Sermon: A Boy Named Sue
by Monty Keeling

NOTE: I have three sermons that are the first I preach at the churches I pastor, or have been asked to speak at. This is the second which I will be preaching this Sunday, Sept. 13. 2009 at the Emmanuel Mennonite Congregation here in Gainesville. I always change the message according to what I feel or am being led to at the time. And water down the profanity. The basic concept is “Named Ugly By God.”

You are welcome to use this sermon, or parts of it, for preaching God's word without my permission. I do ask that it be used only to advance the Kingdom of God. It is covered under copyleft regulations.

My daddy left home when I was three
And he didn't leave much to ma and me
Just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze.
Now, I don't blame him cause he run and hid
But the meanest thing that he ever did
Was before he left, he went and named me "Sue."

Well, he must o' thought that is quite a joke
And it got a lot of laughs from a' lots of folk,
It seems I had to fight my whole life through.
Some gal would giggle and I'd get red
And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head,
I tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named "Sue."

Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean,
My fist got hard and my wits got keen,
I'd roam from town to town to hide my shame.
But I made a vow to the moon and stars
That I'd search the honky-tonks and bars
And kill that man who gave me that awful name.

Well, it was Gatlinburg in mid-July
And I just hit town and my throat was dry,
I thought I'd stop and have myself a brew.
At an old saloon on a street of mud,
There at a table, dealing stud,
Sat the dirty, mangy dog that named me "Sue."

Well, I knew that snake was my own sweet dad
From a worn-out picture that my mother'd had,
And I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye.
He was big and bent and gray and old,
And I looked at him and my blood ran cold
And I said: "My name is 'Sue!' How do you do!
Now your gonna die!!"

Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes
And he went down, but to my surprise,
He come up with a knife and cut off a piece of my ear.
But I busted a chair right across his teeth
And we crashed through the wall and into the street
Kicking and a' gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer.

I tell ya, I've fought tougher men
But I really can't remember when,
He kicked like a mule and he bit like a crocodile.
I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss,
He went for his gun and I pulled mine first,
He stood there lookin' at me and I saw him smile.

And he said: "Son, this world is rough
And if a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough
And I knew I wouldn't be there to help ya along.
So I give ya that name and I said goodbye
I knew you'd have to get tough or die
And it's the name that helped to make you strong."

He said: "Now you just fought one hell of a fight
And I know you hate me, and you got the right
To kill me now, and I wouldn't blame you if you do.
But ya ought to thank me, before I die,
For the gravel in ya guts and the spit in ya eye
Cause I'm the son-of-a-bitch that named you "Sue.'"

I got all choked up and I threw down my gun
And I called him my pa, and he called me his son,
And I came away with a different point of view.
And I think about him, now and then,
Every time I try and every time I win,
And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him
Bill or George! Anything but Sue! I still hate that name!

Sung by Johnny Cash

written by Shel Silverstien

I can identify with that boy named Sue. My whole name is Calvin Montgomery Keeling. That may not sound so unusual these days but travel back to the early 1950s, to the all white-rural area east of Independence, Mo. There I attended Spring Branch Elementary school with a bunch of other hillbillies. The names of my classmates where Billy Bob Smith, John Case, Susie Strong, and the like. I used to hate the first day of school. The day class roles were first read. The teacher would go down the list with each student saying “here” when their name was called. Pretty boring stuff until she came to my name, usually stumbling over the Montgomery part: “Calvin Montgomery Keeling.” The whole class would crack up laughing, and, like the song I'd turn red.

It got worse when the man who had planted that name on me, my father, would ask in later years: “Boy why can't you be more normal?” I would reply “With a name like mine are you kidding?”

And yes I hated my name most of my life. It was only in later years I grew comfortable with it. At least I hadn't been named after a tree or Beatles song.

Now I know that Pastor Eve was recently preaching through Genesis. But we need to return today to the story of Jacob and Esau. I want to talk with you about blessing. Specifically being blessed by God. The concept of God's blessing is probably the central core of the entire Hebrew Bible. What we Christians choose to call the Old Testament. The Hebrews, who later became Jews, understood that they were God's chosen people only because God had blessed them.

