THANKSGIVING

 

Do you know what holiday tomorrow (Monday) is? In the United States, the second Monday of October is Columbus Day. If you have never heard of Christopher Columbus, you should look up his biography. In our country, people remember Columbus for discovering America.

Tomorrow is also Thanksgiving … in Canada. There are similarities and differences between our celebration of Thanksgiving, and the one Canadians celebrate, eh? The reason I mention Thanksgiving in October is because our Gospel (Luke 17:11-19) is often read on our Thanksgiving Day.

It's easy to see why we read this Gospel on Thanksgiving. It’s because the Samaritan man who was healed from his skin disease or leprosy, realized who gave him this gift of healing. He knew that God acted through Jesus, and so he returned to give thanks to Jesus for healing him.

When he thanked Jesus, he got down on his knees and bowed his face to the ground. He realized that Jesus was his Lord, and he was in great awe of Jesus.

It’s good to have reminders to be thankful to God, whether it’s on our American Day of Thanksgiving or the Canadian one, or any day of the year. We recognize that doctors and nurses are the people who are involved in our healing, but God is the one who heals not only the body, but also the soul.

The man’s faith in Jesus not only healed him but also saved him. When Jesus said to him, “Your faith has made you well,” it also meant that his faith saved him. We are saved by faith in Christ, and after we receive His Body and Blood through Holy Communion, we sing a song of thanksgiving.

 With that, we pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their fathers and mothers 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.

Requests: Lepers in Luke and a Look at Life

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon today is entitled Requests, and my focus is our Gospel (Luke 17:11-19). 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 we 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.

Meaning

We make many requests in life. In my relationship with Cindy, I first requested that she dance with me. I then requested that she meet me for dinner. After that, I requested that she marry me. She has also made requests to me which resulted in us building a new house and getting Maggie, our Golden Retriever.

The word request is simply defined as asking politely or formally for something: a dance, a date, a hand in marriage. We request lenders for a home mortgage or a car loan, our bosses for a raise or a day off. We request our young ones to turn down the volume on their video games, and as we age, we request that the TV volume be turned up. With the introduction of music on the radio, disc jockeys accepted requests for songs to be played. The root of request comes from the Latin word requisita, meaning a “a thing asked for.”

Lepers

The ten lepers request Jesus to have mercy on them. Before we get to that, let’s reverse to the setting of today’s passage. Luke wrote, “On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee.” This verse puts today’s text within context. That Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem reminds us that he is moving toward his passion and that this context washes over the text. So, the opening verse reminds us not to forget the destination and the purpose of Jesus’ journey.

Outside of the Bible, geographical journeys make sense. The price of gas prompts us to make fewer trips using the shortest routes. River transportation was a good reason people settled on the banks of the Ohio, the Mississippi and the Danube. However, when we read about geography in the Bible, it does not always make geographical sense, but it does make theological sense. The border between Galilee and Samaria is a fitting location for a story that involves both Jews and Samaritans.

Luke does not report which village Jesus entered, but we know that he encountered lepers. This is not Jesus’ first encounter with a leper. We read in chapter five that a man full of leprosy fell before Jesus and begged him to make him clean, which Jesus did. Lepers kept their distance from non-lepers. These ten stood at a distance before requesting that Jesus, their Master, have mercy on them. Leviticus required not only that a leper keep his distance, but also how to dress and where to live. Lepers formed their own colonies and positioned themselves where they could appeal to others for support. The law required that after healing they show themselves to a priest. Only the priest could determine if they were clean or not.

The Text

So, this text has two parts. In the first part, the ten lepers request for mercy is received. Jesus replies with the law, and off they go. Among them was one Samaritan leper. Was he required to show himself to the priest? Did the Jewish priest have to confirm his cure and release from his status of being unclean? Luke is silent on the matter. The healing, however, occurred during their act of their obedience. Jesus commanded them to follow the law, and they obeyed and were healed. When they realized that they were healed, nine kept going, but the one turned around, praised God with a loud voice and fell on his face, thanking Jesus.

Luke plainly states that he was a Samaritan, a foreigner to the Jew. The first part of the story is about the healing. The second part is about salvation of a foreigner! The foreigner returns, praises God and thanks Jesus. He received the same blessing that the nine other Jewish lepers received. And Jesus’ response to this act of thanksgiving? The statement, “Your faith has made you well.”

