Human beings have been running since the beginning of time.  Some run for safety reasons;  some run for health reasons;  some run because their feet are the only transportation they have, and some run for the joy of it.  However, in more than 20,000 years of running, running, running, no one had broken the 4 minute mile barrier.  Everyone across the globe ran a mile in more than 4 minutes.  That is until 1954 when Roger Bannister, a Scotsman, at the age of 25 ran a mile in 3 minutes and 59 seconds.  He broke the barrier.  Very soon after that, within weeks or months, many people were breaking that same barrier.  Now, nearly every good, trained runner can break that 4 minute mile barrier quite easily.  As in this case, sometimes it only takes one person to break through a barrier and then all the others follow.

I think Jesus was first and foremost a barrier breaker.  He represented God’s values;  the main God-value being that all people, all people everywhere, are loved by God.  Therefore in representing God, Jesus had to break barriers in order to illustrate God’s love.  Jesus broke lots of traditional barriers.  He broke the barrier of his Jewish religion’s strict control of people’s actions..  The Jewish people being God’s chosen people, hated everyone and everything that wasn’t Jewish.  So the first barrier he had to break was to put people’s needs above Jewish rules, doctrine, dogma and the Law.   One of today’s readings tells of Jesus and his disciples finding themselves without food on the Sabbath.  He encouraged his disciples to break the law and feed themselves.  So they broke off the ears of corn and ate, even though that act was breaking the law.  Here he clearly put the needs of his disciples above the law.

 Next, Jesus had to break the barrier of women, females, being chattel rather than fully human.  The Jewish people considered women second class citizens and men had the right to own women.  Jesus knew in God’s eyes women are equal to men.   He even made Mary of Magdala the apostle to the apostles and he encouraged women to accompany him on his travels.   Clearly he placed the value of women above the law.

Then he had to break the barrier of prejudice.  Jewish people did not tolerate non-Jewish people.  Therefore, Jesus had  to  extend his ministry and the offer of salvation  Jews first, but then  to all gentiles and all pagans, all nations.  The second reading today shows that Jesus who is thoroughly Jewish violated Jewish law by meeting the woman at the well’s needs.  Jesus let nothing stand in the way of reaching her.  Jesus was always a barrier breaker.

Jesus also had to break the societal mores of his era.  Jews expected people to stay in their own class…there was no opportunity for a change in status.  Jesus destroyed that prejudice by being chummy with and dining with sinners like tax collectors and prostitutes and thieves.  He broke the law when he spoke out and said all human beings are far more important than animals.  Until that time sheep and goats were highly valued because they provided milk, food and clothing, in other words security, people were valueless…they were just more mouths to feed. 

By living and acting the way  he did, Jesus taught us who God is and how God thinks and acts.  All the barriers Jesus broke was to ensure even the least of us that we are all highly valued, esteemed and loved and therefore we ought to act like we are.

The sad thing to me is that Jesus broke these barriers over 2000 years ago.  And unlike Roger Bannister where people everywhere followed suit and broke the 4 minute mile barrier, Jesus is still waiting for us to break all those same barriers he broke.  He asks us to value all people regardless of their faith.  He asks us to be inclusive, not exclusive caring for the poor and rich alike. .  He asks us to offer love to all people, and not just the ones we love. He asks us to nourish one another.  And, first and foremost he asks us to follow his example and to be barrier breakers.

Jesus made it easy for us by giving us a brief recipe as to how to live like he did:  this is that recipe:  love the Lord your God with all you heart and mind and soul and your neighbor as yourself.   We as a people, a church, a nation have not learned to love like that.  Therefore the barriers are still there.  For example, when was the last time or the first time you invited a homeless person or family to dine with you at your table?  When is the last time you fervently prayed for the Iranians, the Iraqis, the Turks, the Egyptians.  Or closer to home, when did you pick up the phone and call someone who hurt you and offered reconciliation?

So, the question this morning is:  What are you doing about helping Jesus break these barriers.  It is a responsibility each of us has.  Are you the one he can count on?