Matthew 1:18-25 The Message to Joseph...Confusion

    The following is the second Sunday in a sermon series. Last week we dealt with the Fear of Zecharias when Gabriel told him that Elizabeth would have a son named John in Luke. Today the theme is confusion when Joseph receives the message that his wife is with child.

            Last week we heard about Zechariah and his fear; specifically, that he was so “overwhelmed” with fear that he questioned the Angel Gabriel. It was the fear of an answered prayer and the fear of what was to come. This week, we hear the story of Joseph, the man who was betrothed to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

            This story is the unusual story about Jesus. You see, there are only two Gospels that describe the birth of Jesus. It is here in Matthew and, of course, the one we traditionally hear at Christmas time for the Gospel of Luke.

            This story can lead us to our next reaction in this series of Confusion. Mirriam-Webster dictionary for English learners states the definition of confusion as: “a situation in which people are uncertain about what to do or are unable to understand something clearly.” That is a lot of what we are dealing with in this Gospel reading for today. It was the culture, at the time of Jesus’ birth, that parents were betrothed to one another. Meaning, that the year before the actual wedding, they were considered “husband and wife.” The woman would stay with her family until the marriage and the man would stay with his family. So, these two did not even live together; again, there were considered husband and wife.

            This also kept the door open to any problems. This meant that if there were problems, the male could call off the marriage and issue the certificate of divorce. It was a male dominated culture and the man had lots of power when it came to the relationship.

           

Well, as we all know, something did change. Mary was found to be pregnant. And here is where the confusion begins. In the time of Mary and Joseph, it would be perfectly natural for Joseph to issue the divorce decree, walk away from this marriage, and if Mary was shamed so be it; because it meant (one might think) that Mary was not faithful to Joseph so she got what she deserved. It would mean that she would now be a woman of disgrace and shame.

But our story is different. Joseph was not one to go around shaming. In fact, he was willing to do it quietly so that she would not be shamed. Joseph was willing to show mercy to Mary and just quietly end the whole thing and move on. Joseph spent time with this decision. It was a big decision for him to make; does he do what culture says is okay OR does he go his own way and do things in a merciful way.

Joseph’s decision was not the end of the story either. Just when he thought his mind was made up, God steps into the picture. More accurately, the angel of the Lord. This angel appears and tells Joseph not “to be afraid to take Mary as your wife.” The angel sets Joseph straight in that Mary did not betray him. The angel tells Joseph that this child is from God! The angel goes on to state who this child is, what his name will be and what the Son named Jesus will do; AND that it was to fulfill the scriptures.

Now, if that is not confusing, I am not sure what would be. Here you have a culture telling you it is perfectly normal to do one thing…the supposed “right thing,” and then you have the angel of the Lord telling you do go against this culture that is firmly in place. Joseph had enough going on with the “what to do decision” he found out about Mary. Adding this angel message to the mix surely was a situation where Joseph would question what the right decision would be like the definition that I gave.

But scripture says that Joseph was a “righteous man.” Joseph was faithful in his belief in God. He was so faithful that amid the confusion of his initial decision to quietly divorce Mary, his heart was still open to what God wanted him to do. His mind was open to allow his faith to guide his decision and change his mind; to go against what would be the norm of shame and embarrassment, not only for Mary, but now for himself.

Joseph found clarity despite the confusion. Joseph found clarity in the angels message of taking Mary as his wife. He relied on his faith to listen to the angel’s words and not allow shame or embarrassment to come to Mary. Joseph was a man of mercy and faith and demonstrated his faith in action toward God and toward Mary.

All of this would not have happened without God’s intervention. God is changing the whole dynamic here. God is showing that just when you think something is all figured out or planned, expect the unexpected! We know that feeling, don’t we? How many times have we planned something and, at the last minute, things change? You’re having a holiday meal and someone decides to bring a friend. It throws off you plans but you have extra plates and welcome them in. For a while it is confusion until you can get your bearings and it works out.

We live in a time of great confusion. The last two weeks have the media going crazy about “real” news sites and “fake news” sites on the internet. It is a bunch of yelling back and forth, one story says its true, another says it is a lie…what was down is now up, and day seems to be night, and so on.

Today’s Gospel reading gives us some clarity about the days to come in our lives. Just as the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, the angel appears to us. The angel speaks to Joseph and us in telling us that a child is about to be born. This child shall be named Jesus and will save us from our sin. We are told that the scripture will be fulfilled in that the child shall be called Emmanuel, God with us. This message is that despite the confusion that is so penetrating our daily lives, hear the words of the angel sent by God. Know that this child…this Savior is coming to save us and SHOW us how to love one another. This child comes to show and do mercy, forgiveness, and love.

In this time of confusion, let us take our cue from Joseph. Set our hearts and minds open toward God…our hearts and minds open to not bringing on shame to one of God’s children…even when society might say that it is okay to do. May we turn our hearts toward the angel’s words to bring clarity and share the mercy, forgiveness and love that Jesus will show with others: AMEN!

