Acts 2: 42-47
John 10:1-10
Picture in your mind a very tall fence with a gate, one that is meant to keep people out of whatever it is protecting. Shape it in your mind, is it built in such a way that everyone can see what is inside or does it protect the place from prying eyes as well? Is it made of wood or concrete or steel? Are there spikes on the top of it or barbed wire or perhaps an electrical current to really shock people away? Now picture the Gate’s door. Does it open up by swinging outward or does it swing inward? Do people only come in or only go out?
Many Christians believe in a heaven that is exclusive. It is exclusive because we believe only a certain kind of person gets into those heavenly gates. We tend to think of those people as good, honest, kind and generous. Those are the kind of people in heaven, the people that no one would ever say a bad word against. We reassure ourselves that Aunt Mabel and Grandpa Jack have to be in heaven because they were the greatest people on earth. The longer they have been gone, the greater they seem to us in retrospect.
Yes, heaven is an exclusive place where only the best of the best get in. The ones who tithe their 10% or even more, they are on all the church committees and help at the local SPCA. They are the ones that go to every ballgame and ballet their kids ever had and knew how to do the puzzling Algebra problems when their children asked for help with their homework.
There’s just one thing I have to say about this idea so many of us have about Heaven. I don’t think there is anyone in heaven if that is what is required for us to get there. You see, the problem with all of us thinking about heaven as the place where the good people go, is that none of us are good people. Oh, I know, we like to tell ourselves we’re good people. We tell ourselves that all this hard work we have been doing will earn us brownie points with God. All that time I’ve spent helping the homeless and giving money to poor people has to endear me to God eventually, right? No, not right.
None of us are good enough for heaven. By thinking only good people go to heaven, we put all of our trust in ourselves rather than in God for our eternal life. We put all of our eggs into the basket marked with our name rather than Jesus’ name. The truth is that none of us are going to get to heaven if Jesus is not accompanying us to those heavenly gates. It doesn’t matter how big the gate is or what it is made of or how it opens up because if Jesus is not by our side, there will be no admittance. You will be turned away and told that no one knows you there if Jesus isn’t accompanying you. So it doesn’t matter if you’re a good person because the only thing that matters is whose company you’ve been keeping.
This is great news. Oh, I know some of you are thinking, “Pastor Audra, this is terrible news. I’m worried about Aunt Mabel and Grandpa Jack and now about myself too!” The reason this is great news is because you are no longer in charge of whether you get to heaven or not. The weight and worry has been lifted! The only way you get to heaven is if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Jesus tells us in John 10 that the only way to enter that gate is through Him because he is that gate. All those who enter through Jesus will be saved. They will come in and go out and find a home waiting for them.
So who are Jesus’ sheep? Who are the lucky ones who get to enter the gate and be accepted into heaven? Are Jesus’ followers just the good people? I sure hope not because the good people I talked about earlier are very, very rare. Has no one ever spoken bad about you or been mad at you? Have you never said an angry word to anyone or lied to someone you cared about? Do you always tithe your 10% and tirelessly help the homeless? Well, even if these questions can be answered in a positive way, we need to remember it is not by our deeds that we get to heaven, it is Jesus’ actions that save us. It is Jesus’ faithfulness and belief in God that save his followers, and their faith is a byproduct of Jesus’ faith.
All of these things I’ve mentioned are noble and wonderful deeds that we do, but they do not pay your way to heaven. Only Jesus can do that. And he has paid the way for his followers; those who are willing to love him and be loved by him will find the gates opened to them.
We are back to who are Jesus’ sheep? Who are the ones that get to walk through that narrow gate? Let’s take a look at Mark 2 where the Pharisees are incensed that Jesus was eating with certain people. “While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
The people that have been called to follow Jesus are not just the righteous, but the sinners. He has come for those who have a less than sterling character according to society. Jesus’ three years of ministry were filled with moments where he ate, slept and laughed with the outcasts of society. These were the people no one wanted to associate with; they were the ones that the good people wouldn’t be caught dead laughing, eating, and sleeping with. But Jesus called these social pariahs his friends. These were the people who Jesus wanted to save.
Take heart, brothers and sisters. Jesus came not for those who were pure and good, but for those who were weak and downtrodden. Jesus came not for the mythical good people, but for the reality of who we really are as human beings. God did not send Jesus to save the perfect humanitarian, but for those people who always fall short of perfection without Jesus by their side. Jesus came for you, and he came for me.
Do not try to be perfect because it isn’t possible. Do not try to always have the answers because only God has all of them. Do not worry about your life or the life of your family. Make sure they know who Jesus is, make sure you know who Jesus is so that when you hear his voice, like the sheep in the parable, you will follow only him. Because Jesus will come one day and escort you through those heavenly gates, as long as you are a sinner who has known God’s perfect love – in other words, as long as you know Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
A Revelation on the Road
1Peter1: 17-23
Luke 24: 13-35
As the two men were traveling with Jesus on the road to Emmaus they did not recognize him as Jesus. The two men were not his disciples so perhaps it is not so strange that they didn’t realize who he was. However, as he began to speak with them and told them of all the things the Bible said about the Messiah, both in the Old and New Testament, you would think two followers of Jesus Christ would recognize not only his voice, but his teaching style. But they didn’t. Why do you think that is? Why does the scripture tell us that they were kept from recognizing him? Are we sometimes kept from the answers we seek and is there a good reason for it?
First of all, the two men were not expecting Jesus to be walking and talking with them on the road to Emmaus because in their minds, Jesus was dead. After all, that was what they were discussing on that road as they walked along, the death of the one who they thought could redeem Israel. They never expected someone who is dead to be walking around and having a discussion with them. It is safe to say that their presumptions kept them near sighted; they could not see him for who he really was because they knew that Jesus was dead. Have you ever noticed how shortsighted we can be when we are absolutely sure of our beliefs?
There was a man who had fallen overboard in Lake Erie. He was beginning to drown and he yelled out “Help me, Lord,''.
Just then, a fishing trawler comes by. ''Climb on board'' yells the skipper.
''No, no, no,'' says the drowning man. ''The Lord will save me.''
''OK, we will be on our way, then,'' replies the captain.
Two minutes later a rescue helicopter landed along-side the poor guy, and the pilot threw a rope into the fierce waves. ''I do not need any help,'' cries the breathless man, ''The Lord will come and rescue me.''
Moments later the guy drowns, and finds himself in heaven. On meeting God, the man weeps: ''Lord, I was waiting for you to rescue me from my watery tomb. Why did you not save me?''
God replies: ''You blind fool! I sent you both a boat and a helicopter!''
The second reason that the men did not recognize him was because God is made known to us through sacred acts. The two men needed to experience the sacred act of sharing the Communion Meal to understand the full truth of what Jesus has done for them and for us. In the giving thanks to God and then the breaking of the bread and eating the food, the Spirit of God fills them. Every broken part of them and Jesus is healed in those moments – at that time they are in God’s presence. The same thing happens to us. When we share the Eucharist, we pray for the Holy Spirit to be present in the bread and wine so that are hearts and eyes are opened. With eyes, ears, and hearts opened we are able to experience God in new ways and for that brief moment we shine with the light of God’s grace.
Those two men were now able to experience God in new ways. They were the first to discern that Jesus is our Risen Lord through the sharing of Communion. This is why it is so important for us to celebrate Communion together. It is the celebration of togetherness in the presence of God, the celebration of Jesus’ sacrifice and the acceptance of the Spirit that helps fortify us.
After Jesus breaks the bread, the two men’s eyes are opened and they finally recognize Jesus. They look at each other and say, “Weren’t our hearts burning as he spoke to us on the road?” It was so easy for them to look back and say, “Of course that was Jesus!” but at the time they never even considered it was him.
Could Jesus be appearing to us in different ways and different forms, but because we have certain ideas about him, we do not recognize him? Is God trying to break through our mundane and ordinary lives, but because we put up blinders we do not hear God speaking? We should ask ourselves these questions often because if you think God is not still working in this world, you’re wrong. God is still speaking to us, God is still helping us and God is still listening to us.
Perhaps you are asking how to recognize when God is speaking or trying to help you. This passage can assist you to see when this is happening. Think of God as the tingling sensation you get when your hand or foot has fallen asleep and the blood rushes back into it. It’s uncomfortable, but a good uncomfortable because the blood is moving and the foot that felt like a dead weight is starting to have some life again. God does the same thing with us; he takes the dead weight of our lives and brings renewal to them.