And the story of the Hebrew Bible basically revolves around God blessing the Hebrew people and the Hebrew people in turn, doing everything they can to blow the deal. Only the deal can't be blown because God won't let that happen. God insures the blessing in several ways. First by the Lord's being by nature a loving, forgiving, and grace sharing God. Second by constantly paying attention to what's going on. (In fact that Jews believed that if God even lost interest in the world for one second all of creation would fall apart.) And finally, sometimes, by naming people so ugly that they couldn't be anything else but God's folks

Just as Sue found out the name he had been cursed with was actually a blessing by his father. God blesses us in such a way that we are “cursed” to be God's people.

Take the story of Jacob and the scripture lesson shared this morning. The Bible tells us that Jacob came into the world holding on to the heal of his older brother. Literally being dragged along. His older brother Esau was a “hairy man.” Which is bible speak for a man's man. A hunter gatherer “A” type person. Big, strong and forceful. Esau was his father's Issac's favorite son from the first.

Jacob, on the other hand, was a mama's boy. A sissy who liked staying in the tent all day and helping his mother with the house chores. When Issac, who you remember was Abraham's only son, was close to death he called for Esau. He asked Essu to go out and hunt for a deer and fix Issac his favorite meal. Afterwards Issac promised he would give Esau the blessing.

The blessing carried more than just good will. It was a legal right to all the family property and wealth. It was supposed to go to the first son who would then become the head of the household. The other sons getting basically nothing.

When mom Rebekah learned what was going on, she called out to her favorite son, Jacob, and said: “Listen up boy and do what I tell you. Go fetch a lamb, kill it, and bring to me. Then I will cook it just like your father likes. Then you can take the meal and get the blessing instead of Esau.”

Mom explained that not only was his father blind but the old man's taste buds nearly gone. He wouldn't know the difference.

(this is of course, a hillbilly translation,)

But Jacob, being a bright boy, protested because his arms where smooth and Esau's arms where hairy.

The old man would know the difference. So Rebekah took the sheep's skin and wrapped it around Jacob's arm.
Everything went as planned and before Issac knew what happened the blessing had been stolen by Jacob. And just as the younger brother leaves the tent, older brother shows up with the real meal. What follows in a great bit of screaming, despair, and anger by both Issac and Esau. The oldest son begs for some kind of blessing but the father really has none to give. What Issac gives is basically: “kid you got nothing, you're getting nothing, you'll have to live by your own strength under the thumb of your younger brother. But one day you will break away from him for good.”

Well, after getting that blessing Essa decides a better idea would be just to kill his brother. But mom is one step ahead and sends Jacob off to live with her brother Laban until Essa cools down. Like that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. We don't know how Jacob felt about fleeing to go live with relatives. We do know he liked the idea when he saw Laban's youngest daughter Rachel. Who was, as we used to say in my younger days, “a real babe.” Didn't take long before Jacob was asking Laban for Rachel's hand in marriage. But Laban, being something of a wheeler dealer himself, told Jacob he had nothing to give his uncle in trade. Not a problem, Laban offered, Jacob could just work seven years and then Laban would give his permission. Which Jacob was willing to do.

After seven years, however, when Jacob came to claim his bride, Laban, slapped his forehead and said: “What was I thinking?. You know its our custom that a younger daughter can not marry until after the oldest daughter has married.”

Which was a real problem because Rachel's older sister, Leah, the Bible tells us, had “weak eyes.” Which is bible speak for not worth much from a male's point of view. It was unlikely she would wed anytime soon. “No problem,” Laban said. “I'll just let you marry Leah now and you can work seven more years for me to get Rachel.” Which Jacob had to do.

And so other dealings between Laban and Jacob lasting about 20 years, Jacob, now with children of his own, heard the Lord telling him to go home. And just as he and the girls were ready to leave, for travel expenses I suppose, they stole everything they could get their hands on from Laban and took off. Of course Laban gave chase and caught up with the kids. But God had warned Laban not to harm Jacob or his family group. Not even to say a word one way or the other, in fact, to Jacob. You know Laban and he couldn't keep his mouth shut. An angry confrontation broke out between the two. And everything boiled down to Jacob telling Laban if he could find one of the household gods in Jacob's camp, the person who had would be killed. Which of course, would have been Rachel. Rachel had take the idols without Jacob's knowledge. While Laban was searching Rachel took the idols and threw hid them on her camel. And, the Bible tells us, sat on them. Laban, whose eyesight must not have been much better than Issac's, didn't find them.

