GOOD SHEPHERDS

 

I spoke about sheep and goats before, but today I am going to talk about people who take care of sheep. We call them shepherds. I have seen plenty of sheep, but never met a real shepherd.

In today’s Gospel Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd. Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd because he will do anything to save his sheep, even give up his own life for them. Do you know who Jesus means when he talks about his sheep? He means you and me and everyone who follows him.

Jesus was inspired or got his idea about the Good Shepherd from another shepherd. That shepherd is King David. Before he was King David, he was a military leader. Before that he was an actual shepherd.

After he became a king, David wrote the Psalms. One of everybody’s favorite Psalms is the one we heard today, Psalm 23. It begins with the words, “The Lord is my shepherd.”

There was something King David wanted to do while he was shepherding God’s people. He wanted to build God a house, but God told David that he did not want him to build a house or a temple for him. His son, Solomon, would build a temple for God.

Today, we are worshipping in a new house of God. It is new for us. Still God is here with us. Wherever we gather in prayer, God is with us. Wherever we worship God will be our Good Shepherd. Wherever we hear God’s Word and celebrate His Sacraments, our Good Shepherd will care for us and love us.

With that, let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their parents the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Someone Watches Over Us

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon today is The Lord is Our Shepherd and my focus is our Gospel (John 10:1-10). 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.

Someone to Watch Over Me by George and Ira Gershwin has been performed by numerous artists since its 1926 debut. It is a ballad and jazz standard in the Great American Songbook. Its memorable stanza goes:

 

There's a somebody I'm longing to see

I hope that she turns out to be

Someone to watch over me.

I'm a little lamb who's lost in a wood.

I know I could always be good

To one who'll watch over me.

 

The sentiments expressed by the Gershwin Brothers stir our longing for someone to watch over us – little lambs lost in a wood – especially when we are tempted to sin or enter the sheepfold by another way. We need a shepherd to protect or correct us. On this Good Shepherd Sunday, I offer an overview of Biblical Shepherds; explain the meaning and model of Christian Shepherds; and finally, reflect on how God calls us to shepherd one another.

First, Biblical Shepherds. Even if we never met one, we know a shepherd is a person who tends, herds, feeds and guards herds of sheep. Like many terms, the word shepherd stems from an amalgam of several words – sheep herder.

The Good Shepherd illustrates God's care for His people as we heard in Psalm 23, our morning psalm – The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. … For millenniums Jews and Christians have taken to heart the words of the psalmist as a way of saying that in our Judeo-Christian tradition, Shepherd is a term used for God.

Those God appointed to watch over His people started out as shepherds. Among God’s great leaders were Biblical shepherds including Abraham, Moses, David and Amos. They protected and corrected God’s people, like good Missouri Synod Lutherans who expertly applied Law and Gospel as needed.

Of course, all Scripture points to Jesus, who fulfilled the Law, Gospel and prophecy. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who watches over us. In His earthly and risen life, Jesus is protector and corrector. Before He ascended into heaven, He appointed others to protect and correct us. My second point, Christian Shepherds.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus called Peter to shepherd His sheep (John 21:15-29). In his First Letter, we read how Peter called wayward Christians to return to the Shepherd and Overseer of souls (1 Peter 2:25). His letter demonstrated care and correct teaching for Christians.

Over time, the Church appointed men like Timothy and Titus to shepherd and oversee multiple congregations. By the end of the first century, the fluid terms of bishop, priest and deacon achieved fixed forms to designate certain functions. The Church recognized Timothy and Titus as bishops because they ordained and disciplined priests and deacons.[1]

Bishop comes from the Greek word, episkopos, meaning overseer. Today, not every Christian denomination recognizes the office of bishop in its structure, however, most recognize those who oversee, protect and correct as pastors. The term Pastor, the Latin word for shepherd, denotes clergy of most Christian denominations.

Pastors perform three basic tasks. Remember this the next time you are standing in line at the airport. Pastors teach, sanctify and administer – TSA – but we will never search your luggage or take away your knitting needles. Pastors teach the Faith in Sunday School, inquiry and confirmation classes, and from the pulpit or over the internet. Pastors form Christians through correct teaching and correct misinformed Christians and catechists when, like in First Peter, false teaching appears under the guise of Christian orthodoxy.

