Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 6
Lectionary 11
Romans 5:1-8,
Matthew 9:35-10:8
"The Compassionate Christ"
35* And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity.
36* When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
37* Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
38* pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
10:1* ¶ And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity.
2* The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3* Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4* Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5* These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans,
6* but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7* And preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
8* Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay.
Romans 5:1* ¶ Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2* Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
3* More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
4* and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
5* and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.
6* While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7* Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man--though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die.
8* But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen
There are two verses in our texts for today that I would like to call to your attention. The first is in our lesson from Romans which says: "But God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." and the other verse is found in our gospel lesson saying:" When he (Jesus) saw the crowds, He had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." These two verses, I feel, sum up for us the meaning of the gospel message, the Good News of Jesus Christ. God shows His love for us while we were still sinners, or enemies of God and Jesus had compassion for the people. But what does that mean?? God loves us and Jesus had compassion? These two words oft times have a vague and mysterious meaning. What does it mean to love?? What does it mean to have compassion??
In Roget's Thesaurus, which is a book of synonyms and antonyms, he lists many words which describe or expand on the meaning of love and compassion. These words are, sympathy, charity, mercy, generosity, pity, and we could go on and on. And each of these words can be described with many others. The list is endless. But that still doesn't get us to the meaning, to the heart of the matter, what does it mean that God loves us, what does it mean that Jesus had compassion? Maybe scripture might help, how about John 3:16, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that who so ever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. "Yes, that verse speaks about God's love for us, but does it describe it? Can we see love in that verse? Yes and no. Yes we can see love because God's love is visible only through Christ. No, we cannot see love, because we do not see the actions of Christ. The only true way to see God's love, to describe God's love is to see Christ. Christ is God's love incarnate, or God's love made real in this world. So, as we look through the New Testament, as we look for descriptions of what does it mean that God loves us, we need to look at the actions of Christ.
When Christ had compassion on the crowds, He was in a sense, in all reality, showing the people, showing us what it means that God loves us. As He healed, as He forgave sins, as He brought people together, as He made especially women feel part of God's created order, He showed us and them God's love.
Jesus is the one who shows us very dramatically what God's love is like. It is a forgiving, accepting, caring, merciful, compassionate love. It is a love which allowed God's only son to be killed on a cross so that you and I might have eternal life. It is a love which was willing to sacrifice God's son so that reconciliation might happen on this earth. "While we were yet sinner, Christ died for us." While we were yet sinners, Christ reconciled God the Father with the creation.
So, if one is to describe God's love it can be described in the action, words and deeds of Christ. It can be called a reconciling love, a love which brings people together. It is a love which forgives, it is a love which is willing to sacrifice, it is a love which is willing to give instead of take.
That love of God is seen through Christ and the cross, but at the same time, the love of Christ is seen today not only through the actions, words and deeds of Christ in the Bible, but through the actions of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of people today. Paul says very clearly, that you and I are little "little Christs" out in the world. People see Christ today through us, through you and me. Paul says in Romans 12:9,"Let love be genuine, hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good, love one another with brotherly affection, outdo one another in showing honor."
Paul says further in Ephesians 5: "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Paul says further,"for once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, walk as children of light,"
As you can tell, you and I are to be little Christ's in this world. We are to be Christ like, loving one another as Christ has loved us. We are to be free with our love, expressive with our love, we are to be generous with our love toward our neighbor.
As you have come to know my preaching style, I am comfortable telling stories and this morning, I would like to tell you some stories which sum up for me this love of God through Christ and then my love for my neighbor. It is in the experiences of these stories, that Christ becomes alive for the individual. I hope and pray that as you listen, Christ will come alive for you and then you in His love will become alive for your neighbor. Our faith is not static, but alive and expressive. As you listen to each story, decide which character you are. Who are you in each story??
Story # 1. "A group of men were traveling across the desert. They were total strangers when they started, some were well to do business men, others were common working men, and one was a criminal, a thief. This band of men traveled together across the hot desert sand. They encountered more wind storms they they anticipated, so their food, their water began to run low. They wore woolen hoods to keep the hot, biting sand from stinging their faces as they traveled. As they traveled, a man noticed that one was missing, the one called Jasmin. They looked around in the driving wind storm, but all they could see was his empty camel. No rider. The men thought it wasn't worth going back to look for Jasmin since he was the thief among them. He wasn't worth saving. But, Lawrence, a wealthy business man, a man who had a lot to loose risked leaving the group to go back to look for Jasmin. Lawrence traced over their route, and finally found Jasmin, half mad with heat and thirst. He shared what little water and food he had, placed him on his own camel, and led the camel forward once more. They traveled on and on until they reached the group. When they arrived, all were surprised they had made it. They were bewildered that Lawreance, the rich man, would risk his life for a thief, a crook. They marveled at his love, his respect for a human life.
Do you see yourself in this story?? I do, I am Jasmin. In my relationship with God I am the criminal, I am the outcast, I am the sinner. I am the enemy of God. But Paul says,,"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son." You and I are Jasmin, having broken God's laws, having become lost in the storms of life and failed to live according to God's commandments. But all is not lost, Christ is Lawrence. Christ saves the lost. Christ finds the lost. Paul says,"much more, now that we are reconciled shall we be saved by his (Jesus) life."
Story #2
Peirre von Passen in his book, Days of our Years, tells of a little hunchback, Ugolin, who lived in a small French village. He had a difficult because he was a monstrous looking person. Children would not play with him. One night some men who were drinking started making fun of him. One kicked him, spit on him tore off his clothes and finally left him in a pool of blood. Later that night, the local priest found him, took him home, washed him and put him to bed. The next day, while the priest was conducting mass, Ugolin, went to the river and drowned himself. When his sister found out, she committed suicide. Though they were suicides, the priest planned a double funeral in the church for he said, "Those children were not suicides. they were murdered by society without mercy." The day came for the funeral and the priest went to the pulpit. While looking at everyone, he began his sermon says, "Christians!!!When the Lord of Life and of Death shall ask me on the Day of Judgment, Pastor where are your sheep??? I will not answer him. On the third time he will ask, Pastor.....Where are your sheep?? I will hang my head in shame and I will answer, They are not sheep, Lord...they were a pack of wolves!!!"
Who do you relate to in this story?? The priest, the boy and girl, the towns people??? Maybe all three. As the priest, you and I are the word of God in the world reminding people they are not all that God intends for them to be. You and I are not perfect. We need the love of God, the transforming love of God in our lives. If you and I were not or are not at one point or another a pack of wolves, if we did not have a sense of our own sinfulness, then, then, you do not need Jesus Christ, you do not need to be here, you do not need to come and eat and drink this morning, you do not need the cross, you can get up and leave right now because there is nothing here for you.
But if you sense you can be and at times are that pack of wolves at times in your lives, if you treat people badly, if you reject God, if you feel life is not as perfect as you would like it, then, you are in the right spot, because here transformation takes place, here lives are changed, here you and I encounter God and Christ through the Holy Spirit. Here you and I have a personal relationship with Christ through the Word, through the Sacraments, through fellowship with each other. Here hurts are healed, here lives are made whole, here fellowship and love are present.
Lutherans have far to often be accused of being stuffed shirts, non expressive in our faith. But I think Lutheranism is broad enough to allow for expression, to allow for joy, to allow emotion of faith to be expressed. I have said many times in my other churches, but probably not here yet, that if someone would shout an amen, or praise the Lord, or alleluia during one of my sermons, I would know that maybe someone was listening, that someone was interested, that everyone was not asleep. There is a power present here that means something, it means business is not usual. Life can be changed. People can be renewed.
Because of that power, we would not have an Ugolin and his sister dying for nothing. All of us at one time or another can relate to the hurt, the pain, the abandonment these young people felt. If we are honest with ourselves, we have all been there. But what is so sad in that story, is they felt they had no where to turn, no one who would care, no one to help.
But my dear friends, I hope and pray that does not ever happen here, because all of us have someone I hope, we have Christ, and we have Christ incarnate in someone here in the church. If we do not, then there is something wrong with the church and its members.
Here people is where the power of Christ is present. Here is where the compassion of the people of God should be present. Here is where love should abound for each other. Here is where we should and do feel free to express that love for Christ and love for neighbor. Here is where deeds of mercy and love should begin and then spread out across the land. But if we cannot love each other here in this particular family of God, then I do not know where else that love can be felt.
I like to think of the church as a family and in that family, each of us gives of ourselves, receives from others and is willing to sacrifice for another. In that way we express Christ's love for us and we become little Christ for one another.
I would like to close with a story of that kind of caring. As you listen, think of yourself as the mother, at times, in the family of God, as you listen, think of yourself as the girl, because I believe as members of God's family, we are constantly changing roles, constantly giving, constantly receiving, constantly being loved.
The story is told of a young girl whose mother was very beautiful--all except here hands, which were shriveled and scarred and hideous. One day the girl asked her mother about her hands....The mother told her how their house caught fire when the girl was very little. The mother rushed upstairs to the room where the girl was sleeping in her crib, and with the help of Lord was able to carry the babe downstairs and outside without being harmed. But in doing so, the mother's hands were terribly burned. This brought sobs to the child as she said, "O Mother, you know I've always loved you--especially your face, your smile your eyes. But better than all, now I love your hands."
amen
Written by Pastor Tim Zingale
Monday, June 9, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
3rd Sunday after Pentecost Sermon
3rd Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 4
Lectionary 9
Matthew 7:21-29
Firm Foundation
21 ¶ "Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'
23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.'
24 "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock;
25 and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
26 And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand;
27 and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it."
28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
29 for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. RSV
Grace and peace to you form our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen
In December 2001, the "Leaning Tower of Pisa" was finally reopened to the public after having been closed for almost a dozen years. During that time, engineers completed a $25 million renovation project designed to stabilize the tower. They removed 110 tons of dirt, and reduced its famous lean by about sixteen inches. Why was this necessary? Because the tower has been tilting further and further away from vertical for hundreds of years, to the point that the top of the 185-foot tower was seventeen feet further south than the bottom, and Italian authorities were concerned that if nothing was done, it would soon collapse.
What was the problem? Bad design? Poor workmanship? An inferior grade of marble? No. The problem was what was underneath. The sandy soil on which the city of Pisa was built was just not stable enough to support a monument of this size. The tower had no firm foundation. (1)
The "Leaning Tower of Pisa" leaned because it's foundation was weak. A firm foundation is important when one is building something. I enjoy watching television shows that show something being built. They show the building of these structures from the beginning to the end. At the beginning they show the foundation of the building. Depending on how tall the building will be, they show how complicated the foundation needs to be. If it is a tall building, they show how pillars or cement is put deep into the ground for the building to rest upon. They show that the building needs a firm foundation so that it might last a long time.