And have you noticed that uncomfortable feeling in our foot often makes us stand up and move around – we can’t stay still. Well, God also does that as he cuts off those dead weights in our lives, those things that deaden us inside. God does not let us sit still or grow stagnant in our faith. Jesus wants us to grow and change and sometimes it is uncomfortable and we resist it.
Another way we know if God is working within us is that burning sensation the two men speak of after Jesus leaves them. God makes us burn; it is a gift to us, the gift of the Holy Spirit. We begin to get restless and want to know more about the bible and Jesus and we ask questions about God because the Spirit has moved us. We get thirsty for words, but not just any words – we want the ones that tell us more about the character of God and what God feels about us. This burning or tingling sensation can happen at any moment and any time of our life. We could be in a business meeting and something that is said sparks it. We could be driving down the highway and something we see or some song we are listening to sparks that sensation. The key is recognizing when it happens, tuning your spiritual ears and eyes toward the Holy Spirit.
The only way to know if it is God speaking is to test the fruitfulness of the thought. God tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is abundant and they are: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness and faithfulness. If the Holy Spirit is speaking to you, these fruits will be the result of your faithful discernment.
The most important thing we need to remember is what happens at the beginning of this story. Does Jesus come up to them and yell, “SURPRISE! IT’S ME!” ? No, he doesn’t. On top of that, he begins to ask them questions and allows them to tell him the answers. These are not things he doesn’t know, but still he allows the two men to tell him what is going on. Never at any point in this passage does Jesus say it’s him they are speaking of. He allows them to come to the realization on their own.
As soon as they understand the truth, he disappears. This is the most important part of the story because it tells us how Jesus operates. Jesus is not going to give you the easy answer you’ve been praying for. Jesus is not going to hand you a new job on a platter, you’re not going to wake up one morning and discover the Twinkie diet helped you lose 20 lbs, you’re not going to find out tomorrow that everyone who is sick that you’ve been praying for have all been miraculously healed. This is not the way God works.
When we want something from God, God makes sure we do some work for it. You’re not going to get a job if you’re not out pounding the streets looking for one. You’re not going to lose weight if you’re not willing to change your diet and exercise more. I don’t care that the grapefruit diet helped Cindy Crawford lose 10lbs, I’m telling you right now the woman also works out to look that good. You’re not going to be healed of your illness if you’re not going to the doctor to be treated for the problem. God uses other people and the resources available to us to help answer our prayers. Even then, sometimes our prayers are not answered. That is God’s will.
There are some things that God does not show us until we find the answer on our own. Sometimes, it is in the breaking of the bread that we finally see Jesus and understand our role in the world. The answers we seek can be found. Those two men walking down the road wanted answers. Jesus made them reevaluate everything they thought they had known and then even when he explained to them why the Messiah had to suffer and die, it wasn’t until Jesus gave thanks and broke the bread that they could see how sometimes we should even be thankful for the brokenness of our lives and thankful for the unanswered prayers. Jesus was broken and he overcame. We are broken, and with Jesus, we too will overcome.
Amen.
Luke 24: 13-35
As the two men were traveling with Jesus on the road to Emmaus they did not recognize him as Jesus. The two men were not his disciples so perhaps it is not so strange that they didn’t realize who he was. However, as he began to speak with them and told them of all the things the Bible said about the Messiah, both in the Old and New Testament, you would think two followers of Jesus Christ would recognize not only his voice, but his teaching style. But they didn’t. Why do you think that is? Why does the scripture tell us that they were kept from recognizing him? Are we sometimes kept from the answers we seek and is there a good reason for it?
First of all, the two men were not expecting Jesus to be walking and talking with them on the road to Emmaus because in their minds, Jesus was dead. After all, that was what they were discussing on that road as they walked along, the death of the one who they thought could redeem Israel. They never expected someone who is dead to be walking around and having a discussion with them. It is safe to say that their presumptions kept them near sighted; they could not see him for who he really was because they knew that Jesus was dead. Have you ever noticed how shortsighted we can be when we are absolutely sure of our beliefs?
There was a man who had fallen overboard in Lake Erie. He was beginning to drown and he yelled out “Help me, Lord,''.
Just then, a fishing trawler comes by. ''Climb on board'' yells the skipper.
''No, no, no,'' says the drowning man. ''The Lord will save me.''
''OK, we will be on our way, then,'' replies the captain.
Two minutes later a rescue helicopter landed along-side the poor guy, and the pilot threw a rope into the fierce waves. ''I do not need any help,'' cries the breathless man, ''The Lord will come and rescue me.''
Moments later the guy drowns, and finds himself in heaven. On meeting God, the man weeps: ''Lord, I was waiting for you to rescue me from my watery tomb. Why did you not save me?''
God replies: ''You blind fool! I sent you both a boat and a helicopter!''
The second reason that the men did not recognize him was because God is made known to us through sacred acts. The two men needed to experience the sacred act of sharing the Communion Meal to understand the full truth of what Jesus has done for them and for us. In the giving thanks to God and then the breaking of the bread and eating the food, the Spirit of God fills them. Every broken part of them and Jesus is healed in those moments – at that time they are in God’s presence. The same thing happens to us. When we share the Eucharist, we pray for the Holy Spirit to be present in the bread and wine so that are hearts and eyes are opened. With eyes, ears, and hearts opened we are able to experience God in new ways and for that brief moment we shine with the light of God’s grace.
Those two men were now able to experience God in new ways. They were the first to discern that Jesus is our Risen Lord through the sharing of Communion. This is why it is so important for us to celebrate Communion together. It is the celebration of togetherness in the presence of God, the celebration of Jesus’ sacrifice and the acceptance of the Spirit that helps fortify us.
After Jesus breaks the bread, the two men’s eyes are opened and they finally recognize Jesus. They look at each other and say, “Weren’t our hearts burning as he spoke to us on the road?” It was so easy for them to look back and say, “Of course that was Jesus!” but at the time they never even considered it was him.
Could Jesus be appearing to us in different ways and different forms, but because we have certain ideas about him, we do not recognize him? Is God trying to break through our mundane and ordinary lives, but because we put up blinders we do not hear God speaking? We should ask ourselves these questions often because if you think God is not still working in this world, you’re wrong. God is still speaking to us, God is still helping us and God is still listening to us.
Perhaps you are asking how to recognize when God is speaking or trying to help you. This passage can assist you to see when this is happening. Think of God as the tingling sensation you get when your hand or foot has fallen asleep and the blood rushes back into it. It’s uncomfortable, but a good uncomfortable because the blood is moving and the foot that felt like a dead weight is starting to have some life again. God does the same thing with us; he takes the dead weight of our lives and brings renewal to them.
And have you noticed that uncomfortable feeling in our foot often makes us stand up and move around – we can’t stay still. Well, God also does that as he cuts off those dead weights in our lives, those things that deaden us inside. God does not let us sit still or grow stagnant in our faith. Jesus wants us to grow and change and sometimes it is uncomfortable and we resist it.
Another way we know if God is working within us is that burning sensation the two men speak of after Jesus leaves them. God makes us burn; it is a gift to us, the gift of the Holy Spirit. We begin to get restless and want to know more about the bible and Jesus and we ask questions about God because the Spirit has moved us. We get thirsty for words, but not just any words – we want the ones that tell us more about the character of God and what God feels about us. This burning or tingling sensation can happen at any moment and any time of our life. We could be in a business meeting and something that is said sparks it. We could be driving down the highway and something we see or some song we are listening to sparks that sensation. The key is recognizing when it happens, tuning your spiritual ears and eyes toward the Holy Spirit.
The only way to know if it is God speaking is to test the fruitfulness of the thought. God tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is abundant and they are: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness and faithfulness. If the Holy Spirit is speaking to you, these fruits will be the result of your faithful discernment.
The most important thing we need to remember is what happens at the beginning of this story. Does Jesus come up to them and yell, “SURPRISE! IT’S ME!” ? No, he doesn’t. On top of that, he begins to ask them questions and allows them to tell him the answers. These are not things he doesn’t know, but still he allows the two men to tell him what is going on. Never at any point in this passage does Jesus say it’s him they are speaking of. He allows them to come to the realization on their own.