Another way of translating this verse is, “Your faith has saved you.” We will find this in chapter 19 when Jesus speaks to Zacchaeus. The point is that all were healed, but only one was saved, and the point should not be lost on us is that in Luke, God treats the marginalized favorably.

This man was a social outcast, a leper, and a religious heretic, a Samaritan. Note that one’s religious affiliation did not matter in leper colonies. There are no distinctions when you are in the leper colony. Furthermore, there are no distinctions when you are in the presence of Jesus.

The social outcast who realized who healed him and returned to praise God received the full blessing of Jesus, and it is regrettable that the other nine did not receive His full blessing because they too were received and healed. Within the greater context of Luke, this story anticipates what is to come later in Acts: a growing blindness in Israel and receptivity among Gentiles.

You may ask why this is the case. The answer is that Israel’s special place in God’s plan for the world had turned in on itself. Duty became privilege. Favors settled into familiarity. Yet, this story does not give license to point fingers at others. It serves as a reminder to us as how much Luke enjoyed telling ‘Jesus stories’ based on the Old Testament. For example, this story is clearly based on Naaman the Syrian who was healed of leprosy by the Prophet Elisha. After he was healed, Naaman converted to Israel’s faith.

The story of Naaman, like the story of the Samaritan leper, reminds us that faith entails openness to God’s grace. All 10 lepers believed Jesus could heal them. Their mistake was in taking that healing for granted. Only one realized that his healing was an unmerited grace, and he returned to give thanks to Jesus who with His Father and the Holy Spirit made healing and salvation possible.

Power and Faith

This passage reminds us not only of the power of God, but also that God does not make deals or offer transactions. Faith is not a thing God demands from us; it is a spiritual stance, an open heart that gives God room to maneuver. If discipleship without faith is servitude, then faith without thanksgiving is commerce.

It is easy to fall into this trap. It might become easy to feel that we have built up some kind of credit with God, that our acts of discipleship are like cash deposits in a bank. It is easy to forget to give thanks when a subtle whisper in our psyche suggests that God owes us.

True discipleship, as demonstrated by the Samaritan leper, is an expression of thanksgiving. The utter freedom of divine grace prompted him to acknowledge his own need to respond by giving thanks. In that, he was a model disciple, someone with enough faith to give God room to act and enough humility to be grateful. The grace we receive every day is a gift from the God who loves us. It is the power with which we overcome obstacles, find healing, resist temptation and serve the needs of the kingdom. That we can receive that grace and act out of it is cause for a lifetime of thanksgiving.

Our Requests

Now, a request from you. In many of our churches the pastor names the people who have requested prayers for healing of body. mind or soul. Others request prayers for employment, companionship or some other need or desire. Not long ago I was asked to visit a young boy who was awaiting brain surgery. I spent time with him and his parents at their home and prayed with them and for them.

I later asked the mother to write a few words to the congregation with a specific request for her son. This is what she wrote: “A prayer request for George to have a successful brain surgery. Please pray the surgery will end the seizures for once and for all without any complications or any deficits. Please pray for the surgical team as well and for all the nurses and doctors who will be in my son’s care. And please pray for our family. To guide us through this difficult time.”

After I asked her to request prayers from the congregation, I came across this meditation while reading a morning devotion. It is from a treatise on Cain and Abel by Saint Ambrose, the 4^th century Bishop of Milan, who was a philosopher, theologian and diplomat. He is also known for baptizing St. Augustine. In the treatise, Ambrose makes a crucial point about prayer that we should never overlook – that we should always pray for each other and all.

“If you pray only for yourself, you pray for yourself alone. If each one prays for himself, he received less from God’s goodness than the one who prays on behalf of others. But as it is, because each prays for all, all are in fact praying for each one.

To conclude, if you pray only for yourself, you will be praying, … for yourself alone. But if you pray for all, all will pray for you, for you are included in all. In this way there is a great recompense; through the prayers of each individual, the intercession of the whole people is gained for each individual. There is here no pride, but an increase of humility and a richer harvest from prayer.”

My friends, as we request prayers for ourselves and those dear to us, let us remember to pray for all. When we do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

TREES: A Look at St. Timothy's Grandmother and Mother

 

Trees. We have many different types of trees on our property. We are now planning to plant some apple and peach trees behind our garden. Today, I am going to talk about a different type of tree called a Family Tree.