Sometimes they show building or bridges that do not have the right kind of foundation and they collapse. They showed a bridge that was not built correctly so that the wind somehow got the road way of the bridge swaying so much that the bridge collapsed. The foundation of that bridge was not strong enough to support the road way in a high wind.
A firm foundation is important when building anything and as Jesus says in our gospel lesson this morning, a firm foundation is necessary when building a faith life.
As our text says:
24 "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock;
25 and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
Jesus is telling us we need to build our house of faith on firm footing, on a rock and when we do our faith will last a long time.
Jesus is telling us that we need to build our house of faith on a rock solid footing and that footing is none other that Jesus himself.
We need to build our faith life on Jesus' teachings and his life ministry.
And that foundation is Jesus Christ and His word.
A story makes us wonder where our foundation is today.
Listen:
Many years ago, a visitor to America stood in the middle of Wall street and said to himself, "Here is the power and greatness of America."
Shortly afterwards, he traveled to Washington D.C.. and stood in the middle of the rotunda of the Capitol and beheld the statues of the country's greatest statesmen.
He said himself, "Ah, here is the greatness of America."
Later, he found himself in the heartland of Iowa. It was noon as he visited a family farm. The bell was rung on the back porch, the rest of the family, plus the hired man came in from the fields. He watched as they washed up by the pump, then they all gathered around the table piled high with food.
The visitor saw the farmer reach for the large family Bible. He read from Psalm 90, then everyone bowed their head. in prayer as the farmer prayed a simple prayer expressing his love to God his pledge of continuing service, and his gratitude for ail of his blessings.
"Now, II said the stranger to himself, "now, I have seen the true greatness of America."
He was reminded of a verse from his childhood from Deutronomy. where God said,
"You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul; and you shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house"
I wonder if a visitor came into the heartland of America today, if he would be able to say the same thing? Are we still rooted, grounded, and established upon the word of God, the power of redemption as shown through Christ as our forefathers were many years ago?
Are we built on that firm foundation of Jesus in our lives? Or do we build our lives on things that ore here one moment but gone the next. Do we build our lives on success, fame and fortune we can be as fleeting as the sand on a sea shore, here one minute, gone the next.
Do we look to Jesus to be that firm foundation in our lives.
Do we build our lives on the firm foundation of Jesus? Do we build our house on him and with good materials, or are we like the builder in the following:
A parable has been told of a carpenter, who on the verge of retirement, was coaxed into building one last home by a wealthy client. The carpenter was pressed by his own thoughts to put his working days behind him, so he made decisions to cut corners on the project. He used inferior materials and his workmanship was suspect, at best. Clearly his heart was not in the work. Eventually, the carpenter finished the home. It looked good from the outside, yet the carpenter felt guilty, as he knew the quality of the home was not up to his old standards.
On the day that the wealthy client was to take possession of the home, the carpenter received word from the client, saying, “I’m aware of your reputation as a builder. I know how hard you’ve worked for your clients throughout your career. So, I wanted to reward you at your retirement. I’m giving you the house you’ve just built.” The carpenter was shocked! If he had only known beforehand that this was to be his home, he would have built it with the finest materials and workmanship. But, now it was too late.
This parable reminds me that we all build our lives, much like a carpenter builds a house. Our home-building materials are “what” we build our lives with and include characteristics such as faith, love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and kindness (or their opposites). And our workmanship looks at the “how” we build our lives. Are we living purposefully, pursuing excellence, working with all our hearts, in the name of Jesus and for his glory? Or, has shoddy workmanship been the story of our lives? My own confession: Too often I forget that I’m building my own house. How about you?
One day, the house-building project that is our life, will be completed. And, each of us will stand before the Lord and give an account for our workmanship. Don’t be like the carpenter in the parable. Be prepared. Build intentionally. Build it right. Our motivation ought to be to hear the Saviour say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”(2)
What kind of house are you building? One with good workmanship and good materials? Or one with poor workmanship and shoddy materials? Can you hear those words of Jesus saying to you at end of your time on this earth, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."
have you built your house on a firm foundation and in the right location. Location is important when building something. If the location is wrong then people won't buy it. Or if you are selling your house and the house is in the wrong location, no one will buy it.
Jesus is telling the Jewish leaders of his day they were building their house on the wrong location. They were building their house on the Torah and the Law and not on the new foundation that that Jesus himself was building.
Pastor Hoefler in his book, "the Divine Trap" says on pages 10 and 11 about this text, he says, " Jesus says to the Jews with this parable, 'You are doing a good job of building, but your site and location are all wrong. you are building on the Torah and the Law. I have come to give you a new site, a new location to build your lives.'
He came presenting a new teaching. He came to establish a new covenant between man and God. And that new option, new teaching, new covenant was Himself and the message he brought. Jesus is saying, 'hear me and my words. Plant your feet firmly on my teachings and you will build a life that will endure."
Jesus says "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock;
The Rock is Jesus Christ himself. There is no other.
Luther says in one of his sermons: "He is called a Christian because he clings with his heart to the this Saviour who has ascended to the Father, and he believes that for his sake and through Christ he has God's grace and everlasting salvation and life."
Have you built on the firm foundation and the right location which is Jesus Christ Himself.
Have you used the right building materials in building on the firm foundation?
Or have you built in the wrong place an on a shaky foundation? How secure is your faith house? How well built is your faith house?
Is your foundation secured upon the rock of Christ? Can you and do you read the bible, study God's word on your own? Do you pray on your own?
Do you have a firm foundation in Christ to with stand all the tumult of life?
Are you like the man in the following:
In a sermon at Northfield, D.L. Moody once said, "We want more Christians like the Irishman who, when II asked if he hadn't trembled during a recent severe storm when he was standing out upon a rocky eminence, said, "Yes, my legs sure trembled, but the rock didn't and because my feet were on the rock I felt safe."
I felt safe because my feet were on the rock? Were are your feet? Are they on the rock of Christ? Have you built in the right location?
Amen
Written by Pastor Tim Zingale May 26, 2008
You may freely use this but please give credit. Not for commercial use.
(1)(from Alan Perkins via ) from PreachingNow
(2) [Jim Liebelt posted in HomeWord Devotionals by www.homeword.com.au]
from The Daily Mail List 22 June 2007
Proper 4
Lectionary 9
Matthew 7:21-29
Firm Foundation
21 ¶ "Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'
23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.'
24 "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock;
25 and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
26 And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand;
27 and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it."
28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
29 for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. RSV
Grace and peace to you form our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen
In December 2001, the "Leaning Tower of Pisa" was finally reopened to the public after having been closed for almost a dozen years. During that time, engineers completed a $25 million renovation project designed to stabilize the tower. They removed 110 tons of dirt, and reduced its famous lean by about sixteen inches. Why was this necessary? Because the tower has been tilting further and further away from vertical for hundreds of years, to the point that the top of the 185-foot tower was seventeen feet further south than the bottom, and Italian authorities were concerned that if nothing was done, it would soon collapse.
What was the problem? Bad design? Poor workmanship? An inferior grade of marble? No. The problem was what was underneath. The sandy soil on which the city of Pisa was built was just not stable enough to support a monument of this size. The tower had no firm foundation. (1)
The "Leaning Tower of Pisa" leaned because it's foundation was weak. A firm foundation is important when one is building something. I enjoy watching television shows that show something being built. They show the building of these structures from the beginning to the end. At the beginning they show the foundation of the building. Depending on how tall the building will be, they show how complicated the foundation needs to be. If it is a tall building, they show how pillars or cement is put deep into the ground for the building to rest upon. They show that the building needs a firm foundation so that it might last a long time.
Sometimes they show building or bridges that do not have the right kind of foundation and they collapse. They showed a bridge that was not built correctly so that the wind somehow got the road way of the bridge swaying so much that the bridge collapsed. The foundation of that bridge was not strong enough to support the road way in a high wind.
A firm foundation is important when building anything and as Jesus says in our gospel lesson this morning, a firm foundation is necessary when building a faith life.
As our text says:
24 "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock;
25 and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
Jesus is telling us we need to build our house of faith on firm footing, on a rock and when we do our faith will last a long time.
Jesus is telling us that we need to build our house of faith on a rock solid footing and that footing is none other that Jesus himself.
We need to build our faith life on Jesus' teachings and his life ministry.
And that foundation is Jesus Christ and His word.
A story makes us wonder where our foundation is today.
Listen:
Many years ago, a visitor to America stood in the middle of Wall street and said to himself, "Here is the power and greatness of America."
Shortly afterwards, he traveled to Washington D.C.. and stood in the middle of the rotunda of the Capitol and beheld the statues of the country's greatest statesmen.
He said himself, "Ah, here is the greatness of America."
Later, he found himself in the heartland of Iowa. It was noon as he visited a family farm. The bell was rung on the back porch, the rest of the family, plus the hired man came in from the fields. He watched as they washed up by the pump, then they all gathered around the table piled high with food.
The visitor saw the farmer reach for the large family Bible. He read from Psalm 90, then everyone bowed their head. in prayer as the farmer prayed a simple prayer expressing his love to God his pledge of continuing service, and his gratitude for ail of his blessings.
"Now, II said the stranger to himself, "now, I have seen the true greatness of America."
He was reminded of a verse from his childhood from Deutronomy. where God said,
"You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul; and you shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house"
I wonder if a visitor came into the heartland of America today, if he would be able to say the same thing? Are we still rooted, grounded, and established upon the word of God, the power of redemption as shown through Christ as our forefathers were many years ago?
Are we built on that firm foundation of Jesus in our lives? Or do we build our lives on things that ore here one moment but gone the next. Do we build our lives on success, fame and fortune we can be as fleeting as the sand on a sea shore, here one minute, gone the next.
Do we look to Jesus to be that firm foundation in our lives.
Do we build our lives on the firm foundation of Jesus? Do we build our house on him and with good materials, or are we like the builder in the following:
A parable has been told of a carpenter, who on the verge of retirement, was coaxed into building one last home by a wealthy client. The carpenter was pressed by his own thoughts to put his working days behind him, so he made decisions to cut corners on the project. He used inferior materials and his workmanship was suspect, at best. Clearly his heart was not in the work. Eventually, the carpenter finished the home. It looked good from the outside, yet the carpenter felt guilty, as he knew the quality of the home was not up to his old standards.
On the day that the wealthy client was to take possession of the home, the carpenter received word from the client, saying, “I’m aware of your reputation as a builder. I know how hard you’ve worked for your clients throughout your career. So, I wanted to reward you at your retirement. I’m giving you the house you’ve just built.” The carpenter was shocked! If he had only known beforehand that this was to be his home, he would have built it with the finest materials and workmanship. But, now it was too late.
