Luke 21:5-19 "I will give you the words"... There is hope.

So this Sunday’s readings are so cheery aren’t they? Malachi speaks of the fiery burning when all evildoers and the arrogant will become stubble. Our second reading talks about staying away from believers who are idle, and now Jesus, in our Gospel talks about people being persecuted, jailed and even killed because of his name…so this is a great Sunday to be a Christian and hear these words. Don’t they make you happy?

There is nothing like a good story of destruction is there? Remember the movies Towering Inferno, Dante’s Peak, Earthquake, and the Poseidon Adventure. Many of us went to the movies, spent our $10 or more dollars and sat and watched a good adventure movie. All these movies began with nice calm scenes. Then it happened, a natural disaster would occur and we are glued to the movie screen to see how they would get out of that situation. Some of these movies won some big awards.

This is no movie, though. This is not something that we pay our $10 to see how it comes out. This is the bible! This is something more serious because these are Jesus words. This is important stuff that we are hearing. Jesus is telling us that there will not be one stone left unturned; in fact, all the stones with be “thrown down.” Jesus is warning us that things are going to happen and they are not the good things. He is telling us that there will be people coming to tell us tales and trying to lead us astray. He speaks of us hearing about wars and insurrections, persecutions, famines, earthquakes, imprisonment.

It is a bleak picture that Jesus paints, isn’t it? I mean, it sounds like we have heard these words before. We have heard them in the Omen movies from the ‘70’s, we heard them in a movie that always scared me when I was a youth called the “Late, Great, Planet Earth.” I bet that some of our thoughts might go right to the book of Revelation and all the stories from that book of scripture. The biggest difference is that this is Jesus, the Son of God, telling us that these things are going to happen. So, this carries a lot more weight than just the words of a Prophet.

It would be easy for our minds to immediately go to this picture of destruction and gloom. I am going to ask you think about this word, destruction, for just a moment. Using all the words that we have heard the Son of God uses in his description. This word destruction and the images that come with it can make us anxious, if not down-right scared. It paints such a bleak picture that we might not want to think about tomorrow or a future; we might end up just wanting to know like the disciples, “when will all this happen?”

Now that you have that picture, I want you to think of something entirely different. I am going to ask you to think about the concept of Hope. Jesus is telling the people not to worry about when this will happen. Jesus response is to say not to listen to those who come and say they are someone that they are not. He tells people to be aware. He does not say go hunting to see if people are making these claims. Jesus does not say to seek out and persecute or attack people. Jesus is telling them to be aware. Believe it or not, that is part of hope. Jesus goes on to tell the people “do not be terrified.” He is telling them not to worry about this stuff that is going to happen.

Basically, what Jesus is telling the people not to sit and wait around for these events to occur. Think about it, I can tell you from this standpoint that I would sit around and wait for the end to come. I can tell you that because I actually did it. When I was in high school and the movie, “The Late Great Planet Earth” came out, I was terrified. I sat around all summer that year after watching it; I waited for the end. I would hear the AIR Raid alarm from the elementary school going off at noontime and think that was the end. It was not until my oldest brother got married that summer and I spoke to the pastor that was marrying them. I asked him about the movie and he told me that it was just a movie. We talked a little more and I felt better; I wasn’t totally convinced but I got tired or waiting for the end.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I believe that this scripture is telling us a more important story about hope. Because despite all these things that Jesus tells us will happen [by the way, he does not tells us when they will happen] Jesus tells us the most important words deep within this Gospel. Jesus says, I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.” Jesus is telling the disciples, listeners, and even us “you don’t need to worry because I am going to give you the words…” Jesus, the Son of God, will not abandon us because we will have the words.

Jesus is talking about the listeners, disciples, and even us using our words to witness. He is talking about witnessing God in the world, witnessing the love of God, the grace of God, and the compassion that God has for us in this world. Jesus is giving us the words of God’s relationship with the people of Jesus’ time and God’s relationship with us in this world. I do believe that we have all seen God in this world; we have seen God’s work in the world and we have seen God’s mercy, love, and compassion in the world. We have seen God’s love in the birth of children, the hugs of family and friends, and we have seen God’s love displayed for us on the cross…the sign that once meant ridicule and shame that has now become the display of God’s gracious act of forgiveness and love for broken people.

 We have seen God’s presence with one another. When we forgive one another or seek forgiveness from one another, when we help someone who is in need [whether it be through prayer, food, clothing, shelter], or just spending time together God is present and whether we know it or not, God is with all of us at these times.

My point is that God does not call us to sit around and just wait for the end. God calls us to be active in the world. God calls us to testify…to be witnesses to God’s love for us and our love for God. God does give us the words through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to love our neighbor as ourselves. We have the words and actions of Jesus Christ as our teacher in helping neighbors; we have his words and actions in not judging others but leaving that up to God. We have Jesus’ words in proclaiming God as a loving God who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. We have God’s promise that we are not left alone, but it is God who is always with us in our good times and in our struggles.

