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The Transfiguration of our Lord (B) February 19, 2012 Mark 9:2-9
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. The text that engages us today on the Transfiguration of our Lord is the assigned Gospel lesson for today from Mark 9.
My Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
Today is Transfiguration Sunday. It is the day toward which the past 6 weeks of Epiphany have been moving. In our Epiphany lessons, Jesus has been proclaiming that the kingdom of God is near, demonstrating the works of God, teaching with an authority that is his own, and doing the very things the prophets foretold would be the marks of God’s new covenant and his eternal kingdom. Today we reach the culmination of God’s Epiphany revelation – the Transfiguration of Jesus.
Have you ever noticed how difficult it is not to turn your head at a flash of light? Somewhere along the line the advertising people figured this out too. Bright lights get you to stop and spend. And then there are the ginormous searchlights in front of theaters, shopping malls, and car dealerships oscillating back and forth drawing people in like mosquitoes to a bug zapper. Advertisers use light to say, “Look here…right now!”
Well, on the Mount of Transfiguration, God the Father used light in a similar way. The light of Jesus’ transfiguration drew the disciples’ attention to him in a new way. There on the mountain, the Father showed Jesus in a different light than the disciples had ever seen him before. Their friend was not just a carpenter, not just a teacher, not just a rabbi. He was much, much more. “Look here!” the light emanating from Jesus demanded. The Father’s voice proclaimed, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” From this point on, nothing would ever be the same. This divine flash of light changed everything.
Six days after Peter’s confession “You are the Christ” (8:29), Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a mountain. I’m sure they thought they were ascending for prayer or maybe another lesson. They’d done that many times before; this was not their first rodeo. It wasn’t at all unusual. They’d probably even become used to it, thought it was ordinary trip up another rugged hillside. And for a while that day, it was…until.
Until the extraordinary happened. Until Jesus’ clothes became impossibly white (9:3) and Elijah and Moses arrived to speak with him (9:4). Until that cloud enshrouded them. Until a voice came from the cloud: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!” Then, just as suddenly as it all happened, it was over. No dazzlingly white clothes, no visitors, no voice, only Jesus. With the blue spots from the light still burning in their eyes and with that voice still ringing in their ears, it was over.
When you stop and think about it and the impact of this event, the disciples have us at a serious disadvantage. They were there, and we were not. They saw the light and felt the fear and suffered the confusion and heard the voice. To have been there must have been spectacular, jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring; wouldn’t that have been something? What wouldn’t you give to be able to travel in a time machine to see what they saw and hear what they heard on that mountain and to have that mountain-top experience with God? How could you experience such an event and not be changed…transformed…yourself? Your faith would never be the same again!
On the other hand, we have a distinct advantage over what the disciples were able to recognize that day. We know what the transfiguration means, and we already know what’s coming next. We know how this ride ends. A donkey. A whip. Some nails. A terrible cross.
Which begs a question: If we already know that Jesus is the eternal Son, crucified and risen from the dead, why do we need this narrative? It’s in all 3 synoptic Gospels – Mathew, Mark, and Luke - but why? One could simply say that we need it because it happened. That just because it happened should be reason enough for it to be included in the Gospels. And yet that isn’t quite satisfying. That the transfiguration is remembered as a pivotal event in Jesus’ ministry should be enough to clue us in that something important is being proclaimed here.
First, we need this story because it is one of those flashes of light that catch our attention. We are a nation with ADD; we see a shiny object, then move on to the next. The past 2 weeks it has been the death of Whitney Houston, but next week we’ll move on to the next “shiny” object. Yet despite its brevity, the Transfiguration is like the flash of a distant light on a dark night it demands that we look and see. And when we look—even if we’ve looked here before—Jesus, briefly robed in brilliant light, calls us to consider again more fully who he really is.
The danger, even for those who have faith in Christ, is that we become so accustomed to hearing about Jesus and hearing his Word that it all becomes routine. Familiarity then breeds indifference to his Word and disobedience to his will. And when faith in Jesus becomes routine, we miss the transformation that God intends for our hearts. So again today we see Jesus transfigured—the eternal Son of the eternal Father, the brightness of his glory beyond our imagination.