A family tree is what we use to show all the different members of our family. On my family tree I discovered information about my grandparents and where they lived before coming to the USA. I also met with a cousin on my mother’s side who also searched for family information.

I mention this because in our Epistle (2 Tim 1:1-14), we read about Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois. They were the people who brought Timothy to the Christian Faith. Grandparents are like the roots of a tree firmly planted in the soil. Parents are like the trunk standing straight and tall. Children are like the mighty branches spreading out all around. Grandchildren are like new buds at the end of the branches growing ever further into the sky.

In your family, where are you, your parents and grandparents? Like Timothy’s mother and grandmother, how are they the trunk and root of your family tree? How are your grandparents grounded firmly in the Christian Faith? How do your parents support your faith like a mighty trunk of a tree?

My grandparents made sure all my aunts and uncles were baptized. My parents made sure we learned our faith by attending church and Sunday school. My brothers were with me like branches on a tree. Now, our grandchildren are just learning about the Christian Faith like new buds. I hope that you continue to learn about your faith not only when you are like buds, but also when you become the trunks and roots of trees. With that, we pray.

Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their fathers and mothers 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.

Remembering my Brother Ten Years after his Passing

 

Ten years ago, I woke up and checked my phone for messages. There was a voicemail that was left several hours prior to my waking from my sister-in-law. It was brief and to the point. She informed me that my brother, Ed, had died in his sleep. Ed was preparing to undergo surgery on his knees but passed away at home throughout the night.

Ten years pass quickly or slowly depending upon one’s circumstances. Since October 1, 2015, we have added two more grandchildren to our family. Cindy and I have moved three times. I have had numerous employers and pastored several congregations before I retired this past July. We have also lost relatives and friends, and undergone surgeries and procedures.

Personally, remembering those who have died is important. Removed from this sad event by ten years, the shock is gone, but sadness remains. Yet, this is overshadowed by thanksgiving that Ed and I spent six decades enjoying each other’s company, and by joy believing that God numbered his days as He did in order to call him to Himself.

Ed was a delightful person and had a lot of good friends. He was a faithful Christian and a diligent worker. Intelligent and insightful, he had the ability to simplify complex matters and also to complicate simple ones, as I stated in my eulogy at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church, where his Mass of Christian Burial was held.

Read on because it is important to remember not only Ed, but also your own deceased family members and friends.

 

Obituary for James Edward Cwynar

James Edward "Jim" "Ed" Cwynar, 56, of Potter Twp., went home to be with the Lord when he passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, October 1, 2015. He was born October 19, 1958, in Sewickley, PA and was the son of the late John Walter and Genevieve (Bednarski) Cwynar. In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by an infant brother.

Ed was a member of Saint Frances Cabrini Roman Catholic Church, Center Twp. He was a 1976 graduate of the former Center High School. In 1980 Ed continued his education at Penn State University and received Master's degrees from Virginia Tech and Drexel Universities.

He was involved with the Holy Name Society, Polish National Alliance, Men's Fellowship and Trap Shooting at Christian House Baptist Chapel, the American Legion and the American Chemical Society. Ed enjoyed making wine, watching polo, and gardening vegetables and flowers with his wife. Ed also found much enjoyment in listening to Polka music. Ed was employed as a chemist from Calgon Carbon, Neville Island and was previously employed by U.S. Steel Corp. as a lab manager.

He is survived by his loving wife, Ilonha (Tolliver) Cwynar; three stepchildren, Qianna and Lorenzo Carr, Twyla Frazier, and Tony Anthony Gates, and his step-grandchildren, Styles Frazier, Mikala Wilson and Lundyn Rae Carr. Ed is also survived by two brothers and sisters-in-law, John and Mary Cwynar and Paul and Cindy Cwynar; his father-in-law, Arthur (Peggy) Williams; a niece, Simone Cwynar, several cousins, friends and his beloved cat, Merlot.

 

Eulogy for James Edward Cwynar

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. … On behalf of Ilonha, John and our immediate and extended families, I thank you for gathering with us this morning for this Mass of Christian Burial for my brother, Ed.