Friends in Christ, God has given us some of the words and actions in proclaiming God as creator of all that God has made. We have been given the words to witness the God of Israel who baptizes and calls God’s children beloved. Just last week we witnessed to God’s faithfulness by making commitments to God in our faithfulness in giving to the ministries of this church and for that we can all say amen to God! We are witness to God’s love through the sacrifice of God’s only son of the cross, and we have been given the words to show others that they are worthy of God’s love. On this day that the Lord has made, may we all continue our witness in our words and our actions to the love and promises of Almighty God: AMEN!

Luke 20: 17-38 The God of the Living

            Did you ever feel like you are being tested? I don’t mean like getting a blood test or an x-ray. I am talking about question tests like the ones we had or are getting in our school days. I remember spending hours the night before this big test. I had my brothers helping me. Our high Biology teacher had us make up this chart. It was the size of a grocery bag that was cut on the sides so it was as long as two grocery bags and we had to make this chart and fill in the blanks. So, to me, this chart was huge. Again I spent hour preparing for this test.

            Can you imagine how Jesus felt? In our Gospel reading today, Jesus is tested once more. He is constantly being tested; tested with questions and situations. Everyone that asks him a question gives him a choice…it’s either this or that, or the question of which one. Today is no different. The Sadducee is posing a test question to Jesus. This widow does what is according to the law; she marries and no children so the brother takes her as a wife. They work through this family of seven brothers. They finally get to the question: whose will she be when she dies and goes to heaven?

            First we have to clear something up. How do we know Jesus was being tested? Because our scripture tells us that Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection. So this is clearly a test question. This testing always seems, at least to me, relentless. As a reader of scripture, part of me wants to say STOP with the testing already and just believe. That would be the easy way, wouldn’t it? I mean, stop the testing already and just believe. But it is not that simple; because if it were that simple then we would not have this book about Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit now would we?

            As much as I want to say “just believe” I know that I cannot because I, too have had this same question. I had this question as a child and as an adult. I can say that I have asked the question of a spouse who is widowed and then remarries…what happens when all get to heaven? I can only picture an awkward moment of when the widow and the seven brothers get together in heaven…I can picture them all together until one of the brothers says, Ummm, what are we supposed to do now? Awkward situation to say the least.

            But Jesus does not get caught up in this answer. Jesus proceeds to teach them what happens when we get to heaven. Jesus teaches the Sadducees and us that marriage to one another is something that happens here on earth. He realizes that the time here on this earth is but a fleeting moment in the kingdom of God. Jesus knows and tells us that the earthly will parish, in all the things we associate with our earthly beings even marriage. This is a bitter pill to swallow; we want to think that everything will last forever. We want to believe it because it makes us who we are. It is our lives and experiences, our loves found and loves lost, our mentors and colleagues, our friendships and partnerships…it is our marriages and our relationships. All those things help make us who we are. IT is the combination of all those things, and our jobs that help make us who we are today.

Remember that question asked of many famous people or we say it to our friends and family, “if I could change one thing in my life, I would not change a thing.’ Of course, some of us would want to change the little mistakes or even some big ones. The point that I am making is that we are defined in this earthly world by all these things; job, spouse, level of income, social status, and the list goes on and on. Jesus is telling us something different here. Jesus tells us that we are defined by a whole different set of markers when we get to the eternal kingdom.

Jesus tells us that we are defined as children of the resurrection. That is it, no more, no less. It means that we belong to God and no one else. We belong to the eternal God who calls us to the banquet that has no end. We are no longer held to the earthly confines of the world we live but are set free from the markers that hold us here on this earth. We live in a broken world and that is nothing new. What is new is that Jesus tells us the Good News that we don’t have to worry when we get to God’s eternal Kingdom. We don’t have to worry about status, income, or even marriage; because God has taken care of all of that.

God has provided the eternal kingdom so that we are free from the earthly and so that we can rejoice in God’s resurrection of God’s only son on the cross. Jesus suffering and death was for all of us so that we don’t have to bear the burden of this broken world. However, we can rejoice in that God has defeated death and the grave in hopes that we all shall be resurrected to life everlasting.

Jesus makes this final statement that God is the God of the living. What does that mean for us? Who is God if God is for the living? It means that God is a part of our lives and God wants to be a part of our lives, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. God wants us to live our lives according to God’s law and God’s promises. This God of the living means that God does not abandon us in times of struggle, but is with us always laughing and crying with us. God shares our ups and downs, and God uses us through the gift of one another to help each other out and support one another. This God of the living means that knows that we all have value and gifts to share with one another. God of the living means that we do not have to fear death and what appears to be the last because God of the living has something greater in store for us and that is the promise of resurrection.

So what does all this have to do with us? This is truly Good News in that we don’t have to worry about heaven. This question about the seven grooms and the widow has everything to do with us. This Good News is all about what is it that makes us who we are; knowing the answer that it is God who makes us who we are. We celebrate this day that the Lord has made; we celebrate that we come here this morning to Worship the God who promises forgiveness, love, mercy, and compassion. We celebrate that God created us, gave us friends and family to care for and support, and put strangers in our lives to care for and walk with in their time of need and that may be there for us in our time of need.