Second, we need to hear the Father’s admonition to hear and believe that the crucified Messiah is our only hope—that in his death and resurrection is our life. We need to hear that only in following Jesus is there ever real life. We need to hear from him that to pursue any way other than the way of the cross is to lose forever the hope of life. Look behind me. This (altar) is your mountain top experience in this darkened world. From here God calls you, loves and forgives you, and changes you for all time by grace.
From this point on, nothing would ever be the same. This divine flash of light changed everything. The transfiguration changes us. The faithful of God “see the light,” so to speak. We hear his Word, seek to do his will, are comforted by his grace, strengthened by his strength, so that we can “go back down from the mountain” today to live the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Eph. 5:22-23a)
For us, people who too easily grow indifferent to Jesus and his Word, Jesus’ transfiguration is a flash of light in our darkened world that draws our attention again to the truth of who he is and that knowledge changes us. He is the light of God’s mercy, the glorified Son, the one to whom we listen and the one whom we follow…no matter what happens next.
Amen.
6th Sunday after the Epiphany (B) February 12, 2012 2 Kings 5:1-14
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. The text that engages us today is the First Lesson as read earlier from 2 Kings Chapter 5.
My Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
This morning, as Epiphany begins to draw to its close, I want to reflect on today’s First Lesson and the seldom read and pondered narrative of Naaman from 2 Kings 5.
The time in world history is roughly 850 BC. At this time Israel is a kingdom divided into north and south with two different kings, one for each kingdom. Israel is on its way out as a world power as is Egypt. The “new kids on the block,” the up and coming world super powers are all to the north: Syria, Assyria, and eventually Babylon.
Naaman, we are told, is a commander of an army in Syria. He is NOT an Israelite; in fact, he is an enemy of the Israelites. He is a respected commander; we heard words like high favor, victory, valor. Only one problem…while he controls armies he doesn’t even control his own health. He had leprosy. This term “leprosy” covered a whole host of skin diseases; it might have been actual leprosy, but it could really have been any debilitating skin disease.
Naaman's victories, his pride, and his significance to his army and master were not enough to cleanse him. But notice how God worked in an insignificant way. Through a little or insignificant child, the great Naaman is directed to downtrodden Israel and their prophet Elisha. Not a big deal? Hardly! To Naaman this must have seen laughable; Elisha was a socially inferior mystic from a down-and-out nation. Even still, Naaman goes to Israel bringing with him a fortune assuming he can buy his healing. Ten talents of silver are equal to in excess of 30,000 shekels! In addition, Naaman brings with the even-more valuable 6000 gold shekels. If you want to tax the upper 1%, here he is!
Naaman and his caravan end up at Elisha’s door, but Elisha didn’t himself participate which began to grow the anger of Naaman. If that wasn’t bad enough, Elisha through a messenger no less told Naaman to go wash in the Jordan River of all places! Yuck. The Jordan was a low, deeply eroded riverbed running to the Dead Sea. Naaman’s reply? Why not the Abana and Pharpar? Those were fertile rivers near Damascus that irrigated crops unlike the Jordan! However, note that God’s promise to heal Naaman was attached to the waters of the insignificant Jordan River instead of the impressive Abana and Pharpar rivers in the north.
At the end of his rope, Naaman emptied himself before God. Naaman finally trusted, showed a little faith, and simply went to the Jordan. No money changed hands. No thunder and lightning and voices from the sky. God simply, graciously, quietly, and miraculously gave new life. Yes, Naaman received healing for his physical ailment of leprosy, but more importantly, he received the benefits of eternal healing through faith in God, and this faith changed his life forever.
“Wow. Great story there, Pastor. So what?” Well, sure this happened roughly 2900 years ago, but there is a timeless truth for you here today. God has significantly changed our lives too through seemingly insignificant means.
As a result, we don’t always see and recognize that. Naaman didn’t at first. Initially, like Naaman, we can take God's gifts for granted or think lightly of them. Like Naaman we are less-than-humble about our station in life. Like Naaman we can place our trust in human wealth and possessions; if you can afford it, nothing is impossible, right? Wrong. Naaman found that out.
God uses the seemingly insignificant to give hope and life to the world. The Lord did this on His terms which are more subtle; it is not always a “mountain top” moment. As Son he is born in a lowly manger. As Savior his birth was announced by insignificant shepherds. As King he rides toward His death on a lowly donkey. He is crowned not withgold but with thorns. He is a Lord who is pierced by a spear rather than wield one. The King of Kings does not have a significant gold throne in a throne room, but is enthroned via 3 nails to an insignificant blood and sweat soaked cross for the forgiveness of your sins. God significantly changed our lives through seemingly insignificant means.
The life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Christ significantly changedthe course of life for those who hear and believe. You don’t need to be a commander of chariots or treasuries; you don’t have to be powerful or perfect. By faith in and through Baptism, God becomes the commander, the ruler, the king of your cleansed heart. Now by grace there is hope where there was no hope, and full pardon and acceptance by God instead of the damnable disease of sin.
God's promise of new life is offered and received through what the world might consider insignificant: Word, water, bread, wine. By worldly standards, these seem fairly insignificant and useless. Yet God works on His own terms, claiming you as His own in the waters of Baptism and giving you forgiveness of sins, delivery from death and the devil, and eternal salvation. Without the Word of God the water is simple water and no Baptism; the bread and wine merely bread and wine. But by God’s grace and command they are the significant means by which He gives and sustains life.
We celebrate and give praise to Christ for what He has done and continues to miraculously do through faith every single day not just the dunk in the Jordan kinds of moments. Celebrate the miracle when sinful temptation says “yes,” but your faith says “no” and you resist. Celebrate the times when you think it’s the end of the line physically or relationally or financially but then God provides again. Celebrate the miracle of knowing that God’s delays in your life are not always denials. Celebrate when that nearly empty cupboard provides another meal.
You don’t have to be significant by worldly definitions. To God, you already are significant. You are a blood-bought redeemed child of God. God has significantly changed your life through seemingly insignificant means. Naaman knew it; you know it too because you’ve lived it. Celebrate the insignificant ways that God miraculously, continually, and amazingly works in and through your life.
Amen.
5th Sunday after the Epiphany (B)
February 5, 2012 Mark 1:35-39
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. The text that engages us this morning is the assigned Gospel lesson for today and previously read from Mark chapter 1.
My Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
What do you want out of life? They say one should always start a sermon by getting people’s attention…and that should just about do it! For many of you, that is a question with still much potential; your future is so bright you gotta wear shades. For others among us, we look back at our past accomplishments and wonder what still lays ahead. If you know anything about human psychology, you know that psychologist Abraham Maslow famously proposed a pyramid called “Maslow's hierarchy of needs.” The “hierarchy of needs” says that all people seek to attain certain physiological needs: breath, food, water, sleep, etc. The levels go up from there: safety, a sense of love and belonging, esteem, and at the pinnacle is self actualization. Maslow suggested that people eventually seek to attain a sense of morality, creativity, acceptance of facts, and so on.
So…what do you want out of your life? I’m not asking Maslow…I’m asking YOU. That might be a lot to ask based upon a simple Gospel Lesson about Jesus moving on to a new town, but in this lesson today we see a great truth revealed: Jesus will always and forever give us what we truly need in life.
As Mark 1 begins to draw to a close, we see Jesus doing more healings. He had cast out a demon is last week’s lesson (1:25), then He healed Peter’s mother-in-law (1:31), and then was besieged by all of Capernaum for healing (1:32-33). The next morning, Jesus went to a place to be alone and pray (1:35). You can imagine our Lord’s peace and quiet didn’t last long. Peter, leading the pack of disciples, finds Jesus and told Him “everyone is looking for you.”
Of course they’re looking for Him! Jesus had just done some pretty awesome stuff: casting out demons, healing the sick, teaching with authority. Certainly the people wanted more! “Where’s Jesus?” you can be sure the crowd shouted. I can imagine it’s a bit like the people right about now straining to get into the stadium in Indianapolis for tonight’s Super Bowl. The crowd came and found the disciples wanting more Jesus and what He offers; the disciples in turn go and find Jesus and tell Him, “Hey! There you are! Everyone is looking for you.”
In Mark’s Gospel, the people who seek Jesus are always wrong. The Pharisees seek a sign from Christ (8:11-12). The religious authorities seek a way to destroy Him (11:18). Judas sought a time to betray Him (14:11). The women seek His body on Easter morning (16:6).
