What is the relationship between Faith and Baptism? Pastor Ernie Lassman, Messiah Lutheran Church Seattle, explains the relationship between faith and baptism.

September 26, Luke 15:1-10

There once was a young lad. His name was Duncan Hines. He was not connected to the baking company. But  his name was an interesting coincidence, because he was a very well fed young man who always, always, came to school totting a large, shiny, lunch box, full of very good food. His sandwiches were the biggest tastiest in the whole school, and the desserts were simply incredible. There was another boy, in the same grade and the same class. His name was Larry. Larry wasn’t as fortunate as Duncan. He lived across the other side of town— from what you might call the wrong side of the tracks. It was actually a bit surprising to some of the parents of the solidly middle class school which he attended that the likes of Larry didn’t attend the other school on the other side of the hill. But as it so happened, Larry’s apartment block fell into the catchment area.  He and his sister were raised by foster parents, who weren’t exactly attentive to their needs. Larry would be dropped at school early—too early for an eleven year old. The school was locked, so he would hang around the front gate. Unlike Duncan, Larry didn’t come to school with a sumptuous box lunch. It would be the bare minimal, at best. But one thing he could count on was the fact that his classmate, Duncan, would be dutifully dropped off by a luxurious mini-van in front of the school.  And Duncan could count on passing by Larry on his way onto the school grounds through the gate.

Duncan never had much to do with larry. Duncan had a solid circle of friends, and tended not to move much outside of it. But Duncan knew that Larry was poor—as did the kids who made fun of him. But Duncan knew better. He knew that it was wrong to make fun of Larry. But he also knew that when he saw Larry in the morning, that this skinny kid probably didn’t have enough to eat. He expressed this concern to his parents. But they reassured him that Larry’s parents were probably on welfare and that he would be looked after.  With his conscience eased by those words, Duncan never once opened his lunch box to offer Larry anything. In fact, he did his best to ignore Larry—as he did for their remaining time together in that elementary school and junior high.

Not surprisingly, the lives of these two boys moved in quite different directions. Duncan became quite a successful businessman, and the last Duncan had heard, Larry became embroiled in drugs and petty crime. But the fact is that Duncan never really thought too much about Larry and his plight. That is until one day during a rugby match. Duncan twisted his ankle, and was admitted to the emergency room. Lying on his back on his bed in a curtained cubicle he waited for the attending physician. Then, through the curtains, the physician appeared. It took him a second or two to make the recognition. It was him: it was Larry. The recognition was mutual. Larry greeted Duncan cheerfully, and acted as if the two had been best friends in school. But Duncan was not feeling cheerful, was not joyful about the reunion. For his heart was struck with the sudden shocking memory of those lunches. As they left, it was Larry who made the offer that the two get together for lunch sometime. Duncan smiled, and hobbled off. He never contacted, or ever spoke to Larry for the rest of his life.

            Like today’s gospel lesson, this fictional story of Duncan and Larry is the tale of a divide, a story of a vast separation between a rich person and a poor person.

            The story, or parable as some scholars call, of Lazarus and the Rich Man, was well known among the ancient rabies. Some look upon it as a story about the afterlife. But it’s fundamental thrust and purpose concerns what contemporary people call “economic justice”. It is a story which has stood the test of time—a story as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago. Yes it was told in a vastly different time and place, and a very different culture. But one thing that the ancient world and the present have in common are rich people and poor people, and the great chasm which exists between them.  Generations before Christ came into the world as a human being, the prophet Amos, who we read, today  condemned  the greedy and self satisfying rich—and their lack of compassion for the poor.

            There was a great divide between the rich and poor then, during the time Christ walked the earth as a man, and there is a great divide now. And if ever a society needed to be awakened to the reality of its own idolatry, it is this one. For money is treated as a god, and is worshiped as one.  And this idolatry, or idol ownership, creates a vast separation between the worshippers of this false god, and the heart of the true God—the God who created the heavens and the earth, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God who informed the prophets, and came into the world as Jesus Christ. That is the thrust of the story. At first reading, we might think that the Jesus condemns the rich, and describes the fate of the rich in the afterlife. But this is not the case. This is not a condemnation of the rich man for being rich, but a condemnation of his  idolatry—the worship of a false god. Our Lord tells us clearly that where are hearts are, there shall our treasure be. And if our hearts are fixed on money and possessions, they cannot be fixed on the true  God, who, through Abraham made a great promise to all humanity, which filled through Jesus Christ. As our Lord said at the end of last weeks lesson, God and Money cannot be served at the same time. Either one or the other will occupy our attention. Either one or the other will be the object of worship.