This parable reminds me that we all build our lives, much like a carpenter builds a house. Our home-building materials are “what” we build our lives with and include characteristics such as faith, love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and kindness (or their opposites). And our workmanship looks at the “how” we build our lives. Are we living purposefully, pursuing excellence, working with all our hearts, in the name of Jesus and for his glory? Or, has shoddy workmanship been the story of our lives? My own confession: Too often I forget that I’m building my own house. How about you?
One day, the house-building project that is our life, will be completed. And, each of us will stand before the Lord and give an account for our workmanship. Don’t be like the carpenter in the parable. Be prepared. Build intentionally. Build it right. Our motivation ought to be to hear the Saviour say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”(2)
What kind of house are you building? One with good workmanship and good materials? Or one with poor workmanship and shoddy materials? Can you hear those words of Jesus saying to you at end of your time on this earth, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."
have you built your house on a firm foundation and in the right location. Location is important when building something. If the location is wrong then people won't buy it. Or if you are selling your house and the house is in the wrong location, no one will buy it.
Jesus is telling the Jewish leaders of his day they were building their house on the wrong location. They were building their house on the Torah and the Law and not on the new foundation that that Jesus himself was building.
Pastor Hoefler in his book, "the Divine Trap" says on pages 10 and 11 about this text, he says, " Jesus says to the Jews with this parable, 'You are doing a good job of building, but your site and location are all wrong. you are building on the Torah and the Law. I have come to give you a new site, a new location to build your lives.'
He came presenting a new teaching. He came to establish a new covenant between man and God. And that new option, new teaching, new covenant was Himself and the message he brought. Jesus is saying, 'hear me and my words. Plant your feet firmly on my teachings and you will build a life that will endure."
Jesus says "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock;
The Rock is Jesus Christ himself. There is no other.
Luther says in one of his sermons: "He is called a Christian because he clings with his heart to the this Saviour who has ascended to the Father, and he believes that for his sake and through Christ he has God's grace and everlasting salvation and life."
Have you built on the firm foundation and the right location which is Jesus Christ Himself.
Have you used the right building materials in building on the firm foundation?
Or have you built in the wrong place an on a shaky foundation? How secure is your faith house? How well built is your faith house?
Is your foundation secured upon the rock of Christ? Can you and do you read the bible, study God's word on your own? Do you pray on your own?
Do you have a firm foundation in Christ to with stand all the tumult of life?
Are you like the man in the following:
In a sermon at Northfield, D.L. Moody once said, "We want more Christians like the Irishman who, when II asked if he hadn't trembled during a recent severe storm when he was standing out upon a rocky eminence, said, "Yes, my legs sure trembled, but the rock didn't and because my feet were on the rock I felt safe."
I felt safe because my feet were on the rock? Were are your feet? Are they on the rock of Christ? Have you built in the right location?
Amen
Written by Pastor Tim Zingale May 26, 2008
You may freely use this but please give credit. Not for commercial use.
(1)(from Alan Perkins via ) from PreachingNow
(2) [Jim Liebelt posted in HomeWord Devotionals by www.homeword.com.au]
from The Daily Mail List 22 June 2007
Monday, May 19, 2008
2nd Sunday after Pentecost Sermon
2nd Sunday after Pentecost
Lectionary 8
Matthew 6: 24-34
Do not be anxious
24* “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
25* “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26* Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27* And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?
28* And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin;
29* yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30* But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?
31* Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or’What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32* For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
33* But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.
34* “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.
Grace and peace to your from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen
I heard about a ninety-five year old woman at the nursing home who received a visit from one of her fellow church members. The visitor asked her, "How are you feeling?"
She said, "I'm worried sick!"
Her friend said, "What are you worried about? You look like you're in good health. They're taking good care of you, aren't they?"
She said, "Yes, they are taking very good care of me."
"Well, then, what are you worried about?"
The elderly lady leaned back in her rocking chair and said, "Every close friend I ever had has already died and gone on to heaven. I'm afraid they're all wondering where I went!"
We can laugh at the illustration, but isn't that the truth, we will all find something to worry about. But our gospel lesson this morning tells us not to worry as the text says: 25* “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26* Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27* And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?
28* And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin;
29* yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30* But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?
31* Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or’What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32* For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.
If God takes care of the lilies of the field or the grass in the field won't he take good care of us, too. That means you can take care of today and not worry about tomorrow for it is in God's hand. Jesus is telling us to relax and place all our cares and everyday worries in his hands and he will take care of them for us.
Because we can relax and allow Jesus to take care of everything for us, we can then seek the kingdom of God in our in our lives. The first thing for us to do is to believe in the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ then all these things will be our. The text says: 33* But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.
If we are in God's kingdom, then all the worries about what we shall eat, drink and wear will be taken care of for us. We need to first seek his righteous, then all these things will be taken care of for us.
Jesus to telling us not to worry about the future and fret over the past, but be in the moment of today, that is enough for us to take care of along with Jesus.
A poem says it well:
"Why Worry About Tomorrow?"
Why worry about tomorrow
And the rising of the sun,
Of anguish over past mistakes
That cannot be undone?
Why waste life's precious moments
On things that bruise the heart
When today is ours to fashion
Into a work of art?
Today comes but once, my friend,
It never can return--
So use it wisely while you can,
There's a lesson you may learn.
Let history record the past
And tomorrow come what may.
Be content to do your best
With what you have today!
Poet: Clay Harrison
We need to live in this moment allowing the past to be the past and the future to be the future. We need to live for today, be content with what God has provided for us today.
But that is difficult for us to live with contentment as seen by the business man in the following story:
One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach, with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf. He was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect of catching a fish.
About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach, trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman sitting on the beach and decided to find out why this fisherman was fishing instead of working harder to make a living for himself and his family.
"You aren't going to catch many fish that way," said the businessman to the fisherman, "you should be working rather than lying on the beach!"
The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied, "And what will my reward be?" "Well, you can get bigger nets and catch more fish!" was the businessman's answer.
"And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman, still smiling.
The businessman replied, "You will make money and you'll be able to buy a boat, which will then result in larger catches of fish!"
"And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman again. The businessman was beginning to get a little irritated with the fisherman's questions. "You can buy a bigger boat, and hire some people to work for you!" he said.
"And then what will my reward be?" repeated the fisherman. The businessman was getting angry. "Don't you understand? You can build up a fleet of fishing boats, sail all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish for you!"
Once again the fisherman asked, "And then what will my reward be?"
The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the fisherman, "Don't you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again! You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You won't have a care in the world!"
The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "And what do you think I'm doing right now?"
The fisherman knew what was important in life, to live in God's kingdom and everything else would be taken care of. The business man only wanted more and more never being content and never finding the kingdom of God through Christ Jesus.
We are to not worry about the future for that is in God's hands. We are to live for today because that is in God's hands also and he will provide for us as he sees fit. We are to live for today in the kingdom of righteousness.
As we live for today, it means that we must be good steward of what God has given us. We cannot just sit back and say that God will take care of me and so I don't have to do anything. I don't have to work, I don't have to take care of my family, I don't have to do anything because God will provide.
It doesn't mean that we don't have to be good stewards of today and just lay around waiting for God to take care of today and tomorrow for us. We do have a responsibility to be good stewards of what God has given us to control. We can just do nothing and then say it is not our fault that I am hungry or thirsty because God did not provide.
God provides for us through the natural order of things and that order tells us to be good stewards of what God has given us. If he has given us the talent to be a good teacher then we must be a good teacher. If God has given us the talent to be a farmer, then I must be the best farmer I can be. You get the point. God will provide, but we must do our part also. For God works through our talents to provide for us.
We must not be like the clock in the following, worrying about tomorrow so much that it could not take care of today.
Once there was a handsome clock that became preoccupied with worry about its future. It began thinking about the number of times it would have to tick: twice each second, 120 times per minute, 7,200 times an hour, 172,800 times a day, 63,072,000 times a year. When it realized that in the next ten years it would have to tick, 630,720,000 times, it had a nervous breakdown.
The clock went to a watchmaker for therapy. While under the watchmaker's care, the clock began to realize that all it needed to do was to tick one tick at a time. Soon it began to tick again, and it continued ticking, one tick at a time for one hundred years. And everyone loved that old grandfather clock.
One tick at a time. One moment at the time. One day at a time, One week, one month one year. We to are to live one tick at a time in the kingdom of God and not worry about tomorrow and let today rest in God's capable hands.
34* “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.
Amen
Written by Pastor Tim Zingale May 19, 2008
You may freely use this but please give credit. Not for commercial use.
Lectionary 8
Matthew 6: 24-34
Do not be anxious
24* “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
25* “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26* Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27* And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?
28* And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin;
29* yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30* But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?
31* Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or’What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32* For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
33* But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.
34* “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.
Grace and peace to your from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen
I heard about a ninety-five year old woman at the nursing home who received a visit from one of her fellow church members. The visitor asked her, "How are you feeling?"
She said, "I'm worried sick!"
Her friend said, "What are you worried about? You look like you're in good health. They're taking good care of you, aren't they?"
She said, "Yes, they are taking very good care of me."
"Well, then, what are you worried about?"
The elderly lady leaned back in her rocking chair and said, "Every close friend I ever had has already died and gone on to heaven. I'm afraid they're all wondering where I went!"
We can laugh at the illustration, but isn't that the truth, we will all find something to worry about. But our gospel lesson this morning tells us not to worry as the text says: 25* “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26* Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27* And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?
28* And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin;
29* yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30* But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?
31* Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or’What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32* For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.
If God takes care of the lilies of the field or the grass in the field won't he take good care of us, too. That means you can take care of today and not worry about tomorrow for it is in God's hand. Jesus is telling us to relax and place all our cares and everyday worries in his hands and he will take care of them for us.
Because we can relax and allow Jesus to take care of everything for us, we can then seek the kingdom of God in our in our lives. The first thing for us to do is to believe in the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ then all these things will be our. The text says: 33* But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.
If we are in God's kingdom, then all the worries about what we shall eat, drink and wear will be taken care of for us. We need to first seek his righteous, then all these things will be taken care of for us.
Jesus to telling us not to worry about the future and fret over the past, but be in the moment of today, that is enough for us to take care of along with Jesus.
A poem says it well:
"Why Worry About Tomorrow?"
Why worry about tomorrow
And the rising of the sun,
Of anguish over past mistakes
That cannot be undone?
Why waste life's precious moments
On things that bruise the heart
When today is ours to fashion
Into a work of art?
Today comes but once, my friend,
It never can return--
So use it wisely while you can,
There's a lesson you may learn.
Let history record the past
And tomorrow come what may.
Be content to do your best
With what you have today!
Poet: Clay Harrison
We need to live in this moment allowing the past to be the past and the future to be the future. We need to live for today, be content with what God has provided for us today.
But that is difficult for us to live with contentment as seen by the business man in the following story:
One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach, with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf. He was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect of catching a fish.
About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach, trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman sitting on the beach and decided to find out why this fisherman was fishing instead of working harder to make a living for himself and his family.
