John 20:19-31

John 20:19-31

Grace, Mercy, and Peace be to you from God our Father and from our Risen Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ: Amen!

So it has been seven days since this Good News that Jesus has risen. Has it sunken in yet? Have you gotten over the excitement? Sometimes I think this reading should be read on Easter Sunday rather than seven days after the News that Jesus has risen. I do believe that it is Good to have God’s news and the immediate shock of seeing Jesus and having him identify the people he was close to see that he is indeed alive. It gives us the chance to be shocked as well. It gives us all the chance to experience the tomb being empty as the new beginning.

I also think that today is an important day for reading, maybe even on Easter morning. I believe it is important because we need to look at where the disciples are and what is their situation. So let’s do that this morning; let’s look at their situation. These 11 are sitting in a room and the door is locked. It is closed up; nothing gets in and nothing gets out. I wonder what that is all about? Several theologians have some ideas about the door being shut and I agree with their arguments.

The first one goes like this: They are locked in the room because they hung out with Jesus. They were Jesus disciples. They know all that Jesus taught and so they will carry on the teachings of Jesus. Remember, Jesus spoke out against the Pharisees and Sadduccees. He went around teaching that God is the one who makes people clean. He taught that the traditions that the leaders of the day were teaching was not according to God’s will. He taught that God’s forgiveness was offered to all who sought it; yes, there was God’s judgment but Jesus taught that it was never too late to seek and give forgiveness. Jesus went into the world proclaiming the Word of God. Basically, he was saying that God goes beyond a temple. Jesus taught all these things so there might be the fear, on the disciples part, that they would be sought out and they would be next to endure what happened to Jesus. You know, it’s the “Oh no! I am going to be next” thought.

Then there is this thought: After all that Jesus taught these 11 people, after all they had been through together – I mean, they saw Jesus heal, sit and eat with the unclean. Jesus taught them about God and God’s grace and mercy. They got to see, firsthand, the Son of God going into the world and doing all things that I just spoke of; they were witnesses to the power and Glory of God. They received the New Commandment to “love one another as I have loved you – after all that, when it came to the most difficult part of Jesus’ arrest what did they do? They scattered. They took off and left Jesus to fend for himself. Peter, who said he would never deny Jesus, did exactly what he said he would not do. Sure he followed but when it came to people noticing who he was, he swore an oath that he didn’t know Jesus. So, they could have been locked in this room, not out of fear, but out of shame. Shame for falling short with the Son of God.

Whatever reason they are locked up tight, there is one thing that is certain. Jesus comes to them. There are no doors that can locked or unlocked that keeps Jesus out of this room. There is nothing that Keeps Jesus from coming to them. Not only does he come to them, but he brings them peace. He brings God’s peace upon a room full of people that may have felt guilt or shame for their actions of fleeing. He brings God’s peace to a room full of people that might be in fear of being next to suffer the same fate as their beloved teacher. He brings God’s peace to once again be with those who knew him best, who listened to him, questioned him about God, followed his sending them out into the world by twos to proclaim the love and healing power of God.

I think we can relate to these disciples. I am sure that we have all had times in our lives where we were afraid, scared, or felt guilt from something that we said or did. Our lives are not perfect, which may come as a shock to some; we do make mistakes and sometimes we do things that are intentional. More clearly there are times when we put our wants and desires before considering others. There are times when we have to make tough decisions that are not popular; that may happen in our personal lives, in our jobs, and sometimes in our social lives. We may feel the guilt of feeling happy because we get to keep our job while a friend lost theirs. We may feel scared that our job may be next. Marriages may need to end because of abuse or neglect and there can be the double whammy of shame and guilt.

These are things that make us want to be like the disciples; we might want to lock that door to where no one can get in or out. It might be like a room where the only light that gets in is from a flashlight or candle. These feelings of fear and/or guilt can make us want to be lost or not visible to the world or to God.

But the Good News is that God still comes in that door. A door cannot keep Jesus, the Son of God, from coming into the room to offer us all the same peace that was offered to the disciples. It is that peace that with God, forgiveness, mercy, and love are possible and they are real. They are real because Jesus shows us that they are real. They are real in that Jesus comes to them to bring them peace and show them the scars that he endured through his crucifixion; and despite those nail wounds and the sword piercing his side, that God still offers new life to the disciples and TO US! Those scars don’t disappear, but because of Jesus on the cross and because of his resurrection, God shows us that the scars are not what define us but it is that mercy and love that God shows us and commands us to share with one another that help define us as children of the living and loving God.