As soon as they understand the truth, he disappears. This is the most important part of the story because it tells us how Jesus operates. Jesus is not going to give you the easy answer you’ve been praying for. Jesus is not going to hand you a new job on a platter, you’re not going to wake up one morning and discover the Twinkie diet helped you lose 20 lbs, you’re not going to find out tomorrow that everyone who is sick that you’ve been praying for have all been miraculously healed. This is not the way God works.
When we want something from God, God makes sure we do some work for it. You’re not going to get a job if you’re not out pounding the streets looking for one. You’re not going to lose weight if you’re not willing to change your diet and exercise more. I don’t care that the grapefruit diet helped Cindy Crawford lose 10lbs, I’m telling you right now the woman also works out to look that good. You’re not going to be healed of your illness if you’re not going to the doctor to be treated for the problem. God uses other people and the resources available to us to help answer our prayers. Even then, sometimes our prayers are not answered. That is God’s will.
There are some things that God does not show us until we find the answer on our own. Sometimes, it is in the breaking of the bread that we finally see Jesus and understand our role in the world. The answers we seek can be found. Those two men walking down the road wanted answers. Jesus made them reevaluate everything they thought they had known and then even when he explained to them why the Messiah had to suffer and die, it wasn’t until Jesus gave thanks and broke the bread that they could see how sometimes we should even be thankful for the brokenness of our lives and thankful for the unanswered prayers. Jesus was broken and he overcame. We are broken, and with Jesus, we too will overcome.
Amen.
A Powerful Witness
Acts 2: 14a, 22-32
John 20: 19-31
Many of you have probably heard the words “Doubting Thomas” used to describe someone who is pessimistic. It comes from this passage we read in John 20. People tend to think a doubting Thomas is a bad thing and therefore the original Doubting Thomas was wrong to not believe without seeing Jesus, but let’s look at this passage and decide for ourselves.
Jesus appears to all the disciples, but Thomas. They were in a locked room, in fear of their lives because they thought the Jewish Council would next come after them. A man appears in front of them. Is it a ghost? Are they dreaming? Are they all so tired that they are now seeing things? And then, the man speaks and says “Peace be with you” and immediately he shows them his hands where the nails were pounded through his palms and his side where the spear sliced deep into his stomach.
The disciples were probably in shock, and also overjoyed when they realized it was Jesus standing there before them. There is no doubt that they would have believed everything they had just experienced was real - for the length of time that it took Jesus to be with them, and then the shock would wear off and they too, probably doubted what they had seen and experienced. Have you ever been in a car accident and the reality of it is so harsh and scary that the more you remember the accident, the less clear the details become? The same thing could have also happened to the disciples.
As sure as they were that they had all experienced the same thing and that it was real – it had to have seemed surreal as well. Then Thomas arrives and they all begin to talk at once. Picture it – ten men yelling and gesturing at the same time to this other man. He’s not getting the full picture, just bits and pieces of words and as he looks around at all their faces he sees a mixture of feelings. Some are excited, some are scared, some are confused and still others have no expression at all because they have not fully processed it all.
If you were Thomas, what would you say? What would you do?
Well, Thomas probably told them to quiet down and then called out for one person to explain everything. He probably asked a few questions, made them repeat it all a couple times. And then his response was, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
John does not record the reaction the disciples have to what Thomas says, but I’m sure a few of them were probably hurt that he did not believe. But there were probably more that nodded their heads and thought, “Boy, I’d sure like to see him again too and touch his hands and side just to make sure I didn’t dream all of this. I miss Jesus so much, I feel like we wished him into existence!”
Thomas wanted to believe that Jesus was Risen, but he was afraid to believe and therefore he was willing to put himself out there to get the answers he NEEDED to have. This was not just any old story that he needed proof about, this was about a man rising from the dead – this was life changing and completely overwhelming! Thomas wasn’t afraid to put his neck out to help himself in his faith. He was willing to be the bad guy and fight for what he felt was a logical request. “I need to touch his hands and side, to see him too so that I can believe.”
And when Jesus appeared and showed him his hand and side, he told him to stop doubting and believe. Not only did Thomas believe, but he said the most amazing sentence, “My Lord and My God!” This is the first time that Jesus is called God in John’s gospel and it is THOMAS that points out Jesus is no ordinary human being, but God in the flesh. Thomas’ doubting words lead to a revelation of the greatest proportions.
If Thomas had not been willing to say what no one else wanted or was willing to hear, this revelation would not be written down for us to read about today. Thomas helped to shape our beliefs by fighting for what he wanted to see for himself.
Jesus does not require much of us as His people. Jesus asks us to be faithful and loving which we all know and understand. Most of us even try to be that way. However, Jesus also asks us to speak about Him and be willing to fight for our beliefs. Fight to be heard and not cower behind fear of persecution. We are told that whoever is least shall be first in heaven so do not worry if someone spits on you or mocks you. Jesus was spit upon and mocked and sits at the right hand of God. God respects people willing to share Jesus’ story no matter what the consequences are or if someone doesn’t want to hear it. Our job as Christians is to make the story relevant. To make Jesus’ story one that everyone WANTS to hear.
Sometimes that means we don’t get to have a good day. Sometimes it means going to the homeless shelter even though work was crappy and we have a raging headache. Sometimes it means making dinner for the kids even when you just want to relax because you promised your spouse it was your turn this week. Sometimes it is deliberately bringing up church and Jesus in front of someone you know is an atheist. It is hearing them derail your faith and coming back with a response. Sometimes it means sacrifice and hard work and is no fun at all. Being a Christian doesn’t mean going to church on Sundays and enjoying potluck dinners is the only thing required from us. It requires a bit more of a commitment than that.
For example, Peter stood with the other disciples in Acts and told all of their followers that they had killed the Messiah. Peter wasn’t afraid to state the obvious truth – they had all screwed up. However, he didn’t allow this mistake to hinder what needed to happen next. Peter went on to talk about the glory of a Risen Lord and how all who believe in Jesus will have eternal life. Peter stood up and spoke the truth about the mess they had all made (disciples included) and then he witnessed to God’s glory. He shared the Gospel with the people just as Jesus commanded. How often do you share the Gospel with those around you?
Do you pray when you are out in public? A quick bowing of your head before a meal in a restaurant or a casual, “Thanks be to God” when something goes well at work? Do you talk about what you learned in Sunday School class this week or about the potluck coming up to your friends or coworkers? Do you invite people to join you at church or ask to go to someone else’s church? These things require all of us to speak up about our faith. It requires a little more effort than just coming here on Sunday. We need to be aware of God more than just at the end of the week. We need to talk about God more than just on Sunday mornings.
Jesus loves us. Most of us are probably comfortable with thinking we’ll get to heaven. However, I was just thinking yesterday how awful it would be to be a pastor and not get to heaven. What if the Lord looked at me at the heavenly gates and said, “I don’t know you”? What if the Lord said because you were afraid to speak of me to others because you could not recognize me outside of church, I will not recognize you now?”
What would you say to defend yourself? I have no idea what I would say to defend myself. Because I’m guilty of not speaking up at times about my faith. I let things slide or I take the easy way out by being silent when someone says something I know is not true in the Bible. I could use that moment to bring Jesus into the conversation and instead I quietly let it pass. What if Jesus decides to quietly ignore me or any one of us when we do the same thing when we approach those heavenly gates?
Two men faced God on the Day of Judgment. One looked beat and beat-up. His arm in a sling, and his forehead bandaged, his clothes were tattered and torn. He looked awful. Moreover, his life had been so hard, he felt a failure. Ashamed, he would not lift up his face to look upon the Lord.
The second man looked as if he just stepped off the tennis court after winning his morning set. Dressed smartly, he was tanned and fit. His teeth gleamed. He appeared to have been nipped-and-tucked in the right places. Relaxed, he smiled confidently at the Lord.
The Lord looked at the two men, then turned to the one who was tanned and tucked and said, "Where are your wounds? Was there nothing to fight for down there?" Amen.
John 20: 19-31
Many of you have probably heard the words “Doubting Thomas” used to describe someone who is pessimistic. It comes from this passage we read in John 20. People tend to think a doubting Thomas is a bad thing and therefore the original Doubting Thomas was wrong to not believe without seeing Jesus, but let’s look at this passage and decide for ourselves.