 It was the rich man’s idolatry  which created the great chasm we hear about in the story. It is true, the rich man never did anything wrong to poor old Lazarus as he lay at the gate. He never kicked him or shouted at him. Yes, he never did anything wrong to him. But he never did anything right to him either.

By not giving, not sharing, not only was he not attending to the physical needs of Lazarus, but also shutting down the opportunity for relationship, closing off the possibility of connection with another human being. By keeping closed his lunch box, Duncan kept closed the possibility of friendship with Jason. To the rich man, Lazarus wasn’t even really a human being. Even in Hades, the rich man does not see that Lazarus is a beloved and precious child of God. He only sees someone who will do his bidding and be his servant. “ Send Lazarus to cool my tongue”, “Send Lazarus to my father’s house.”  The gulf is fixed as the rich man’s heart is fixed. He has dug it himself, and in the depth of his heart would prefer that it be there.

But that gulf is an ever and increasingly present reality in today’s world. I have a friend  who is studying to be an Anglican Priest. He went on internship to the Philippines and was by shaken by what he saw. The gulf between rich and poor was startling. This was particularly impressed upon him one day when he came upon a series of giant houses, mansions located nearby a local garbage dump and shanty-town. Here on the one hand were people sitting in luxury while others sifted through the garbage in hopes of the next meal. Such disparity cannot be describes as anything other than evil. As the Apostle Paul tells us today, “The Love of Money is the root of all kinds of evil”.

Throughout the gospel narratives, Jesus condemns the worship of money and material goods. Some have interpreted this to mean that Jesus is an enemy of the rich, and champion of the poor. But this is incorrect. Jesus is an enemy of idolatry, and all things that separate people from the loving heart of His Father. At the same time, Jesus is a champion of the poor, and the rich, because the mission of Jesus is to bring all people together—to draw all people into one body. In his first letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul advises how to minister to the materially wealthy. Specifically, Paul advises that the rich be reminded not to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches. How much heartbreak and pain could be avoided if people did not set their hopes on riches? We have seen were this false hope leads. Perhaps there is no better example than the financial crises that struck the United States and sent shockwaves around the world.  Pual reminds Timothy that riches are not god, and not to be worshipped as such. Materially wealthy Christians are also to be reminded of this spiritual fact. They are instead encouraged to good, be rich in good works, ready to share.  This is the path of the life that really is life. And the life that really is life is life in community, in one body.

But who are all of these rich Christians? Certain individuals may come to mind—people you may know, people you may have heard of. But we need to be reminded of that divide that exists between rich and poor is ever widening. And by world standards, your average Canadian, is, by global standards, rich. “Not me?” Some might protest. Well, do you eat three meals a day? Do you have comfortable shelter? Do you drive a car? Steady employment? Go on vacation? If so, you’re rich. You’re rich and you have resources to share with those who are poor.  It’s just that simple.

As a community in Christ we are called to share with those who are near and afar. Today is Canadian Lutheran World Relief Sunday. And I would strongly encourage you to become informed about this agency's work, and to get involved. This congregation has already been quite involved. In two instances a cry for help was sent around the world—one from Haiti, another from Pakistan. And this congregation has responded by making generous contributions to Canadian Lutheran World Relief. 

The work of CLWR began after the Second world war, when Canadian Lutherans made it their mission to send relief in the form of food, blankets, clothing, and bedding to European refugees. And that work has continued. But CLWR doesn’t simply throw money at a problem. Its guiding philosophy is one of accompaniment and sharing—both resources and knowledge, to help communities along the path of sustainable development and lives of justice, peace, and dignity. This is  international work is based on relationship—as is the work of local urban missions, Lutheran Urban Mission, Vancouver, and Surrey Urban Mission.  And the work continues steadily, and not just during times of acute crisis.