I have heard 500 eulogies throughout my life and do not remember one. You may not have heard 500 but may remember as many as I have. I hope to send you from here with one you can finally remember.

Ed was my younger brother by 19 months. When you have known a person your entire life and spent nearly every day of the first twenty years of your life with him, you cannot eulogize him in a few short words. Yet, if I eulogize Ed with too many words, I risk turning an extraordinary life into one sounding mundane. So, allow me to share one brief moment in our lives.

Not long after our mother died, Ed and I embarked on a total house makeover. In 2007, we attended a home show at the Pittsburgh Convention Center. Afterwards, we decided to try the food and beer at The Church Brew Works. As we enjoyed our meal and discussed possibilities of our house makeover, I asked Ed about the beer chart on the wall. He explained the chart as only a chemist could.

A minute later Ed asked, “Do you know what the second most complex liquid on the planet is?” … Yeah, like I knew! … “No,” I replied. Ed answered, “Wine.”

Right now, you are probably thinking what I asked. “What is the most complex liquid on the planet?” Without hesitation, Ed said, “Blood.”

A marvelous theological insight! Jesus chose wine, the second most complex liquid on the planet, to symbolize his blood, and bread, one of the simplest foods, to symbolize his body.

As I reflect on that conversation from 2007, I realize Ed shared with me a marvelous theological insight and a snapshot of himself. Sometimes Ed complicated the simple, but he usually simplified the complex. Ed simplified the complex.

Our Christian faith is not as complex as earning a Master’s degree in Chemistry, but as simple as a child opening his welcoming arms to a loving father. Ed mastered the complexity of chemistry and the simplicity of Christianity.

In closing, I lay before you this Curly Washburn challenge: Master one thing in life. You may be an expert at math, music, medicine or motherhood, law, logistics or languages, theology, chemistry or farming, but you must master one thing in life: the simplicity of Christianity.

Master the simplicity of Christianity by receiving God’s Grace, His Word and His Sacraments. Open yourself to God’s love poured into your heart through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5), and you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. (Mt 22:37-39)

God gave Ed His Grace, His Word and His Sacraments – all that he needed not only for an extraordinary life lived, but also for an eternal life entered. Ed figured out how to live a Christian life long before he knew how to read periodic tables and beer charts. Ed mastered the simplicity of Christianity; he simplified the complex because he trusted God’s promise of eternal life through Christ crucified and he accepted that promise like a little child. Do that, and you, my brothers and sisters, will master the simplicity of Christianity.

As you do, may God send his angels to protect you. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen. … May the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Amen.

A Letter that Provides a Lesson for Life

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon today is entitled Three L’s of Timothy: Letter, Lesson, Life, and my focus is our Epistle (2 Timothy 1:1-14). 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.

Monday morning is when I usually start to write a new sermon. As I thought about this activity, it came to me that I like to start on Monday morning because Sunday worship is behind me and another is only six days away. In full disclosure, I write most new sermons more than a week ahead of time.

Monday morning used to be the time I would meet with my boss or staff and go over briefly how our weekends went. For example, on Monday morning, February 15, 2016, I asked my boss, “What did you get your wife for Valentine’s Day?” He replied, “A box of chocolates and a card.” Since I initiated the conversation, he knew that I wanted him to ask me, and he did. I replied, “A house.” To this he said, “I don’t think anyone will top that one.”

Some people do not look forward to Monday morning. Some know that additional labor awaits them at the office. Others need extra coffee and pray for a short day. There are eight federal holidays in 2022 that fall on a Monday, not including New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Veterans’ Day. Whether or not you celebrate the Birthday of George Washington or Jesus Christ, you don’t have to work on those Mondays. So, for some, Mondays mean an extra-long weekend. But if you work for the post office, I am told that Tuesday is an unbearable workday.

Additional terms from Monday morning include Monday morning disease (a horse disease), Monday-morning feeling and Monday morning sickness. The idiom, Monday morning quarterbacking was coined in 1931 to describe the critical rehashing of the weekend football game strategy. Monday morning quarterbacking has also come to be understood as one who second guesses.

I mention all of this because when it comes to the Second Letter of Timothy, you will discover that Biblical scholars are akin to Monday morning quarterbacks when it comes to expressing their opinions and second guesses about the Pastoral Letters. So, in the spirit of the season, Here we go, Stillers! Here we go! Let’s look at the Letter, today’s Lesson and Life.