Jesus appears to all the disciples, but Thomas. They were in a locked room, in fear of their lives because they thought the Jewish Council would next come after them. A man appears in front of them. Is it a ghost? Are they dreaming? Are they all so tired that they are now seeing things? And then, the man speaks and says “Peace be with you” and immediately he shows them his hands where the nails were pounded through his palms and his side where the spear sliced deep into his stomach.
The disciples were probably in shock, and also overjoyed when they realized it was Jesus standing there before them. There is no doubt that they would have believed everything they had just experienced was real - for the length of time that it took Jesus to be with them, and then the shock would wear off and they too, probably doubted what they had seen and experienced. Have you ever been in a car accident and the reality of it is so harsh and scary that the more you remember the accident, the less clear the details become? The same thing could have also happened to the disciples.
As sure as they were that they had all experienced the same thing and that it was real – it had to have seemed surreal as well. Then Thomas arrives and they all begin to talk at once. Picture it – ten men yelling and gesturing at the same time to this other man. He’s not getting the full picture, just bits and pieces of words and as he looks around at all their faces he sees a mixture of feelings. Some are excited, some are scared, some are confused and still others have no expression at all because they have not fully processed it all.
If you were Thomas, what would you say? What would you do?
Well, Thomas probably told them to quiet down and then called out for one person to explain everything. He probably asked a few questions, made them repeat it all a couple times. And then his response was, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
John does not record the reaction the disciples have to what Thomas says, but I’m sure a few of them were probably hurt that he did not believe. But there were probably more that nodded their heads and thought, “Boy, I’d sure like to see him again too and touch his hands and side just to make sure I didn’t dream all of this. I miss Jesus so much, I feel like we wished him into existence!”
Thomas wanted to believe that Jesus was Risen, but he was afraid to believe and therefore he was willing to put himself out there to get the answers he NEEDED to have. This was not just any old story that he needed proof about, this was about a man rising from the dead – this was life changing and completely overwhelming! Thomas wasn’t afraid to put his neck out to help himself in his faith. He was willing to be the bad guy and fight for what he felt was a logical request. “I need to touch his hands and side, to see him too so that I can believe.”
And when Jesus appeared and showed him his hand and side, he told him to stop doubting and believe. Not only did Thomas believe, but he said the most amazing sentence, “My Lord and My God!” This is the first time that Jesus is called God in John’s gospel and it is THOMAS that points out Jesus is no ordinary human being, but God in the flesh. Thomas’ doubting words lead to a revelation of the greatest proportions.
If Thomas had not been willing to say what no one else wanted or was willing to hear, this revelation would not be written down for us to read about today. Thomas helped to shape our beliefs by fighting for what he wanted to see for himself.
Jesus does not require much of us as His people. Jesus asks us to be faithful and loving which we all know and understand. Most of us even try to be that way. However, Jesus also asks us to speak about Him and be willing to fight for our beliefs. Fight to be heard and not cower behind fear of persecution. We are told that whoever is least shall be first in heaven so do not worry if someone spits on you or mocks you. Jesus was spit upon and mocked and sits at the right hand of God. God respects people willing to share Jesus’ story no matter what the consequences are or if someone doesn’t want to hear it. Our job as Christians is to make the story relevant. To make Jesus’ story one that everyone WANTS to hear.
Sometimes that means we don’t get to have a good day. Sometimes it means going to the homeless shelter even though work was crappy and we have a raging headache. Sometimes it means making dinner for the kids even when you just want to relax because you promised your spouse it was your turn this week. Sometimes it is deliberately bringing up church and Jesus in front of someone you know is an atheist. It is hearing them derail your faith and coming back with a response. Sometimes it means sacrifice and hard work and is no fun at all. Being a Christian doesn’t mean going to church on Sundays and enjoying potluck dinners is the only thing required from us. It requires a bit more of a commitment than that.
For example, Peter stood with the other disciples in Acts and told all of their followers that they had killed the Messiah. Peter wasn’t afraid to state the obvious truth – they had all screwed up. However, he didn’t allow this mistake to hinder what needed to happen next. Peter went on to talk about the glory of a Risen Lord and how all who believe in Jesus will have eternal life. Peter stood up and spoke the truth about the mess they had all made (disciples included) and then he witnessed to God’s glory. He shared the Gospel with the people just as Jesus commanded. How often do you share the Gospel with those around you?
Do you pray when you are out in public? A quick bowing of your head before a meal in a restaurant or a casual, “Thanks be to God” when something goes well at work? Do you talk about what you learned in Sunday School class this week or about the potluck coming up to your friends or coworkers? Do you invite people to join you at church or ask to go to someone else’s church? These things require all of us to speak up about our faith. It requires a little more effort than just coming here on Sunday. We need to be aware of God more than just at the end of the week. We need to talk about God more than just on Sunday mornings.
Jesus loves us. Most of us are probably comfortable with thinking we’ll get to heaven. However, I was just thinking yesterday how awful it would be to be a pastor and not get to heaven. What if the Lord looked at me at the heavenly gates and said, “I don’t know you”? What if the Lord said because you were afraid to speak of me to others because you could not recognize me outside of church, I will not recognize you now?”
What would you say to defend yourself? I have no idea what I would say to defend myself. Because I’m guilty of not speaking up at times about my faith. I let things slide or I take the easy way out by being silent when someone says something I know is not true in the Bible. I could use that moment to bring Jesus into the conversation and instead I quietly let it pass. What if Jesus decides to quietly ignore me or any one of us when we do the same thing when we approach those heavenly gates?
Two men faced God on the Day of Judgment. One looked beat and beat-up. His arm in a sling, and his forehead bandaged, his clothes were tattered and torn. He looked awful. Moreover, his life had been so hard, he felt a failure. Ashamed, he would not lift up his face to look upon the Lord.
The second man looked as if he just stepped off the tennis court after winning his morning set. Dressed smartly, he was tanned and fit. His teeth gleamed. He appeared to have been nipped-and-tucked in the right places. Relaxed, he smiled confidently at the Lord.
The Lord looked at the two men, then turned to the one who was tanned and tucked and said, "Where are your wounds? Was there nothing to fight for down there?" Amen.
Jesus, Where are you? (Easter Sunday)
Jeremiah 31: 1-16
John 20:1-18
Why do we believe in God? Human beings, from the moment they are born, have searched for a higher meaning to life and existence than what our eyes can see and our ears can hear. All over the world we have evidence of people’s gods and their religious beliefs that date back thousands of years. Human beings need to believe in God. We need to believe that there is someone looking out for us, we need to believe there is a reason for our existence and that when we are at our happiest or saddest moments in life, there is a reason for it all.
More than that, human beings need to believe in a God that cares. The Greeks created gods that deal with specific disasters and situations in life for just this reason. We have Ares the god of war, Apollo the god of light and truth, Hera the god of marriage, and Poseidon the god of seas and water. In the period of the Israelites, there were gods just like this in surrounding areas. Gods like Baal who was supposed to bring rain to the crops when you prayed to them. These gods were supposed to protect the people and were to help them with their lives.
But more often than not, these gods never answered prayers and did not care about the fate of their people. Perhaps that is why Jesus is such a remarkable person. Jesus is nothing like these other gods. The Jewish God, the Christian God, the Muslim God is proclaimed to be the one true God. There are no gods of war or famine or marriage in these three religions. And the Christian God is even more unique than all the others because of Jesus Christ.
The Jewish people always believed that God would send a Messiah to help free the people. They didn’t expect a poor carpenter who would rather teach in a temple than sit on a throne. They didn’t expect someone who would rather hand out indulgences and grace rather than punishment to those who have done wrong. They didn’t expect someone who could defeat death. In their minds, the Messiah was a mere man, a prophet like they had read about in the Old Testament, but still a man. They didn’t expect God to send His Son. They didn’t expect a glimpse of the divine every time they looked into Jesus’ eyes. It scared them. It unnerved them. They reacted by killing Jesus.
On Friday, that is where we stop speaking. We leave Jesus crucified on the cross and then buried in a tomb. But Thank God, that is not where the story ends. Jesus does not stay dead, but instead he rises from the dead after three days. The Jewish belief in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting becomes a Christian belief on that day. Because Jesus does not stay dead, neither do we. Jesus, who is God’s Son and who has died for all of us has given us a way out. Our Lord, who is God, cares enough about us to die on a cross and break the chains of sin that bound us to death.