Pastors sanctify – or make holy – when they lead worship and when Christians gather for any type of prayer. Lastly, pastors administer the daily business of the church. However successful, every pastor knows that through the Holy Spirit, Christ continues to oversee and shepherd His Church.

That brings me to my third point: Christians Shepherd One Another. Our reading from Acts is a snapshot of the Church immediately after Pentecost when Peter and the apostles baptized 3,000 people. Today’s passage illustrates their devotion to teaching, fellowship, communion and prayer. Think of Peter and the apostles teaching, sanctifying and administering the church as they tend to the needs of everyone.

Eventually, tending to the needs of everyone overwhelmed the apostles, and the Church chose men like Stephen to tend to duties apart from preaching and sanctifying. These were the original deacons. Today, deacons serve some remote (LCMS) churches, while in most congregations, laymen known as elders are appointed to serve the congregation in its temporal affairs and assist the pastor in his administrative tasks.

In his book Pastors and Elders, Reverend Timothy Mech addresses issues that often arise in congregations.[2] His book answers frequently asked questions: Who is in charge? What are the expected and allowed duties of elders? How should pastors and elders work together? How do members hold elders accountable? How do elders challenge self-absorbed Christians?

The ultimate responsibility of shepherding the Church, however, falls neither to the pastor nor the elders, but to the parents. Parents bear responsibility for teaching their children God's Word so that the Faith may remain alive and grow.

Godparents, pastors, elders and catechists assist parents in their duty to shepherd their children. Together, we ensure that everyone enters the sheepfold by the door and does not climb in some other way.

With Mother’s Day soon approaching and this being Good Shepherd Sunday, let me tell you how my mother taught me pastoral theology. Mom taught me how to pastor by showing me how to grow tomatoes. She was much better at growing tomatoes than I will ever be.

Every spring our family planted more than 100 tomato plants, which sufficiently fed our family of five. When the weather broke – usually around Mother’s Day – we tilled the garden for tomatoes and many other vegetables.

We dug holes, planted, fertilized and watered our plants. Through the summer, we weeded and watered; checked for bugs and blight and discarded rotten tomatoes.

We harvested tomatoes for salad, sauce and juice. We buried the discarded skin and seeds which produced a later crop. Since we were 4-H members, we entered our prize tomatoes in exhibits at local fairs.

Growing tomatoes taught me three practical necessities about pastoral ministry: nourish, reserve and share. Parents, pastors, elders and all members need to nourish, reserve and share their faith.

First, nourish. By exercising our faith – by attending worship, reading God’s Word, taking Communion, seeking forgiveness and attending religious education classes – we nourish ourselves.

Second, reserve. 36 years of ministry taught me there are times when we cannot nourish ourselves adequately. There will be times when troubles and temptations attack us. … We need a reserve. There will be times when caring for sick children or frail parents exhaust us. There will be times when completing projects, cramming for exams or meeting deadlines consume us. There will be times when we do not have the luxury to bathe ourselves in God’s Word or enjoy the feast of His banquet. We can only birdbath and eat on the run. During difficult times, we need that reserved Mason jar of tomatoes in the pantry. That is why my mother taught us how to can tomatoes. That is why she taught us to memorize Scripture passages and prayers because she knew we would someday need a reserve – of spiritual food that God provides to nourish our bodies and our souls.

Third, share. When God blessed us with plentiful tomatoes, we shared them with others. We shared tomatoes with friends, neighbors, pastors and the less fortunate. Mom taught me to practice charity by sharing God’s abundant blessing with others. That said, we will bring some here in due time. How do we share God’s abundant blessings with others?

Take a moment, look around and notice something that you have never noticed. Notice who is missing. Given that we are in a new location, who is not here today that you normally saw at the other church? Who was here on Easter or last Sunday, but did not return today? More importantly, who has not been here for a month, a year? Who has not been here since I have been here and is still not? Make a list of names of people you have not seen in church, and when you go home, call those individuals.