While some scholars think 2^nd Timothy was written by Paul during his “second career”, that is, between his arrests, most consider that a ghostwriter penned the Letter after Paul’s death as a farewell testament by someone who knew his last days so that the Letter would be historical with some dramatic license. However, the debate about the authorship and date should not muddle the power of this Letter.

The Letter is an enthusiastic appeal that Paul’s work would continue beyond his death through generations of disciples. Paul committed his life to Christ and knew that even in his sufferings God would protect what He entrusted to His Church. Ironically, Paul was chained, but the Gospel cannot be. This is reflected in the way Paul lived his faith in freedom and in prison which, in turn, encouraged his audience. Paul contributed enormously to making the love of Christ real to Christians, and 2^nd Timothy contributed to making Paul loved.

The body of this Letter is shorter than the 1^st Timothy, and the contents are written more tightly. The Letter considers Timothy’s personality and reflects Paul’s loneliness and suffering in prison as his death approaches.

2^nd Timothy is the third of Paul’s three final testaments. The first was Romans when he knew that he faced difficulties in Jerusalem but hoped he could travel to Rome and eventually to Spain. (See Romans 15:24ff.) The second is found in Acts 20:17-36, where he spoke to the church leaders of Ephesus because he was aware that he would never see them again. Yet, death is not envisioned in those passages as it is in this Letter, where we read, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (4:7-8).

The Letter contains teaching about the inspiration of Scripture (3:15-16); and the topic of false teaching, but here, specific names are mentioned. These individuals were teaching that the resurrection had already happened, and that there would be no resurrection of the dead. Paul addressed this in 1^st Corinthians 15:12ff, “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain.”

Having summarized the key points of the Letter, let me move to my second point, Lesson. The opening verses (1-3) express Paul’s life within the Christian community and his affinity to Timothy. Life within the Church is not just any life, but one shared with fellow believers. As I read this, I reflected upon something I read in the seminary. I was writing a theology paper and came across an article about St. Bonaventure, the Church and the Trinity. It has stayed with me these last 35 years. The teaching was that the deeper you immerse yourself in the life of the Church, the deeper your relationship with the Trinity is. It’s what Paul is saying here. There’s life and then there’s life in Christ which comes only through being a baptized and active member of the Church.

To understand his thanksgiving for the Christian faith (3-5), which depended upon a tradition that reached back through family to Israel, it helps to see that faith is properly handed on as links form a chain. Spiritual heirs must carry on this mission which is kindled and rekindled through the laying on of hands (6) and the handing down of the true teaching of the Faith.

Timothy possessed a sincere faith. He could have received this faith when Paul asked him to join him as a companion (Acts 14:23), or when Paul and the elders appointed him to lead the Church in Ephesus (1 Tim 4:14). The Holy Spirit gave this gift to him as Paul laid his hands on him. So, Paul reminded him to use the gift God gave him zealously for it was given to Timothy through the Holy Spirit. Though he was shy, the Holy Spirit filled Timothy with all that he needed to carry out God’s work.

Through His Holy Spirit, God gives power to all who need it. God gives people the power to do what He asks them to do. God gave power to Timothy to be the leader that God wanted. In what way has God provided you with the strength of character that He needs from you to accomplish His work?

Timothy was already confessing Christ and spreading the Good News when Paul encouraged him to continue to do that, and not to be ashamed that his mentor was imprisoned. Preaching the Gospel led to Paul’s imprisonment and eventual death, but the Gospel also led Paul to eternal life. Likewise, Timothy had to be ready to suffer and die for Christ and the Gospel, but he could endure any impending suffering because God would make him strong. Can you think of a time when God gave you the strength to do what He wanted you to do?

Like Timothy, we know that God saved us through Christ and calls us to holiness. For Paul, that call was manifested through his life as a preacher, apostle and teacher. For me, the call is manifested through my life as a pastor, husband and neighbor. Your call may be that of a spouse and neighbor, parent or grandparent. Your job may or may not afford you the opportunity to show Christ to others. For example, this past week while on retreat with other pastors, one offered a reflection on his former profession as a twenty-year police officer in the military. He said that it was not easy striking someone with a nightstick or shackling someone with handcuffs. Although he was not a believer at the time, these duties made him sick. When he spoke to the base chaplain about this, he was told that people depended on him to do his job, and he must execute it for the safety and good of others. The chaplain added, “After you do your job, then go and repent.” Eventually, God led him to the Church, and he now serves as a pastor. My point is that sometimes a job may not always afford us the opportunity to show Christ to others, and may even call us to physically punish another person, but through Christ, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, we realize that we have a higher calling. So, if you have not thought about it, what is God calling you to be and do today? Ponder that as I move to my third point, Life.

