1 Samuel 16:1-13
Psalm 23
Ephesians 5: 8-14
John 9: 1-41
Attoway Kimberlin Lutheran Parish
Fourth Sunday in Lent
Year A
April 3, 2011
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Nobody believed him that he was healed and they threw him out of the temple. Nobody believed him. How strange is this? A man is healed and instead of celebrating the wonderful miracle that occurred, the leaders question him and eventually put him out of the temple because he told the truth.
The truth. What exactly is the truth? Is the truth only what we want to hear? Does the truth chose who or what it may hurt? Can the truth lie or say only what we want it to say? What makes something true? What gives truth relevancy?
I recently read a news article about Richard Nixon’s presidential Library now feature an exhibit on the notorious Watergate Scandal. The library only received the Watergate papers, tapes, and videos four years ago after Nixon’s foundation turned over the papers to the National Archives. The Library’s director felt he had a responsibility to portray this part of Nixon’s presidency. He had a responsibility to tell the truth even though it meant casting our 37th president in a bad light.
What was once the smallest exhibit in the library is now the largest - leaving mixed emotions with Nixon loyalists and every day men and women visiting library. The truth, in this case, hurts. It hurts our nation because we see a leader cast in a bad light but in the same regards, the truth serves as a powerful witness to the mistakes of our past. We are fortunate because this truth can change our future. It can open our eyes to corruption that can come forth even when the best intentions are in mind.
What about the truth in Japan’s nuclear disaster? It is hard to get a straight answer from any government or news agency. What is the truth in this situation? Leaders are torn between disclosing to much information and not enough. Too much information and people panic and possibly leave the country - leaving fewer and fewer people to rebuild the 3rd largest economy in the world. In the same notion, not enough information and people wonder what is being hidden? Leaders are constantly having to weigh the anticipated results of their decisions. Even with the best intentions in mind, sometime mistakes can happen.
Maybe then, we need to look at leaders of the temple with the same attitude and/or mindset - give these leaders the benefit of doubt that they only had the best intentions in this story. The leaders of the temple were charged with a great responsibility. They controlled a massive amount of goods brought in every day by people offering a sacrifice and distribute the food and goods back out to the people. They had to follow the prayers prescribed by the Law of Moses, teaching and answering questions from the people, and insure general order in the temple or face the wrath of the Roman government.
General order was extremely important. Rome did not want an uprising on their hands. Rome needed to worry about their enemies on the outside and conquering kingdoms so that they could grow their government and power. If an uprising would occur within their boarders, they would swing the sword first and ask questions later. They did not have time nor the resources to deal with a long, drawn out conflict within their borders. The temple leaders knew this - they knew the best way to keep Rome off their backs was to keep their people quiet and happy.
But you can’t keep your people quiet and happy if you have a man going around and healing people, teaching people that the rich and powerful will pulled down while the lowly are lifted up, and performing miracles such as creating bread and fish. Jesus is like the superman of warriors - able to heal injured soldiers and feed them. Think what this could do for the people’s morale? Jesus could be their answer to remove the Roman oppression. Jesus could be their ticket to freedom. Jesus could be the one who brings down everything the leaders of temple worked so hard to maintain.
The leaders needed to know what happened to this blind man so that they react properly. They needed to know what this Jesus could really do so that he could be silenced. They needed the truth but in reality, they were not ready for what they heard.
“What do you say about him?”1 “A prophet,” the blind man replies. “He must have never been blind. Bring in his parents.” “...This is our son, and he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes.”2 They call the blind man back and ask if Jesus is a sinner. “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”3 Where does he come from? Where does he get his powers? “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”4 “You try to teach us even though you were born in sin? Get out.”
The truth for the leaders was not easy to hear. Their status quo was being challenged by one man with strange powers - with a different message and a large following of people. The leaders were not ready and the people praying to God to send them a savior were not ready. They are not ready for a “Superman” from Nazareth. They are not ready to for a man to witness God’s love and mercy first to the poor and then to the world by hanging on a cross. The truth is not easy for anyone to swallow and it remains hard for us to swallow as well.
We are all blind in a way. We are asked to identify Jesus, but like this blind man, we have never seen his face. We only speak the truth - for once I was blind, now I see. This is what ministry is all about. We go out into the world and say that I have never seen the man who healed me; I know he is greater than myself and is here to heal you as well. Our very faith relies on never seeing Jesus but still believing all the more that he is our savior and that he touched each and every one in this room. It was through our baptism that we now can see - through God coming down to us this sacrament, through the water infused with God’s word. We are share in one common mission, proclaim that though I have never seen this man, he has healed me as my blindness and restored me back to be a child of God.