That is the difference between all those other gods and our God. Jesus Christ. Jesus who took on human flesh and bridged the gap between God and humanity. Jesus who learned what it was like to be a child and could nothing for himself, to be a teenager struggling for his own identity away from his parents, who learned what it was like to have a calling but also needing to clothe and feed himself. Jesus, who knew what it was like to be friendless and alone and hurting. Because of Jesus, God knows what it feels like when we cry out in pain and fear and anger. Because of Jesus, God knows the hurts of life as well as the joys it holds. Our God is not an indifferent one. Our God does not turn away from us or become bored with our petty problems. Our God has empathy and compassion because Jesus has empathy and compassion.
Another difference between our Lord and other people’s gods is how revolutionary he really is. Jesus sees into a person’s heart. He sat with tax collectors and befriended prostitutes and even on the cross he has compassion for the sinner being crucified beside him. Jesus teaches us that there is more to a person than what we see on the outside. There is more to the person sitting three rows up or two rows back than you have seen so far. Not every person that goes to church is a good person, just as not every person in jail is a bad person. Sometimes life deals us a certain hand and the only choice we have is to play those cards we are dealt - even if the odds are totally against us.
I think that is why it was so important for Jesus to not be rich or someone very powerful. He was an outcast and we needed him to be exactly that. It is not hard for us to think of God sitting on a throne and casting judgment upon us. It’s how many society’s think of God, God is the head honcho, the highest power and has ultimate authority. But Jesus.. he had zero authority and was never given any power or money or status. What power and authority he had always seemed to amaze the people around him and they would marvel at his teachings because they thought of him as a nobody.
Imagine that, God knows what it is like to be insignificant. In response, Jesus never thought of anyone as unimportant. Two thousand years ago, women were considered completely insignificant. They were practically brood mares that could also cook and clean. And yet, from what the New Testament tells us Jesus’ ministry was funded by women; women who would take him into their homes and feed him and the disciples. Women who would give money to his ministry and followed him around. Mary Magdalene has often been considered a wealthy widow (not the prostitute some have called her) who was extremely influential in helping to further Jesus’ ministry before and after his death.
Matter of fact, the very first person to see Jesus after he rises from the dead is not one of the disciples, it is a woman. It is Mary Magdalene. None of us are beneath God’s notice. If there is any reason to celebrate our Lord’s resurrection from the dead, it is surely that reason. We are important to God. Everything about us, every detail of who we are is important to Jesus. What makes you tick, fascinates God. The proof is that God was willing to become a human. The proof is that God was willing to be persecuted and hung on a cross. The proof is that when Jesus ascended into heaven, he did not leave us alone but sent us the Holy Spirit to watch over and guide us.
Jesus took us into his arms a long time ago and he has never let go of us, and he never will. We belong to God because Jesus lived and died for us. He paid the price for our sinful ways so that we may be called God’s children. And just as any parent cares about their child and what happens to them throughout their life, God is fascinated and in love with each of us. Today, give thanks to Jesus who cemented the bond we have with His Father by giving up his life, but also for not leaving the story to end at his death. He brings new life to all of us in his resurrection, and because of Him we are God’s people, now and always.
Amen.
John 20:1-18
Why do we believe in God? Human beings, from the moment they are born, have searched for a higher meaning to life and existence than what our eyes can see and our ears can hear. All over the world we have evidence of people’s gods and their religious beliefs that date back thousands of years. Human beings need to believe in God. We need to believe that there is someone looking out for us, we need to believe there is a reason for our existence and that when we are at our happiest or saddest moments in life, there is a reason for it all.
More than that, human beings need to believe in a God that cares. The Greeks created gods that deal with specific disasters and situations in life for just this reason. We have Ares the god of war, Apollo the god of light and truth, Hera the god of marriage, and Poseidon the god of seas and water. In the period of the Israelites, there were gods just like this in surrounding areas. Gods like Baal who was supposed to bring rain to the crops when you prayed to them. These gods were supposed to protect the people and were to help them with their lives.
But more often than not, these gods never answered prayers and did not care about the fate of their people. Perhaps that is why Jesus is such a remarkable person. Jesus is nothing like these other gods. The Jewish God, the Christian God, the Muslim God is proclaimed to be the one true God. There are no gods of war or famine or marriage in these three religions. And the Christian God is even more unique than all the others because of Jesus Christ.
The Jewish people always believed that God would send a Messiah to help free the people. They didn’t expect a poor carpenter who would rather teach in a temple than sit on a throne. They didn’t expect someone who would rather hand out indulgences and grace rather than punishment to those who have done wrong. They didn’t expect someone who could defeat death. In their minds, the Messiah was a mere man, a prophet like they had read about in the Old Testament, but still a man. They didn’t expect God to send His Son. They didn’t expect a glimpse of the divine every time they looked into Jesus’ eyes. It scared them. It unnerved them. They reacted by killing Jesus.
On Friday, that is where we stop speaking. We leave Jesus crucified on the cross and then buried in a tomb. But Thank God, that is not where the story ends. Jesus does not stay dead, but instead he rises from the dead after three days. The Jewish belief in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting becomes a Christian belief on that day. Because Jesus does not stay dead, neither do we. Jesus, who is God’s Son and who has died for all of us has given us a way out. Our Lord, who is God, cares enough about us to die on a cross and break the chains of sin that bound us to death.
That is the difference between all those other gods and our God. Jesus Christ. Jesus who took on human flesh and bridged the gap between God and humanity. Jesus who learned what it was like to be a child and could nothing for himself, to be a teenager struggling for his own identity away from his parents, who learned what it was like to have a calling but also needing to clothe and feed himself. Jesus, who knew what it was like to be friendless and alone and hurting. Because of Jesus, God knows what it feels like when we cry out in pain and fear and anger. Because of Jesus, God knows the hurts of life as well as the joys it holds. Our God is not an indifferent one. Our God does not turn away from us or become bored with our petty problems. Our God has empathy and compassion because Jesus has empathy and compassion.
Another difference between our Lord and other people’s gods is how revolutionary he really is. Jesus sees into a person’s heart. He sat with tax collectors and befriended prostitutes and even on the cross he has compassion for the sinner being crucified beside him. Jesus teaches us that there is more to a person than what we see on the outside. There is more to the person sitting three rows up or two rows back than you have seen so far. Not every person that goes to church is a good person, just as not every person in jail is a bad person. Sometimes life deals us a certain hand and the only choice we have is to play those cards we are dealt - even if the odds are totally against us.
I think that is why it was so important for Jesus to not be rich or someone very powerful. He was an outcast and we needed him to be exactly that. It is not hard for us to think of God sitting on a throne and casting judgment upon us. It’s how many society’s think of God, God is the head honcho, the highest power and has ultimate authority. But Jesus.. he had zero authority and was never given any power or money or status. What power and authority he had always seemed to amaze the people around him and they would marvel at his teachings because they thought of him as a nobody.
Imagine that, God knows what it is like to be insignificant. In response, Jesus never thought of anyone as unimportant. Two thousand years ago, women were considered completely insignificant. They were practically brood mares that could also cook and clean. And yet, from what the New Testament tells us Jesus’ ministry was funded by women; women who would take him into their homes and feed him and the disciples. Women who would give money to his ministry and followed him around. Mary Magdalene has often been considered a wealthy widow (not the prostitute some have called her) who was extremely influential in helping to further Jesus’ ministry before and after his death.
Matter of fact, the very first person to see Jesus after he rises from the dead is not one of the disciples, it is a woman. It is Mary Magdalene. None of us are beneath God’s notice. If there is any reason to celebrate our Lord’s resurrection from the dead, it is surely that reason. We are important to God. Everything about us, every detail of who we are is important to Jesus. What makes you tick, fascinates God. The proof is that God was willing to become a human. The proof is that God was willing to be persecuted and hung on a cross. The proof is that when Jesus ascended into heaven, he did not leave us alone but sent us the Holy Spirit to watch over and guide us.