The Pastoral Letters to Titus and Timothy offer encouragement to younger pastors. All young pastors need encouragement. At one time, I was a young pastor and welcomed encouragement from experienced and seasoned pastors whether that was conveyed through books, articles or in person. At our pastors’ conferences, I learn things from pastors older and younger than I. We all benefit from the knowledge of people both younger and older than we are.

I ask my cousin, 25 years younger than I, to help me repair my power equipment. I asked our octogenarian insurance man which Medicare plan to choose. If you ever wanted to know anything about machinist work, you would have asked my dad. Lots of people turn to Dave Ramsey for financial advice. And lots of people have turned around their lives through the message and ministry of Charlie Kirk. Now, since the meaning of advice is an opinion worthy of following, your advice would be an area in which you have some expertise. If your opinion is not based on your area of expertise, decline to offer that inquisitive person to someone more familiar with the subject.

“Young” is a relative term, and young people could be children, teens, adults, parents, new Christians or even newly promoted executives. As a mature or seasoned Christian, like the Apostle Paul, in relationship with a young church leader, what advice would you offer? As a base chaplain listening to a military police officer bothered by the actions of his job, what advice would you offer? As a parent listening to a son or daughter complain about attending church, what advice would you offer? What advice would you offer to the parents of that child?

Our culture is becoming increasingly hard of hearing to the message of the Gospel, or in more cases, antagonistic to it. Our culture has an impact on us whether we like it or not. President Pingel spoke about this at one of our pastors’ conferences in his sermon regarding people’s desire for convenience, speed and satisfaction when seeking anything, including religion. As we pastors discussed what to say to church members who no longer attend, I heard this answer from a pastor 12 years older than I. Pastor Bob said, “I ask them, ‘Is your belief system working for you?’ Then, I listen and pray to Christ for help.” As I pondered that advice, it dawned on me that the theme of our pastors’ conferences are many times apropos to our Epistle.

You see, my friends, we all know that many people are seeking happiness through a life where their desires are fulfilled with convenience, speed and satisfaction … and we know that happiness does not come through that kind of life. To the young we offer this ancient wisdom, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” And to these, Moses added, “You shall teach [these words] diligently to your children.” (Deut 6:5ff.) May you teach and live this advice each day, and as you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen. 

Three Rs of Christian Living

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon today is entitled Three Rs of Christian Living, and my focus is our Gospel (Luke 16:19-31). 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 standing 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.

Three Rs, as in the letter R, refers to the foundations of education: reading, writing and arithmetic. We use the phrase “the three Rs” because each word has a strong R sound at the beginning. The term is ironic, since everyone knows that two of the words do not actually begin with the letter R.

During the 17^th century, New England teachers summed up learning as "four Rs" - Reading, 'Riting, ‘Rithmetic and Religion. These days, school districts identify three Rs as Relating, Representing and Reasoning. All this to say that my three-pointed sermon is Repent, Right and Relationship – and what those Three Rs have to do with Christian living.

First, repent. A simple definition of repent is to feel or show sorrow for something bad or wrong that you did and that you want to do what is right. Repentance is a major theme in Luke, but before Jesus began his earthly ministry, John the Baptist proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (3:3).

Jews taught repentance long before John appeared on Jordan’s banks. In Deuteronomy, we read, “When you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.” (30:2-3)

The Chronicler wrote, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chron 7:14)

Prophets echoed repentance in their preaching. In Isaiah, we read, “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.’”(30:15) Jeremiah wrote, “After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”(31:19) Ezekiel exhorted, “If a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live.” (18:21-22) So, John or Jesus did not introduce repentance. It was present from the days of Moses.

From Repent to Right. Simply defined, right means morally or socially correct; agreeing with the facts or truth; or speaking, acting or judging in a way that agrees with the facts or truth.