You may be thinking that I am kidding. I am not. … Do not protest by thinking, “That’s not my job. That’s my elder’s duty.” … True, it is not your job. True, it is your elder’s duty. … Sharing with a little lamb who's lost in a wood how God abundantly blessed you today during this time of worship is not a duty or a job, it is a privilege, your privilege, my privilege. … Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ risen from the dead for the forgiveness of sins is not a job to be completed, but a privilege shared by all.

In this liturgy, God nourishes us so abundantly that we have enough reserved in our spiritual pantry not only for those times when life tests us and Satan tempts us, but also enough to share with others.

Lest thieves and robbers enter the sheepfold and steal souls for Satan, we – pastors, elders, parents and members – must nourish, reserve and share our faith. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God the Father and Christ His Son charge you to watch over one another as good shepherds, to protect and correct one another.

By teaching me how to grow tomatoes, mom taught me how to be a good shepherd. She taught me to nourish, reserve and share. I am sure your mother taught you the same. This year, honor your mother by sharing the Gospel with others. Share with others how God has blessed you today and ask them the same. And when you listen to their blessed answer, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] See 1 Tim. 5:19–22; 2 Tim. 4:5; Titus 1:5.

[2] Timothy J. Mech, Pastors and Elders: Caring for the Church and One Another. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2011.

Inheritance, Baptism, Suffering

 

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.

1^st 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 14^th. 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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[1] https://www.ncregister.com/features/father-spitzer-happiness-begins-by-looking-for-the-good-news

[2] https://worldhappiness.report/

PISANKI - POLISH EASTER EGGS

 

When we were boys, we colored Easter eggs with our parents. We usually did this on the afternoon or evening of Good Friday. When I travelled to Poland 40 years ago, I bought some wooden Easter eggs. The Poles call these pisanki. It comes from the Polish word pisać, which means “to write.” Decorating Easter eggs originated in Poland before Easter itself. After the cold winter, people decorated chicken eggs as a symbol to celebrate spring. Today, everybody in Eastern Europe has these at Easter. If you want to learn how to make these, you can find all kinds of websites. Even Martha Stewart has a website on Easter eggs!

I tell you this because new life is why we celebrate Easter. Because of the Fall – Adam and Eve’s original sin – we cannot stop sinning. Martin Luther said that we will stop sinning when we stop breathing.

Because Jesus suffered and died on the cross, and rose from the dead on the Third Day, that is, Sunday, we are saved by his obedience to his Father and his love for us. Because of what Jesus did for us, we celebrate Easter not only by coloring and eating eggs, but also by eating other foods.

My wife is making a ham and potatoes au gratin for dinner. Some other foods that people love to eat on Easter are lamb, asparagus, carrots, special breads, cakes, pies and cookies. We eat so much on Easter because during Lent, we fasted. You probably remember me talking about that on Ash Wednesday. So, today, I want you go home, eat a feast, and thank God for sending us his Son to save us from our sins.

Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their parents the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Easter Sunday

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon is entitled Debt Free and my focus is our Gospel (John 20:1-18). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”[1] 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.

Chris and Dana step to the microphone. Four years after incurring $80,000 of debt from student loans, credit cards, two cars and the birth of two kids, they are ready for this moment. In unison, they shout at the top of their lungs, “We’re debt free!” … On the heels of their debt free scream, a line from Braveheart – “Freeeee…dooommm!!!”

Daily, dozens of couples and individuals echo these screams. Relieved that they are debt free, these people tell the world their stories of incurring debt and paying it off by heeding the advice of one man, Dave Ramsey.

Dave Ramsey fans travel to Nashville to tell their story and scream on his syndicated radio show because they are relieved, they worked diligently, budgeted income and expenses, ate beans and rice, and lived like no one else. They proudly paid their debt.

We too are debt free. After incurring the debt of our sins and our parents’ sins – Adam and Eve – our debt is paid. The difference between the debt paid by Chris and Dana and ours is that Jesus Christ our Risen Lord paid our debt. Christ was payer and pay, propitiator and propitiation, and His payment warrants a debt free scream from each of us.