Jesus took us into his arms a long time ago and he has never let go of us, and he never will. We belong to God because Jesus lived and died for us. He paid the price for our sinful ways so that we may be called God’s children. And just as any parent cares about their child and what happens to them throughout their life, God is fascinated and in love with each of us. Today, give thanks to Jesus who cemented the bond we have with His Father by giving up his life, but also for not leaving the story to end at his death. He brings new life to all of us in his resurrection, and because of Him we are God’s people, now and always.
Amen.
Good Friday
Good Friday
Someone asked me the other day if Jesus is Risen and we all know that is what happens, why we need to celebrate Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Why should we dwell on the sad part when we know there is a happy ending? This is a good question and one that I have asked myself in the past.
No one likes to dwell on the negative, not many people like to revisit the past hurts and the moments where we have experienced our greatest sorrows. And yet, every year we do exactly that during Lent and Easter. We revisit one of the most awful moments in human history where humans killed God’s Son.
We gather together on the anniversary of his betrayal and the anniversary of His death to remind ourselves of our culpability. We remind ourselves that Jesus wouldn’t have had to die if we were not sinners. But we are sinners. Every single person in this room has done something that would make God turn him or her away from the Heavenly Gates. We cannot get into heaven on our own merit. There is nothing we can say or do which will give us eternal life. We need that reminder.
Human beings are often prideful and arrogant. We forget we are here because God made the earth and heavens. We forget that the car we drive and the house we own is made possible by God’s grace. We forget that we live because God breathed life into us. Everything we own, everything we think we possess by our own merits is God given. Jesus is the reminder we need to keep us humble. Jesus is the stark contrast of how we actually behave and how we should behave.
Jesus tells us if someone strikes us, not to hit him or her back, but to offer our other cheek as well to be struck. Jesus tells us that if someone wants our coat to also give them our shirt. Jesus tells us that when people spit on you and persecute you, say nothing and do nothing to hurt them. Jesus not only tells us these things, he shows them to us.
On Good Friday, Jesus is accused of awful things. People he has never even met come up and testify falsely against him. The people he grew up with turn away from him. His family is nowhere to be seen; those brothers and sisters who wanted to talk to him now have nothing to say to defend him. The disciples that have only a few short hours earlier sworn to die with him rather that desert him, have fled to escape the same punishment Jesus is receiving. Pontius Pilate knows that Jesus has done no wrong, but still he has him flogged and gives in to the crowd to crucify him. The guards beat him for fun, then play games to win his clothes. They mock him, spit upon him and beat him both emotionally and physically. And Jesus silently allows all of it to happen.
After he is betrayed, Jesus says in Matthew 26 when the disciples would fight their way to freedom, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” Jesus stays silent through all the torture and everything else because he knows this must happen. Jesus is faithful to God, who has sent him here to do something.
Jesus came to earth and died on that cross today so that we would not have to. Jesus died so that we would live. All those who believe in Jesus Christ will know eternal life. All those who accept the Holy Spirit into their hearts will be accepted into the relationship that Jesus has with His Father. That is why we worship on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. We worship a God that is never indifferent to our pain. We worship a God who cares enough to give everything for us. A God that willingly empties himself, a God that willingly humbles himself to take on human flesh and then willingly dies for all of us.
A mere human being cannot defeat death like Jesus did two thousand years ago. Jesus broke the bonds of death, the bond of sin that held captive our human souls. By breaking that bond of death and sin, Jesus allowed our hearts to be free to choose God. We can choose to be good, we can choose to love rather than hate. We are able to accept the Holy Spirit without guilt. That is what God wanted for all of us. That is why God sent Her Son to us.
So the real question is not why do we celebrate this awful time in human history, but how could we not want to remember what God has sacrificed for us? Jesus died for you. For every single thing you have ever done to hurt another person or yourself, Jesus paid the price for it. Jesus died for me and he died for the people sitting on the right and left of you. When we pass from this life to the next, we can do so with confidence that God will accept us because Jesus love us.
We must celebrate this day. The day that Jesus died. We must mourn on this day that what we have done has brought our Savior to the cross. But more than that, we must also join him on the cross and sacrifice our pride, our arrogance, our hate and jealousy and anger. We must put those on the cross and let them die. It is the only way that we can live. It is the only way to free ourselves from the sins of the past that hold us back from a life with Christ.
Today is about remembering to place our burdens at Jesus’ feet so that we are free to choose better things. We are here for a grander purpose than carrying around a load of guilt and sin. God created you for a reason and Jesus died for you for a reason. Do not let the past get in the way of your future. Go to the cross this day and let your sorrows be crucified so that on Easter day you too may Rise as our Lord Jesus has Risen. Let yourself be given a new purpose and be made a new creation.
Amen.
Someone asked me the other day if Jesus is Risen and we all know that is what happens, why we need to celebrate Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Why should we dwell on the sad part when we know there is a happy ending? This is a good question and one that I have asked myself in the past.
No one likes to dwell on the negative, not many people like to revisit the past hurts and the moments where we have experienced our greatest sorrows. And yet, every year we do exactly that during Lent and Easter. We revisit one of the most awful moments in human history where humans killed God’s Son.
We gather together on the anniversary of his betrayal and the anniversary of His death to remind ourselves of our culpability. We remind ourselves that Jesus wouldn’t have had to die if we were not sinners. But we are sinners. Every single person in this room has done something that would make God turn him or her away from the Heavenly Gates. We cannot get into heaven on our own merit. There is nothing we can say or do which will give us eternal life. We need that reminder.
Human beings are often prideful and arrogant. We forget we are here because God made the earth and heavens. We forget that the car we drive and the house we own is made possible by God’s grace. We forget that we live because God breathed life into us. Everything we own, everything we think we possess by our own merits is God given. Jesus is the reminder we need to keep us humble. Jesus is the stark contrast of how we actually behave and how we should behave.
Jesus tells us if someone strikes us, not to hit him or her back, but to offer our other cheek as well to be struck. Jesus tells us that if someone wants our coat to also give them our shirt. Jesus tells us that when people spit on you and persecute you, say nothing and do nothing to hurt them. Jesus not only tells us these things, he shows them to us.
On Good Friday, Jesus is accused of awful things. People he has never even met come up and testify falsely against him. The people he grew up with turn away from him. His family is nowhere to be seen; those brothers and sisters who wanted to talk to him now have nothing to say to defend him. The disciples that have only a few short hours earlier sworn to die with him rather that desert him, have fled to escape the same punishment Jesus is receiving. Pontius Pilate knows that Jesus has done no wrong, but still he has him flogged and gives in to the crowd to crucify him. The guards beat him for fun, then play games to win his clothes. They mock him, spit upon him and beat him both emotionally and physically. And Jesus silently allows all of it to happen.
After he is betrayed, Jesus says in Matthew 26 when the disciples would fight their way to freedom, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” Jesus stays silent through all the torture and everything else because he knows this must happen. Jesus is faithful to God, who has sent him here to do something.
Jesus came to earth and died on that cross today so that we would not have to. Jesus died so that we would live. All those who believe in Jesus Christ will know eternal life. All those who accept the Holy Spirit into their hearts will be accepted into the relationship that Jesus has with His Father. That is why we worship on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. We worship a God that is never indifferent to our pain. We worship a God who cares enough to give everything for us. A God that willingly empties himself, a God that willingly humbles himself to take on human flesh and then willingly dies for all of us.
A mere human being cannot defeat death like Jesus did two thousand years ago. Jesus broke the bonds of death, the bond of sin that held captive our human souls. By breaking that bond of death and sin, Jesus allowed our hearts to be free to choose God. We can choose to be good, we can choose to love rather than hate. We are able to accept the Holy Spirit without guilt. That is what God wanted for all of us. That is why God sent Her Son to us.
So the real question is not why do we celebrate this awful time in human history, but how could we not want to remember what God has sacrificed for us? Jesus died for you. For every single thing you have ever done to hurt another person or yourself, Jesus paid the price for it. Jesus died for me and he died for the people sitting on the right and left of you. When we pass from this life to the next, we can do so with confidence that God will accept us because Jesus love us.
We must celebrate this day. The day that Jesus died. We must mourn on this day that what we have done has brought our Savior to the cross. But more than that, we must also join him on the cross and sacrifice our pride, our arrogance, our hate and jealousy and anger. We must put those on the cross and let them die. It is the only way that we can live. It is the only way to free ourselves from the sins of the past that hold us back from a life with Christ.