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

            At this time of the year and in this season, I have become a fan of “fact-checking.” As I was reading the Gospel this week, a story came to mind. I did a little fact checking at snopes.com and found this story to be a mixture between truth and fiction.

            The story goes like this: There was a pastor who was going to his mega church with 10,000 members. He showed up to church and walked around while people were going inside. He asked for food, change, and sometimes just said “hello.” Out of those 10,000 people, only 7 gave him the time of day…seven. He then went into church and wanted to go down to the front row. Ushers stopped him, parishioners stopped him and gave him a seat in the back of the church. When it was time to begin the service, the leadership, who were in on it, said, “we now introduce our new pastor!” there was clapping and everyone was excited. The homeless man began walking down the aisle, then up on the stage, took the mic and began to reveal who he was…the new pastor.

            Imagine the judgement that went into ignoring that man! Think about it! All those 10,000 people just walking by him, denying his request for food, change, or not even saying hello. I can almost hear their voices: “don’t bother me, I am going to church. What a scruffy guy. He might get my clothes dirty. THANK GOD, I AM NOT LIKE HIM!

            This is where our Gospel reading comes into view and reveals something very telling. We have this Pharisee…this important person who is in the hierarchy of the religious leaders standing at prayer. This guy is lifting himself up all over the place! He starts going over his list of good things that he does. He fasts and he gives of his income. I might add he is also praying. This Pharisee in the parable is telling God of the basic things that need to be done in order to be righteous! He has got the checklist down pretty well, doesn’t he? It would seem so.

            His first words are more revealing than this checklist. Hi first words are, “God, thank you that I am not like other people.” What a compliment! This Pharisee, and I am not trying to paint Pharisees as evil, has already assumed that he is on the righteous list! He thinks he has it all figured out. As long as I am not a thief, rogue, or adulterer then he has hit the mark! He even pulls the “or even like this tax collector.” This guy thinks that salvation is now his…he thinks he hit a home run by doing the fasting, alms giving…and praying. So, he is pretty puffed up. I am sure he can stick out his chest and walk proud as a peacock.

            But Jesus tells us about this…this…tax collector. He, too, is in the synagogue. He, too, is praying. Jesus tells us that his head is bowed. He would not look to heaven, beats his chest saying, “God be merciful to me, a sinner!” This man is acting quite different. He is praying for God’s mercy. We know that tax collectors were not looked upon too favorably. They were considered low-life’s. They took from people, took a cut for themselves when it came to taxes. They were loathed in the world.

            The tax collector brings himself before God, humbly. He is not walking around like any kind of proud peacock. He realizes the nature of who he is by his profession and places himself before God asking for mercy and not so sure that he is going to get the mercy he is looking for. Yet, he pleads to God. This tax collector pleads to the only one who decides righteousness. He pleads to the only one who can offer the mercy he seeks.

            Jesus gives us two examples of what it means to be a child of God. We have the one example of the person who thinks that he has checked off all the boxes to attain God’s favor and yet the Son of God tells us that checking off the right boxes is not enough. He then shows us the example of the one who comes to the temple and is not sure if he is in God’s favor. He shows us the person, that we know to be questionable because of his profession, and lifts this person…this uncertainty, this person who stands before God humbly, and confesses himself a sinner…a broken person; a person willing to throw himself before God’s judgement not knowing what to expect as justified…as worthy of receiving God’s grace.

            So, where do we fit on this scale, if you will? What are our experiences? Well, I do believe there are times when we make that “Thank God I am not like him or her,” statement. We make judgements everyday about something, whether it is good or bad, right or wrong. I would even venture to say that we all make a decision that serves our own best interest on any given day. We make judgements about how someone dresses, acts, talks, eats, haircuts, piercings, and the list goes on.

            We can even make judgements about worship, faith, and religion. How many times a person attends worship. Is there religion one of good or evil, are their religious garments acceptable? All these things and one traits mentioned above cause us to judge a person’s value, worthiness, and even righteousness. Based on all those things, do we really want that person in our community, neighborhood, or church?

            The truth part of this story from the beginning was that there have been several pastors who have been disguised as homeless and living around their church to gauge reactions. The results varied between helping to judging and rejecting.

            And that is where we get caught in the trap of judgement. That decision of righteousness is not ours to make. It is not up to us to decide who is in and who is out. Jesus tells us that it is God and only God who makes that call…NOT US! Through this parable Jesus shows us what it means to be a child of God. It is not about checking off boxes, showing up to make sure you meet what you believe are the expectations of being righteous.

            Jesus tells us that it is about not knowing what our outcome is. Through this tax collector, we see that life as children of God is walking humbly. Living the life as God’s child is realizing the brokenness in our own lives and laying it all at Jesus feet at the foot of the cross! Admitting that we are not worthy of God’s love because of our sinfulness and hoping, praying, and pleading for God’s mercy to forgive us our sins (as it says in the Lord’s Prayer).