"You aren't going to catch many fish that way," said the businessman to the fisherman, "you should be working rather than lying on the beach!"
The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied, "And what will my reward be?" "Well, you can get bigger nets and catch more fish!" was the businessman's answer.
"And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman, still smiling.
The businessman replied, "You will make money and you'll be able to buy a boat, which will then result in larger catches of fish!"
"And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman again. The businessman was beginning to get a little irritated with the fisherman's questions. "You can buy a bigger boat, and hire some people to work for you!" he said.
"And then what will my reward be?" repeated the fisherman. The businessman was getting angry. "Don't you understand? You can build up a fleet of fishing boats, sail all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish for you!"
Once again the fisherman asked, "And then what will my reward be?"
The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the fisherman, "Don't you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again! You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You won't have a care in the world!"
The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "And what do you think I'm doing right now?"
The fisherman knew what was important in life, to live in God's kingdom and everything else would be taken care of. The business man only wanted more and more never being content and never finding the kingdom of God through Christ Jesus.
We are to not worry about the future for that is in God's hands. We are to live for today because that is in God's hands also and he will provide for us as he sees fit. We are to live for today in the kingdom of righteousness.
As we live for today, it means that we must be good steward of what God has given us. We cannot just sit back and say that God will take care of me and so I don't have to do anything. I don't have to work, I don't have to take care of my family, I don't have to do anything because God will provide.
It doesn't mean that we don't have to be good stewards of today and just lay around waiting for God to take care of today and tomorrow for us. We do have a responsibility to be good stewards of what God has given us to control. We can just do nothing and then say it is not our fault that I am hungry or thirsty because God did not provide.
God provides for us through the natural order of things and that order tells us to be good stewards of what God has given us. If he has given us the talent to be a good teacher then we must be a good teacher. If God has given us the talent to be a farmer, then I must be the best farmer I can be. You get the point. God will provide, but we must do our part also. For God works through our talents to provide for us.
We must not be like the clock in the following, worrying about tomorrow so much that it could not take care of today.
Once there was a handsome clock that became preoccupied with worry about its future. It began thinking about the number of times it would have to tick: twice each second, 120 times per minute, 7,200 times an hour, 172,800 times a day, 63,072,000 times a year. When it realized that in the next ten years it would have to tick, 630,720,000 times, it had a nervous breakdown.
The clock went to a watchmaker for therapy. While under the watchmaker's care, the clock began to realize that all it needed to do was to tick one tick at a time. Soon it began to tick again, and it continued ticking, one tick at a time for one hundred years. And everyone loved that old grandfather clock.
One tick at a time. One moment at the time. One day at a time, One week, one month one year. We to are to live one tick at a time in the kingdom of God and not worry about tomorrow and let today rest in God's capable hands.
34* “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.
Amen
Written by Pastor Tim Zingale May 19, 2008
You may freely use this but please give credit. Not for commercial use.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Holy Trinity Sermon
Holy Trinity Sunday
Matthew 28:16-20
"The Trinity"
16* ¶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.
17* And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted.
18* And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19* Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20* teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."RSV
As many of you know, I had my internship in Wisconsin at Chippewa Falls, near Eau Claire, we have returned there many times to visit with friends. As we travel through Minnesota, one of the towns we pass through has a court house in the middle of their square and on top of that building there is clock tower. On the tower is clock, the clock which has four faces, so no matter in which direction you are coming into that town and around that square, you can see the hands and the face of a clock, telling you what time it is. During one trip, I stopped to think whether there are four different clocks running each set of faces and hands, or whether there is one clock somehow running those four faces and hands. It is a mystery, how those faces and hands on that clock tower really work .
At the same time, a thought also popped into my mind, isn't that the same mystery we have concerning God as three persons, the Trinity. We have God, the father, creator, God, the son, the redeemer, God, the Spirit the comforter, the counselor, the one who makes us holy. We see the three faces of God, but we have only one God. Like that clock on the tower, God has three faces, but only one God. Each face of God tells us something about God. God, the father, creator tells us about the God of the universe, God who creates, God who is powerful. God, the son, Jesus, shows us the love of God, the saving, redeeming quality of God. Then we have God, the Spirit who shows us the God who is with us through all the circumstances of our lives. God the spirit ,who brings the Father and the Son into our very souls, hearts and minds.
Our gospel lesson this morning is the Great Commission. And I would like to look at just one part of those verses, actually the last part of the last verse which says: "and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age".
For it is that part of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit which I would like to look at this morning. Because it is the Holy Spirit which brings Christ to us through out the ages.
The Holy Spirit is very much misunderstood in our time. Some like to claim it as their spirit which brings them special gifts, others like to ignore it, and others can take it or leave it.
But I would like to emphasis that it is that Spirit which brings Christ, the saviour into our lives. How, I don't know! But I do know that Christ's Spirit of love, mercy and redemption is in our lives.
But sometimes we take that power of the Spirit in our lives for granted. We think of it as some sort of magic. Well, I came to church today, so everything is ok, I took communion, so I am ok for now..and on and on we could go.
The following says it well.
A pastor tells about an event that occurred in his church in Brooklyn, N.Y. "I was doing duty in the narthex, keeping the sanctuary open for visitors and meditation when a man came in and asked if he could light a candle. Before I could respond aye or nay he quickly added, "By the way, what kind of church is this?"
":Lutheran," I replied, prepared to define it and candles a bit more precisely, when he smiled and said, ''Not that it makes any difference. I don't favor any particular kind of religion. Whenever I pass a church I like to light a candle and plug into the divine. Any God will do !!"
Plug into the Divine, like it is magic, a kind of pill that will keep us save and sound.
But being in the Spirit is more than magic, it takes commitment. Since Jesus was willing to give His life for us, doesn't He deserve more than our passing fancy with Him and the Spirit? Doesn't he deserve more than our being plugged in when it suits us or reassures us?
In John Brokhoff's book ,Jesus...Who on page 29 he says, "To have the Spirit is to have God in us, in our hearts, minds and persons. God is not to be found in nature, only evidence of his reality. God is not to be found in social events or historical acts. We I can see only evidence of God. You see, God is a Spirit and only a human can have the Spirit. A human is body and soul. The soul is within the body. Within the soul is the Spirit .The soul is like a container for the Spirit. In the person of the Spirit, God is truly with us and in us."
What Brokhoff is saying is that God can only be found in us, period. So we need to be committed to have the Spirit, to have God within us, to have the Spirit within us. Then we can fulfill that Great Commission to tell others about the Spirit who is within us.
The kind of relationship God wants from us can be demonstrated in the following story. "There was a little church in Scotland which years ago as the ushers were returning to the altar with the offering plates, a little boy sitting next to the aisle tugged at the sleeve of one of the men and whispered,"Please put the plate down on the floor."
Bewildered, the usher obeyed.
Then the boy preceded to step into the plate. This was his way of saying to Jesus "I I give my whole self to you, not only the money in my pocket, but my time, my strength, my whole life."
This boy was Robert Moffat, the great missionary to Africa and the father-in-law of David Livingstone."
Are you willing to step into the offering plate so to speak? To give us yourself so that the Spirit of God can rest in you and then you can proclaim that Spirit to the world?
Amen
Written by Pastor Tim Zingale
Matthew 28:16-20
"The Trinity"
16* ¶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.
17* And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted.
18* And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19* Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20* teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."RSV
As many of you know, I had my internship in Wisconsin at Chippewa Falls, near Eau Claire, we have returned there many times to visit with friends. As we travel through Minnesota, one of the towns we pass through has a court house in the middle of their square and on top of that building there is clock tower. On the tower is clock, the clock which has four faces, so no matter in which direction you are coming into that town and around that square, you can see the hands and the face of a clock, telling you what time it is. During one trip, I stopped to think whether there are four different clocks running each set of faces and hands, or whether there is one clock somehow running those four faces and hands. It is a mystery, how those faces and hands on that clock tower really work .
At the same time, a thought also popped into my mind, isn't that the same mystery we have concerning God as three persons, the Trinity. We have God, the father, creator, God, the son, the redeemer, God, the Spirit the comforter, the counselor, the one who makes us holy. We see the three faces of God, but we have only one God. Like that clock on the tower, God has three faces, but only one God. Each face of God tells us something about God. God, the father, creator tells us about the God of the universe, God who creates, God who is powerful. God, the son, Jesus, shows us the love of God, the saving, redeeming quality of God. Then we have God, the Spirit who shows us the God who is with us through all the circumstances of our lives. God the spirit ,who brings the Father and the Son into our very souls, hearts and minds.
Our gospel lesson this morning is the Great Commission. And I would like to look at just one part of those verses, actually the last part of the last verse which says: "and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age".
For it is that part of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit which I would like to look at this morning. Because it is the Holy Spirit which brings Christ to us through out the ages.
The Holy Spirit is very much misunderstood in our time. Some like to claim it as their spirit which brings them special gifts, others like to ignore it, and others can take it or leave it.
But I would like to emphasis that it is that Spirit which brings Christ, the saviour into our lives. How, I don't know! But I do know that Christ's Spirit of love, mercy and redemption is in our lives.
But sometimes we take that power of the Spirit in our lives for granted. We think of it as some sort of magic. Well, I came to church today, so everything is ok, I took communion, so I am ok for now..and on and on we could go.
The following says it well.
A pastor tells about an event that occurred in his church in Brooklyn, N.Y. "I was doing duty in the narthex, keeping the sanctuary open for visitors and meditation when a man came in and asked if he could light a candle. Before I could respond aye or nay he quickly added, "By the way, what kind of church is this?"
":Lutheran," I replied, prepared to define it and candles a bit more precisely, when he smiled and said, ''Not that it makes any difference. I don't favor any particular kind of religion. Whenever I pass a church I like to light a candle and plug into the divine. Any God will do !!"
Plug into the Divine, like it is magic, a kind of pill that will keep us save and sound.
But being in the Spirit is more than magic, it takes commitment. Since Jesus was willing to give His life for us, doesn't He deserve more than our passing fancy with Him and the Spirit? Doesn't he deserve more than our being plugged in when it suits us or reassures us?
In John Brokhoff's book ,Jesus...Who on page 29 he says, "To have the Spirit is to have God in us, in our hearts, minds and persons. God is not to be found in nature, only evidence of his reality. God is not to be found in social events or historical acts. We I can see only evidence of God. You see, God is a Spirit and only a human can have the Spirit. A human is body and soul. The soul is within the body. Within the soul is the Spirit .The soul is like a container for the Spirit. In the person of the Spirit, God is truly with us and in us."
What Brokhoff is saying is that God can only be found in us, period. So we need to be committed to have the Spirit, to have God within us, to have the Spirit within us. Then we can fulfill that Great Commission to tell others about the Spirit who is within us.