Little has changed today. People think they know what they want in life. They want: to live with intention and purpose, to be free from worry and fear, to find a way to earn a living for their family, to be respected and understood, to feel important, or whatever list we dream up. The problem with a list like this is that it tries to quantify what we want from life. When we reach that state, then what? People throughout the ages have been seeking something – anything – to give their life a sense of self-actualization as Maslow would put it. The problem is that as sinners we will never get there! There will always be another issue, another obstacle, another ordeal, another crisis, another short coming, another failure. There is always another need. There are so many times, so many instances, in which we think we know what we want and so we seek after it only to be disappointed time and time again. The endless cycle of despair robs us of any hope, any joy, any true sense of purpose; a constant lack of fulfillment.
In Jesus’ day, the people wanted miracles, not words. They wanted healing, not sermons. They wanted their immediate needs met now, with little to no consideration for the future. We are no different, no better. We too want a “bread messiah,” that is, one who will just meet all our daily needs, make all our boo-boos better and give us gobs of dough and kids that love everything we ever do or say, and make us heroes to our co-workers, family, and friends. That’s all we want, right? Okay…but then what? There is no endpoint that you can seek or attain for our sinful nature, our pride and greed, they always want more.
Dear friends, that is not the kind of Savior we have in Christ Jesus. Jesus will always and forever give us what we truly need in life. Jesus didn’t stick around Capernaum for an encore; He said “let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” He didn’t come to be the ultimate doctor or caterer or ultimate Mr. fix-it. He came to not only address our needs right now, but also address what you and I REALLY need: the forgiveness of our sins before God, the promise of more to come after this life, and the hope that comes through faith.
In Colossians 1:5, Paul was thankful for “the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for (those who) heard…the word of truth, the gospel.” 30 years after he led the charge to find Jesus, Peter would write “Through (Christ) you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:21). You and I have hope, a living hope (1 Peter 1:3), because of what God in Christ has already done for you in a manger and at the cross and at the rock hewn tomb. Our crucified and risen Savior forgives us in order to give; to give a lasting sense of love…love of God and love for neighbor. What else do we need?
We are loved by God that we may love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus came to preach the Gospel…He gives you forgiveness, eternal salvation, and hope. You can now show that same forgiveness and life with those you meet and greet on a daily basis. As the body of Christ in this place, we also spread that Gospel message through word and deed that others might also have what it is that Jesus gives, for He always and forever give us what we truly need in life.
The Super Bowl is tonight; kick-off is in about 6 hours. Who’s going to win? Doesn’t matter. In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter. What do YOU want out of life? Funny commercials and a good halftime show, or a good and loving and forgiving God who gives you a true sense of hope and purpose that you might seek Him throughout your daily life? Yeah…that’s what I thought. Amen.
4th Sunday after the Epiphany January 29, 2012 Mark 1:21-28
Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you all in the name of God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The text that engages us today on the 4th Sunday after the Epiphany is the Gospel lesson appointed for this day and previously read from Mark chapter 1.
My dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The phone rang on a Monday morning just like it does a dozen times or so every day. It was our oldest daughter Emily – at the time still in high school - and it was obvious that she was shaken up. "Dad," she said, "one of my friends died in a fire last night." I called the high school and they confirmed my fears; one of the students – 4 people in a family of 6 - had perished in an early-morning house fire. I immediately drove to the local school. What I encountered was overwhelming grief; kids crying and hugging each other in the hallways, teachers wandered around trying to help the best they could amid their own sorrow. I looked for someone in charge so that I and the other area clergy could help, but no one seemed to be in charge other than the monumental sense of sadness. I did the best I could talking with students. By lunch the school was mostly an empty shell. Grief had overcome the day; everyone had given up and gone home.
When something tragic like this happens, we often wonder who is in charge here. Not always literally, but figuratively…spiritually. Is evil stronger than good? Doesn’t God have the power – the authority – to stop these tragedies? The confusion and pain leaves us with more anger and anxiety than answers. When life begins to crumble or implode around or because of your family, friends, job finances and so many others, we are left picking up pieces and wondering who really has authority here.
Jesus has authority. Like other good authority figures, Jesus didn’t seek authority; authority was given to him (Matthew 28:18). In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus showed the world his authority; he proves his authority through word and deed. He is ultimately and ALWAYS in charge.
The synagogue was the ideal place for the true authoritative Word, Jesus, to reveal himself with authority for God’s people. Previously the people of God had been mislead; the religious leaders in authority had abused the flock and abandoned God spiritually in favor of their lists of "do and do nots" for the people. Jesus enters the synagogue to teach with authority and then display that very same authority.