Our freedom from debt involved no effort on our part. We did not budget income and expenses, work two jobs, use the envelope system, or eat beans and rice for two years. All we did was believe. Believe.

John recorded that Peter and the Beloved Disciple did not run from the cave screaming, “We’re debt free!” Rather, when they left the tomb, they went back to their homes. Even though the Beloved Disciple saw and believed, they did not understand the fulfillment of Scriptures or what it meant to rise from the dead. They just went home.

The thought of Jesus rising from the dead did not occur to them because they did not expect a resurrection. … Think of it. Until this moment, the Bible recounts six people raised from the dead – 3 by prophets and 3 by Jesus.[2] Why would resurrection enter the mind of Mary Magdalene, Peter, John or any disciple? That is why John recorded that the first to reach the tomb and look in to see the burial cloths there simply went home. They did not know what to make it this.

Resurrection from the dead … furthest thing from their minds. God’s victory over Satan, sin and death … furthest thing from their minds. A debt-free scream … furthest thing from their minds. In other words, John pointed out that the disciples realized God’s victory comes not from an experience of an empty tomb, but from an experience of the Risen Lord.

The Lord has risen indeed! God indeed conquered Satan, sin and death. Christ paid our debt. We are indeed debt free. Alleluia! Amen!

The empty tomb is not proof of the resurrection, but simply a source of wonderment. After Peter and John left, Mary Magdalene stooped down as she was weeping, and through her teary eyes saw two angels. It’s a rather odd scene. Mary converses with two angels in a manner like talking to her neighbor at the bus stop or in the grocery store.

The manner of her speech continues as she thinks this guy outside the grave is the gardener. Until Christ spoke her name, as the Good Shepherd knew it, she did not understand what had happened that early morning, but if there was going to be anything that would jolt her from her stupor it was not going to be coffee.

Believing that Christ would rise from the dead springs from the actual experience of the risen Lord.[3] Only then did she understand what the empty tomb meant – that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Mary Magdelene’s emotions leaped from grief to joy the moment the Risen Lord said her name. Unchecked excitement ran through her veins and down her spine when Christ revealed himself to her.

Eventually, all of Jesus’ disciples witnessed Him alive. The unparalleled experience of witnessing Christ alive impelled them to tell the world of the great Paschal Mystery – Christ’s willful suffering, death and resurrection, and what He taught throughout His life on earth. Peter and the disciples remembered and shared their experiences of Jesus the Christ with greater zeal and zest than any Dave Ramsey disciple.

Today, more than 2 billion Christians around the world celebrate Easter. More than 2 billion people share their own experiences of the risen Lord. More than 2 billion people share their debt free screams with others. More than 2 billion witnesses.

Are we among them? When did we last witness? When did we last share our debt free screams? When did we last share our experiences of the risen Lord with zest and zeal? Or are we still silently wondering what happened?

Is it because we have not pondered how the risen Lord has appeared to us? Is it because it is more difficult to believe God is present in bread and wine, in baptism and confession, in the Word proclaimed and preached by ordinary human beings than it is to believe Jesus rose from the dead? Indeed, God is present to us today, at this moment, but we do not always feel it or cannot articulate what we feel.

Let me share the brief articulated expression of a woman named Sally who became a baptized Christian 34 years ago. During the Easter Vigil 1989, Sally – then 62, frail and legally blind – was baptized and received into the Church. Several days later, when asked to share her experience of Christ’s death and resurrection symbolized in baptism, Sally, whose facial expressions and voice reminded one of Carol Channing, exclaimed, “WOW!”

Wow! Wow, Christ is risen and is present to us right now. Does the wow of that experience impel us into the streets like apostles with tongues of fire to proclaim the Gospel in word and deed? Does the wow of Christ Risen sustain me when I return to the humdrum of life’s work? Does the wow of Easter stay with me at home or hospital, in classroom or lunchroom, at the office or the in-laws? Do I feel the freedom of being debt free? Do I feel Victory even when I feel like a loser?

The wow of Easter should take all of us into the world because the world, America, Pennsylvania needs Christians who know Christ’s Victory and the deeper meaning of being debt free. John’s Gospel says that the truth will make us free[4] - not comfortable and not respected, but free in the real sense of the word: able to see and do what is right.

