the throats of it's three employees. Their crime...printing bibles.
"Why don't you just come down and blow these people out of the water? If you want healing, then you've got to cut out the cancer...right?"
But healing won't come that way. In WWII, Hitler was taken out, but there is still an Arian Nation and the Nazi Party survives. Sadaam Hussien is no more, but bombings are still a daily occurrence, just as sure as waking up in the morning. We took out Osama Bin Laden, but there are myriad more ready to take his place. You see, the "brokenness" goes further than a person here or a group there. Thanks to Adam, all of humankind became diseased, we all were "rent violently" from God.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God." Romans 3:23
What becomes of the broken hearted? "I have come to heal the brokenhearted."
Well, how do you intend on doing that?
The same way the break occurred. We were torn from God because of one man, Adam. So our healing comes because of one man, Jesus. His sacrifice on the cross was the only sacrifice strong enough to bridge the gap mankind had created.
"Well, great, but back to point number one, since this has happened, evil is still here. NOW WHAT!?"
What becomes of the broken hearted? "I have come to heal the broken hearted."
If cutting out the evil won't work, then how does healing occur? By one man sin arrived, bu one sin was conquered, and broken hearts are healed the same way - one heart at a time.
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26
God doesn't just tweak the heart we've got. He doesn't do a bypass. He takes out the "Heart of stone" and puts in a "heart of flesh". And not just any heart, but His heart, His Spirit. The broken hearted are healed, one heart at a time, with the only thing that can bring together that which is broken, His own heart.
A friend of mine writes in a blog, and recently he spoke about the Mary Winkler case. Now, no matter what side of this you take, it has had the positive aspect of bringing abuse to a national debate. In my friends blog, he mentioned how he had always talked to his son about "never hitting a woman". Now his son, big for his age of 10, shows every sign of being a man who will not allow abuse to occur at his hands, and his father couldn't be prouder. One person, one heart who will not share the disease.
What becomes of the broken hearted. "I have come to heal the broken hearted."
One heart at a time.