A man in the synagogue who was possessed by an unclean or evil spirit cried out, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!’ Notice his words: “What do you want with us?” It’s like saying, “What are you doing here?” Obviously, the demon had quite enjoyed having the place to himself; just goes to show that evil can be at work even in God’s house. But Jesus wouldn’t allow it any longer. It was time for the demon to relinquish his authority and yield to the true authority.
Now, just a bit about demons if I may. Hollywood has done the Church a great disservice by their portrayal of demons and demonic forces in movies and on TV making them seem so over the top and so absurd that a rational person would question their existence. The greatest trick that Satan ever pulled was to get man to doubt God goodness, and at the same time, and then deflect his involvement (Genesis 3)! It was a pretty good trick…with damning consequences for you and I. The reality is that demons are quite real, and in the presence of God and his authority they shudder (James 2:19) and panic.
So Jesus shuts the unclean spirit up. Literally in the Greek, he “muzzles him” like an ox. As I like to translate it, Jesus told the demon to "zip it!" Like we saw last week, when Jesus speaks – “follow me” - there is a reaction. The unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of the man. Now THAT’S authority!
God’s Word has final authority even in our world where ultimate and absolute truth and authority are questioned. God's Word not only has authority, but it also has the ability to restore. It restored that man who was freed from Satan. God’s authoritative Word restores. Even when homes burn and people die, the authority of God does not change. God is still in charge, and using that authority, he restores. He speaks to you and all those who hurt and grieve. He says, “I forgive you,” and “I love you.” God’s grace keeps pace with everything you face. Gospel words spoken from the mouth of God dispel all our gloom and sadness and they bring on joy and gladness instead.
Words of authority from the mouth of God defeated Satan at the synagogue, in the desert, on the cross, and at the tomb. But it doesn’t – it NEVER – stopped there. To the faithful, God says “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5b ESV). There are times when you feel he isn’t there or in charge: the kids are driving you nuts, the sickness is rampant, that kid in school won’t leave you alone, your spouse infuriates you, the pain is too great, the loneliness is too miserable, the bills are too many. God’s delays are not always denials or defenselessness. It’s an answer of “not right now, and so trust me. Learn from me. Grow in your faith.”
My friends, don’t give up or give in to your sadness or troubles or problems. God is there. He is in control. He has authority in, over, and through your life. He rules in your heart and life with grace and peace and mercy and forgiveness and love; things that Satan will NEVER show you. God is in charge here over grief, over sadness, over sin, over fire, over physical death, and even over the very forces of Satan so that you might have an eternal existence with him where his authority will reign not only today and tomorrow, but for all eternity. If God can cast out demons, restore sight to the blind, make the lame walk, cleanse leper, and cause the deaf to hear again (Luke 7:22), just imagine how he can AND WILL exert his divine authority in your life.
Amen.
3rd Sunday after the Epiphany (B)
January 22, 2011 Mark 1:14-20
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. The text that engages us this morning on the 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany is today’s Gospel lesson from Mark 1 as previously read.
My Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
Did you catch the content of Jesus’ first sermon? What a really good sermon! “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15 ESV). Short and sweet sermon, aye? Well, you’ll have no such luck with me this morning!
Repentance has a fairly simple, but meaningful definition in the Bible. It means to turn away from one thing and to turn to something else. It’s like driving a car and making a turn. Repentance is a turn from one direction to another.
When Jesus uses the word repent, he is calling people to turn away from anything that leads away from him and to turn instead toward him. Then comes his second directive: believe. Believe not just anything, but believe in Jesus. Trust him. Turn toward him. Hold on to him. Repent and believe is the heart of Jesus’ message. He says and does much more, but this is the gist, the summary, the heart of his ministry: repent and believe. Repent of sin. Believe, for he has come to forgive it!
Why? Because the time had come. To Jesus, “time” here is not so much a calendar date, like 30 AD. No, it’s more the right time, a decisive time. Like in World War II when the Allies decided on just the right day for the Normandy invasion: D-day. Preparation, morning tides, the element of surprise, even the weather all had to come together…well, sort of. All had to be just right. It wasn’t just June 6, 1944; it was the day. And that day, just the right day, changed history. Normandy changed world history. Jesus is saying that now, since he has arrived on the scene, the prophecies from the Old Testament were fulfilled in him. History now turns in a different direction. All of time was leading up to this moment. Everything changes because he has arrived.