Next Sunday, we will gather once again in celebration of God who created us and this good earth. We will celebrate the blessings that God has given us through our jobs and our families and the ability to give back to God what was God’s in the first place. Next week we will celebrate what our scripture talk about over 2000 times in the bible. We will celebrate our “first fruits” of our labor for the year to come. Our consecration Sunday will be a day of celebration and our commitment to the ministries of this church for the coming year. It is a time to celebrate that we are all together giving thanks and praise for the gift of the Living GOD: AMEN!

Luke 6: 20-31 Luke's Beatitudes...much different than Matthew's

            Does anyone know what this symbol on the forehead stands for (The “L” on the forehead); and do you know what the “L” stood for? That’s right, LOSER! We have winners and losers in sports, if you don’t get your way you are called a “poor Loser,” and then there is the general term LOSER as in “oh, so and so is such a loser.”

            Listen to this portion of today’s Gospel reading, “Blessed are you who are poor, blessed are you who are hungry. It surely does not sound like us, because we are dressed nicely, we have these visitors with us today who are doing good work in this world and trying to make their lives better so this could not possibly mean us, right?

            Listen to these words a little closer. “Blessed are YOU who ARE POOR. Blessed are you who are hungry.” You may have heard something like these words before. There is one difference in what you remember and what you hear today; and that difference is that Matthew’s Gospel says “blessed are those that are poor in spirit.” This is Luke’s Gospel. Luke is not talking about people who are poor in spirit. Luke is talking about those who are physically poor. Luke goes on to write “blessed are those who are hungry NOW.” That is not in Matthew’s Gospel either. Luke is talking about people who do not have food; people who are going hungry. It may not sound like our situation.

            Yet, here is Jesus telling them that they are blessed. That does not make a whole lot of sense, does it? Why are they the blessed ones? I mean you and I have worked hard to get where we are. Many of us have struggled and had some lean years. Many of us have had the Ramen noodles as a main staple, lived off hot dogs for a while, or made tomato soup with ketchup and hot water just to make ends meet. Does that mean we may have been blessed then but are blessed no longer? Have we lost our blessing? Did we do something wrong?

            The truth is that “no,” we have not lost any blessings. This reading is about those who are poor and hungry. Jesus is showing us who God speaks to and for; God lifts up those who are the underdog of society. God lifts up those people that may be considered “losers” in society during Jesus’ time. Jesus tells us that God gives God’s love and blessings to those who do not have a voice in the world and those whom society just brushes to the side. God lifts up people who need food to survive one more day; they are the people looking for one more place to find food and shelter. They are the people wondering where their next meal will come from. They have to compete against one another for everything they have got in hopes that they can get just a little more because their lives depend on it.

            Our society tells us who these people are. If you believe what you see on television and read in the news and hear on the radio, you know these people. These people are referred to as lazy, worthless, bums, freeloaders, and those are just a few names.

            The reality of our Gospel reading tells us something very different about these people. Jesus tells us that ALL God’s children are worthy of God’s love and God’s grace. God’s love is not only for the comfortable; that it is also for those who struggle, for those who are physically hungry, for those who worry about their jobs, families, shelter…God’s love does not know ethnic, economic, or social bounds. God’s love and grace is for all of us.

            While this reading can make us all uncomfortable, and I hope it does, it also points out one important thing that makes this even more uncomfortable is that Jesus says woe to those who are rich and who are full. Jesus is telling us that it is what we do with the blessings that we have been given that makes a difference. While we may not be wealthy as we would like, some of us may not have to worry about our next meal, we might live comfortably paying our bills; Jesus is talking about the people who are struggling to get by; where their lives depend on the next meal. Where just having a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and band-aids means that a child will miss less days of school; where a meal once a month means the family will have enough to eat for a few extra days.

            Friends in Christ, we know what Jesus means in his blessings of the poor and hungry. We see it in our own community. Through the blessings of Community Partners and our ministries with Glade Valley, we know that people are in need of help and that need is growing with the reduction in the Food Stamp program. People will need more help with getting food and the answer that I hear repeatedly in the media is “let the churches step up to the plate,” as if the churches aren’t doing anything. The beauty of Jesus’ blessings this morning is that Jesus knows that we who are not the poor or hungry are, literally, the hands and feet of God’s blessings in giving back what was not ours but Gods; and that, brothers and sisters, is where the blessings of the cross comes together.

            The Good News of Jesus’ words is to hold onto and share with others God’s teachings of love and compassion. We are called to share with one another all of God’s blessings that we all have been given. God teaches us through these words of Jesus that it is God’s love that will sustain us through good times and through struggles. It is God who puts us on this earth to help one another because we are all in need of God’s love. It is God’s call to us that when there is someone without food or shelter or clothing, we are called to help God’s children.

            So what does this all have to do with All Saints Day? This is the day we celebrate all who have gone on in the faith before us. We celebrate those who began Jesus’ Church, we celebrate the leaders who brought us the creeds, and we celebrate our loved ones who taught us of God’s love; the ones who showed us God’s love by being loved; and we commit to helping the youngest of God’s children know Christ and God’s love. God calls us to be the saints of God’s love, mercy, and compassion in this community and to God’s creation: AMEN