Its root word is from the Greek, orektós, and the Latin, rectus, meaning straight. The Ancients said the straight muscles in our bodies – the thigh and abdomen – enable us to stand straight or erect. In English, the word right emerged as straighten or direct, and the obvious connection between right and righteous is easy. God called people to live righteous lives, that is, morally acceptable lives, and called them to stand up straight for themselves and others; that is, to live in relationship with others. We stand erect and see straight with our brothers and sisters beside us. That brings me our third R – Relationship.

The word relationship means the way two or more people, groups or countries talk to, behave toward or deal with each other, or the way they are connected. The root word of relationship is the Latin word, relatus, meaning to refer, but initially from latus, meaning side. Think latitude or lats if you exercise. To stand in relation or to have a reference point, or to bring something into relation with something else is how people used the word in the 17^th century. “To feel connected or sympathetic to” emerged in psychology around 1950. However used, the word connotes a connection. As God’s people, we relate to one another in righteous living. We stand and see straight with our brothers and sisters beside us.

Now that we have the three concepts – repentance, right and relationship – let us examine our passage. Our parable opens with Jesus contrasting two characters. The rich man is unnamed, but Jesus named the other man Lazarus, meaning “the one whom God helps.” The rich man lived large. A clothes hog, he covered his body with purple linen and silk, but the only thing that covered Lazarus’ body was sores.

While people reserved feasting for special occasions, this man partied to the extreme. He feasted sumptuously seven days a week. Lazarus, like the prodigal son who would have been content with pig food, yearned to be satisfied with food scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the fact that dogs licked his sores only added to his humiliation. A crippled beggar at the gate of the rich man’s house where people came and went, Lazarus was the perfect recipient for almsgiving.

The parable provides a fitting conclusion to chapter 16 and the attitude toward possessions in view of God’s Kingdom. In addition, the description of the rich man suitably depicted the Pharisees, who were lovers of money. They were like him, who knew, yet ignored Lazarus. On the other hand, Lazarus represented society’s outcasts. Though his life was pathetic and pitiable, his name suggested importance in God’s sight.

At the moment the Pharisees identified with the rich man and the outcast identified with Lazarus, Jesus introduced the Great Reversal. Lazarus died and angels carried him to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man died and was buried.

From Hades, the rich man opened the conversation by asking Father Abraham to have mercy on him. This recalled Pharisees who came to John the Baptist and claimed, “We have Abraham for our father,” yet refused to repent and submit to John’s baptism (Lk 3:7-9). Unlike Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, whom Jesus dubbed a son of Abraham (Lk 19:9), the rich man refused to repent. Zacchaeus repented and welcomed Jesus into his home for he knew that simply being a son of Abraham did not protect him from condemnation.

The rich man did not speak words of repentance. He realized his condition was permanent and pleaded for help. He still thought only of himself and his needs, and not those of Lazarus. In response, Abraham told the rich man to remember what happened, that is, to read back and interpret events that took place. Lazarus begged at the gate, while he lived large and ignored the beggar’s needs.

This parable illuminates the story of the unrighteous steward who showed mercy toward his master’s debtors, because he trusted in the mercy of his master. Because God treats sinners with mercy, the rich man so should have treated Lazarus, and the Pharisees should have treated society’s outcasts with mercy.

Still unrepentant, the rich man requested that Lazarus go to his brothers, for he realized repentance was crucial to salvation. Yet, he did not consider the Word of God sufficient to produce repentance. Instead, he desired a miraculous sign – someone raised from the dead. While the Old Testament contained accounts of the resurrection (2 Kings 4:8-37; 13:20-21), why would his brothers believe another’s testimony if they did not believe the Scriptures?

Abraham suggested they listen to Moses and the Prophets read in the synagogue. In other words, heed the Scriptures read during worship and take them to heart. As hearers of the Word, they would know all they need about the kingdom of grace, characterized by mercy and almsgiving to people like Lazarus. The conclusion for the Pharisees is this: If they do not stop scoffing at Jesus’ teaching about the proper use of possessions, they would find themselves with the rich man in eternal torment.

Now, let me examine our Gospel in light of my three Rs of Christian living – repentance, right and relationship. It is easy to see Jesus’ call for repentance. As I explained earlier, repentance is a basic Biblical teaching, which includes righteous living in relationship with people like Lazarus.