But not in the way the people back then were expecting. They were expecting the Messiah to get rid of the oppression of foreign domination. They were expecting that there would be no more poverty, famine, or hunger. They were expecting a place that would be safe and protected, where animals and children could play together without fear, like the prophet Isaiah had talked about (Isaiah 11).
But Jesus turns those expectations upside down. The way and the when of this Messiah they had all wrong. His birth was announced to night watchmen, not nobility. Jesus selects fishermen – not fierce soldiers - to be his first followers. He doesn’t hand out money and the best houses and promise perfect, trouble-free lives to those who believe in him, but simply calls them to follow. He says “drop those nets and follow” instead of “pick up that sword.”
Now comes the hard part - what this does in our lives. Once again, Jesus turns everything upside down. He turns our lives inside out. He changes the direction we and our sinful nature so often – too often - want to go.
Start with something as simple as what you do when you do something wrong. The direction most people go when they’ve messed up is to avoid taking responsibility. They blame someone else. They say they were only doing what everyone was doing. They say it really wasn’t that bad. They call it a lifestyle choice. Their parents are at fault. They were only acting out on their anger and grief. Blah blah blah. Yet does this remind you of anyone you know?
Jesus calls for us to repent.He says take responsibility for what you’ve done wrong. He says confess it to him and to each other. He says don’t make excuses like the rest of the crowd, but come before him with repentant, changed hearts and seek his forgiveness. The confession of sins at the beginning of worship is not just a part of the liturgy we do for the sake of doing. It’s actually turning away from the sin in our lives and turning toward Jesus, because he does forgive.
To repent is to turn away from anything that leads away from Jesus. One key area in life where Jesus calls Americans to repent is money. Has Christmas caught up to you by now? Many went overboard and got overextended again last month. We are told that we need to get our economy back on track by buying stuff. It sounds almost patriotic to go further and further in debt, to spend more and more on ourselves, to put ourselves into a deeper financial mess. A lot of people are headed in that direction instead of towards better stewardship through repentance.
Jesus calls us to repent of such spending on ourselves. He says we are to repent of being so concerned with stuff and more stuff. Instead, he wants us to turn in a different direction. He wants us to be wise stewards of our resources. He wants us first to give to the Lord and others in need; repentant stewardship means that YOU don’t get to come first anymore. To repent is to turn away from anything that leads us away from Jesus.
I grew up on Lake of the Woods. I enjoy fishing Rush Lake. I dig fishing. I think about the four fishermen—Peter and Andrew and James and John—whom Jesus called to follow him. There they were, going about their own business, cleaning their nets by the Sea of Galilee, and suddenly their lives were changed, not just for 1 hour every Sunday but turned; now they were to catch people for Jesus.
Think of the courage of those first fisherman disciples. When did we start believing the lie that we’re NOT supposed to say anything about Jesus in public? We’re told to keep our faith quiet. We’re not to impose our religion on others. Don’t wear a cross to work or in school…that might offend someone. In January 2010, when golfer Tiger Woods’s life and career collapsed amid the affairs and scandal, Fox reporter Brit Hume said on TV that Tiger Woods should forget Buddhism and become a Christian because Jesus offers forgiveness and redemption. He said, “Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world.” The outcry was fast and vicious…against what Brit Hume. Tiger Woods still makes his millions. It’s that kind of reaction that can make us stay quiet instead of being the repentant fishers of men Jesus calls us all to be.
Jesus says repent and turn to a different direction in your life. You are called just like the disciples to share the Good News about Jesus with others. Because the time is right. The time has come. Jesus has come and He is here. He is the kingdom of God. You have been forgiven by his death and resurrection! You have a new life! Do as he bids: repent and believe. Find those areas in life that are leading you away from Jesus. Turn away from them, and turn to him. Repent and believe in Jesus. What a really good sermon.
Jesus’ sermon…not mine, of course!
Amen.
The Epiphany of our Lord January 8, 2012 Matthew 2:1-12
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. The text that engages us today for our celebration of the Epiphany of our Lord is the assigned Gospel lesson for this day as read earlier from Matthew 2.
My Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
You all know the basic plot of Epiphany. Epiphany is the day that our attention turns on the Magi, coming from the East to bring gold and frankincense and myrrh to Jesus. You know the story, right? The Wise Men (we assume 3, but do not know the real number) travel a great distance - perhaps as far as 900 miles - to Jerusalem to find the newborn King of the Jews. They consult with wicked King Herod, who pretends that he desires to worship Jesus too. Then, leaving Jerusalem, they complete their journey to Bethlehem and reach their goal.