The Good News is that God’s mercy comes in the form of Jesus on the cross. Jesus went to the cross for our sins and NOT out of some propping of himself. Jesus went to the lowly cross as God’s son to take away the sin of the world! I hope we all find it humbling that Jesus was hung on a cross…that the Son of God died for you and me. He died to show us the mercy that God has for us; so, that we know the length and the breadth of God’s love which can be very humbling!

AMEN!           

Luke 17:11-19 Giving Thanks

Luke 17:11-19

ercy, and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ: Amen!

            This story is pretty amazing! 10 lepers are healed. I picture them across the street yelling at Jesus “Hey Master! Have mercy on us! “as they were told to go tell the priests, they were cleansed.” Pretty amazing! Kind of like a healing on the go.

            But there is this one guy who notices that he is healed. He stops and comes back. This person is so moved that he runs back to Jesus, praising him, falls at his feet (giving thanks), and is told to go, by Jesus, “your faith has made you well,” he says. So this man does some key  things: Turns back, glorifies, prostrates, and thanks. Quite a nice little checklist of things to do when it comes to God and the blessings he received. Wouldn’t you say so?

            It would be nice to lift up this person’s experience as one that we should all copy when it comes to God, right? I would like to give you this little checklist and send you on your way. But I can’t because I think we lump all these responses into this one word, thanksgiving. This guy gives thanks for being made clean and being healed. It is all wrapped up in one little buzz word, Thanksgiving.

            This man is not the example of how we should live our lives in our journey of faith. To wrap all his actions into one word causes two challenges: 1) we lift this person up, who is a Samaritan by the way, and start thinking “why cant I be more like him?” 2) It limits us to thinking that we are not even measuring up to a Samaritan who is an outsider. He is not of the chosen people and he is looked down upon by the entire community; AND if we can’t measure up to that; then what does it say about us?

            Let’s think of this person, this leper, this Samaritan in a different way. How about we look at all his actions is one BIG and different response to how Jesus…God heals this man. Let’s take away the buzz word of “thanksgiving” and think of his responses as varied and unique. He is the only one who stops to notice that he is healed. He turns back to Jesus…to God. There is a response. He comes back praising God. That is another response. Falls at Jesus feet. Yet another response. Finally he thanks God. All those responses are what he does. This is how this former leper responds to God’s blessing and healing. All these responses are what this man chose to do…chose how to show his response to the blessed gift he received!

            So how do you match up? That is a trick question. We are not supposed to be this Samaritan. We are not supposed to do everything he did because we are not this person. If I were to tell you to practice what this guy did, some might laugh, reject the suggestion, or just ignore it; and for good reason! You are YOU!

            Let’s think of this story in another way. Think of your favorite song; It has a flow to the song. The music has a certain rhythm to it that sparks your interest, makes you feel good, and may bring smiles to your faces. Rhythms have peaks and valleys, slow spots and quick spots. Our faith is the same way. We all have been at a place in our faith where faith might be strong. We may have experienced something in our life that remind us that God is present and with us…walking right beside us. How do we respond to that strong conviction? We might start singing praises to God, get a hymn in our head and begin singing it, or just get a smile saying “I knew you were there God!”

            There are times when we might see God’s sense of humor, We might know we want something but we don’t get what we want…maybe we get what we need (to steal a line from the Rolling Stones) and we end up laughing about it. Maybe our response is laugh and give thanks to god. Maybe we stop and take notice and just sit for a while in knowing that it was God who gave us blessings.

            The same is true when our faith is shaken to its very core. When we hit that valley of nothing seeming to go right, that time when we question the bedrock of our faith. Whatever that valley looks like, how do we respond to receiving God’s blessings? Maybe we come to the cross bringing the tears of our heart, the pain of our words, and cry in relief. Maybe we fall to our knees to give thanks. Maybe it is reciting a prayer that Jesus taught or that we learned in our faith journey.

            The point is that this man does not give us a checklist of things to do in order to give thanks to God. We are all different. What worked for this man may not work for us. What this man does is provide many different ways for us all to consider giving thanks and praise to God. Giving thanks and praise to God cannot be summed up in a buzzword because all our responses differ.

            So how can we respond to God’s blessings in our life? There are plenty of ministries going on here at church to give you some options. We have quilters, Victor’s Vittles, confirmation, Sunday school, bible studies, book studies, and if you want to introduce a different way to give thanks to God, let’s talk. There are ways to express and glorify God, prayer, going out and sharing your witness to God’s blessings with others (Like Jane Bowie shared with us this morning.).

            Next week we will be having Consecration Sunday. It is a time where we will be praying about what and how God calls us to share what we have been blessed with in the ministries of this church. Another expression of how we can express our thanks and praise for the blessings that God has given. But it won’t stop there. We will be working to make all this giving thanks and praise to God in varied expressions a regular discussion and action a year long process. Because like our Samaritan, there are so many different ways to give thanks to God: AMEN!