Today is about remembering to place our burdens at Jesus’ feet so that we are free to choose better things. We are here for a grander purpose than carrying around a load of guilt and sin. God created you for a reason and Jesus died for you for a reason. Do not let the past get in the way of your future. Go to the cross this day and let your sorrows be crucified so that on Easter day you too may Rise as our Lord Jesus has Risen. Let yourself be given a new purpose and be made a new creation.
Amen.
Dry Bones & Dead Spirits
Ezekiel 37: 1-14
Romans 8: 6-11
Peter and St. Paul are at the Pearly Gates and Paul is looking through The Book of Names, and he says to Peter, "There are more people in heaven than there is supposed to be! Go find out what has happened!"
Peter runs off, and some time later he returns to Paul.
Paul says, "Did you find out why there are too many people here?"
Peter says, "It's Jesus. He's helping people in over the back fence."
We are God’s people. We have been given the gift of salvation because we have heard the Word of God proclaimed to us and we have responded. We have been called to preach and teach the Gospel to the entire world. We do this by being living embodiments of what Christ has promised – we are supposed to live lives of faith and joy because we are sure of God and assured we will have life after death.
In these passages of Ezekiel and Romans, we are told about sinful people who do not know God, and have no hope because of it. Paul was preaching that we can live one of two ways, we can live as part of the world and allow it to corrupt us and consequently deaden our souls, or we can live a life in the Spirit and the result will be peace and eternal life.
This is important for us to think about because Ezekiel also came up against two choices for His people. The Israelites were becoming a deadened and spiritless group who had taken on the ways of the surrounding cultures and were lacking God’s guidance. But as soon as Ezekiel began to preach to the dry bones and deadened spirits, life was renewed in them. In other words, as long as the Holy Spirit is active and working within us, nothing can hold us back from God.
In the area I grew up, we had a lot of flooding and so a dam was to be built where a town resided. The town was to be flooded, as part of a large lake for which a dam was being built. In the months before it was to be flooded, all improvements and repairs in the whole town were stopped. What was the use of painting a house if it were to be covered with water in six months? Why repair anything when the whole village was to be wiped out? So, week by week, the whole town became more and more bedraggled, more gone to seed, more woebegone. "Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present."
This world is cynical and without hope. Too often we can let ourselves be dragged down into the same cynicism and hopelessness such as that town that no longer had a future. We, as Christians, are called to be in the world but not of the world. When we feel like outsiders and like nothing will ever go our way, we need to remember the future belongs to Jesus Christ who has promised to be with us.
We need to learn to thirst and hunger for Jesus Christ. We need to want God deep inside of us. When we empty ourselves of the world’s influences, we are able to be renewed through the power of the Holy Spirit when we read scripture, when we pray, and when we worship together on Sundays.
Why is Christianity growing in the poor countries, in the places where people are persecuted and hungry and sick, but in more advanced societies religion and especially Christianity seems to be dying out? The poorer areas of the world are full of people that are empty, and someone saw that and began to preach the Good News to them. Then the sick, the blind, and the hungry were filled with hope from the Holy Spirit; they are learning what it means to go from being dead spirits to living flesh. This is exactly what Ezekiel is talking about when he says the Israelites are like dry dusty bones because they lack hope. Their pain and despair came because they were Babylonian slaves and thought they would never get to see Jerusalem again.
What is our excuse? Why are we such faithless people who allow the world to govern what we do and say? Paul tells us that those who live in the realm of flesh cannot please God and he says Christians, yes all of you sitting in the pews today, have no excuse. Paul tells us the Spirit of God lives in us and there is no reason to act differently, there is no reason to act as if we are without a future and without a God who cares deeply about us.
The other day I read something truly alarming. Edward Gibbon, author of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, has written that the fall of the Roman Empire was caused by five major social events:
1. The rapid increase of divorce; the undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis of human society.
2. Higher and higher taxes and the spending of public monies for free bread and circuses for the populace.
3. The mad craze for pleasure; sports becoming every year more exciting and more brutal.
4. The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy was within, the decadence of the people.
5. The decay of religion -- faith fading into mere form, losing touch with life and becoming helpless to warn and guide the people.
This should sound familiar because as I read these words, I saw our society. And this is happening in not just America, but much of the industrialized world. I pity third world countries because as they take on a more global outlook and they enjoy more so-called luxuries, they too will see a decrease in faith and religious practices and see the people become emotionally and spiritually empty.
We enjoy our comforts too much and forget to depend on God. Atheists think this is proof that there is no God, but what I think it proves is that people would rather live doing what they want, when they want than obey God’s commands. We think we are being chained when we follow God’s rules, but if we would just listen we would find that God’s rules free us. It sounds like an oxymoron, but God has told us through Ezekiel and Paul that when we do not listen we become lifeless. We are weak and begin to lose hope because we are mere human beings with little power. However, God has the power to make dust turn into living flesh and blood. God has the power to transform our lives.
So if you were Ezekiel and saw all those dry, dusty bones and those dead spirits lying in the desert and God asked you, “Can these bones live?”, I want to know what your response would be. Do you believe in the healing and saving power of Jesus Christ? Do you believe that the Holy Spirit is with us now and that God loves you? And if you do, then why aren’t you acting like it? Why do you still treat life as if you have no joy and that you are not assured of salvation? Where is your peace of mind? You can say you’re a Christian and you can say you believe, but if your faith is like a dead spirit, it will deaden your hope and joy.
Do not be dry and dusty in your faith, but take on the flesh of God and live a joyful and fulfilling life in Christ.
Amen.
Romans 8: 6-11
Peter and St. Paul are at the Pearly Gates and Paul is looking through The Book of Names, and he says to Peter, "There are more people in heaven than there is supposed to be! Go find out what has happened!"
Peter runs off, and some time later he returns to Paul.
Paul says, "Did you find out why there are too many people here?"
Peter says, "It's Jesus. He's helping people in over the back fence."
We are God’s people. We have been given the gift of salvation because we have heard the Word of God proclaimed to us and we have responded. We have been called to preach and teach the Gospel to the entire world. We do this by being living embodiments of what Christ has promised – we are supposed to live lives of faith and joy because we are sure of God and assured we will have life after death.
In these passages of Ezekiel and Romans, we are told about sinful people who do not know God, and have no hope because of it. Paul was preaching that we can live one of two ways, we can live as part of the world and allow it to corrupt us and consequently deaden our souls, or we can live a life in the Spirit and the result will be peace and eternal life.
This is important for us to think about because Ezekiel also came up against two choices for His people. The Israelites were becoming a deadened and spiritless group who had taken on the ways of the surrounding cultures and were lacking God’s guidance. But as soon as Ezekiel began to preach to the dry bones and deadened spirits, life was renewed in them. In other words, as long as the Holy Spirit is active and working within us, nothing can hold us back from God.
In the area I grew up, we had a lot of flooding and so a dam was to be built where a town resided. The town was to be flooded, as part of a large lake for which a dam was being built. In the months before it was to be flooded, all improvements and repairs in the whole town were stopped. What was the use of painting a house if it were to be covered with water in six months? Why repair anything when the whole village was to be wiped out? So, week by week, the whole town became more and more bedraggled, more gone to seed, more woebegone. "Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present."
This world is cynical and without hope. Too often we can let ourselves be dragged down into the same cynicism and hopelessness such as that town that no longer had a future. We, as Christians, are called to be in the world but not of the world. When we feel like outsiders and like nothing will ever go our way, we need to remember the future belongs to Jesus Christ who has promised to be with us.
We need to learn to thirst and hunger for Jesus Christ. We need to want God deep inside of us. When we empty ourselves of the world’s influences, we are able to be renewed through the power of the Holy Spirit when we read scripture, when we pray, and when we worship together on Sundays.
Why is Christianity growing in the poor countries, in the places where people are persecuted and hungry and sick, but in more advanced societies religion and especially Christianity seems to be dying out? The poorer areas of the world are full of people that are empty, and someone saw that and began to preach the Good News to them. Then the sick, the blind, and the hungry were filled with hope from the Holy Spirit; they are learning what it means to go from being dead spirits to living flesh. This is exactly what Ezekiel is talking about when he says the Israelites are like dry dusty bones because they lack hope. Their pain and despair came because they were Babylonian slaves and thought they would never get to see Jerusalem again.