That's Epiphany. The Christmas angels have gone away into heaven; the shepherds have returned from the manger glorifying and praising God. Now the Wise Men are the stars of the show. But I've got a proposition for you this morning. May I suggest that Herod was just as much the superstar of Epiphany as were the Wise Men?
Wait one cotton-pickin' minute! How can that be? You know what the Wise Men were like. They were shining examples of faith: "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem…wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him'" (w 1-2). The Wise Men seem well-suited to be THE superstars of Epiphany, don't they? They were intelligent, rich, respected, and sophisticated. The Wise Men were well-studied in the wisdom of the world, but apparently they were also students of Scripture. Chances are they were astrologers; that was usually part of the job of men who advised the kings of the ancient East. That, of course, is no example for us. God prohibits astrology, horoscopes, fortune-telling, because He tells us everything we need to know in His life-giving, sin-forgiving Word.
But it wasn't through astrology that the Wise Men understood the meaning of the amazing new star that had appeared in the sky. Most likely it was through diligent study of the Old Testament Scriptures. The captivity of the Jews six centuries before Christ had spread God's Word to Babylon, Persia, hence “the East.”
In Numbers 24:17, God had promised, "A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel." It's likely the Wise Men had studied or heard that passage from local Jews who after the exile had not returned and interpreted it to mean that a star would mark the birth of the One who would hold the scepter of Israel, that is, the new, Great King.
The Wise Men were also men of wealth and position. And yet, they were humble. When their quest was finally completed, "going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh" (v 11). These are rich men…important men. But here they are, bowing down to a child! A beautiful example of faith, isn't it? That’s a “Superstar” kind of faith!
On the flip side, Herod was an example of darkest evil. He was nobody's star. Using a Greek play on words, even Caesar had said it was better to be Herod’s sow than his son, because the sow had a better chance at survival than Herod’s son. Herod was a crazed murderer. He had his favorite wife and his son executed because he thought they wanted his throne.
"When Herod the king heard [about a new King of the Jews], he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him" (v 3). You think? No wonder all Jerusalem was troubled! There was no telling what Herod might do! Herod had only real one intent, but he concealed it under the guise of religious piety: "Assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, 'In Bethlehem of Judea." Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, 'Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him'" (w 4-8) It's the worst kind of wickedness, isn't it? Herod used the religious teachers and the sincere, naive faith of the Wise Men for his devilish plan.
So, then, how in the world could Herod be just as much the superstar as were the Wise Men? Herod was just as much the star as were the Wise Men because neither of them is the star; the star is the superstar of this show. The star is the superstar of the Epiphany show because the star is God's invitation inviting all people to the Savior, and that is what Epiphany is really about.
Not the Wise Men, not Herod, but the star is the superstar because it announced Christ, the fulfillment of all God's promises, the One who would be born and live and suffer and die and rise to save all people.
God put the star in the sky where all could see. That was God's way of announcing that Gentiles too, people of all lands and languages and backgrounds, are included in those promises. We, even though we never saw the star and never met the wise men, are included…you and I. All people. The star shined in the East over the Wise Men. You know what else? It shined over Jerusalem too. Over Herod. Yes, the star of Epiphany included him too.
The star itself bears the message of Epiphany: Christ Jesus is our Savior no matter who we are, where we are, how sinful we've been. We're all people who aren't worthy to be superstars before God - we're outsiders - sinners - on whom the real Star has shone with the bright light of salvation for all to see and believe. What a glorious show indeed!
With that being said and in conclusion, how can you be a Superstar of the faith? No, you don’t have to walk great distances from the east, but maybe you’ll walk across the driveway to help your neighbor. You don’t have to bring gold or frankincense, but maybe this is the year you challenge yourself to further develop your stewardship. You don’t have to dodge a maniacal, murderous king, but maybe it’s time you took head-on that position or task that you’ve been avoiding. With the light of God’s love and grace shining upon you, is there anything you cannot do? God’s inviting and forgiving light has shone on you. You are a superstar in the faith whose forever has been changed because of God in Christ. That star makes all the difference.
Amen.