I was speaking with someone this week about a friend who was invited to come to church. As he invited the person, the reason for not coming to church was that “I will come to church when I take it seriously.” When questioned as to what that means the friend explained that he still drinks and curses…Obviously he has not heard of the Lutheran Pastor Naida Bolz-Webber who wrote a book about how she curses and yet God called her to a thriving ministry. This person has not heard of a Lutheran Pastor who was a sailor and has seen some of the worst things that humans can do horrible things to one another…such as teenagers killing other teenagers for shoes.

This is not to put that person down. It is to show that we all do things that we may not want God to see. But God comes to us and is just waiting for us to ask God to be part of our lives. God’s message is to NOT let fear and guilt rule our lives. Let the Good News of the resurrected Christ and the teachings of Jesus define who we are and how we act as children of God.

I think this reading may just be in the right place. The excitement of finding the tomb empty may have long gone with the passing of the week. But my hope and prayer is that today’s Gospel sustains you in knowing that God is always there with us; in our good times as well as our worst times and may we all be comforted in knowing this.

Matthew 28: 1-10. God's Promises Kept

            Grace, mercy, and Peace to from God our Father and from our risen Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ: AMEN!

            It is a glorious day isn’t it? It does not matter what the weather; it does not matter if it is raining, snowing sleeting or sunny and warm it is a glorious day! Anybody care to guess why? Call it out loud; of course, because it is Easter.
            We spent the last 40 days leading up to this moment. We got our Ashes on Ash Wednesday, how appropriately named, and we began to follow Jesus; knowing that it was going to lead us to the place that some of us may not want it to lead. Jesus’ journey takes us into Jerusalem where he shares his last meal with the disciples and gives them the Good News that this is my body and blood given for you and he commands them to “do this in remembrance of me.” This past Thursday evening was the night where we were called to that upper room and share the body and blood of Jesus, the Son of God.
            It was in the act of that meal that we digest the gifts and blessings that Jesus taught and acted out in his words and actions and they are passed on to us. It was on that Good Friday where Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sin. He sacrificed himself on the cross for you and for me so that we would know that we are broken; that we make mistakes. We say and do things that hurt ourselves and one another. Jesus shows us that in that brokenness, there is still hope. Because of Jesus sacrifice on the cross there is hope, mercy, redemption, and forgiveness from almighty God.

            We know this because, just three short days later, we all wake up to find that the tomb is empty. Jesus who hung on the cross, was humiliated while hanging there is not where he was laid. There was a major earthquake when the two Mary’s got there. The angel came and told them that the Jesus they knew was gone. Not that the body was taken, but that he had been raised! He invited them to come and see that the Lord is no longer a lifeless body in a tomb BUT THAT HE IS ALIVE! For that we can say ALLELUJAH! It is, indeed something to celebrate! Then the angel tells them to “go quickly and tell his disciples.” They did not waste any time either. They got the word and they were off; no questions, no decisions to be made; they just went.

            Today is a glorious and blessed day because there is one thing that is certain on this day that the Lord has been raised; and that certainty is that God keeps God’s promises. God, through Jesus, foretold of the day that he would be handed over. He does this three times; and each of those times he tells how “the Son of man will be raised in three days.” Today, we see that keeps that promises in the raising of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
            We live in a world where promises are made and not often kept. We live in a world where products are sold with claims to make our lives better, machines to make lives easier, and sometimes people tell us what we want to hear. Today, we read, hear, and are witnesses to the empty tomb. We are witnesses to the promise of God that Jesus has been raised.
            In this promise of God, there is so much more than just a raising of a dead person. In this promise is the fact that God so loves each and every one of us that God sacrificed God’s only Son on the cross for you and for me. In this promise is that despite our brokenness and making mistakes, or doing something to hurt ourselves or someone else, God tells us that we are all valuable and that asking or giving forgiveness as always a possibility. In this promise is the fact that we are SO loved that God will not let death have the last word; in fact, God promises life eternal to all who seek it in living out God’s love for us by sharing God’s love, grace, and mercy with one another.
            Today is the day when God’s promises come to us in the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. It is not the only day that this promise comes to us, because it is in this Gospel of Matthew where Jesus tells us to “remember, I am with you until the end of the age.” God’s promises come to us each and every day.
            So now, that we know God’s promises are true and will last forever, because of this Easter Day. It is fair to say that this day is the new beginning for us in our lives as followers of Jesus Christ and as disciples of the living God. So how are we going to live out God’s promises in our everyday lives? How are we going to celebrate the new life we all have in the risen Christ?
AMEN!