In the Christian tradition, freedom is to be used in the service of others. Working to defend the dignity of human persons and the dignity of the human family is an obligation of our freedom. As debt-free Christians we are obliged, are we not, to protect the unborn child, the immigrant, the disabled, the elderly. If Christians are not involved in ensuring the dignity and rights of others, then we risk living in a state governed not by justice but by thieves.[5] Bi-partisan thieves at that.

Let me close by asking a question that I pray you ponder as you go out from here and make your way home. Like Mary Magdelene, will you announce to your brothers and sisters that Jesus Christ rose from the dead? Will you demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit in your life as Jesus did in his? Or will you remain silent when you are afraid to share your faith? You should be more willing to tell everyone that your debt has been paid not by working longer and spending less, but simply by accepting the Gospel.

As church, can we remain silent in public and be faithful to Christ at the same time? Working respectfully and firmly to form the public conscience violates no one’s free will. Actively witnessing to our convictions and advancing what we believe about Christian morality in the public life is not coercion. It’s truth-telling.

Let’s tell the world the truth about our faith, about what we believe. Let’s witness to the point that when neighbors see us walking up their driveway, they will no longer say, “Here come those Holy Rollers,” but, “Here come those Missouri Synod Lutherans.” And when we share with them the good news that we are debt-free because Jesus Christ rose to free us from our sins, may we be overwhelmed by the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, and may it keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Psalm 122

[2] 1 Kings 17:17-22; 2 Kings 4:30-37; 2 Kings 13:21;  John 11:38-44; Luke 7:11-17; Matt. 8:28-43 (Mark 5:1-20,

Luke 8:26-39)

[3] Eugene LaVerdiere, Luke. Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier, Inc. 1986. p. 282.

[4] John 8:32

[5] Attributed to St. Augustine

Good Friday

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon is entitled Last Words and my focus is our Gospel (John 18:1-19:42). 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.

If you read the church bulletin, you know that a Lenten reading that I suggested is Death on a Friday Afternoon: Meditations on the Last Words of Jesus from the Cross by Richard John Neuhaus. Neuhaus wrote one chapter on each of the seven last words of the Gospels as Jesus hung from the cross dying. They are “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34); “Truly, I say to you, today you shall be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43); “Woman, behold your son! Behold, your mother!” (John 19:26-27); “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34); “I thirst” (John 19:28); “It is finished” (John 19:30); and “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).

If you were unable to read Neuhaus’ Meditations this year, I suggest you add it to your Lenten “to do” list for 2024. Several times in his book, he mentions a nondenominational megachurch designed with no cross because the pastor did not believe that a suffering Jesus spoke to his congregation. We think otherwise. Throughout his book, Neuhaus advises the reader not to be so hurried to rush to Easter in order to be done with the whole ordeal of Christ’s suffering and death. He writes:

Do not rush to the conquest. Stay a while with this day. Let your heart be broken by the unspeakably bad of this Friday we call good. Some scholars speculate that “Good Friday” comes from “God’s Friday,” as good-bye was originally “God be by you.” But it is just as odd that it should be called God’s Friday, when it is the day when we say good-bye to the glory of God. Wherever its name comes from, let your present moment stay with this day. Stay a while in the eclipse of the light, stay a while with the conquered One. There is time enough for Easter.

With that, let me move to my “Word” from John, “Woman, behold your son. … Behold your mother.” This saying comes not long after the nearly naked Jesus is hung upon the cross. Most of his disciples abandoned Jesus, but his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene stood by faithfully. Only one of the Twelve remained, the one we know as the disciple Jesus loved, also known as the Beloved Disciple.

The Passion Narrative according to John is the only one which mentions this Beloved Disciple. “Why is that?” you wonder. It is because for Matthew, Mark and Luke, he did not play a major role in Jesus’ earthly ministry as did some of the others, such as Peter, Andrew and James. True, he is mentioned in several accounts, including the Transfiguration, the Garden of Gethsemane and a healing, but apart from that, nothing; but for the community or church for whom John wrote, the Beloved Disciple is, of course, significant.