Luke 8:26-39 Amidst evil there is transformation

            Today seems like a scary topic from our Gospel lesson. In our reading of Luke, We hear this story of a man possessed by demons. This guy is totally out of control. He lives in tombs and is guarded and chained up, like an animal. Imagine someone that comes…actually breaks loose from those chains and goes through town?! Imagine this guy that comes walking around and he is out of control; you never know what he is going to do, how will he act or react to situations. Are there going to be sudden outbursts of words or violence. It would make sense that the only things the people might understand is that this guy is POSSESSED! It must have been scary.

            Once again, Jesus shows up. This possessed man goes to Jesus and falls at Jesus feet. He or the demon inside knows who Jesus is; “Son of the Most High God! Jesus knew what was going on and our Greek Language, the original language of the New Testament, suggests that Jesus was ordering the unclean spirit…the demon…to come out of the naked man. Jesus words were causing torment to this man; whether it be the demon or man being tormented…it was all happening inside this man. So, this demon (of which there were many inside him) was tormenting the naked man; and, if that’s not bad enough, Jesus casting out the demon was bringing about torment!

            Jesus’ purpose and this torment that Jesus caused was for a different purpose. This torment that Jesus cause by casting out the demons was to bring about TRANSFORMATION. This man had been living a life of pain, anger, violence…let’s face it, these demons were bringing fear and pain upon the community; not knowing what he would do or say. There was no telling if people were going to be safe. Both this possessed man and the community had to figure out how to live with this in their midst. That alone can be scary. It can also cause complacency. Meaning, over time the people begin to figure out what they can and cannot say or do to get those demons inside the man upset. This possessed man tries to figure out how to live with all this going on inside; in the hopes that he can control it; realistically knowing that he cannot.

            Through Jesus casting out of the demons, this transformation turns everyone’s life upside down. Just when the people figure out how to live with this possessed person in their midst, Jesus casts out the demons and those demons are now gone! Now they have to figure out how to live with this…man. They have to discover who this man is and what he is about. They now have a clothed man…no longer naked running around town, breaking out of chains, and living in tombs. This man is now among their community transformed into, what seems to be a whole new man. Now they have to adjust, and guess what? He needs a place to stay! Talk about a new reality.

            But they are not the only ones. This man who was possessed is now living in a new reality. No longer are the demons going to haunt him, cause him to live in the tombs, and run around naked, or be driven into the woods. His new reality is scary in that he might be waiting for any sign of these demons to come back. He wants to stay with Jesus and follow him. Is it because he thinks Jesus will surely keep them away or is it because he is so grateful for what Jesus had done? I suspect it is a little of both.

            That is the beauty and scary thing about transformation. It is a beauty to know that we can start over. It is like that old adage of wiping the slate clean, starting over…a fresh start. Transformation gives us all the ability to dream about the future. Transformation gives us HOPE in tomorrow. A chance to discern what God has in store for us; to dream wild, unrealistic dreams, and it gives us the hope to plan out a future of where God calls us to go knowing that it is going to be quite the adventure and a challenge.

            Transformation can also feel like a curse. You see, the other side of transformation means that things that you did in the past may have to change. In our Gospel reading, the people and the possessed man, could no longer rely on their past behaviors or reactions. Because there is a new reality they are faced to create new reactions, new ways of dealing with one another, and new thought processes in dealing with this one person and dealing with the community.

            I think we can relate to these people and the possessed man. We can relate in that we all have had to adjust our thinking at one point or another; we have had to modify our behaviors, responses, and actions throughout our lives. We have seen it in our culture. Our country has seen wars over slavery, High Court decisions regarding African Americans as property rather than people; telling us to live in the reality that as “long as things were separate, but equal.” We had to live in the new reality when our mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers finally were given the right to vote. We have had to adjust when Presidents are assassinated, bills are passed, when family dynamics change (divorce, death, abuse); and of course we know all too well when our brothers, sisters, and children are gunned down.

           It is these times when we rely on Jesus’ transformation of us, individually and as a congregation. We are transformed at our baptism in that we are called, named, and claimed by the God of love who sent Jesus to die for us…you and me…for our sin, against each other and ourselves. We are transformed at the altar, when we come up to receive the body and blood of Christ…we receive the gift of sacrifice at no cost to us…simply because God loves us so much. This transformation that comes from God is some of the best of the Good news that God gives.

Because we live in this new reality, we are not defined by our past! We are not defined by our mistakes and WE ARE NOT defined by the things that way us down…that try and take us away or distract us from the love of God. Because of this reality (the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for us) we are free to dream about tomorrow, to discern and work together with others inside and outside these walls, different denominations, and maybe those who have never experienced the love of God to make a better world through our words and actions.