Mark 10:32-34 The last in the sermon series: the change of plans; our plans and God's plan

            So here we are with our last Sunday in the series of change. We have had change of seasons, heart, circumstances, habit, and today we here about change of plans. So how many of us have thought about what we wanted to be when we grew up? Maybe a baseball player, football, rocket scientist; so name some things that you wanted to be when you were growing up? How many of us have had our lives planned out? Jobs, spouses, kids; and out of that planning how many of us have had our lives change from what we planned?

            Isn’t it amazing how much we want things to be the way we want them? I mean, we want things a certain way. Our opinions are formed when we are young by our parents and we understand that things should be a certain way. We are conditioned to seeing things a certain way as well. We like our athletes strong and hulky looking; we like them to be powerhouses, yet sensitive. We want them to be role models and good stand up people. We think the same thing about our heroes too, don’t we? We want them to be chiseled and just the right height, weight, maybe blonde hair, and blue eyes. That is what we see in the movies.

            It is the same in Jesus’s time. Maybe that is where we get our images of heroes. I mean look at Moses; he came to save the Israelites from a life in slavery. He didn’t just walk in and say let my people go. He had the Word of God with him, parted the seas, turned the water to blood to convince Pharoah to let them go. Other heroes like David come with armies and he is a king. Solomon is a king.

            Now imagine what the people of Jesus’ time expect when they hear that someone is coming to save the world. Imagine a people that are under the rule of a government who is occupying their land. So the prophets foretell of this person who is mighty and has brings the promise of God, the power of God, and will rule over all the nations. It would be easy to think that this savior that is coming would be strong, mighty, and bring armies to bear on those who oppress God’s chosen people. It is quite a build-up isn’t it? I could imagine that it would take  a huge army to be able to free the Israelites once again.

            Yet what they get may not be what they expected. They expect a King to be born, maybe a king born in a palace with all the fine linens and the ceremony that comes with the birth of a King. What they get is a king born in a stable; a child wrapped in cloth…common cloth. A child in a stall born of a mother who was originally looking at shame for being with child before being married.

            This child…this king was not the usual king. The information of his coming was not a public notice from the town crier, but it was a private message that came to blessed Mary from the angel Gabriel. The birth of Jesus was not for the Elite, but for the shepherds in the field. The announcement of the birth of Jesus came from an army of angels singing Hosanna in the highest! The angels came to those who were considered lowly…the most unlikely of people.

            The life of Jesus shows us, as well, about a change of plans. Jesus went to the people on the fringes. He went to the unclean and those who were considered unworthy of God’s love or God’s grace. He walked with them, and healed them. He shared meals with tax collectors, He taught people about the love of God. Rather than coming in and brandishing swords and armies, Jesus comes into the world in a way that would seem much calmer and tamer. He brings God’s message of loving our neighbor rather than tearing down and judging.

            This change of plans does not end with a major battle like we might see in the movies. It ends, so we would like to think at a wooden cross on a hill. It was at that cross for those of you who might not remember or know but will hear next week in the reading of the passion, the common criminal. It was shameful to be placed on that cross and die that kind of death. That cross was used to send messages to others who committed crimes and attempted to go against the people in power “Don’t even think about it! Because, this is what will happen to you! It sent messages to families and the public about the shameful actions by those hanging on that cross. We know this by who was at Jesus’ left and right…two common criminals.

In just a few short days, which might seem like a lifetime, we will see God’s change of plans. God steps in to say that this will no longer be a symbol of shame because MY SON will be on that cross…for us (you and me) and for the forgiveness of our sins. At that moment, the cross will be the place where we learn that we are valuable and loved…each and every one of us because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and that cross becomes the place of hope in forgiveness, grace, and mercy from our creator God.

This is one of those times where God’s plan is not what we would have ever thought of yet God thought enough of us to give us the gift of Jesus in the world. So how many of our plans didn’t come out the way we thought and how many times did we say thanks God for guiding me down that different path. AMEN!