In two weeks, Canadians across the country will be celebrating thanksgiving. Christians are called to a life of constant thanksgiving to the God who has delivered them from death into life—the life that really is life. But such a life is a life in community, and it is a life of sharing and generosity. To be truly thankful is to share what God has first given us, and to do so joyfully. Now may the peace which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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JOIN US FOR BIBLE STUDY THIS FRIDAY

This upcoming Friday, September, 24, our regular bible Study resumes. We will be studying the book of Acts. We start at 1:30pm. Please join us!

Sermon: Luke 16:1-13

Few fans of reality television have not heard the name, Donald Trump. Donald Trump is a real estate tycoon who first came to prominence in the 1980’s. Daring deals, extravagant spending, bold personality, and a colorful personal life, have ensured that “the Donald” has not strayed far from the limelight. Through fortunes won, fortunes lost, and fortunes regained,  many have followed this man’s career. It is no surprise that his own television show,  The Apprentice, has gained a widespread following, and earned high ratings in North American television markets. The premise of the show is simple. Young, aspiring, entrepreneurs, are given the opportunity to show Mr Trump what they have-- in terms of  ability, intelligence, and business instinct. They must work co-operatively, but must also compete against each other to succeed. Those who don’t must hear those dreaded words come from the mouth of the boss himself: “ You’re fired!” Those who succeed hope to go on and enjoy careers with the endorsement of Donald Trump himself.

            Today’s gospel lesson, is, in many respects, a surprising text, because Jesus provides quite a surprising story to his disciples. Yes, we see how parables like the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son, fit into the message Jesus was making to the world. But the message he provides in today’s reading has, at first glance, a decidedly worldly ring to it. It almost sounds like it could be taken from an episode of the Apprentice. 

Here we hear the story of a rich man. A wealthy land owner, who surely would have owned much property. The rich man wasn’t happy, the  land-lord wasn’t pleased.  He wasn’t happy because the man he hired as his manager wasn’t doing a very god job. To understand why, we have to put the story in its proper historical context. We realize that we are looking at an ancient economy based mainly on agriculture. Goods, rather than money, was the main medium of exchange between tenants and land-lords. The tenants of this rich land-owner were evidently over-due on their rent, and the manager in whom he had placed his trust had not done a very gone job of collecting his rent. It would therefore be understandable that the manager would be let go.

            His response to this news was exactly what we would expect: bewilderment, fear, even some panic. But instead of accepting the bad news of his dismissal, the manager went about showing his boss that he was worth keeping around. What he did next was shred, it was calculating, and it was  risky.  In fact, it required a high level dishonesty. The manager went around to the people that owed his boss and he gave them a twenty percent discount on their rent. This what you call “an offer too good to refuse”. How many times are people late on their rent given a twenty percent discount? Not very often. In this case, it had its desired effect as each person paid.

Now there were two ways the rich man, the manager’s boss, could have responded to the news of the deal which he had no idea about. He could have run his manager out of town and annulled, cancelled, the arrangement. The second option was to do exactly as he did. He let the deal stand. This had a two-fold benefit. First, it meant that he got  most of the rent which he was owed. Yes, it wasn’t the entire amount, but it was better than what he had from them so far, which was zero. Moreover, to annul the arrangement would have been a very unpopular move. But to let the deal stand, would have surely increased his popularity in the eyes of his tenants. In the end, the rich man appreciated the shrewdness and brilliance of his manager. Donald Trump would have been proud.

            But what can Christians get out of this story? What is the lesson for us today? Why is Jesus upholding this example of dishonesty and shrewdness? Well, the first thing we need to understand, is that our Lord is not telling his disciples to engage in dishonest business dealings. He is not providing this  story as an example, but as a way of admonishing and motivating his disciples. In effect, through this story, Jesus asks a great question of his disciples. If worldly people who serve money are able to bring so much talent and imagination  in  managing material wealth, why are you not able to do the same with the great wealth which has been entrusted to you?  

Many of you know far better than I what it takes to be successful in the business world. It takes hard work, it takes drive and it takes determination. But it takes more than that. It takes intelligent and imagination, and a vision of the possible. