God’s grace, peace
and mercy be with you. The title of my sermon is Inheritance, Baptism and
Suffering, and my focus is our Epistle (1 Peter 1:3-9). Let us pray. Heavenly
Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go
to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we
rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds
and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most
Holy Trinity. Amen.
As I was preparing
this sermon, I thought I could shorten it to three letters, but once having been
inflicted with the illness known as IBS, I thought not. Then, I recalled that
God does have a healthy sense of humor, and discovered that the acronym IBS can
mean many other things, such as International Business Systems, Internet
Banking System, Inductive Bible Study, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, and
1,600 more. That said, with no pun intended, let’s move on to my first point,
Inheritance.
The land which I
own came to me through inheritance. My grandparents, John and Helen Cwynar,
purchased 81.2 acres on Mowry Road in Potter Township from the Rambo Family on
March 22, 1946, which was 11 years before I was born. I inherited 21 acres from
my father. Those of you who have inherited anything know that it comes with a
cost, an inheritance tax, which varies on your relationship to the original
owner.
By definition,
many things can be inherited: property, genetic traits or material possessions
like art or furniture. In addition to our land, I inherited some antiques: some
kerosene lamps, my father’s three finger baseball glove, a few end tables and a
horse-drawn rake. The French gave us the word after borrowing it from the Latin,
inhereditare, which means to put into possession.
Someday, someone else will possess all the stuff I now own.
Peter’s First Letter addresses “the elect strangers of
the Diaspora.” The Diaspora or the dispersion of Israelites beyond the
borders of the Holy Land came about because of war, exile, forced dislocation
or voluntary resettlement due to commerce and trade. As Christians or early
members of the Jesus movement, they lived in a precarious social condition
among an alien, Gentile society. They were disenfranchised, and subject to the
ignorance, slander and hostility of the locals who were suspicious of their
intentions and allegiances. Such was the perennial predicament of strangers in
the ancient xenophobic world.
Peter addressed these early Christians who faced the
perennial problem encountered by all displaced peoples: maintenance of their
distinctive communal identity, social cohesion, and commitment to group values,
traditions, beliefs and norms in the face of constant pressures urging
assimilation and conformity to the dominant values, standards and allegiances
of the broader society.
These elect strangers shared the same paradoxical condition
with their Lord and Savior – vulnerable and lowly, yet elevated to an elect
status. Peter conveys the idea that they share the same status with their Lord
in order to provide them with hope even in the face of suffering. Following
Christ’s example of obedience and submission to God’s will, these people served
as a model for Christians for the next 2,000 years, including us today.
What is it that these early Christians would inherit and how
did they come into its possession? Inherit or inheritance appears over 500
times in the Bible; 455 times in the Old Testament and 49 in the New. In the
Gospels, Jesus is asked to settle an inheritance quarrel between two brothers
(Lk 12:13). He speaks of inheritance in the Beatitudes (Mt 5:5) and the Great
Judgment (Mt 25:34). In several different ways, Jesus is asked about how one is
to inherit eternal life (Lk 18:18; Mk 10:17). He speaks of inheritance in a
parable (Lk 20:19), and finally, promises eternal life to those who follow him
(Mt 19:29).
Early Christians realized that they shared in the inheritance
that was given to them by their merciful Father. Christian inheritance,
however, differed greatly from the territorial concept of inheritance that the
Israelite would have had in mind. The inheritances differed in four ways.
First, the Christian focus of hope is no longer the reacquisition of land
(Israel) and the restoration of its political autonomy. Second, Christians and
Christianity are not defined by borders, language or citizenship; rather it is
a worldwide, universal or catholic movement. Third, Christendom supersedes or
replaces the holy land. Finally, Christian inheritance cannot perish, be
defiled or fade because – as verse 4 states, it will be “kept in the
heavens for you.” That said, who would you rather have hold your
inheritance – Silicon Valley Banks or your Heavenly Father?!
Before I move on to Baptism, keep in mind this. As strangers
and aliens, Christians were ineligible to own land or any property. Think of
that. If you were a Christian in the late first or early second century, you
had fewer legal rights than almost everyone else. Would that factor into your
choice of Christ over citizenship? Would it today? Would you remain Christian
if you were stripped of your right to own property or free speech, your
Medicare benefits or the right to vote? Would you rather have those or the inheritance
held by our heavenly Father in His Kingdom?
Baptism is how believers established their right to
inheritance with their Heavenly Father. By being baptized in the Name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, as the Son of God commanded his
Apostles (Mt 28:19-20), Christians became children of God.
1st Peter clearly brings out the importance of the
traditional family or the paterfamilias. The term “Father” in v. 3
expresses an intimate, familial relationship to both Jesus Christ and to the
believing members of the Christian community. Incorporation into the family of
God occurs through baptism. His baptismal theme of rebirth or new birth
permeates this section as a metaphor for the radical transformation of the
believer’s relation to God, Jesus Christ, one another and society.
While the transformation of believers’ their relationships
started with their baptism, the original source was God the merciful Father and
His word, the good news about the Lord Jesus Christ and his resurrection. Like
all newborns, these new Christians drew sustenance from the milk of the word.
But they were adults who accepted and adopted pagan ways. So, they needed to
break from their former way of life and its ungodly desires, loyalties and
behavior. These “elect” were holy children of God, redeemed by the holy Christ,
and children whose hope and trust are in God. For the modern Christian, this
begs the question of how you see your baptism as a new beginning and a break
from your former life. It should cause us to ponder at what point in our lives
our merciful Father profoundly changed us.
I was baptized 66 years ago, on April 14th. Like
one or two of you, I also accepted and adopted many of the ways of our society,
and at one point chose to divorce myself of some of its ungodly desires,
loyalties and behaviors. Yet, even today, I struggle with separating myself
with all that our society offers. There is a lot that our world today offers
that I want to embrace, and I have to reflect upon what to embrace and reject.
What helps me is the advice Martin Luther offered when he encouraged
Christians to pray daily on four points: The Apostles’ Creed, the Ten
Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Sacraments (Baptism and Holy
Communion). Reflecting on Baptism needs to be done while standing under the
Cross with Christ hanging there dying or dead. Given that we just observed Lent
and Good Friday followed by Easter Sunday enhances our reflection.
Through the Paschal Mystery – the suffering, death, burial
and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead – I am reminded of what my Baptism
means for living my daily life and making daily choices. Peter reminded early
Christians and us today that Christ’s resurrection demonstrates God’s
life-giving and saving power, and is the basis for hope and trust in Him
despite all adversity.
Peter’s Letter reminds people of their living hope through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ because they are living in a world that offers
an attractive life. We live in a world that offers an attractive life,
according to standards different from what we believe, which is why we need
reminders like the Letter of Peter, the sound advice of Martin Luther, and the
mark of Baptism.
When we were baptized, the pastor placed an indelible mark
upon your forehead and heart – the sign of Christ’s Cross. Through baptism, we
receive the supernatural life or grace; and that mark on our forehead and heart,
as well as our soul is a permanent and distinctive quality. That is why we call
it the mark of Baptism. So, like Peter, I encourage you to think about and pray
about your baptism every day. Now, let’s move on to suffering.
We all understand suffering. It comes to us from two Latin
words: sub, which means up or under, and ferre, meaning to carry
or bear. Joined together, we have our English word, suffer.
What kind of suffering did the early Christians endure that
Peter told them that for a “little while you may have to suffer various
trials”? First, their suffering was not due to a
catastrophe, sickness, or even random acts of violence, such as floods, earthquakes,
tornados, cancer, AIDs, heart disease, a car accident or a stray bullet. His
original readers suffered affliction for the faith from hostile outsiders.
Let’s face it, in the pagan world, Christians were not welcome. They did not
worship the gods or the emperor as divine. They did not participate in socially
acceptable behavior such as debauchery or lewd conduct. They worshipped as Lord
and Savior a man convicted by the empire.
On the other hand,
not every Roman citizen persecuted Christians. Peter reminded the faithful that
suffering is potentially part of following Christ. You may have
to suffer, but it is not totally necessary that you will. God does not call you
to suffer. God calls you to obey.
Second, suffering
is not permanent. Suffering is “for a little while.” Finally, Peter
reassured his readers that their suffering is a test to demonstrate that their
faith is genuine. Such faith is more precious than gold.
Now that we have
observed Lent and entered into Easter, let’s look at the other side of the
suffering coin. Let’s look at happiness. Are you happy? Your presence here more
than likely means that you are happier than the average American. I base my
statement on an article I read recently. It was an interview with a Jesuit
Father Robert Spitzer.[1] He has spent his life
studying human happiness. The interview was conducted after the annual World
Happiness Report was issued. Life evaluations from the Gallup World Poll
provide the basis for the annual happiness rankings. They are based on answers
to the main life evaluation question.[2]
There are
different levels to happiness. I am happy when I am eating my favorite foods:
my wife’s turkey stuffing or homemade pierogies, deep dish pizza or filet
mignon. I am instantly gratified by this and other such experiences like
driving a nice car or when Maggie wants to cuddle in the morning, every
morning.
As normal human
beings, we seek happiness through fame and achievement. Often, people settle
for this level of happiness, opting to pursue careers, money and fame that they
believe will make them appear better than their peers.
Thirdly,
contributive happiness occurs when I make a positive difference in the lives of
other people. I do this because I love other people and want to make them
happy: children, grandchildren, parents, coaches, teammates, neighbors and so
on. When I visit people unable to come worship with us, I experience that level
of happiness.
Everyone can
achieve these levels of happiness regardless of their religious beliefs or
unbelief. Yet, as Spitzer says, “The fourth, and final, level of happiness can
only be achieved through connecting with that which is ultimate good, ultimate
truth, ultimate beauty and ultimate being itself: Jesus Christ. The previous
three levels fail to fulfill the deepest longings of the human heart.” Spitzer
recognizes that only through fostering an intimate relationship with God
through the gift of faith can you come to achieve this fourth level of
happiness, which is joy.
We are joyful and
happier than others not because we are better than they, but because we seek
first the Kingdom of God and the Prince of Peace. Today, the Risen Jesus Christ
gives you that gift of joyful peace through the Holy Spirit and the means of
grace – Scripture, Sacraments and Church. Even if you are suffering persecution
from others because of your faith, you can find joy in Jesus, as did the
Apostles and early Christians. As we return here one last time next Sunday,
hold fast to the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, and may it keep
your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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