1st Sunday after Christmas (B) January 1, 2012 Galatians 4:4-7
Grace and peace to you, and Happy New Year, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; our Triune God this and every year of history. The basis for the sermon today - New Year’s Day - is the Second Lesson read earlier from Galatians 4.
My Dear Friends in Christ,
Time. There is a lot of emphasis on time today. Many people last night counted off the final 60 seconds of 2011. Now it’s time for New Year resolutions so we can get busy breaking them. I know that the tendency by now is to think that the time for Christmas is over. It sure feels like it’s over. The big post-Christmas sales are done. The music is gone from the radio. “A Christmas Story” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” are no longer showing on TV. In so many people’s eyes and hearts and lives, Christmas time is over.
But here’s the thing. Christmas is not just a day. It is also a season – a time - in the Church. Christmas as a church season lasts for 12 days (we don’t even get THAT song anymore). The time of the Christmas season extends from December 25th until January 5th. On January 6th a new season begins; the season of Epiphany. We celebrate that next Sunday. Yet many people in the church, and most definitely outside the church, are of the opinion that the time of Christmas is over. That’s what I want to discuss with you this morning. Time. What is and is not over. What is the “fullness of time,” and what does that mean to you this Christmas season?
St. Paul is a man who knew the beautiful and, at the same time, endless cruel dance of time. Paul wrote Galatians somewhere between 51-53 AD. It is a letter written to demonstrate that faith in Christ changes a person here and now but also eternally. Paul addresses both Justification (salvation by grace through faith alone) and also sanctification (what a faith filled life looks liked when lived out). Paul had been among the Galatian Christians, but since his departure they had fallen away from the true Gospel. Paul’s duties would not allow him the time to return physically, so he wrote his letter to them.
In today’s lesson, Paul writes “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5 ESV). At a specific and appropriate time in human history, God acted to fulfill His eternal purpose. Whoa. In this world there is a time for everything: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV). But why then? Why not today when our Lord’s birth could have been fully documented and photographed by journalists and played endlessly on YouTube? Why entrust the proclamation of the birth of this world’s Savior to shepherds and not CNN? Could it be that had it occurred another way, that is, that involved technological advancements, that faith itself would no longer matter? “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 ESV). In the fullness of time – God’s time – He acted to bring forth His salvation so that you might hear the Word (the testimony HE provides) and believe, which now changes your life. In the fullness of time God also works His ways in your own daily living. He did it last year – 2011 – and He will this year too.
Something happened to me 2 weeks ago that really helped me understand how God works in His own way and in His own time. The first event involved a visit I was doing at a member’s home. When I walked outside there were 8-9 cats by the door. I stopped to pet them. Some ran away. Some look at me apprehensively, but would not let me pet them. Only one let me lightly pet his head. Then that night, Joanne shared a story with me from Paul Harvey that I will share with you today. It goes like this, and it helps explain why and when God does the things He does.
There once was a kind decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family, upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn't believe all that incarnation of Jesus stuff which the churches proclaim at Christmas time. It just didn't make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn't swallow the Jesus story, about God coming to Earth as a man, so he chose not to worship or live as a Christian. "I'm truly sorry to distress you," he told his wife, "but I'm not going with you to church on Christmas Eve." He said he'd feel like a hypocrite. That he'd much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. And so he stayed and they went to the candle light service. Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. The man wasn’t worried; the church was close by so his family wouldn’t be in danger. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound...Then another, and then another. Sort of a thump or a thud. At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They'd been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his large picture window in the front of the house. Well, he couldn't let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children kept their horse. That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it. Quickly he put on a coat, boots, gloves, and tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them in. So he hurried back to the house, fetched bird food, sprinkled it on the snow, making a trail to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the barn. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the food, and continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them waving his arms. Instead, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn. And then, he realized that they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me. That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how? Because any move he made tended to frighten them, confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him. “If only I could be a bird,” he thought to himself, “and walk with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid; that it’s okay to trust me and follow me. Then I could show them the way to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see, and hear and understand.”
At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. And he stood there listening to the bells – “O Come, All Ye Faithful” - listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. And that’s when the true meaning and magnitude of Christmas sank into his heart and he sank to his knees in the snow.
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” That is what time is all about; how God in time – the fullness of time – works to save you. He did it 2000 years ago in Bethlehem. He will come again to bring about final completion of time. And He will work mightily and wonderfully in the fullness of your lifetime as well. Happy New Year. Amen.