Today is Father’s Day. It is a day we celebrate all those fathers and father figures who helped transform us from the boys and girls that we were into the men and women that we have become. They have done a ministry of transformation with us through their love, discipline, and compassion and for that, we are thankful that God put those wonderful mentors in our lives.

Today, as we come to the altar of sacrifice, forgiveness, and love may we be transformed and may we look to the hope of the future and the promise of eternal life: AMEN!

"Love," what does it look like? John 13: 31-3

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

            Throughout this week, I have been thinking about the word “love.” I could have started the sermon off with the famous words from the Beatles, “All you need is love…” I could pull out all kinds of song lyrics about love and that could be fun. We could spend the entire service singing about love and most times we do. We sing about God’s love for us and all the things that God has done for us. And that is a good thing and I think we need to remind ourselves of God’s love for us.

            The more I thought about “love,” the more I was drawn to one statement by Jesus. It is the statement “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. How is this a new commandment? We know Jesus to be the Son of God, Amen? We know that it is God so loved the world that he sent his only Son, Jesus, into the world, “not to condemn the world but so that the world might be saved,” Amen? Right out of John 3:16. So this love doesn’t seem new.

We know love from the 10 Commandments. We know this idea of “love” throughout scripture. In Deuteronomy (5:10). “god is a jealous God and showing God “steadfast love” will be shown to the 10,000^th generation who love God and keep God’s commandments. In Leviticus 19:18, God commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves. So this concept, this command to love is not a new idea or concept!

But there is something new in Jesus’ commandment. This “new commandment” Jesus gives is different than before. It is different in the sense of who Jesus is. In our Gospel of John, we know that Jesus is the Son of God. The Gospel begins with “in the beginning was the Word…” and the Word became flesh, That’s Jesus, God in the flesh! The new thing is that God is in the world through Jesus Christ. Jesus is in the world and revealing who God is in the world; that God is caring, forgiving, and slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love…there is that word again!

To put it another way, Jesus goes through the world and does many things. By the Son of God being in the world, the people of Jesus’ time learn what it means to love God. Jesus does some amazing things throughout his ministry. He calls disciples to follow and they do. His journey in the world takes him to places where he will heal. He meets people that are, to put it plainly, outcasts in society. He spends time telling them how God cares for them; and shows them by healing and sharing meals. He shows the disciples and others through his, Jesus’, words and actions that God is patient. He spends a lot of time trying to teach the disciples and others that God wants people to be fed, literally and spiritually (more than 5,000). And, he teaches and shows the disciples and others…and us that God is merciful; by showing us all that God’s Son is going to go to the cross for us.

What is “new” about this commandment is that Jesus is telling and showing us that love is not just words. He is teaching and showing us all what loving one another looks like. He is saying that if we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and we want to follow Jesus and love God, then “loving” calls us into words and action. Jesus is our example of what it means to love God. Loving means that if there is someone who needs prayer, then we make ourselves available to pray with and for that person(s). Loving means that when one of our brothers and sisters in Christ is struggling we try to help as best as we can.

It also means that we get into the trenches and get ourselves a little dirty. Loving means that we feed, literally and spiritually, whenever we can; much like we do in Victor’s Vittles. We don’t keep the Word of God for ourselves. We share it with others to let all God’s children know that we and they are cared for. Loving means that when we see our youngest of God’s creation struggling…when there is NO SENSE of hope, we bring God’s Good News of Hope into their lives because it will and does affect us all.

Love means that we show and share God’s mercy with one another. When others make mistakes, we share God’s forgiveness that we would expect for us, and forgive. Today we have a baptism. Brad and Ashley are bringing Emmet to be washed in the waters of Baptism. As they share their love for Emmet, we are witnesses and reminded of how we all have been washed and made clean and loved by the God who will never let go of Emmet or us. Love means that we promise to support this family through good times and times of struggle. We lift each other up and live out this new commandment that Jesus gives; to love one another.

Today Jesus calls us to show our love, from here on out in word and action, with family and with strangers. Jesus doesn’t promise that it is easy; Jesus does promise that it is NOT impossible and in those times when we have to get our hands dirty in loving one another, Jesus promises that we are not alone: AMEN!

           

           

John 20: 19-31 "Peace be With You." Profound Words needed for our time.

            This Gospel reading is filled with great sermons that can go in so many different directions. We have the section where Thomas won’t believe unless he “places his hands in the wounds,” Jesus saying “blessed are those who believe but have not seen.” Today is one of those days where we focus on something else. Something that might seem so small that it could escape our observations.

            The part of the story that I am focusing on this morning is “the door.” Look at your bulletins. In the background is the door. Why is it so important? Because it is locked…from the inside! No one can get in because that door is shut and locked. It doesn’t seem like a sturdy lock but it was the lock at the time. When I read this story I think of them coming into the door, putting the bar across it and then hoisting furniture in front of the door, maybe a chest of drawers, or whatever is heavy enough that no one will be able to get through that door no matter how hard they try.