The other person mentioned here is the mother of Jesus. She plays no significant role in John’s Gospel other than the fact that she intervened with Jesus at the Wedding at Cana, and only because they ran out of wine. In fact, she played no role at all once Jesus began his public ministry.

Prior to this Word, John mentioned three groups present at the Crucifixion: the chief priests, the soldiers and this group. The first two groups mocked Jesus in their own way. The chief priests complained about the inscription Pilate ordered placed above Jesus’ head. The soldiers, of course, nailed Jesus to the cross, and gambled for his garments and seamless tunic. Finally, the women and the Beloved Disciple were there not to mock, but rather simply to be with Jesus, and as we shall see, for a greater purpose that affects us even today

Now, it is interesting to note that the Synoptic Evangelists make no mention of the mother of Jesus present at the crucifixion. Luke mentions no women by name. Mark and Matthew both list Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joses. The former lists Salome, and the latter the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Again, you must wonder, why the discrepancy, and why John included Mary if she played no role in Jesus’ public ministry. Who is she for John the Beloved Disciple and for his community? To help understand that, let’s put this into perspective.

Perspective is the science of optics. It comes to us from the Latin word perspectus which means clearly perceived. Its roots are per meaning through or forward and specere meaning to look at or observe. Eventually, it came to be understood as one’s mental outlook or the lens through which we see.

When we look at Mary, Mother of Jesus, Mother of God, we see her from a perspective removed by 2,000 years, 6,000 miles and countless other factors, including language, culture and religion. Our view of her, like our view of anyone or anything, is biased. Even if we knew her as we know family members and old friends, we would still have our own unique perspective of Mary. The early Church, as a universal body and as individual congregations, had various views of Mary. She was an historical person and she is a symbolic person. Mariology, that is, the theology of Mary, developed over centuries, but always has been and is closely related to Christology. To know Mary is to know Christ and vice-versa. Right now, however, I am more interested in who Mary is as a symbolic person.

Keep in mind when you read the Gospel of John or any book of the Bible, you should first ask why this author presented a person or a teaching as it was originally written. What inspired John to include this brief moment, this Word, into his account of Jesus’ crucifixion? As many people are, Mary was a symbol of something larger. Over time, historical people – Mother Teresa, George Washington, Jackie Robinson or Joe Namath – become symbolic because of a certain trait, whether it is compassion, leadership or confidence or a combination of many other things. What did Mary symbolize for John and his community?

Throughout the history of the Church, Saints John Chrysostom, Basil, Gregory, Augustine and others wrote of who Mary symbolized for the church in whatever century they lived. Indeed, it is important to address her as a figure for who we are now, and to a greater degree, we should seek to understand who Jesus is for us today.

For centuries, much has been written of Jesus’ concern for his mother’s material welfare so that he placed her into John’s hands to care for her. But notice that there is no Scriptural reference of John’s home or earthly origins, and the only people in this Gospel that are interested in the earthly origins of Jesus are the grumbling unbelievers who witnessed the multiplication of loaves (6:42).

The Jesus of John’s Gospel had a greater concern for the spiritual welfare of the community of believers he was leaving behind than the material welfare of his mother. Recall in chapter 17, that Jesus prayed for the people his Father gave to him. He did not pray for the world, but for his disciples and for those who would come to believe in Him through them (6:20). Those later believers included people who had a familial or fraternal relationship with Jesus, but not necessarily a spiritual one. There were people who knew who Jesus was, but did not believe in him as did his original disciples. All of these early and late disciples became the Church, the New Israel.

His mother was a symbol of this New Israel. She was denied her role as a disciple at Cana because Jesus’ hour had not yet come. Now that it arrived, Jesus gave her the role as mother of the Beloved Disciple. For members of the Community of the Beloved Disciple, John was regarded as highly as most people today regard the Mother of God. So, her presence at the cross was important for John’s community because when she becomes mother of this Beloved Disciple, he becomes a “blood” brother of Jesus through the spoken Word of the Lord. In short, what John wrote in one verse was a way of saying that one related to Jesus by flesh (his mother) became related to Jesus by the Spirit (a member of the ideal discipleship) because of the Word He spoke.