True Sons of Abraham heed God’s commandments. In Exodus, we read, “For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat. … You shall do likewise with your vineyard and … olive orchard.” (23:10-11) Leviticus legislated, “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner.” (19:9-10) Deuteronomy repeated the command to live righteously with others (15:4-8), and Proverbs taught, “Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.” (28:27)

Isaiah exhorted, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?” (58:6-7)

That Abraham suggested the rich man’s brothers listen to Moses and the Prophets read in the synagogue is the message Jesus directed to the Pharisees. You see, one of Luke’s goals in writing his Gospel was to encourage rich Christians to attend to the needs of the poor and to share material goods. We can easily imagine the impact this parable must have had on the Church’s rich members. Sobering and scary, it should do the same to 21st-century American Christians.

Some early Christian Pharisees who saw no need to observe Old Testament Law regarding right living in relationship with the poor needed to repent more than anyone. Let me repeat that because it applies to Christian living today. Some early Christian Pharisees who saw no need to observe Old Testament Law regarding right living in relationship with the poor needed to repent more than anyone.

We live in a rich country. However slender our personal fortunes, they dwarf the incomes and possessions of people in most countries. Even if we get laid off, we can still collect unemployment. In many other countries, this is not the case. In other words, Lazarus is among us! Do we choose to ignore Lazarus? Do we distract ourselves with foolish pleasures as the rich man did?

Neither Jesus nor Luke was an economist or a politician, but at a certain point, the problems of poverty and homelessness turn into economic and political matters. How we deal with the poor personally and socially is one of the challenges we face today.

Most of the time, we live righteous lives in relationship with the poor, and yet, even if that is always true, we cannot afford to gloss over this parable. Pastor Arthur Just, who digs into Luke in his commentary, raises the idea of the proper use of possessions. He writes, “The proper use of possessions in view of the coming age and the Old Testament testimony, including [the] resurrection … prepares people for the Gospel and the life to come.”^[1]

The proper use of possessions prepares us for the Gospel and eternal life, and for how we live as a Gospel people today. Folks, if we are not a Gospel people, what kind of people are we? If I am not a living Gospel, what kind of Christian am I? If I am not a repentant sinner who lives righteously in relationship with society’s outcasts – widows, orphans, the poor and the foreigner – what kind of Christian am I? So, my friends, I pose a delicate question: How do I use my possessions? Delicate indeed, but one to ponder.

I worked for an organization that promotes church planting in Asia, Africa and Latin America. One of our donors, a financial advisor, informed me that when he told clients about this nonprofit, some replied, “I want you to tell me how to invest my money, not how to spend it.” In other words, asking people to consider how they use their possessions is a delicate question, but it needs to be pondered.

Friends, I imagine you are in a relationship with our Triune God, and, like the Trinity, in relationship with other people. I ask you to do only one thing. Ponder the three Rs of Christian living. Am I a repentant sinner who strives to live in right relationship with the outcasts of society and shares with them my possessions for the greater glory of God? Ponder that question, and when you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Arthur A. Just, Jr., Luke 9:51-24:53. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House (1997), p. 634.

MONEY SHOWS NO LOVE

 

Do you ever hear people talk about money? They may use sayings when they speak about money. A penny saved is a penny earned. All that glitters is not gold. As poor as a church mouse. Born with a silver spoon in your mouth and so on. There are hundreds of sayings about money, which teach us money’s value and how we can use it to better people’s lives.

Most of the time people talk about how little or much money they have; how someone cheated them out of money or how they got a deal; how expensive something is; how the government wastes money; or how well their money is doing or not doing. My favorite is when an athlete is offered more money than he has ever made, and he says that he prayed about it, and God helped him make his decision to take the money.

We all need money to live, but some people live for money. That is the case in today’s Gospel (Luke 16:1-15). The Pharisees loved money, and they made fun of Jesus when he said that you cannot serve God and money. He pointed out that the things that most people think are important are worthless as far as God is concerned.

When I hear people talk about money, I think of the The First Commandment: I am the Lord your God; you shall not have other gods before me. I think of that because to me it sounds like some people love money more than they love God. Now, I want you to remember something. You can love money, but money will never love you. God loves you, and you should always love God more than anything or anyone.

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.