            It would make sense. Scripture tells us that these disciples feared the Jews. Remember in our Passion Story that Peter is accused of being with that…that…Jesus! Once that accusation is made, who knows what would have happened if Peter said, “Yeah, that is who I was with, great guy, good teacher, and my best friend.” I am not thinking it would have ended well. So, they are afraid and that makes a lot of sense.

            Despite this locked door that is locked from the inside, “Jesus came and stood among them.” The mind can wonder as to how he came and stood among them, but there is Jesus! His first word to them was “Peace.” That is an interesting word as the first word to be spoken out of Jesus’ mouth right after rising. Peace, he says. What do we know about this word, peace? I actually looked it up and I found these definitions:

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1. 1 :  a state of tranquillity or quiet: asa :  freedom from civil disturbanceb :  a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom <a breach of the peace>
2. 2 :  freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions
3. 3 :  harmony in personal relations

This 3^rd definition really got me thinking about this word “peace.” Harmony in personal relations. What was so “out of harmony” about this relationship with Jesus and his disciples? Was it the fact that they scattered, most of them did when he was arrested? Was it that Peter denied him three times, as Jesus said he would? Was there guilt…not just fear of the Jews…that caused them to be locked in this room? Was it the guilt of leaving this one that they loved so much, who spent so much time with them, and taught them. Was it guilt over fleeing from the person that showed them and the crowds how God provides food for thousands or how this Son of God healed, made clean, and raised from the dead?

            The answer could be “yes.” Maybe there was some guilt on their part. Maybe that door was closed because of the fear of being next AND knowing that, in some ways, they fled. I cannot guarantee that is how they felt, but I know there are times when we have felt like that. After all, we are all human and I am sure that at some point in our lives we have felt some form of guilt for something done or…as our confession says, “something left undone.”

            So Jesus comes in and stands among them. It doesn’t matter how he gets in. The important part is that Jesus goes into that room where the others are and says, “peace.” Jesus brings harmony back into the relationship with his disciples, with the people who have been with Jesus and, to be honest, with whom Jesus has invested so much time in. He brings those words of “Peace be with you.” Now, Jesus is getting specific. He is telling the disciples individually the relationship is back in harmony with each and every one of them. Jesus’ words are important because he says the exact same thing when Thomas finally shows up. He is making sure that they all know that the relationship is restored; that there is once again harmony.

            There is a reason why that is so important to us on this first Sunday after Easter. I believe it is because Jesus is showing us what divine healing really looks like. Jesus is the first person to show the disciples what healing looks like. Through his message of “peace” he says that their relationship with God is good again! He shows that he still has the marks of the pains that he felt. Jesus is not saying that those wounds are no longer there. They are there and still visible AND REAL! What Jesus is telling the disciples is that they are forgiven.

            I believe that because Jesus could have appeared to anyone he or God chose. Jesus appeared to those who fled. He appeared to the one who denied him three times. He came, again, to the one who doubted the resurrection story. Jesus wanted to show them that the resurrection was real AND that they were still loved by God…loved by Jesus. So much so, that Jesus made sure to bring peace…a harmonious relationship back to the disciples.

            If you haven’t been able to tell, yet, this service is all about healing. It is the day when Jesus brought peace AND healing to those who were locked in the room; where the door was shut so no one could get in. Through Jesus’ presence and peace Jesus restored the relationship with his disciples so that they could go on to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ…that Jesus has risen and that God’s love lives on through Jesus and ourselves spreading the Good News, as well.

            So what does that have to do with us. As I said earlier, I am sure we have all done things that may have strained relationships with family and/or friends. I am confident that at one time or another we have caused or been part of a relationship that became dis-harmonious; it may have gotten to the point where the relationship ended or became strained. It might be in our everyday lives or it might have been here in the church. We are not immune simply because we attend worship. It happens to all of us.

            But today and this Gospel reading is more important now, I believe, than any other Gospel reading. It is so important because Jesus shows us what is more important. It is the healing of our relationships together as the body of Christ. The important thing to hear this morning is Jesus’ words “Peace be with each and every one of you…and me.” Jesus is speaking to us to bring relationships with God and one another back into harmony!

            I have got some bad news for us all. We are human and we make mistakes! We will disappoint one another at some point in our lives, we might not be able to keep a promise, say something we shouldn’t, do something that affects others, or sometimes just be careless and not think about what we have said or done. It happens to us all! Through Jesus words of “Peace be with you.” Jesus shows us that healing is possible…may not be easy…but it is possible!

            What does it mean for us? It means Jesus calls us this day to witness healing from the Son of God; to see the risen Christ appearing to the disciples as a sign of God’s continued love in desiring a relationship with us and with one another as the body of Christ. God calls us to the opportunity to restore relationships whenever and wherever possible. It can take many different forms and it can begin with Jesus’ words, “Peace be with you.”