The kind of relationship God wants from us can be demonstrated in the following story. "There was a little church in Scotland which years ago as the ushers were returning to the altar with the offering plates, a little boy sitting next to the aisle tugged at the sleeve of one of the men and whispered,"Please put the plate down on the floor."
Bewildered, the usher obeyed.
Then the boy preceded to step into the plate. This was his way of saying to Jesus "I I give my whole self to you, not only the money in my pocket, but my time, my strength, my whole life."
This boy was Robert Moffat, the great missionary to Africa and the father-in-law of David Livingstone."
Are you willing to step into the offering plate so to speak? To give us yourself so that the Spirit of God can rest in you and then you can proclaim that Spirit to the world?
Amen
Written by Pastor Tim Zingale
Monday, April 14, 2008
5th Sunday of Easter Sermon
Fifth Sunday of Easter
John 14:1-14
"What Do You You Want From From Life? "
1* ¶ "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.
2* In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
3* And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
4* ¶ And you know the way where I am going."
5* Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?"
6* Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.
7* If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him."
8* Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied."
9* Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
10* Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves.
12* ¶ "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.
13* Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son;
14 if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. RSV
Grace and Peace to you from our Lord Jesus, the Christ.
Have you ever thought about what you really want out of life? To some that may sound like a strange question, because of course every one knows what they want from life. The good old American Dream, a house, a nice family, a car, and enough money to live a comfortable life.
But is that what you really want out of life?
Maybe the three pictures concerning life might help you answer that question. These were taken from Pastor Valbracht book, Embalmed Alive.
''The French painter Broulette painted series of three pictures in which he tried to depict what he saw as contemporary life.
In the first picture he shows a frantic man searching for some important piece of paper. The room in which he is searching is in shambles. Drawers were opened, papers are flung all over. Beds torn apart, pictures pulled off the wall with the backs torn off. And following the person around the room is the figure of the devil holding the missing paper high above the head of the one who is desperately searching, searching for the missing paper.
This painting shows us people, as they try to find that one magic or ideal thing, place, person, or project that will bring happiness into their lives. It shows people searching restlessly for something to make life happy. Maybe that missing paper will never be found, but along the way many others are things are tried booze, pills, sexual excitement, local gossip, we could go on and on, but happiness is never found.
The second painting shows a haggard man in a large field digging with a spade. Behind him are numerous holes that he has already dug, and beside each hole is a box with the covers open; and the boxes are all empty.
This picture shows a person searching for goals in life, but never really finding one that makes him/her happy. The person is always looking for something bigger and better. If I only had this if I only had that, then my life would be complete. I'll work to build a grand home, then its a house by the lake, then its a trip to Europe, then its, on and on, but never ever finally arriving at something, someone that makes that person happy. Life is always pushing, pulling that person in a new direction, there is never a moment to enjoy what one has.
The third picture is that of a man bound and gagged and tied in a chair, while his terror-stricken eyes watch a thief rob his room of all his valuables.
This picture shows a person's futile attempt to find happiness through things, possessions in life.
Our gospel lesson this morning gives an answer to that question about what do I really want out of life.
Jesus says:
¶ And you know the way where I am going."
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?"
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. RSV
In our gospel lesson this morning, Jesus says he is the way, the truth and life. What we really need and want out of life is to follow Jesus, it is as simple as that. We need to let the guiding principle of grace guide us and then all the other stuff of life will fall into place.
If we follow Jesus, then a certain contentment will follow, we won't have to be searching for things, or digging to find treasure or be afraid of being robbed of our possessions, for we will know and understand that in the large scale of things, these are not as important as our relationship with Jesus Christ.
A poem says: "Do not look forward to what might happen tomorrow. The same Everlasting Father, who cares for us today will take of care of you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at Peace then, and put aside all anxious thought and imaginations."
With Jesus as our way and truth and life, we can walk confidently into the future, knowing that He is with us to guide us. It does not matter that we might not know the way, or that we think He is leading us on the wrong path, but we must have faith that He is leading us, period.
Professor Gerhard Frost of Luther College tells this story:
'Imagine you are walking through your neighborhood and you pass a house where the family is loading the car to go on vacation. There are three children all under the age of 5 in the mini van waiting eagerly for Mom and Dad to finish the last minute details.
You walk up to the mini van, poke your head in the window and ask: "Where are you going?" They don't know. "What highway are you taking?" Wide-eyed they say they have no idea "Where are you going to have supper tonight?" Again no idea. Then you ask: "With whom are you going?" Their eyes brighten, "With Daddy and Mommy, of course!!" They answer!!
They didn't know exactly where they were going, they didn't know the way, they didn't know where they would eat or sleep, but with whom they were going that they knew. That was all that mattered. They were going with Mommy and Daddy and Mommy and Daddy would take care of them, would provide for them would bring them to their final destination.
God doesn't tell us all the answers about where we are going on the road of life, He doesn't tell us all the details about how we will be taken care of, or what might happen to us along the way, but he does give us himself in the form of his son, Jesus Christ, to be our guide, the guide who leads the way, because Christ said, "I am the way, and the truth and the life."
A closing poem says it well:
"May the strength of God pilot me
May the power of God preserve me
May the wisdom of God instruct me
May the hand of God protect me
May the way of God direct me
May the shield of God defend me
May the host of God guard me against the snare of the evil one and
the temptations of this world.
May Christ be with me Christ before me, Christ in me Christ over me,
May your salvation, O Lord, be always mine this day and forever more. "
Author Unknown
Christ said, "I am the way, and the truth and the life."
Amen
Written by Pastor Tim Zingale
You may freely use this but please give credit. Not for commercial use.
John 14:1-14
"What Do You You Want From From Life? "
1* ¶ "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.
2* In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
3* And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
4* ¶ And you know the way where I am going."
5* Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?"
6* Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.
7* If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him."
8* Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied."
9* Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
10* Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves.
12* ¶ "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.
13* Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son;
14 if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. RSV
Grace and Peace to you from our Lord Jesus, the Christ.
Have you ever thought about what you really want out of life? To some that may sound like a strange question, because of course every one knows what they want from life. The good old American Dream, a house, a nice family, a car, and enough money to live a comfortable life.
But is that what you really want out of life?
Maybe the three pictures concerning life might help you answer that question. These were taken from Pastor Valbracht book, Embalmed Alive.
''The French painter Broulette painted series of three pictures in which he tried to depict what he saw as contemporary life.
In the first picture he shows a frantic man searching for some important piece of paper. The room in which he is searching is in shambles. Drawers were opened, papers are flung all over. Beds torn apart, pictures pulled off the wall with the backs torn off. And following the person around the room is the figure of the devil holding the missing paper high above the head of the one who is desperately searching, searching for the missing paper.
This painting shows us people, as they try to find that one magic or ideal thing, place, person, or project that will bring happiness into their lives. It shows people searching restlessly for something to make life happy. Maybe that missing paper will never be found, but along the way many others are things are tried booze, pills, sexual excitement, local gossip, we could go on and on, but happiness is never found.
The second painting shows a haggard man in a large field digging with a spade. Behind him are numerous holes that he has already dug, and beside each hole is a box with the covers open; and the boxes are all empty.
This picture shows a person searching for goals in life, but never really finding one that makes him/her happy. The person is always looking for something bigger and better. If I only had this if I only had that, then my life would be complete. I'll work to build a grand home, then its a house by the lake, then its a trip to Europe, then its, on and on, but never ever finally arriving at something, someone that makes that person happy. Life is always pushing, pulling that person in a new direction, there is never a moment to enjoy what one has.
The third picture is that of a man bound and gagged and tied in a chair, while his terror-stricken eyes watch a thief rob his room of all his valuables.
This picture shows a person's futile attempt to find happiness through things, possessions in life.
Our gospel lesson this morning gives an answer to that question about what do I really want out of life.
Jesus says:
¶ And you know the way where I am going."
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?"
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. RSV
In our gospel lesson this morning, Jesus says he is the way, the truth and life. What we really need and want out of life is to follow Jesus, it is as simple as that. We need to let the guiding principle of grace guide us and then all the other stuff of life will fall into place.
If we follow Jesus, then a certain contentment will follow, we won't have to be searching for things, or digging to find treasure or be afraid of being robbed of our possessions, for we will know and understand that in the large scale of things, these are not as important as our relationship with Jesus Christ.
A poem says: "Do not look forward to what might happen tomorrow. The same Everlasting Father, who cares for us today will take of care of you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at Peace then, and put aside all anxious thought and imaginations."
With Jesus as our way and truth and life, we can walk confidently into the future, knowing that He is with us to guide us. It does not matter that we might not know the way, or that we think He is leading us on the wrong path, but we must have faith that He is leading us, period.
Professor Gerhard Frost of Luther College tells this story:
'Imagine you are walking through your neighborhood and you pass a house where the family is loading the car to go on vacation. There are three children all under the age of 5 in the mini van waiting eagerly for Mom and Dad to finish the last minute details.
You walk up to the mini van, poke your head in the window and ask: "Where are you going?" They don't know. "What highway are you taking?" Wide-eyed they say they have no idea "Where are you going to have supper tonight?" Again no idea. Then you ask: "With whom are you going?" Their eyes brighten, "With Daddy and Mommy, of course!!" They answer!!
They didn't know exactly where they were going, they didn't know the way, they didn't know where they would eat or sleep, but with whom they were going that they knew. That was all that mattered. They were going with Mommy and Daddy and Mommy and Daddy would take care of them, would provide for them would bring them to their final destination.
God doesn't tell us all the answers about where we are going on the road of life, He doesn't tell us all the details about how we will be taken care of, or what might happen to us along the way, but he does give us himself in the form of his son, Jesus Christ, to be our guide, the guide who leads the way, because Christ said, "I am the way, and the truth and the life."
A closing poem says it well:
"May the strength of God pilot me
May the power of God preserve me
May the wisdom of God instruct me
May the hand of God protect me
May the way of God direct me
May the shield of God defend me
May the host of God guard me against the snare of the evil one and
the temptations of this world.
May Christ be with me Christ before me, Christ in me Christ over me,
May your salvation, O Lord, be always mine this day and forever more. "
Author Unknown
Christ said, "I am the way, and the truth and the life."
Amen
Written by Pastor Tim Zingale
You may freely use this but please give credit. Not for commercial use.
Monday, March 31, 2008
3rd Sunday of Easter Sermon
3rd Sunday Easter
Luke. 24:13-35
"Eye Openers"
13* That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem,
14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.
15* While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.
16* But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
17* And he said to them, “What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad.
18* Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19* And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,
20* and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.
21* But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened.
22* Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning
23 and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.
24* Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see.”
25* And he said to them, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
26* Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”
27* And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
28* So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further,
29* but they constrained him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them.
30* When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them.
31* And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight.
32* They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?”
