"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!

            

John 18: 33-37 Two Kingdoms and the importance of Location.

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

            What is the most important part of buying a house? It is the same word three times. The most important consideration that I have heard is “Location, Location, Location!” That makes sense, we want to be in just the right place when it comes to where we live. We want to be in that place that suits our needs. Some people like to live in the city…feel the hustle and bustle, attend events, and be able to get around fairly easy. Some of us like living in the suburbs where it is quiet. There are some stores but not too many. It might take a little while to drive to get somewhere. There are many factors that go into finding that one perfect…or near perfect place to live.

            Today’s reading of John speaks of a particular place…a kingdom, in fact. Jesus has been arrested, really the term is handed over, and he is take to Pontius Pilate. The chief priests take Jesus to Pilate, the Roman Authority thinking that if they tell them that Jesus says he is King, then Pilate will step in for Rome because Rome is in control of the region and any threats to the Roman Empire will be dealt with. So, Jesus is taken here in the hopes that the Romans will deal with him.

            Pilate asks Jesus that all important question, “Are you the King of the Jews?” It is an important question with many implications, depending on how Jesus will answer. What really got me thinking this past week is Jesus’ statement “my kingdom is not of this world…” His Kingdom is not of this world! Some of you might be asking why this would astound me! It seems like a “no brainer,” doesn’t it? Some of you might be thinking that, of course, it is a no brainer because Jesus is the Son of God, right! That is so simple that even our young people could get that one!

            But sit and really think about what that means. Jesus, a King, has a kingdom somewhere else…not of this world. What other world is there. And I am sure you might be saying, duh, pastor, ITS HEAVEN!!!! If we are to look at it in the black and white terms, it would be an easy answer. There are two kingdoms, the one on earth and the one in heaven. Pretty cut and dry; you have this one kingdom here and the other one up there.

            But like all things, it is not as simple as it sounds. It is not simple because we recognize Jesus as God’s Son, right? Our Gospel of John tells us who Jesus is: “in the beginning was the Word…and the Word became flesh.” We have a Trinitarian faith; meaning, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one…Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, right? This whole thing becomes complicated because Jesus, God’s Son, is in this Kingdom. Jesus is not in some far off Kingdom. Jesus is here, in the flesh, right?

            The mere presence of Jesus in this world brings that, what seemed to be far off kingdom, into this world full of earthly kingdoms. Jesus is in the world. That line or whatever the border was between the two kingdoms is no more. There is no border because Jesus is in the world. This is where the two kingdoms intersect; that kingdom that seemed so far off is now in the world.

            But what does it mean? For the people of Jesus’ time, there were these two kingdoms. God was in this far off place and basically said, “Hey, I am giving this to you to take care of. Here ya go!” And almost from the very beginning it went downhill from there. The humans…the people that God put on the planet began doing things for themselves. God talked to them and gave them laws to follow, told them what to do, and gave them food to eat when it seemed like they would starve. Some people became powerful rulers and started abusing their power. They believed that God gave them the power and in the Roman’s case the leaders thought they were elevated to the status of God.

            The people living under this power were not treated very well. We know the story of Cane and Abel. One exerted power over the other. Stories keep going like that of rulers keeping the people in line and the people crying out to this far off God. It seems fair that they would think that God is far off and they might wonder if God is even hearing them at all!

            That is where this other Kingdom intersects the earthly kingdom. Jesus is now in the world. He brings this Kingdom into the world of earthly. This kingdom that he brings is something very different than what people are used to. Because, in this kingdom that Jesus is from is the heavenly kingdom. It is a kingdom that brings healing. Healing for those who have cried out to the Lord for their prayers to be heard. Healing for those who are suffering from starvation. He brings healing for those who are considered unworthy of God’s love (by human definition), and he brings the gifts of mercy and forgiveness. It is the mercy…God’s mercy for everyone who seeks to know God and want to be a part of God’s kingdom.

            And, of course, there is forgiveness…God’s forgiveness that is offered. Jesus is pointing out that God’s forgiveness is offered to all who seek it; whether it be the oppressed or the oppressor, This Kingdom that Jesus is the king of is one that allows and invites all to God’s table of forgiveness. We know that to be true because of the communion table which we are all invited to receive that forgiveness. This Kingdom of Jesus is offered to the people of Jesus time and place who are crying out to the Lord and who seek God to be with them.

            This Kingdom of Jesus intersects with us as well. We know all the things going on in the world. We are reminded, every day, of people wielding power, abusing their positions, hurting each other…neighbors, family members, friends. I am sure we have all experienced that hurt and pain in our lives, at one point or another. And it is not easy living in this earthly kingdom. Sometimes we have to make tough choices! Sometimes, we are the ones doing the hurting.

Today, this other kingdom that Jesus speaks of is with us just as it was with the people of Jesus’ time. We are witness to this dialogue between Jesus and Pilate, we cry out to the Lord for God’s intervention in our own lives in some way shape or form. We listen to God’s word through the words and actions of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. That same mercy and forgiveness is offered to us and for us. It is offered to others just as it is offered to us. We spend time in this world that Jesus talks about in our worship and fellowship times, our ministries, Sunday school, bible study, choir…you know those places where we lift one another up in support and prayer, fun and laughter and tears and hugs.

            The kingdom that Jesus talks about is in the here and now. They intersect through our baptism, and through the sacrament of Holy Communion. It is the Kingdom of God’s love and protection, God’s Kingdom of grace, mercy, and healing. AND, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ it is the kingdom of eternal life. The question can then become, “which kingdom do you want to spend most of your time?” Location, Location, Location: Amen!

Mark 12:38-44: Giving your whole life to God! It can be scary, but oh, so rewarding!

            This past week we had an incident in our home that to some may be considered devastating and for one of us it was. I told you in a sermon a few weeks ago that my wife has certain areas of expertise in our marriage; specifically, that she was the keeper of the calendar for the family (in addition to her church calendar, all appointments, and meetings); and I was…key word…was the technology person in the house. Ever since she got her new phone which is the same phone (Android) operating system that she had before, our calendars would not sync. We used to be able to look at our phones and see each other’s calendar and life was good.

            This past week, I decided to take a look at why it was not working. I went into my phone and I would look at things and then go to her phone and look at the same things. I got to this one step of deleting what is called cache memory. I deleted it on my phone first and nothing happened, so I did the same with hers. Then I got to this one other part of memory. I got a warning on her phone and mine, so I decided I would try it on my phone. Deleted the memory and my calendar was still there with all the stuff still on it…sounds okay right? Do you know what is coming next…That’s right! I deleted it on her phone and her entire calendar disappeared! Every appointment was gone! Gone! Usually it saves it all to our Google account calendar, but her phone didn’t. Everything was gone! Needless to say things were a little tense around the Litton household for a few days trying to figure out how to get all this back…if we could get any of it back.

            I believe that this story in our lives relates directly to our Gospel reading this morning. In particular, this story of the widow in the temple. Jesus is watching people put money in the Temple treasury. It was a part of what they did and who they were. He watched as rich people put their money into the treasury and everything was going along smoothly; until he saw this “poor widow.” When she comes up, Jesus takes notice! So much so, that he calls the disciples to come over because there is a lesson here, there is something to teach them something. Jesus sees it as more than a teaching moment. To Jesus it is an incredible witness to something much bigger.

            To get to that something bigger, we have to look back at the beginning of this Gospel reading. Jesus tells the disciples to “beware of scribes in Long robes…” and to be honest this passage can make some of us who wear white robes in worship a little nervous. These scribes and people who wore the robes were in a position of authority. They were born into their positions as priests and scribes. As we talked in our bible study this past week, these were not people called to their vocation, they were born into it. They obeyed set the rules and dictated who was in and who was out. There was an expectation that they were given high places of honor. It opened up the door to some abuses by the very people born into those positions. It opened the door to some being treated less like valued human beings and God's children.

            With all that in the background, here is this woman coming up to the treasury to put in these two coins! It might sound like we would want to prevent her from doing that, doesn’t it. We know the back story on these priests and scribes and we might want to tell her to keep it because she will need it more than the temple. We might think we are being compassionate to her to say, “Stop! They are just going to waste it!” We might even want to think that she is not smart for putting these coins in! After all, it is her life savings! It is all she has! After she does this, there is no more! “All she had to live on,” Jesus says. If we believe that is exactly what we would say to her and try to prevent her from giving, then we are missing the bigger picture as well.

            The bigger picture is not that she gave two coins into the treasury. The bigger picture is that she gave her entire life, not to the treasury, but to God. She was a faithful woman who, regardless of her wealth or poverty, gave her entire life over to God! Those two coins were only the symbol of who she was. She had more than two coins to give in her worship of God. She was more than money. She was a living, breathing child of God. She was a person who had a heart, who had blessings, who made mistakes, who had some down times as well as good and she gave it all over to God.

            This bigger picture is realizing what exactly it was that she put into that treasury. It was her body and soul, it was her heart…her life, death, and everything in between depended and rested on God because it was given to God. It did not matter what some in the temple would do with what she put in because that wasn’t the point. The point was that her entire life was given over to God and relied upon God’s promises to her. She would now have to rely on God for everything.

            I don’t know about you but it sounds like she has put herself in a pretty vulnerable position! It is a pretty vulnerable position when you have to rely on others for everything. My wife felt extremely vulnerable when all those calendar dates disappeared! It is a helpless feeling to have that important aspect of your life…those things that you are so responsible for and feel that responsibility suddenly gone is not a good feeling. I don’t know if you have ever experienced vulnerability, but it can affect your trust in others, decision making processes can be called into question, and can cause us to do things we normally would not do.

            While a calendar does not compare to one’s entire life, it is an example of the vulnerability that we may have experienced in our lives. In contrast, imagine doing that with your entire life. Imagine taking everything you are…I am not even talking about money…just who you are; every breath you breathe, every word you say, food you eat, decisions you make…all of who you are and say “I am giving all this over to you, God. It yours and I will do with it what you ask. I rely on you to guide me in everything I do.”

            That is not an easy thing to do. There are parts of our lives that we want to control. We want to have control over some aspects of our lives. Sure there are some easy things we can give over to God. But it is not easy to give everything over to God. It is not easy because it means that we have to give up control. It means we allow ourselves to be vulnerable to what God wants us to do and to spend time with God, getting to know ourselves (warts and all) to acknowledge our gifts and acknowledge where we fall short. It means allowing ourselves to be vulnerable to call ourselves sinners AND knowing that God’s Son, Jesus died for our sin. It means allowing ourselves to acknowledge that amid Christ’s death on the cross is the promise of God’s forgiveness and that we are to live out that forgiveness with one another.

            This “poor woman” shows us how blessed we really are. Despite her poverty, she teaches us all the promises of God that God works through all of us to teach us of the love of God, the uneasiness of vulnerability, the power of forgiveness, and God’s promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. AMEN!

All Saints Day: John 11:32-44 Anger amid promise

            This past week while my wife and I were at the Gym, a gentleman who knows we are pastors and who talks to us quite a bit asked a question. Up to this point, he has never engaged us in religious questions, but as we are exercising, it happened! He said “Can I ask you all a bible question?” I have to be honest that these are some of the times that pastor’s live for. We get all excited about the question that is to come. I am about to pass out because the amount of exercise we do on Mondays but I perked right up, waiting for this question.

            I was not disappointed by the question. He said, “Is it in the bible that God does not give you anything you can’t handle?” Now, if you are in a room full of pastors, you would see people wanting to chime in immediately. It can look pretty amusing but there were the two of us and I must say that I was quiet for a moment. This question called for a time to think, first before speaking.

            This question has a lot to do with today’s Gospel reading and this particular day that we celebrate; All Saints Day. Our Gospel reading begins with Mary confronting Jesus. Mary is not happy; she is grieving, obviously! She wants Jesus to know that in her grief there is anger. The statement that she makes is that she knows that if Jesus would have been around, Jesus could have prevented this death! To be clear, Mary is a woman of faith. This is the same Mary who washed Jesus feet with perfume and dried his feet with her hair. She knew what Jesus has done in the past; and her faith tells her what Jesus could have done…had he been there.

            I think what is important in this passage is Jesus’ reaction. Jesus saw her weeping. He saw her grief and he saw the grief of everyone else that was with her. Jesus reaction was not to punish her, or say words to her that would put her in her place. JESUS was “greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved.” That is putting it a little politely. Our English translation does not do Jesus reaction Justice. The Greek words are the same words used to describe anger. He wasn’t deeply moved, Jesus was angry! Imagine, the Son of God angry!

            So why would Jesus be angry? Was Jesus angry because of Death? What was death to Jesus and the people of his time? Death was the end. There was nothing after death; all the people knew was that when there was death that was it…nothing more or less. Death seemed to be more of a punishment because it was the end. It was almost like Satan had control over death because of its finality! Look at what death did to Lazarus’ family. This death tore the family and friends apart. Look at their faces! They are weeping and wailing. They feel the sense of loss, this hole in their heart where Lazarus once occupied space is now gone.

            So, Jesus is angry about all this. He is angry because of the finality that Mary and Martha see. He is angry at the appearance of Satan having control of death; AND, he is angry at how death tears apart the family. He is angry at seeing the pain on their faces, the tears that are being shed for their loving friend and brother. He is angry because Jesus is not only fully Divine…fully the Son of God, but he is also fully human; sharing the emotions of God’s children for the loss of a friend.

            He is so moved that we read a little further that “Jesus weeps.” Jesus’ emotions well up in him and he experiences the same loss that Mary, Martha, and all his friends experience. HE feels the hole in his heart, the memories that he shared with Lazarus, for now, are only that…memories.

            But Jesus does not get consumed with his grief and the grief of others. Jesus goes to the tomb. He wants to go in and Martha says that Lazarus has been dead for four days. It is important to know that Jewish customs believed the soul left the body after three days and he has been gone four days; so, there is no way he is coming back. And she tells him that the stench is there because he has been dead for four days. Jesus does not let that stop him. Jesus enters the tomb and is going to show Martha the Glory of God that was promised because of her faith. He prays and lets out his cry for Lazarus to “come out!”

            By God’s glory and the love of God Lazarus emerges from the tomb. “Unbind him and let him go,” Jesus says. This death of Lazarus that seemed so final, is no longer final. Death that seemed to be controlled by Satan has lost that sting, and that hole that was once in the heart is no longer. Those tears wept for a dead man are now tears of Joy in his raising.

            I think we can relate in some ways to this Gospel. We know what it is like to lose a loved one. We have lost people special to us. We have felt that hole in our hearts, we have experienced the physical and emotional pain of loss. We have been through all these emotions that come with the loss of a loved one. We feel it when we lose members of our congregation as well.

            So I go back to the question asked by the Gentleman this past week. “Is it in the bible that God only gives us what we can handle?” The question implies that if we lose a loved one that God, somehow, thinks we can handle it. It even implies that God would allow this to happen because we “can handle it.” That is not the God that I know! We have here in our Gospel reading a display of Jesus being angry because of death, because of the pain that it causes in those that are left behind. We see Jesus, the Son of God weeping just as we weep for our loved ones, weeping for the memories left behind when we would much rather have the person. This also means that getting angry is normal.

            While we do experience the emotions and physical pain of loss; we witness God’s promise displayed that death is not the end. Jesus went into that tomb where death was present and smelly. He went face-to-face with death and refused to allow the sting of death to be the last word. Through Jesus, God promised to remove the stench and darkness of death and bring new life. God’s promise of life is first witnessed here in this tomb of Lazarus; but it will be promised to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the promise of being released into new life…unbound by the sting and stench of death to experience all of God’s glory, love, and light.

            Today, we celebrate all the saints who have gone before us. Especially those who have joined the heavenly choir within the past year. We do not presume to take away the pain and sadness of their loss. We celebrate their life of ministry, their life of love and light in our lives and in God’s Kingdom here on earth. It is the day where we mourn the loss, but fondly remember their impact on our lives, the funny stories, quirks, sayings; but most importantly we remember how much they are loved by God and by us. And, we do look to the day when we will be at the great banquet together that has no end…AND there won’t be any need for gyms or diets: Amen!