Let us never forget, that despite the fact Jesus did heal this man of his blindness, it is events, such as a this event, that ultimately led to Jesus death. The people were not ready for Jesus’s message and so they crucified the one sent by God. The truth is not always easy to hear and so the question remains, “CAN YOU HANDLE THE TRUTH?”
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
1 John 9:17
2 John 9: 20b
3 John 9: 25
4 John 9: 30-33
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Palm Sunday Sermon
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 31:9-16 (5)
Philippians 2:5-11
Matthew 21:1-11
Rural Retreat Lutheran Parish
Palm Sunday
Year A
April 17, 2011
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”1 If only the people knew what they were asking for.
These were very difficult and strange times for Jesus and his followers (more difficult for Jesus). Jesus knew what faced him in Jerusalem. He knew in a few days he would eat his last meal; be handed over by one of his friends; be stripped, beaten, humiliated, and eventually crucified. He knew the pain he would face and would have to endure so that God’s Will could be done.
The disciples, well they probably think this is great. People are cheering for Jesus. They are walking on Palm branches and coats - something only reserved for the most important dignitaries of their day. They hear people chanting for their friend. Finally, people are taking notice of Jesus and the work they are doing. All the sacrifice they have gone through seems to be paying off.
Others in the group have hate and evil intentions brewing in their hearts. They see this as an opportunity to promote a different angle - the fall of Rome. Jesus, the “superhero” of sorts (able to make bread and heal the sick in one single bound), has a lot of influence over the people. Some of the people are beginning to think that maybe Jesus could be used to lead a revolt, take down Rome, and create a new nation. It is probably why Judas made a deal with the Jewish authorities. If Jesus was not going to cooperate, then he had to be disposed of or risk having him fall into the wrong hands.
It is strange that Jesus was crucified because he did not want to fight. He did not want to become the greatest of the greatest nor did he want to create enemies. Rather we crucified Jesus because he said love each other, become a servant to each other, love your enemies.
Jesus never wanted his disciples to pick up arms and fight but rather, take off their sandals and wash one another feet. Jesus wanted his disciples to become the greatest servant of all - to deny entrances such as the one they recently experienced and instead, be the person caring for those who the world never cheers for.
The truth Jesus brought to this world was not something anyone was ready for and still remains something we, at times, fear. The truth Jesus brought told a story of loving one’s neighbor; caring for the sick and dying, loving those who nobody else would love; making sure that the last, least, lost, and lifeless are no longer the last, least, lost or lifeless. Jesus’ message is the light in our our world - a world engrossed in darkness, full of sin and evil, but yet remains our mission field.
Today marks the beginning of a week that has touched the lives of billions over the years. These lessons remain at the heart of our faith because we know how incredibly important this next weeks is for the world. This week, we see how Jesus becomes the King of kings. We see how Jesus’ promotes change. This week we will see how one man changed the world.
Jesus Christ, the son of the living God did not change our world by declaring war on those who disagreed him or by dropping bombs on people who opposed him. Jesus changed the world by preaching love. Today we celebrate the start of this change.
Today we chant Hosanna with the millions of saints who have gone before and those who are still to come. Today when we ask for Jesus to SAVE US, we are given the ever sure hope that Jesus has saved us. It is by no means a coincidence that today we chant, “Hosanna” which means save us and on Good Friday chant, “Crucify him.” Save us Jesus from the brokenness sin has brought to our relationship with God. Save us Jesus from hurt sin inflicts on the people we love and do not love. Save us Lord because we have nobody else to turn too.
This week reveals that when we cry out “Hosanna, Save us Lord,” our cry has been be heard. The cross, the center of gospel message, the chief foundation for Paul’s theology, the source of our salvation shows us that yes, we have been saved. Saved not by anything we have done or deserved but saved because the great God of all loves us so much that he sent us his son. We have been saved from an existence of not knowing the love God has to offer. We have been saved and redeemed so that we can confidently never fear death as an end but only the beginning of God’s magnificent power and love in our lives. Today is the beginning of the story of how God saved the world.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Psalm 31:9-16 (5)
Philippians 2:5-11
Matthew 21:1-11
Rural Retreat Lutheran Parish
Palm Sunday
Year A
April 17, 2011
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”1 If only the people knew what they were asking for.
These were very difficult and strange times for Jesus and his followers (more difficult for Jesus). Jesus knew what faced him in Jerusalem. He knew in a few days he would eat his last meal; be handed over by one of his friends; be stripped, beaten, humiliated, and eventually crucified. He knew the pain he would face and would have to endure so that God’s Will could be done.
The disciples, well they probably think this is great. People are cheering for Jesus. They are walking on Palm branches and coats - something only reserved for the most important dignitaries of their day. They hear people chanting for their friend. Finally, people are taking notice of Jesus and the work they are doing. All the sacrifice they have gone through seems to be paying off.
Others in the group have hate and evil intentions brewing in their hearts. They see this as an opportunity to promote a different angle - the fall of Rome. Jesus, the “superhero” of sorts (able to make bread and heal the sick in one single bound), has a lot of influence over the people. Some of the people are beginning to think that maybe Jesus could be used to lead a revolt, take down Rome, and create a new nation. It is probably why Judas made a deal with the Jewish authorities. If Jesus was not going to cooperate, then he had to be disposed of or risk having him fall into the wrong hands.
It is strange that Jesus was crucified because he did not want to fight. He did not want to become the greatest of the greatest nor did he want to create enemies. Rather we crucified Jesus because he said love each other, become a servant to each other, love your enemies.
Jesus never wanted his disciples to pick up arms and fight but rather, take off their sandals and wash one another feet. Jesus wanted his disciples to become the greatest servant of all - to deny entrances such as the one they recently experienced and instead, be the person caring for those who the world never cheers for.
The truth Jesus brought to this world was not something anyone was ready for and still remains something we, at times, fear. The truth Jesus brought told a story of loving one’s neighbor; caring for the sick and dying, loving those who nobody else would love; making sure that the last, least, lost, and lifeless are no longer the last, least, lost or lifeless. Jesus’ message is the light in our our world - a world engrossed in darkness, full of sin and evil, but yet remains our mission field.
Today marks the beginning of a week that has touched the lives of billions over the years. These lessons remain at the heart of our faith because we know how incredibly important this next weeks is for the world. This week, we see how Jesus becomes the King of kings. We see how Jesus’ promotes change. This week we will see how one man changed the world.
Jesus Christ, the son of the living God did not change our world by declaring war on those who disagreed him or by dropping bombs on people who opposed him. Jesus changed the world by preaching love. Today we celebrate the start of this change.
Today we chant Hosanna with the millions of saints who have gone before and those who are still to come. Today when we ask for Jesus to SAVE US, we are given the ever sure hope that Jesus has saved us. It is by no means a coincidence that today we chant, “Hosanna” which means save us and on Good Friday chant, “Crucify him.” Save us Jesus from the brokenness sin has brought to our relationship with God. Save us Jesus from hurt sin inflicts on the people we love and do not love. Save us Lord because we have nobody else to turn too.
This week reveals that when we cry out “Hosanna, Save us Lord,” our cry has been be heard. The cross, the center of gospel message, the chief foundation for Paul’s theology, the source of our salvation shows us that yes, we have been saved. Saved not by anything we have done or deserved but saved because the great God of all loves us so much that he sent us his son. We have been saved from an existence of not knowing the love God has to offer. We have been saved and redeemed so that we can confidently never fear death as an end but only the beginning of God’s magnificent power and love in our lives. Today is the beginning of the story of how God saved the world.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Baptism of our Lord
Isaiah 42: 1-9 Rural Retreat Lutheran Parish
Psalm 29 Baptism of our Lord
Acts 10: 34-43 Year A
Matthew 3: 13- January 9, 2011
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A little boy was upset with his parents' financial situation, so he decided to write God a letter.
Dear God,
My mommy and daddy need $500 for bills and I don't know who else to ask. Could You please help?
Johnny
The letter was received by the local post office and put in the 'dead' letters pile. The clerk, being curious of the letter addressed to God, opened to see what it said. As you can imagine, he was touched by the letter and decided to help. He asked all his fellow workers to 'chip-in' a few dollars to help a family in need. When all the money was collected, it came to $300. The clerk sent a money order in an official Post Office envelope with the return address simply, God.
Several weeks later the same clerk found another letter addressed to God in the same writing. The letter said,
Dear God,
Thank you for the $300, but next time don't use the Post Office, they have a $200 service charge.
Johnny
Thankfully and joyfully, God does not have a surcharge for baptism. It is a free gift where God claims us as one of his own and sets us free from our bondage to sin. Saint Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, describes baptism as literally being clothed in Christ. This means that our identity is no longer found in worldly things such as Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female but rather we are all the same. We are all wearing the same clothing and there is no way to distinguish what class, gender, or race we are. We are all simply one people, united in Christ.
In very similar wording to Saint Paul, Martin Luther describes baptism as “not simply plan water” but it is water used according to God’s command and connected with God’s work.”1 Baptism “brings about forgiveness of sins, redeems from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe it, as the word and promise of God declare.”2 We are not merely dealing with something as simple as water or taking a bath in baptism. We are dealing with something of epic proportions--something that God commanded us to do so that we might find forgiveness of sin, unity with one another, and safety form the evils of this world--death and devil
Interestingly, Luther also equates baptism to that of a daily dying experience. He beautifully explains baptism as dying from our old ways daily but also rising each day--instantly forgiven, renewed, and restored as God’s people and children. We experience both death and life each and every day because of our baptism into Christ.
Our Baptism serves as the best possible reminder of life after death—even though we might die, God has sealed a promise with us to never abandon us and that one day we will all be raised back to life. Even amidst one our greatest fear, we still have that sure hope that God never breaks a promise—that we will have life.
Luther never underestimates the great mystery surrounded in baptism. He says:
In Baptism every Christian has enough to study and to practice all [their] life. [He or she will] always [have] enough to do to believe firmly what Baptism promises and brings— victory over death and the devil, forgiveness of sin, God’s grace, the entire Christ, and the Holy Spirit with his gifts. In short the blessings of Baptism are so boundless that if timid nature [individual] considers [all the blessings found in baptism], he or she may well doubt whether [these blessings] could all be true.3
That last line really drives home the greatness of God’s grace and how easy it is to forget the great power baptism has in our lives. Our God promises to forgive us even when we cannot forgive ourselves, prevail against the devil and death, and bless us continually. We could spend an entire lifetime contemplating the nature of Baptism and not even begin to grasp the magnificence of this sacrament.
Today in our gospel, we witness only a glimpse of God’s power in baptism. In Jesus’ baptism, as soon as he comes up from the water, we hear God claim Jesus and announce to the world that this is God’s son, the one who we all have been waiting for has come.
This is Jesus, God’s only son, born of the Virgin Mary, son of Joseph the carpenter, and made man. This is Jesus, claimed by God so that all righteousness may be fulfilled and we might be brought closer to God. This is Jesus, our crucified and risen savior, who claims us the same way God claimed him at his baptism.
But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, we need to know that our baptism is different from the one Jesus experienced. For Jesus, his acceptance of his baptism meant two things: One, he was accepting the death on the Cross—a death he freely accepted—and Two, he was accepting his own humanity—he was accepting that he was just like you and me.
Where our baptism is more about forgiveness, Jesus’ baptism was more about a promise. Jesus needs to, in a way, have the torched passed to him. John is the last prophet to prepare the people for what God is going to do. Now Jesus is on the scene and he needs to take over. Instead of signing a contract, he is baptized and promises us that God’s plan for us will be done. God is pleased and the will of God can now proceed as planned. Jesus can now begin his journey to Jerusalem--his journey to the cross.
This is what this season of Epiphany is about--The beginning fulfillment of how God revealed his glory to the people (to the everyday people). That is why we hear stories about The Magi coming from the east, Jesus’ baptism, and creating Wine from Water so that the party could continue. These are a the beginning events of Jesus’s ministry and how God began to reveal his glory to us through Jesus. But equally important, Epiphany is a time when we continue to see how God will reveal his magnificent glory to us: in our sacraments, in our preaching, in our churches, in our people, our ministries, governments, and even in people like us--living in small towns or big cities. God is still working in our world.
That is the best part of our story. God is still here with us. The story did not end at Calvary or at the Ascension. Today is only the beginning of this great story because God has not given up on us yet. We are all claimed as children of God because of Jesus and sent out to proclaim that God is not done with us yet.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
1 A Contemporary Translation of Luther’s Small Catechism, The Sacrament of Holy Baptism, translated by The Rev. Dr. Timothy Weggert, 1996, 35.
2 IBID
3 Lutheran Quarterly, Luther on Baptism, Mark D. Tranvik, 1.
Psalm 29 Baptism of our Lord
Acts 10: 34-43 Year A
Matthew 3: 13- January 9, 2011
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A little boy was upset with his parents' financial situation, so he decided to write God a letter.
Dear God,
My mommy and daddy need $500 for bills and I don't know who else to ask. Could You please help?
Johnny
The letter was received by the local post office and put in the 'dead' letters pile. The clerk, being curious of the letter addressed to God, opened to see what it said. As you can imagine, he was touched by the letter and decided to help. He asked all his fellow workers to 'chip-in' a few dollars to help a family in need. When all the money was collected, it came to $300. The clerk sent a money order in an official Post Office envelope with the return address simply, God.
Several weeks later the same clerk found another letter addressed to God in the same writing. The letter said,
Dear God,
Thank you for the $300, but next time don't use the Post Office, they have a $200 service charge.
Johnny
Thankfully and joyfully, God does not have a surcharge for baptism. It is a free gift where God claims us as one of his own and sets us free from our bondage to sin. Saint Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, describes baptism as literally being clothed in Christ. This means that our identity is no longer found in worldly things such as Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female but rather we are all the same. We are all wearing the same clothing and there is no way to distinguish what class, gender, or race we are. We are all simply one people, united in Christ.
In very similar wording to Saint Paul, Martin Luther describes baptism as “not simply plan water” but it is water used according to God’s command and connected with God’s work.”1 Baptism “brings about forgiveness of sins, redeems from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe it, as the word and promise of God declare.”2 We are not merely dealing with something as simple as water or taking a bath in baptism. We are dealing with something of epic proportions--something that God commanded us to do so that we might find forgiveness of sin, unity with one another, and safety form the evils of this world--death and devil
Interestingly, Luther also equates baptism to that of a daily dying experience. He beautifully explains baptism as dying from our old ways daily but also rising each day--instantly forgiven, renewed, and restored as God’s people and children. We experience both death and life each and every day because of our baptism into Christ.
Our Baptism serves as the best possible reminder of life after death—even though we might die, God has sealed a promise with us to never abandon us and that one day we will all be raised back to life. Even amidst one our greatest fear, we still have that sure hope that God never breaks a promise—that we will have life.
Luther never underestimates the great mystery surrounded in baptism. He says:
In Baptism every Christian has enough to study and to practice all [their] life. [He or she will] always [have] enough to do to believe firmly what Baptism promises and brings— victory over death and the devil, forgiveness of sin, God’s grace, the entire Christ, and the Holy Spirit with his gifts. In short the blessings of Baptism are so boundless that if timid nature [individual] considers [all the blessings found in baptism], he or she may well doubt whether [these blessings] could all be true.3
That last line really drives home the greatness of God’s grace and how easy it is to forget the great power baptism has in our lives. Our God promises to forgive us even when we cannot forgive ourselves, prevail against the devil and death, and bless us continually. We could spend an entire lifetime contemplating the nature of Baptism and not even begin to grasp the magnificence of this sacrament.
Today in our gospel, we witness only a glimpse of God’s power in baptism. In Jesus’ baptism, as soon as he comes up from the water, we hear God claim Jesus and announce to the world that this is God’s son, the one who we all have been waiting for has come.
This is Jesus, God’s only son, born of the Virgin Mary, son of Joseph the carpenter, and made man. This is Jesus, claimed by God so that all righteousness may be fulfilled and we might be brought closer to God. This is Jesus, our crucified and risen savior, who claims us the same way God claimed him at his baptism.
But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, we need to know that our baptism is different from the one Jesus experienced. For Jesus, his acceptance of his baptism meant two things: One, he was accepting the death on the Cross—a death he freely accepted—and Two, he was accepting his own humanity—he was accepting that he was just like you and me.
Where our baptism is more about forgiveness, Jesus’ baptism was more about a promise. Jesus needs to, in a way, have the torched passed to him. John is the last prophet to prepare the people for what God is going to do. Now Jesus is on the scene and he needs to take over. Instead of signing a contract, he is baptized and promises us that God’s plan for us will be done. God is pleased and the will of God can now proceed as planned. Jesus can now begin his journey to Jerusalem--his journey to the cross.
This is what this season of Epiphany is about--The beginning fulfillment of how God revealed his glory to the people (to the everyday people). That is why we hear stories about The Magi coming from the east, Jesus’ baptism, and creating Wine from Water so that the party could continue. These are a the beginning events of Jesus’s ministry and how God began to reveal his glory to us through Jesus. But equally important, Epiphany is a time when we continue to see how God will reveal his magnificent glory to us: in our sacraments, in our preaching, in our churches, in our people, our ministries, governments, and even in people like us--living in small towns or big cities. God is still working in our world.
That is the best part of our story. God is still here with us. The story did not end at Calvary or at the Ascension. Today is only the beginning of this great story because God has not given up on us yet. We are all claimed as children of God because of Jesus and sent out to proclaim that God is not done with us yet.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
1 A Contemporary Translation of Luther’s Small Catechism, The Sacrament of Holy Baptism, translated by The Rev. Dr. Timothy Weggert, 1996, 35.
2 IBID
3 Lutheran Quarterly, Luther on Baptism, Mark D. Tranvik, 1.
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