33* And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them,
34* who said, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”
35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. RSV
Grace and peace to you from our risen saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. amen
Our gospel lesson this, morning is the well known story of the two followers of Jesus who journey to Emmaus on Easter evening discussing the events of the 3 previous days. As one reads this lesson, one is struck with how different moods are in this .story.
In the beginning of story, the mood of these two men is one of being downcast and of being in despair. When the stranger approaches them and asks them what they are talking about, the text says they stand still, and,looking sad they explain to this stranger what has happened. These men were sad because of friend of theirs, Jesus ~ Nazareth had been crucified and lay moldering in a tomb, they believed.
'They were sad because they believed this man was a special person; one who might have come from God. I imagine they thought about all the miracles Jesus did, all the people he healed, all the perplexing ,questions he confronted the scribes and pharisees with, all the statement he made about being the Son of Man. They were sad because they had traveled with this man for some 3years, they got to know.. him real well. They saw him cry when a mutual. friend Lazarus ,died.
They saw him enjoy himself at a party for a bride and groom. He even made more wine for the party so that the groom would not be feel bad because he had not planned ahead for so many people. 'They saw him become angry, with a righteous angry at the deplorable things that were going on in the temple in God's name. He.became so angry at all the corruption, that he threw over tables and chased out those who were cheating the people. Yes, these men were sad because their friend who they had come to know real well was dead, they would not have his friendship any longer.
They were sad because they had heard some confusing news as they were ready to leave Jerusalem that morning Some news that the body cf their friend, Jesus, was
missing from the grave. They were .sad because they could not understand who would want to take his body, for what purpose. Yes these men were sad, so sad in fact that they walked slowly, with heads bowed down, with their eyes looking down, walking in a hunched over position, like they were carrying all the weight o the world on their shoulders. .
As they talked to this stranger who approaches them out of what seems to be no where, this stranger can sense in their conversation a sense of despair,
especially when they say, "But we had hoped' that he was the one to redeem Israel." 'These two men were in a state of despair, because they had hopes dreams for this leader, this friend of, theirs. They had hoped they had dared to. believe, this might be one man to bring their nation out of slavery, out of bondage, out of the hands of the Romans. They believed this might be the man to restore to the nation of Israel to its own destiny. They had hoped he would be the Messiah, the one whom they had been waiting for,to come from God for years, for centuries. But, after they saw him die. on the cross, after they helped put him in the tomb, after they saw the large boulder rolled in front of the opening to the tomb, all of these hopes, all of these dreams were dashed to bits, dashed to pieces.So yes they were in a state of despair, in a state of hopelessness.
This stranger who walked with these two men, could see their sadness, feel their despair, could sense in their conversation their.hopelessness, their sense of failure, their confusion, their grief about their friend, this Jesus of Nazareth.
Then this stranger begin to..talk he tells them they are foolish, because they don't understand about the-ways of God that was. explained in Moses and the prophets. He tells them that the Christ, the Messiah, should suffer all of these things because that. was the only way he could enter into his glory. He explains the plan of salvation that God laid out in scripture, which is the Old Testament. He.explains I would imagine, that all was not lost, there is still hope. He must have done a convincing job, because when they drew near to the village, the two me ask this stranger to stay with them to stay and have supper and to stay with them the
night.
Their mood of sadness and despair were changing because of this man and what he had said to them. they wanted more, they wanted to understand more about what
he was talking about. So they asked him to stay.
Then it happened They went into an inn to eat supper, they sat down together, and Jesus taking the common ordinary elements of most meals into his hands bread and wine, broke the bread and was ready to bless the wine, when these two men discovered who He was, their friend, Jesus. Their eyes had been opened. They would now see. Jesus had broken bread gave it to them and now they could see. The text says that they could now even understand all he was telling them as they walked with him. Their mood changed from one of sadness and despair, to one of joy, to one of hopefulness, to one of excitement, to one of amazement, to one of excitement. The text said they arose that same hour and. went back to' Jerusalem. I imagine they didn't walk, back slowly, with heads bowed and eyes fixed upon the ground, they walked, almost ran back to tell their other friends about what had happed,to tell the others that Jesus had risen, that Jesus had done what he promised. They went' back with a complete different mood. They were now happy, they were excited, they were hopeful.about the future, they knew they were no longer alone, their friend, their teacher their Saviour was alive and with them. They were now excited, happy and amazed. .They had their eyes opened
Our eyes can be opened too. When come to worship with all brokenness of this world shutting our eyes to 'God's love, we .can come here to have them opened, to see again his great love for us. Many of us enter God's house with the same kind of sadness and despair that the men who walked the Emmaus way did. We are sad because of grief, pain, hurts, broken relationships that we encounter everyday in our lives. We come in a state of despair because of our failure to live up to our own expectations or those of others. We come in despair because life has not gone the way we wanted, or the way we expected. We come with all the weight of the world on us, not fully knowing if we can bear up or if we want to bear up.
To all of this Jesus comes to us through the scripture and explains to. us each Sunday that he is our God, he is the one who suffered and can release us from our burdens, can help us carry our loads, can lead us down the path of life. He opens our eyes to the miracle of Easter that says he is risen for us, he is. with us, we are not alone in this world, but we have a Saviour who walk with us, who cares about us who loves us very much.
Yes, Jesus opens our eyes, puts a burning feeling in our hearts as we listen to his words and the stories about him each time we come to, his house to worship him.
But he doesn't stop there. He comes to us in a meal like he came to the men at the inn in Emmaus. He comes to. us with the breaking of bread and drinking wine assuring us that he is risen that he has conquered death, that he is with us, that he is in our very bodies and souls.
As we come to eat and drink this- morning, Jesus is opening our eyes to his presence with us, he is showing us in a very dramatic way, in a very physical way that he is the risen lord of our lives'. Jesus is opening our eyes this morning-to the reality of the resurrection. He is changing our moods .from the sadness and despair of' this world, to the joy and excitement that we have a, risen Lord who cares I loves and comforts his children with not only his words but with his very presence. Today we encounter
,our Saviour who brings joy and love into our lives.
He comes and tells us and shows us we.are not alone, we have him, we heed his invitation to participate in this meal, to partake of his presence, to partake of his 'body to drink his blood, to take his very being into our bodies and souls. We 'take him with us 'into our everyday world, to take him with us into our reality of pain, suffering, guilt, broken relationships and our hurts and to our sorrow.Yes our eyes are open this morning to the .excitement ,of the risen Lord in our lives.
Jesus comes to us this morning and assures us he is our risen lord, he is with us in our everyday world, he is the lord of our everyday life.
amen
Luke. 24:13-35
"Eye Openers"
13* That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem,
14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.
15* While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.
16* But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
17* And he said to them, “What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad.
18* Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19* And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,
20* and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.
21* But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened.
22* Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning
23 and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.
24* Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see.”
25* And he said to them, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
26* Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”
27* And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
28* So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further,
29* but they constrained him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them.
30* When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them.
31* And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight.
32* They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?”
33* And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them,
34* who said, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”
35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. RSV
Grace and peace to you from our risen saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. amen
Our gospel lesson this, morning is the well known story of the two followers of Jesus who journey to Emmaus on Easter evening discussing the events of the 3 previous days. As one reads this lesson, one is struck with how different moods are in this .story.
In the beginning of story, the mood of these two men is one of being downcast and of being in despair. When the stranger approaches them and asks them what they are talking about, the text says they stand still, and,looking sad they explain to this stranger what has happened. These men were sad because of friend of theirs, Jesus ~ Nazareth had been crucified and lay moldering in a tomb, they believed.
'They were sad because they believed this man was a special person; one who might have come from God. I imagine they thought about all the miracles Jesus did, all the people he healed, all the perplexing ,questions he confronted the scribes and pharisees with, all the statement he made about being the Son of Man. They were sad because they had traveled with this man for some 3years, they got to know.. him real well. They saw him cry when a mutual. friend Lazarus ,died.
They saw him enjoy himself at a party for a bride and groom. He even made more wine for the party so that the groom would not be feel bad because he had not planned ahead for so many people. 'They saw him become angry, with a righteous angry at the deplorable things that were going on in the temple in God's name. He.became so angry at all the corruption, that he threw over tables and chased out those who were cheating the people. Yes, these men were sad because their friend who they had come to know real well was dead, they would not have his friendship any longer.
They were sad because they had heard some confusing news as they were ready to leave Jerusalem that morning Some news that the body cf their friend, Jesus, was
missing from the grave. They were .sad because they could not understand who would want to take his body, for what purpose. Yes these men were sad, so sad in fact that they walked slowly, with heads bowed down, with their eyes looking down, walking in a hunched over position, like they were carrying all the weight o the world on their shoulders. .
As they talked to this stranger who approaches them out of what seems to be no where, this stranger can sense in their conversation a sense of despair,
especially when they say, "But we had hoped' that he was the one to redeem Israel." 'These two men were in a state of despair, because they had hopes dreams for this leader, this friend of, theirs. They had hoped they had dared to. believe, this might be one man to bring their nation out of slavery, out of bondage, out of the hands of the Romans. They believed this might be the man to restore to the nation of Israel to its own destiny. They had hoped he would be the Messiah, the one whom they had been waiting for,to come from God for years, for centuries. But, after they saw him die. on the cross, after they helped put him in the tomb, after they saw the large boulder rolled in front of the opening to the tomb, all of these hopes, all of these dreams were dashed to bits, dashed to pieces.So yes they were in a state of despair, in a state of hopelessness.
This stranger who walked with these two men, could see their sadness, feel their despair, could sense in their conversation their.hopelessness, their sense of failure, their confusion, their grief about their friend, this Jesus of Nazareth.
Then this stranger begin to..talk he tells them they are foolish, because they don't understand about the-ways of God that was. explained in Moses and the prophets. He tells them that the Christ, the Messiah, should suffer all of these things because that. was the only way he could enter into his glory. He explains the plan of salvation that God laid out in scripture, which is the Old Testament. He.explains I would imagine, that all was not lost, there is still hope. He must have done a convincing job, because when they drew near to the village, the two me ask this stranger to stay with them to stay and have supper and to stay with them the
night.
Their mood of sadness and despair were changing because of this man and what he had said to them. they wanted more, they wanted to understand more about what
he was talking about. So they asked him to stay.