Why did John go through so much pain to include Mary and John at the Cross when the other Evangelists did not? Why did the Beloved Disciples include this Word into his Passion Narrative? Because his community struggled with the issue of how a member of Jesus’ natural family could become a member of his spiritual family, of the Church. How could people who did not believe in Jesus as the Messiah while he lived with them and among them now show up at the church door and join them in prayerful worship?

Jesus had a human family like you do. I have dozens of cousins whom I love very much, but they do not worship with me. My relationship with most of them is genetic or historical, but not spiritual. As preacher and hearers, we have a spiritual relationship even though we are not blood relatives. We may not be bound by blood, but in John’s eyes, we are bound by the Holy Spirit even more tightly than family ties.

The Word of Jesus brought together his Beloved Disciple John and Mary, who is related to Jesus physically, but during his public ministry appeared only when she and Jesus’ brothers sought to seize him because they heard people saying he was out of his mind (Mark 6:21, 31-32). At this, Jesus looked at the people around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother” (6:34-35). This must have left the original members of the Community of the Beloved Disciple and his readers with the impression that the natural family is separate from the spiritual family of disciples. Maybe some of them thought that since they were now members of this Community, they should no longer have a relationship with people who did not believe as they did. They needed to know that Jesus’ Word bought Mary and John, both who had a relationship with him, together as mother and son.

This relationship made not only John, but all followers of Jesus true brothers and sisters of Christ. For John’s community, this relationship enlarged Christian discipleship in a significant way as a sign that it would grow and contain many diverse backgrounds. It also makes the final Word in John intelligible to us for after Jesus accomplished this, it was finished. The new birth of the people of God in the messianic age was completed by Jesus before he died on the Cross as the Son of God.

What does this have to do with us? What is my perspective not only of Jesus and Mary and the Beloved Disciple standing around the Cross? More importantly, what is my perspective of my brothers and sisters in this church? On Good Friday, we are all onlookers present at the Cross simply to offer comfort to our Lord. Every one of us is brother and sister of Jesus Christ not because of what we think or say or do, but because on the Cross before He died, Jesus spoke the Word and made it happen. The rub for us is do we resemble the Community of the Beloved Disciple all the time? Do we look and feel like family all the time?

We entered the world as sinners. Baptism has freed us from sin. Confession and Absolution continually works to free us from sin. Taking and consuming the Body and Blood of Christ makes us one with Him and one another. Friends, take a moment to look around. Look at the people gathered here tonight. Think of the people who are not here tonight, but hopefully, will be on Sunday or someday. And now, call to mind the Word of Christ: Behold, your son. Behold, your mother. Behold, your brother and sister, your spiritual family through Christ’s blood and Spirit. Now, that it is finished, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your minds and hearts in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Maundy Thursday

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy to you. The title of today’s sermon is Jesus Came to Humbly Serve and my text is our Gospel (John 13:1-17). 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.

I dare say that when some people read the 13^th chapter of John, they see Jesus as a humble servant, perhaps forgetting He is the Second Person of the Trinity; but even in an act of hospitality often executed by servants, His glory shines forth. Some might imagine Jesus resembling a Mother Teresa cradling the dying of Calcutta, a dedicated social worker or even a faithful volunteer handing out hot dogs to the homeless. To see Jesus in that way – forgetting his divinity – diminishes the deed and the message John delivers. Remembering His divinity, as He executes this act, exponentially multiplies His humility. Imagine God – the all-powerful – washing your feet!

With a reminder that His divinity never disappeared even when He was engaged as a humble servant, let us examine what John said in chapter 13 about Jesus and His disciples, what it meant for his community and what it means for us today.

The washing of one’s feet is a common cultural practice in the ancient Near East. In Genesis 18, Abraham said to his guests, “Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on — since you have come to your servant.” Scripture records God commanded Moses to remove his sandals before setting foot on holy ground. In Exodus 30, we read, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the Lord, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die. They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.’” During Jesus’ day, Temple priests walked in bare feet because the ground was sacred, and wearing sandals would have profaned their ministry. Therefore, the practice of washing feet had significant cultural and religious meaning to Jews of Jesus’ day.

What did it mean for John? How did his community see Jesus and His disciples? John divided his Gospel into two books – the Book of Signs and the Book of Glory. Chapters 1 – 12 make up the Book of Signs where Jesus performed miracles that caused others to believe in Him. Read what happened after He turned water into wine, healed the son of a royal official or the man born blind, fed 5,000 and raised Lazarus from the dead. People came to believe in Jesus.

Chapters 13 – 20 (or 13 – 21) make up the Book of Glory or the Book of Exaltation where Jesus was exalted on the Cross. The beginning of that Book illustrates that the footwashing was not merely an act of hospitality, but the foreshadowing of Jesus’ death on the Cross, his exaltation.

The meaning of the footwashing is originally lost on the disciples, and recognized only after the Resurrection. In fact, in response to Peter’s protest, Jesus answered, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Just as the disciples did not understand why Jesus had to be crucified, they did not understand why He had to wash their feet … for the moment. After the Resurrection, the Spirit enlightened them and they understood. Only then could they correctly interpret Jesus’ signs, His death on the Cross and this humble act of washing their feet.

After washing their feet, Jesus asked His disciples, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”

Meaning what? Meaning Jesus mandated that His disciples engage in acts of humble service because He did. Because John included the footwashing in his Book of Glory, we understand that we engage in acts of humble service not simply because Jesus said so, but because we cannot imitate what Jesus did later on the Cross. We can only do what Jesus did at the beginning of the Book of Glory, not the end of it. We cannot reconcile sinful humanity to the Father, but we can humbly serve our Father.

That is how John understood Jesus’ humble act of washing His disciples’ feet – an act they could imitate because they could not imitate what it foreshadowed – His Crucifixion. What else did this passage mean for John’s community? … That is revealed in verse 1: “Before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”

The passage meant Jesus embraced His crucifixion and this humble act with love. Imagine Jesus washing their feet lovingly, gracefully – the way He washes your dainty feet and my big feet. John’s Church is commonly known as the Community of the Beloved Disciple. His members could never imitate Jesus’ love on the Cross but they could imitate His humble service of washing others’ feet.

They could only do this, however, if they were humble enough to allow their Lord and Master to wash their feet. … Dare I ask, are we?

A colleague of mine once wrote, “Many of us find it hard to receive undeserved love from another. For some reason it is very humiliating to the ego. We want to think we have earned any love that we get by our worthiness or attractiveness. So, Jesus has to insist on being the servant lover. Thank God Peter surrendered, but it probably took him the rest of his life to understand what happened.”

It may take us the rest of our lives to understand what happened. What happened is that God loved us. Take a moment now and recall the person who loved you the most in your life – and know that God loves you at least that much – and that God calls you to love at least that much.

Each of us loves and humbly serves in some unique way. Each of us possesses different gifts and interests, various talents and skills, as well as the ability to humbly and lovingly serve our Father. God poured forth into our hearts the ability to love as God loves, and each of us has the potential to imitate Jesus’ love as humble servants. Whether we visit the incarcerated or the infirmed, serve hot dogs to the homeless or spend our lives as a primary caregiver, whether we tutor elementary students or coach sports, we serve others as Jesus served His disciples, and we love as Jesus loved.

I close with a few words of Prayer for the Increase of Humility from Johann Gerhard, the premier Lutheran theologian of the early 17^th century. “Omnipotent and merciful God, You bitterly hate all arrogance. Help me to be a rose of charity and a violet of humility so that I may spread a fragrant aroma through works of love and think humbly of myself. What am I in your sight, O Lord? Dust, ashes, a shadow, nothing. Therefore, because I am nothing in your sight, grant that I consider myself nothing in my own eyes. Push back the inborn swelling of my heart so that I may receive the dew of heavenly grace.”

As God’s humble servants, may we live that prayer and may the peace of Christ, which surpasses all human understanding, keep our minds and hearts in Christ Jesus. Amen.[1]

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[1] For original sources, see https://cwynar.blogspot.com/2014/04/jesus-came-to-humbly-serve-john-131-17.html