AMEN!

Luke 9:28-36, 37-43a Come Down from the Mountain

            May the words from my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, Our Rock and our Redeemer: AMEN

            Good morning, and it is a good morning, it is good because we are at this magnificent moment in Jesus ministry. He is up on the mountain top. Good things and Godly things happen on mountain tops. Moses saw the face of God, Moses sees the Promised Land from the mountain top; and, NOW, we have this morning. Jesus is on the mountain top. It is the Jesus that we hoped to see. Picture this: this regular kinda looking guy goes up to this mountain and there it is. He sees Moses and Elijah. This is not your ordinary mountain top. Everything changes; his clothes are a dazzling white there is all this white light, rocks glowing of gold…It must have looked better than the Vegas strip with its neon lights!

            This is the place we want our Jesus to be, right? We are ending the season of Epiphany…this season of light…and what better way to end it than with all the light that is coming from heaven, illuminating the entire top of this place where Jesus, Moses, and Elijah are gathered. What better way to show light than God showing the light of the kingdom to come; and, what better way to show us all who Jesus is by God’s light being so bright, God’s glory being so powerful that it changes everything to this magnificent white!

            While this is the place…THE PLACE we may want to be and want to stay, we also know that this is not what happens. We know that Jesus will come down from this mountain, Just like Peter, James, and John Jesus will come down of this mountain and resume his ministry. I can’t blame the disciples for wanting to stay up there. They are witnesses to this wonderful sight! I would imagine we all might want to stay up there, if we could! You know the place where we could take in all that glory, the magnificence of God’s presence, and the warmth of God’s grace and love.

            God does have that place for us. There is a place where we can experience that; where we can experience the warmth of God’s love, constantly. There is a place where we don’t have to earn our way in, it is a place where God welcomes all God’s children. There is plenty of room so we won’t get crowded out, and we don’t have to worry that it is for someone else or only the elite can get in. This place of God’s glory and love is a place for us. We can breathe in and take in all of God’s love, mercy, and grace. It is the place that God promised for all of God’s children and it is where God’s promises are certain and true.

            A much as we would like to stay there, we don’t. The disciples come down from the mountain and more importantly, Jesus came down from that mountain top; and it is a good thing that Jesus did not stay up there. It was good because Jesus’ ministry was not over. He had a lot of teaching to do. He had to get his followers on the path of understanding what it meant to be a child of God. He had to show them that God was not a God of anger, but a God of love and compassion. HE had to show that God was in the world…not on a mountain top and watching what was going on. This Son of God was in the world to show the people that God is forgiving, God is healing, loving, stern, yet caring. There was much more for Jesus to do in the world.

            Just as Jesus came down from the mountain, we come down as well. We don’t get to stay up on that mountain. We come down…back into the world of work, school, family, and neighbors. We have responsibilities, commitments, laundry, snow shoveling, cooking, cleaning, errands to run, sports events to get our kids and grandchildren to…you know, the rigors of everyday life. And we are confident that we do not go alone. Because Jesus came down the mountain, back into the world, the light of Christ…that dazzling light comes with us…into our everyday world.

            We can think about it and think or say, “That’s right!” Ever tried it on one of your worst days? Maybe not! We can become so bogged down with life that it is difficult to see that light of Christ. We can get caught up in our own lives that we want to see that light, we crave that light, just to know that God hears us or knows what is going on in our lives. Sometimes, we can feel the opposite; that everything is going so perfectly that we forget about the one who has blessed us with gifts. We can take for granted the God who created us; and, sometimes, we might end up thinking that we don’t need God. We might put ourselves on that pedestal.

            That is when Jesus coming down that mountain is more important than wanting him, and us, to stay up there. Jesus comes down, as I said earlier, to be in the world. To teach us that God does not abandon, God is always with us, and sometimes may be here with us and in us to humble us a little.

His, Jesus, coming down is important because he now heads to Jerusalem. Jesus now begins a journey toward another hilltop. This next one is not as bright or brilliant in color as today’s mountain. The next hill will not contain Moses and Elijah. It will contain two pieces of wood and he will be placed next to two criminals. It is a picture that we may not want to think about. It is a place where we might want to see Jesus, the Son of God, yet we will see him there.

Why do might we NOT want to see him there? Because, in today’s scripture, we see the glory of the Lord. The brightness of God’s kingdom, we see Moses and Elijah speaking to this guy we only know as Jesus, and we hear the words of God “this is my Son, my  chosen, listen to him.” This guy is not just a guy! This is the Son of God…the almighty God who created heaven and earth. This takes on a whole new meaning for us. This person who is human and experiences all that we experience is the Son of God…the divine creator, the teacher, healer, and the one who will go to the cross for you and me; to show us the price that God is willing to go to and show us that we are worthy of God’s love.