Then it happened They went into an inn to eat supper, they sat down together, and Jesus taking the common ordinary elements of most meals into his hands bread and wine, broke the bread and was ready to bless the wine, when these two men discovered who He was, their friend, Jesus. Their eyes had been opened. They would now see. Jesus had broken bread gave it to them and now they could see. The text says that they could now even understand all he was telling them as they walked with him. Their mood changed from one of sadness and despair, to one of joy, to one of hopefulness, to one of excitement, to one of amazement, to one of excitement. The text said they arose that same hour and. went back to' Jerusalem. I imagine they didn't walk, back slowly, with heads bowed and eyes fixed upon the ground, they walked, almost ran back to tell their other friends about what had happed,to tell the others that Jesus had risen, that Jesus had done what he promised. They went' back with a complete different mood. They were now happy, they were excited, they were hopeful.about the future, they knew they were no longer alone, their friend, their teacher their Saviour was alive and with them. They were now excited, happy and amazed. .They had their eyes opened
Our eyes can be opened too. When come to worship with all brokenness of this world shutting our eyes to 'God's love, we .can come here to have them opened, to see again his great love for us. Many of us enter God's house with the same kind of sadness and despair that the men who walked the Emmaus way did. We are sad because of grief, pain, hurts, broken relationships that we encounter everyday in our lives. We come in a state of despair because of our failure to live up to our own expectations or those of others. We come in despair because life has not gone the way we wanted, or the way we expected. We come with all the weight of the world on us, not fully knowing if we can bear up or if we want to bear up.
To all of this Jesus comes to us through the scripture and explains to. us each Sunday that he is our God, he is the one who suffered and can release us from our burdens, can help us carry our loads, can lead us down the path of life. He opens our eyes to the miracle of Easter that says he is risen for us, he is. with us, we are not alone in this world, but we have a Saviour who walk with us, who cares about us who loves us very much.
Yes, Jesus opens our eyes, puts a burning feeling in our hearts as we listen to his words and the stories about him each time we come to, his house to worship him.
But he doesn't stop there. He comes to us in a meal like he came to the men at the inn in Emmaus. He comes to. us with the breaking of bread and drinking wine assuring us that he is risen that he has conquered death, that he is with us, that he is in our very bodies and souls.
As we come to eat and drink this- morning, Jesus is opening our eyes to his presence with us, he is showing us in a very dramatic way, in a very physical way that he is the risen lord of our lives'. Jesus is opening our eyes this morning-to the reality of the resurrection. He is changing our moods .from the sadness and despair of' this world, to the joy and excitement that we have a, risen Lord who cares I loves and comforts his children with not only his words but with his very presence. Today we encounter
,our Saviour who brings joy and love into our lives.
He comes and tells us and shows us we.are not alone, we have him, we heed his invitation to participate in this meal, to partake of his presence, to partake of his 'body to drink his blood, to take his very being into our bodies and souls. We 'take him with us 'into our everyday world, to take him with us into our reality of pain, suffering, guilt, broken relationships and our hurts and to our sorrow.Yes our eyes are open this morning to the .excitement ,of the risen Lord in our lives.
Jesus comes to us this morning and assures us he is our risen lord, he is with us in our everyday world, he is the lord of our everyday life.
amen
Monday, March 17, 2008
Easter Sermon
Easter Sunday
Matthew 28:1-10
It is Easter today, and next Sunday
1* ¶ Now after the sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulcher.
2* And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.
3* His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.
4* And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.
5* But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
6* He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
7* Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. Lo, I have told you."
8* So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
9* And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Hail!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."
Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the risen Christ. Amen
' A preacher was telling the story about the death, burial and resurrection of Christ to a group of children. He asked, "What did Jesus say when he came forth from the grave"? He was trying to make the point that he didn't need to say anything, that his wondrous miracle said more than words could ever say. A young lady however insisted that she knew what Jesus said. The preacher finally asked her to tell him what Jesus said. She smiled widely and said, "Ta Dah!"
Now I don't know that Jesus actually said, if anything at all, but from a human standpoint I can imagine the excitement of just defying death and just perhaps Jesus doing something like that, (in part because I believe that Jesus had a human side as well as a sense of humor).
We are entering into a time of the year at which most of the religious world celebrates "Easter". It might surprise some of you to know that our church doesn't do that. I know that it is hard for you to imagine someone claiming to be a Christian and yet not celebrating this very special day. Yet for us, it is no different than any other Sunday.
You see, the Bible tells us to come together the first day of each week to worship God. The early church did just that, Jesus told the early church to remember his death, burial and resurrection through the partaking of "The Lord's Supper" or "Communion" whenever they met that way, (Matthew 26:26-29). The early church is seen coming together on the first day of every week to "break bread" or to partake of the Lord's Supper, (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 11:23-30, 16:1-2).
In other words, we don't need one special Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of the "Savior of the World". We do it each and every "First day of the Week", every "Sunday". I know that some of you may ask the question, "Won't doing that make it something that is no longer special? My answer is no, not at all, it is a continual reminder of the sacrifice Christ on our behalf. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:26, "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye proclaim the Lord's death till he comes." Not only his death, but his resurrection, because that is part of what the Gospel is all about, (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
I don't know about you, but remembering "The Great Ta Dah" every week is great thing and a great comfort to me. My prayer is that you will see past the "pomp and circumstance" that so many heap upon this one special day of the year and understand that it is something you can participate in every Sunday with the same sense of awe.' (1)
This is Easter Sunday the special day that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, but at the same time it is like any other Sunday as each Sunday we come to this place to celebrate the risen Lord. For each Sunday is special in that regard. The first day of the week we come to celebrate the resurrection, the good news of the gospel that Jesus Christ as risen from the dead. For that is the good news we proclaim each Sunday. There is no other reason for us to gather together than that good news of the gospel that Jesus broke the bond of death and gives to each one who believes in him the hope and the power of the resurrection.
We celebrate that TA Dah power of the resurrection each time we come here to worship. Today is special because it is Easter Sunday, but it not very much different from nest Sunday and the next and the next. The Ta Dah moment of Jesus resurrection is the only reason we come to worship each Sunday. The glorious good news of the gospel is celebrate each Sunday in a different message but with the same proclamation of the good news that Jesus Christ has risen.
Jesus Christ has risen. He has risen indeed.
Can you imagine what was going on the depth of hell as Jesus lay on that stone bed on Saturday following Good Friday? Can you imagine what the devil was saying to Captain Sepulcher as they try to hod Jesus in the bond of death.
Listen: I hear terrible Captain Sepulcher and his standard bearer Corruption talking over the situation on the night that Jesus Christ was buried.
Listen: Corruption says to Sepulcher,"Hold fast to that Man in Joseph's tomb. There is a rumor that He proposes to break forth, break out from the grave; do not let Him go until I can securely lay a hold of Him.
But Corruption fails to touch Him during all those hours in the tomb.
Listen: Hell cries out, "Hold fast to that Man. Hold Him, if he comes out He will make a hole in the walls of death through which all prisoners of Hell will escape. Hold him Captain Sepulcher, if you let this man go, you are not Satan's friend.
Listen: I hear the seal break, I hear the watch of death slip away ! I hear the grip of death breaking it's hold. I hear the door of the tomb open.
Listen: I hear terrible Captain Sepulcher try to tighten his grip upon this man, but he cries out in vain, "I cannot hold him, I cannot hold him. "
Listen: I hear a rustling, a moving, I hear the sounds of new life, I hear the sounds of death moved aside for the eternal sounds of life, wholeness. I hear the sounds of the Easter Resurrection, I hear, I see, I am convinced that Jesus is alive !!
JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN.....HE IS RISEN INDEED!!
Captain Sepulcher and the death could not hold Jesus that Saturday night. He broke the bonds of death and rose that Easter morning just as he said he would.
Jesus rose and we celebrate that fact each Sunday when we come and worship. There is no other reason for us to worship than to celebrate the fact that Jesus broke the bond of death that Captain Sepulcher could not hold him in that tomb. Jesus broke that grip and tells us that we too an break the bond of death in our lives.
We become changed people because of Easter resurrection. Because of the resurrection we no longer fear death but wait for the reward of eternity that Jesus gave to us through his resurrection.
We are like the butterfly in the following:
Two butterflies - colorful and majestic monarchs - sat side by side on a tree limb. Beside them was the ruptured cocoon from which they'd just emerged. "Come fly with me," said the one.
"Caterpillars can't fly,"said the other.
"But we're not caterpillars anymore," said the first, flexing his new wings, stretching then their full span till they looked like magnificently crafted stained glass windows.
"Those caterpillar days are gone forever."
"Don't be silly," said the other. "We were born caterpillars and we'll always be caterpillars. That's the way it is."
"Well, then, why did the Maker see fit to give us there wings?" said the one.
The other butterfly thought for a moment and then replied,"I don't know. Some sort of cruel joke, I suppose. He did the same thing to the ostrich, you know."
"Nonsense!" said the first. "Look at all the other butterflies. They're fly-ing. What do you say to that?"
The second butterfly looked out over the meadow and said, "They're not flying. they're just being blown about by the wind. Stupid of them,too. Can't they see it's dangerous? Easy prey for hungry birds and, when they land, mischievous children as well. I'll stick to crawling and climbing, thank you very much. It may be slow, but it's safe and sure."
"it may be slow and safe and sure but it's.....well, it's unnatural. Butterflies fly!!!
That's the way the maker made us. That's our role, our function, our fit: to dance on the wings of the air; to play tag with dandelions seeds; to soar; to dart; to float; to light on a single blade of grass to the delight of all who see;to inspire awe and wonder; to fascinate; to add a note of grace to this world's dreary song." (2)
In a sense we were born to be caterpillars, to crawl upon th earth, but through the power of the resurrection, we become like that butterfly free to fly, free to be all that God intended us to be. Through the resurrection we celebrate each Sunday, we become changed people, people who are free from the bonds of death, free to feel the power of the resurrection in our lives.
Each time to come here to celebrate the resurrection, each time we come here to partake in the bread and wine, we feel for a moment, a brief moment the power of the resurrection in our lives. For it is here we receive a foretaste, nibble of what the resurrection will be like when we leave this earth and join Jesus in the heavenly mansions.
Each time we come here to celebrate the resurrection, each time we hear the word proclaimed, we have that foretaste of what the resurrection will be like.
We are butterfly people, people flying in the hope and the assurance of the resurrection to come as we believe in the power of Jesus resurrection.
"An elderly woman made her living selling artificial fruit. One day a customer complained the fruit she sold was not realistic enough. She pointed to an apple, saying it was too red, too round, and too big to be a real apple. At that point the artificial fruit lady picked up the apple and proceeded to eat it.
Jesus is the real McCoy. He really did rise from the grave. He is alive. He is listening to our prayers. He is always open for business when that business deals with the human heart in need of a shepherd's guidance and love.
George Bernard Shaw, the famous playwright, was handed a newly written play by a fledgling playwright. Shaw was asked to give the young man a criticism of his work a few days later. "How do you like it?" asked the author. "I fell asleep reading it," said Shaw. "Sleep is my comment on your work."
No one fell asleep or yawned that night when the Prince of Peace, the Prince of Power and the Lord of Love appeared in their midst. Christianity is real. Christianity is alive. Christianity is anything but boring. Let us all wake up and smell the roses. Let us resolve to live our lives as if Jesus were a guest in our homes, workplaces and businesses. The truth is that the Lord is here, there, and everywhere. He is alive. His is our Risen Lord to whom we offer our discipleship with love.