What is our excuse? Why are we such faithless people who allow the world to govern what we do and say? Paul tells us that those who live in the realm of flesh cannot please God and he says Christians, yes all of you sitting in the pews today, have no excuse. Paul tells us the Spirit of God lives in us and there is no reason to act differently, there is no reason to act as if we are without a future and without a God who cares deeply about us.
The other day I read something truly alarming. Edward Gibbon, author of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, has written that the fall of the Roman Empire was caused by five major social events:
1. The rapid increase of divorce; the undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis of human society.
2. Higher and higher taxes and the spending of public monies for free bread and circuses for the populace.
3. The mad craze for pleasure; sports becoming every year more exciting and more brutal.
4. The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy was within, the decadence of the people.
5. The decay of religion -- faith fading into mere form, losing touch with life and becoming helpless to warn and guide the people.
This should sound familiar because as I read these words, I saw our society. And this is happening in not just America, but much of the industrialized world. I pity third world countries because as they take on a more global outlook and they enjoy more so-called luxuries, they too will see a decrease in faith and religious practices and see the people become emotionally and spiritually empty.
We enjoy our comforts too much and forget to depend on God. Atheists think this is proof that there is no God, but what I think it proves is that people would rather live doing what they want, when they want than obey God’s commands. We think we are being chained when we follow God’s rules, but if we would just listen we would find that God’s rules free us. It sounds like an oxymoron, but God has told us through Ezekiel and Paul that when we do not listen we become lifeless. We are weak and begin to lose hope because we are mere human beings with little power. However, God has the power to make dust turn into living flesh and blood. God has the power to transform our lives.
So if you were Ezekiel and saw all those dry, dusty bones and those dead spirits lying in the desert and God asked you, “Can these bones live?”, I want to know what your response would be. Do you believe in the healing and saving power of Jesus Christ? Do you believe that the Holy Spirit is with us now and that God loves you? And if you do, then why aren’t you acting like it? Why do you still treat life as if you have no joy and that you are not assured of salvation? Where is your peace of mind? You can say you’re a Christian and you can say you believe, but if your faith is like a dead spirit, it will deaden your hope and joy.
Do not be dry and dusty in your faith, but take on the flesh of God and live a joyful and fulfilling life in Christ.
Amen.
Funeral Sermon
Psalm 23
Philippians 4: 8-9
Psalm 24
It is the little things that make life memorable. How do we celebrate a life when we are grieving for the passing of that very life? We think about what Gerald has brought into our lives and we celebrate a man who for 77 years was a rock to those he cared about. Gerald was the kind of person we all hope to be, one that cared about his family, his country, and his church.
We mourn the passing of such a person because it is like a light has gone out of this world. The passage in Philippians tells us to pay attention to those people who are true and noble, those people who have a pureness of heart and an admirable soul – these are all things that Gerald possessed.
He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather - one who quietly did the things that needed to be done and took pleasure in the simplest of things. Sitting and watching the birds in the garden or walking through the woods and telling everyone he was hunting when really he was communing with nature and God. He was a man who enjoyed experiencing the gifts that God has given to us and he did so by traveling to all 50 states to see and participate in all manner of life. He was a man who seemed to have no regrets when he talked about his life, but remembered everything with peace and joy.
It is no wonder that we will all miss Gerald. Knowing such a person is rare and he can never be replaced or forgotten. But we are here to not only to mourn for our loss, but also to celebrate that Gerald is now with God. In the 23rd Psalm we are reminded that in life there is a lot of pain and hardship which Gerald certainly knew a lot about, and it also reminds us that if we are faithful God will share his love and goodness with us into eternity. Gerald understood this which is perhaps why he so often requested having this passage read when he was sick in the hospital. Gerald looked forward to dwelling in the house of the Lord forever.
Even as we shed tears of sorrow, it is important that we recognize that Gerald is not gone. He resides with our Lord Jesus and one day we will see him again at the resurrection of the body. Psalm 24 that we read tells us that the earth and its entire people are the Lord’s and because we belong to Jesus Christ, the one who’s very blood was given for us, because of him we are given the gift of eternal life. The Psalm asks “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord and stand in his holy place?” It then tells us those who have clean hands and a pure heart, the one who does not worship false idols. Gerald, who loved his family and his friends, who went into the Navy and fought for his country, who was a dedicated Christians his whole life – Gerald will ascend the mountain of the Lord and stand in that holy place.
We are also given that reassurance. All those of us who seek the Lord’s face, all of you who love your neighbor and give thanks to God will also be able to ascend that holy mountain and stand in God’s presence. All of us who love our Lord Jesus Christ will know his saving grace. We will be redeemed so that when we stand at the foot of God’s throne on judgment day we will have not one worry or care – because Jesus will be our champion. Jesus, who is the King of Glory, the one who is Lord Almighty stands at our side, he stands now at Gerald’s side – and we know that we will be okay and that Gerald will be okay.
Take comfort in that assurance. The Lord loves each of you and welcomes you with open arms. On the day of the bodily resurrection, Gerald will be waiting for us and we will see him again. Take this time to grieve and miss a man who had a good heart and was a steady rock to those who knew him. But then, let your sorrow go so that you may give thanks that you will see Gerald again and that he is safe and at peace with his Lord.
Amen.
Philippians 4: 8-9
Psalm 24
It is the little things that make life memorable. How do we celebrate a life when we are grieving for the passing of that very life? We think about what Gerald has brought into our lives and we celebrate a man who for 77 years was a rock to those he cared about. Gerald was the kind of person we all hope to be, one that cared about his family, his country, and his church.
We mourn the passing of such a person because it is like a light has gone out of this world. The passage in Philippians tells us to pay attention to those people who are true and noble, those people who have a pureness of heart and an admirable soul – these are all things that Gerald possessed.
He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather - one who quietly did the things that needed to be done and took pleasure in the simplest of things. Sitting and watching the birds in the garden or walking through the woods and telling everyone he was hunting when really he was communing with nature and God. He was a man who enjoyed experiencing the gifts that God has given to us and he did so by traveling to all 50 states to see and participate in all manner of life. He was a man who seemed to have no regrets when he talked about his life, but remembered everything with peace and joy.
It is no wonder that we will all miss Gerald. Knowing such a person is rare and he can never be replaced or forgotten. But we are here to not only to mourn for our loss, but also to celebrate that Gerald is now with God. In the 23rd Psalm we are reminded that in life there is a lot of pain and hardship which Gerald certainly knew a lot about, and it also reminds us that if we are faithful God will share his love and goodness with us into eternity. Gerald understood this which is perhaps why he so often requested having this passage read when he was sick in the hospital. Gerald looked forward to dwelling in the house of the Lord forever.
Even as we shed tears of sorrow, it is important that we recognize that Gerald is not gone. He resides with our Lord Jesus and one day we will see him again at the resurrection of the body. Psalm 24 that we read tells us that the earth and its entire people are the Lord’s and because we belong to Jesus Christ, the one who’s very blood was given for us, because of him we are given the gift of eternal life. The Psalm asks “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord and stand in his holy place?” It then tells us those who have clean hands and a pure heart, the one who does not worship false idols. Gerald, who loved his family and his friends, who went into the Navy and fought for his country, who was a dedicated Christians his whole life – Gerald will ascend the mountain of the Lord and stand in that holy place.
We are also given that reassurance. All those of us who seek the Lord’s face, all of you who love your neighbor and give thanks to God will also be able to ascend that holy mountain and stand in God’s presence. All of us who love our Lord Jesus Christ will know his saving grace. We will be redeemed so that when we stand at the foot of God’s throne on judgment day we will have not one worry or care – because Jesus will be our champion. Jesus, who is the King of Glory, the one who is Lord Almighty stands at our side, he stands now at Gerald’s side – and we know that we will be okay and that Gerald will be okay.
Take comfort in that assurance. The Lord loves each of you and welcomes you with open arms. On the day of the bodily resurrection, Gerald will be waiting for us and we will see him again. Take this time to grieve and miss a man who had a good heart and was a steady rock to those who knew him. But then, let your sorrow go so that you may give thanks that you will see Gerald again and that he is safe and at peace with his Lord.
Amen.
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