So, what does this mean for us? It means that we, too, will turn ourselves toward Jerusalem. We begin our journey to that cross to witness Jesus, learn from, and examine our journeys of faith. We use this time to gain a better understanding of who we are as Lutherans, as members of our community, and as children of God. This week and for the next six weeks, we will be taking a journey of faith as we begin to look at several themes during Lent. We will be spending time together focusing on some important aspects of who we are as the body of Christ, what it means to follow, and what it means to forgive.

As we begin our Lenten Journey this week, remember that the Son of God does go with us into our everyday lives; always there to hold us, care for us, and let us know that God is with us…even on our worst days: Amen!

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22, "Community"

            It started with a handshake. She was only allowed to shake hands with her intended targets. There were no if’s, and’s, or buts about it. That is all that she was limited to was a simple handshake. Until one day, she made an appointment to see the General. He admitted that he thought she was making an appointment to complain about his troops. He was prepared to hear her complaint. When she entered his office she asked for permission for one thing: She wanted to hug her intended targets. She wanted to hug the soldiers as they were leaving for deployment at the airport. She wanted to embrace them and she became known around Ft. Hood, Texas as “The Hug Lady.”

            I think her story has a lot to do with today’s Gospel reading. I have to admit that I struggled with the reading because there was so much going on and in between the lines of our readings. I could spend a lot of time on those missing lines, but as I prayed about it, one thing stood out quite clearly: It is verse 21; “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus had been baptized and was praying…”

            This verse stands out in my mind because this is the beginning of a whole new life for all of the people being baptized! It is important to know how this is a “new beginning,” for the people. John called them to a life of repentance. It’s not a life of “just saying, I’m sorry for something,” rather it is a turning away, literally turning 180 degrees, from that behavior that helps cause the world to be broken. John is proclaiming to the people that someone is coming to change lives. Yes, there will be judgment, but the judgement comes from Almighty God; AND this one that is to come will bring a future kingdom, God’s Kingdom into the world.

            We know who that person is. The answer is Jesus, but I want you to hear again about that one that has come and will baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit: “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus had been baptized and was praying…” Jesus is not separated from the crowd. Jesus is right there in and among the crowd. His baptism is public for ALL the people to see! His baptism…his PUBLIC baptism means that he is now in the community. He is a part of the community. He is not separated from the community, but is now an active and participating part of the community.

            Just as Jesus is part of the community…this new community, there comes with this community a question of purpose. What is the purpose of the community? That is not an easy question to answer. We can look back into our first reading, the reading of Isaiah 43:1-4 to get a sense of what God has done for Israel and does for us. God brought the people out of exile, formed Israel, refused to overwhelm exiled Israel, promised to always be with them, and REDEEMED them. It can be said, and I would argue, that knowing that The Almighty God who did those things for Israel also does them for the one’s being baptized.

AND That Jesus is now baptized with and in this community changes their and our sense of purpose. It changes because God did not have to do those things. God chose to do those things for the Israelites. God chose to name, protect, restore, and redeem them. And so their purpose as we see in scripture becomes to serve God out of the Grace that God had shown them; out of the Grace that God continued to show, despite their falling short of God’s glory.

 IT works the same way with us. When we are baptized, we are baptized in public. Our lives and bodies are brought to this community; and it is within this community that we are publicly washed with the water and God’s Word. We are now part of the community that God has done so much for: We are named by God and we belong to God. We are protected by God who brought his children out of captivity, and we are redeemed by a God so full of love for us that God promises to be with us at all times; despite our falling short of the glory of God.

            IT is not the same ole community that it once was. Because of Baptism, we are all made knew. We become a new community each and every time God claims one through the waters of Baptism; and we are faced with the question of what our communities purpose is now that we are new, named, and claimed by God who did all these amazing things for us. For the hug lady, she was a woman of faith and she lived out her understanding of her purpose as part of God’s community. She gave hugs to about 500,000 soldiers. She let them know how loved they were and that they were a part of a larger community. Her purpose was to share God’s love and that she did. The same General who allowed it said, “for some of the soldiers, it was the last embrace of humanity because they did not make it home.”

She is not the only one and hers is not the only story of living out serving in God’s community. We see it here on the local levels of feeding all who are in need. We do acts of compassion all the time. When disasters strike, more times than not, we respond in some way shape or form to help our neighbors, whether they be in Parkville or around the globe. We are all part of God’s community through our baptism. We realize the importance and gifts that our youth bring to the community as well as our more experienced participants in God’s community.

The point is that we are part of God’s community together. We may not always agree with one another, but we realize God’s call together. We experience God’s love through all that God has done for us: AND we witness God’s mercy in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for us…you and me. It is through this gift of God’s grace and mercy…The sacrifice of Jesus…that we can be strengthened and confident that God is doing all of this out of God’s love; so that we live, speak, and act as God’s community with that same love that God has so freely given to us: AMEN!