The song goes, "They'll know we are Christians by our love." Let us be about our Father's business as we serve him with joy. Let us show and tell others the good news of the gospel.
It is God to whom and with whom we travel, and while He is the End of our journey, He is also at every stopping place. "(3)
It is Easter today and next Sunday and the next and the next!
Jesus Christ is risen, He is risen indeed.
Amen
Written by Pastor Tim Zingale March 17, 2008
You may freely use this but please give credit. Not for commercial use.
(1) Russ Lawson
Messages From The Heart (http://www.mfth.net)
from thought for the day
(2) Mark Radecke in "In Chirst: A New Creation"
(3) Elisabeth Elliot from Living Life God's Way
"You can't always beat what is difficult in your life. Sometimes you have to let it win and shout hallelujah anyhow."
Bebe More Campbell
Home pages
http://www.dodgenet.com/~tzingale/SermonIllst.html
main sermon and illustration page
http://www.dodgenet.com/~tzingale/St_Olaf.html
St Olaf Lutheran Church Fort Dodge (where I am a member)
Join my yahoo group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tzingalesermons
"You can't always beat what is difficult in your life. Sometimes you have to let it win and shout hallelujah anyhow."
Bebe More Campbell
Matthew 28:1-10
It is Easter today, and next Sunday
1* ¶ Now after the sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulcher.
2* And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.
3* His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.
4* And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.
5* But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
6* He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
7* Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. Lo, I have told you."
8* So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
9* And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Hail!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."
Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the risen Christ. Amen
' A preacher was telling the story about the death, burial and resurrection of Christ to a group of children. He asked, "What did Jesus say when he came forth from the grave"? He was trying to make the point that he didn't need to say anything, that his wondrous miracle said more than words could ever say. A young lady however insisted that she knew what Jesus said. The preacher finally asked her to tell him what Jesus said. She smiled widely and said, "Ta Dah!"
Now I don't know that Jesus actually said, if anything at all, but from a human standpoint I can imagine the excitement of just defying death and just perhaps Jesus doing something like that, (in part because I believe that Jesus had a human side as well as a sense of humor).
We are entering into a time of the year at which most of the religious world celebrates "Easter". It might surprise some of you to know that our church doesn't do that. I know that it is hard for you to imagine someone claiming to be a Christian and yet not celebrating this very special day. Yet for us, it is no different than any other Sunday.
You see, the Bible tells us to come together the first day of each week to worship God. The early church did just that, Jesus told the early church to remember his death, burial and resurrection through the partaking of "The Lord's Supper" or "Communion" whenever they met that way, (Matthew 26:26-29). The early church is seen coming together on the first day of every week to "break bread" or to partake of the Lord's Supper, (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 11:23-30, 16:1-2).
In other words, we don't need one special Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of the "Savior of the World". We do it each and every "First day of the Week", every "Sunday". I know that some of you may ask the question, "Won't doing that make it something that is no longer special? My answer is no, not at all, it is a continual reminder of the sacrifice Christ on our behalf. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:26, "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye proclaim the Lord's death till he comes." Not only his death, but his resurrection, because that is part of what the Gospel is all about, (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
I don't know about you, but remembering "The Great Ta Dah" every week is great thing and a great comfort to me. My prayer is that you will see past the "pomp and circumstance" that so many heap upon this one special day of the year and understand that it is something you can participate in every Sunday with the same sense of awe.' (1)
This is Easter Sunday the special day that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, but at the same time it is like any other Sunday as each Sunday we come to this place to celebrate the risen Lord. For each Sunday is special in that regard. The first day of the week we come to celebrate the resurrection, the good news of the gospel that Jesus Christ as risen from the dead. For that is the good news we proclaim each Sunday. There is no other reason for us to gather together than that good news of the gospel that Jesus broke the bond of death and gives to each one who believes in him the hope and the power of the resurrection.
We celebrate that TA Dah power of the resurrection each time we come here to worship. Today is special because it is Easter Sunday, but it not very much different from nest Sunday and the next and the next. The Ta Dah moment of Jesus resurrection is the only reason we come to worship each Sunday. The glorious good news of the gospel is celebrate each Sunday in a different message but with the same proclamation of the good news that Jesus Christ has risen.
Jesus Christ has risen. He has risen indeed.
Can you imagine what was going on the depth of hell as Jesus lay on that stone bed on Saturday following Good Friday? Can you imagine what the devil was saying to Captain Sepulcher as they try to hod Jesus in the bond of death.
Listen: I hear terrible Captain Sepulcher and his standard bearer Corruption talking over the situation on the night that Jesus Christ was buried.
Listen: Corruption says to Sepulcher,"Hold fast to that Man in Joseph's tomb. There is a rumor that He proposes to break forth, break out from the grave; do not let Him go until I can securely lay a hold of Him.
But Corruption fails to touch Him during all those hours in the tomb.
Listen: Hell cries out, "Hold fast to that Man. Hold Him, if he comes out He will make a hole in the walls of death through which all prisoners of Hell will escape. Hold him Captain Sepulcher, if you let this man go, you are not Satan's friend.
Listen: I hear the seal break, I hear the watch of death slip away ! I hear the grip of death breaking it's hold. I hear the door of the tomb open.
Listen: I hear terrible Captain Sepulcher try to tighten his grip upon this man, but he cries out in vain, "I cannot hold him, I cannot hold him. "
Listen: I hear a rustling, a moving, I hear the sounds of new life, I hear the sounds of death moved aside for the eternal sounds of life, wholeness. I hear the sounds of the Easter Resurrection, I hear, I see, I am convinced that Jesus is alive !!
JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN.....HE IS RISEN INDEED!!
Captain Sepulcher and the death could not hold Jesus that Saturday night. He broke the bonds of death and rose that Easter morning just as he said he would.
Jesus rose and we celebrate that fact each Sunday when we come and worship. There is no other reason for us to worship than to celebrate the fact that Jesus broke the bond of death that Captain Sepulcher could not hold him in that tomb. Jesus broke that grip and tells us that we too an break the bond of death in our lives.
We become changed people because of Easter resurrection. Because of the resurrection we no longer fear death but wait for the reward of eternity that Jesus gave to us through his resurrection.
We are like the butterfly in the following:
Two butterflies - colorful and majestic monarchs - sat side by side on a tree limb. Beside them was the ruptured cocoon from which they'd just emerged. "Come fly with me," said the one.
"Caterpillars can't fly,"said the other.
"But we're not caterpillars anymore," said the first, flexing his new wings, stretching then their full span till they looked like magnificently crafted stained glass windows.
"Those caterpillar days are gone forever."
"Don't be silly," said the other. "We were born caterpillars and we'll always be caterpillars. That's the way it is."
"Well, then, why did the Maker see fit to give us there wings?" said the one.
The other butterfly thought for a moment and then replied,"I don't know. Some sort of cruel joke, I suppose. He did the same thing to the ostrich, you know."
"Nonsense!" said the first. "Look at all the other butterflies. They're fly-ing. What do you say to that?"
The second butterfly looked out over the meadow and said, "They're not flying. they're just being blown about by the wind. Stupid of them,too. Can't they see it's dangerous? Easy prey for hungry birds and, when they land, mischievous children as well. I'll stick to crawling and climbing, thank you very much. It may be slow, but it's safe and sure."
"it may be slow and safe and sure but it's.....well, it's unnatural. Butterflies fly!!!
That's the way the maker made us. That's our role, our function, our fit: to dance on the wings of the air; to play tag with dandelions seeds; to soar; to dart; to float; to light on a single blade of grass to the delight of all who see;to inspire awe and wonder; to fascinate; to add a note of grace to this world's dreary song." (2)
In a sense we were born to be caterpillars, to crawl upon th earth, but through the power of the resurrection, we become like that butterfly free to fly, free to be all that God intended us to be. Through the resurrection we celebrate each Sunday, we become changed people, people who are free from the bonds of death, free to feel the power of the resurrection in our lives.
Each time to come here to celebrate the resurrection, each time we come here to partake in the bread and wine, we feel for a moment, a brief moment the power of the resurrection in our lives. For it is here we receive a foretaste, nibble of what the resurrection will be like when we leave this earth and join Jesus in the heavenly mansions.
Each time we come here to celebrate the resurrection, each time we hear the word proclaimed, we have that foretaste of what the resurrection will be like.
We are butterfly people, people flying in the hope and the assurance of the resurrection to come as we believe in the power of Jesus resurrection.
"An elderly woman made her living selling artificial fruit. One day a customer complained the fruit she sold was not realistic enough. She pointed to an apple, saying it was too red, too round, and too big to be a real apple. At that point the artificial fruit lady picked up the apple and proceeded to eat it.
Jesus is the real McCoy. He really did rise from the grave. He is alive. He is listening to our prayers. He is always open for business when that business deals with the human heart in need of a shepherd's guidance and love.
George Bernard Shaw, the famous playwright, was handed a newly written play by a fledgling playwright. Shaw was asked to give the young man a criticism of his work a few days later. "How do you like it?" asked the author. "I fell asleep reading it," said Shaw. "Sleep is my comment on your work."
No one fell asleep or yawned that night when the Prince of Peace, the Prince of Power and the Lord of Love appeared in their midst. Christianity is real. Christianity is alive. Christianity is anything but boring. Let us all wake up and smell the roses. Let us resolve to live our lives as if Jesus were a guest in our homes, workplaces and businesses. The truth is that the Lord is here, there, and everywhere. He is alive. His is our Risen Lord to whom we offer our discipleship with love.
The song goes, "They'll know we are Christians by our love." Let us be about our Father's business as we serve him with joy. Let us show and tell others the good news of the gospel.
It is God to whom and with whom we travel, and while He is the End of our journey, He is also at every stopping place. "(3)
It is Easter today and next Sunday and the next and the next!
Jesus Christ is risen, He is risen indeed.
Amen
Written by Pastor Tim Zingale March 17, 2008
You may freely use this but please give credit. Not for commercial use.
(1) Russ Lawson
Messages From The Heart (http://www.mfth.net)
from thought for the day
(2) Mark Radecke in "In Chirst: A New Creation"
(3) Elisabeth Elliot from Living Life God's Way
"You can't always beat what is difficult in your life. Sometimes you have to let it win and shout hallelujah anyhow."
Bebe More Campbell
Home pages
http://www.dodgenet.com/~tzingale/SermonIllst.html
main sermon and illustration page
http://www.dodgenet.com/~tzingale/St_Olaf.html
St Olaf Lutheran Church Fort Dodge (where I am a member)
Join my yahoo group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tzingalesermons
"You can't always beat what is difficult in your life. Sometimes you have to let it win and shout hallelujah anyhow."
Bebe More Campbell
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