Which almost brings us up to this morning's scripture lesson. From today's reading it seems that God's blessing hasn't done much to change the schemer Jacob. Faced with possible death at the hands of his brother and the 400 men with Esau, Jacob devises a plan to save his own skin. He divides his holdings into two parts. Sending one part across first to meet his brother. Figuring if Esau kills the first group he'll still have the second. And he organizes a generous present from his stock for his brother. Hoping to calm the anger he expects to face from Esau.

Last he sends even his wives and children on ahead of him and stays alone that night on the bank of a river. A real hero kind of guy.

During the night The Bible tells us Jacob is visited by a man who we soon learn is much more than a man. Many ancient people believe in river gods who had to be dealt with before a river could be crossed. But this person is much more than a river god. Throughout the night Jacob wrestles with the stranger who he recognizes eventually as the God of his family. During the fight the stranger reaches out “and struck him on the hip socket” putting Jacob's leg out of joint. But by sunrise the stranger had not beaten Jacob and asked to be let go. Jacob demanded a blessing from the stranger. God tells Jacob from now on he will be called Israel “for you have struggled with God and man and have prevailed.”

We soon find that Jacob's renaming doesn't seem to have changed him much. Once he has crossed the river he finds brother Esau, not seeking revenge, but weeping for joy. Esau forgives his younger brother, tells him how much his mother has missed him, and begs Jacob to come back home.

But Jacob, being Jacob says well you see bro I got all this stuff with me that's going to slow me down. Why don't you take your men and go on? Esau reluctantly agrees but no sooner is Esau and group over the hill than Jacob takes off in the other direction.

Now right about now I can see some of you wondering where is our God in all of this? Isn't being blessed by God supposed to make you a better person? Healthier, wealthier, and wise? And the truth is the God we understand doesn't seem to be in this scripture at all. These are the kind of people we wouldn't want representing our church.

But maybe that's because our view of God's blessing is too small. The Jewish people, of course, expected all kinds of good things when they were blessed. And when things didn't turn out as they expected alternative suggestions were offered. It was because the people had sinned, or eventually a messiah would come and everything would be changed.

Thanks to Shel Silverstien and that boy named Sue we can offer even another suggestion. Maybe God, like Sue's father, sometimes gives us blessings that may seem like curses. I think that happens a lot. I think the Jewish people are the chosen ones, not because someday they are going to rule the earth, but because of by thier suffering, struggle, and faithfulness throughout history, they have carried faith in God to the world.

When I was pastoring in Goshen, IN., I had a mechanic named Squeaky. Everybody around knew Squeaky. He was a short Mennonite guy. (Which means trustworthy and he worked cheap.) One time a repair on my car didn't work and he came to my house to fix it. When's the last time a mechanic did that for you?

While I was watching Squeaky one day working on my car he shared with me that all three of his children were handicapped. I offered my sympathy and he got downright indignant.

“I hate it when people do that!” He said. “There's nothing to feel bad about my children are blessed and they are a blessing to me.”

For a time I thought Squeaky believed that just to make himself feel better. But now my belief has changed. Were it not for the handicapped and suffering people the world would have a lot less love and caring in it. We are blessed by their presence.

Not that God wants people to suffer. I always wonder why a loving God allows suffering in the world. The only answer I can come up with is it must be necessary. And because that is true God must have a special love for those who suffer, and a special, special interest in those who suffer all their lives.

I worry for the scammers who send out e-mails and those who prey on the weak and old. God will have a special place for them in Hell.

But I know God has a special place in his heart right now for the handicapped and suffering. Jesus pretty much tells us so in The Sermon on the Mount.

The hard truth is that spiritual growth often happens during time of struggle and suffering. Studies have proven that people who have been through hard times themselves are more compassionate than others.

I like to ask people who lived during the Great Depression how it was. And I'm often surprised when they say it was better than now. Sure they didn't have the stuff we have today. But because they didn't have anything they shared everything. And this brought people closer together.

By the way the Jacob story does have a happy ending. Its takes a lot of years and a move to a different country. But when Rachel's oldest son Joseph, looks out at his brothers birthed by Leah, and forgives them by saying: “What you meant for evil God meant for good.” We can almost see Jesus standing in the background.

Christian was once a degrading turn used by folks to make fun of those who believed in Jesus. We should be concerned now that the word has become so respectable. For that tells us our religion has bought in heavily towards blessing as personal gain instead of blessing as a means of service

For the Christianity that Jesus advocates pretty much requires we all become boys name Sue.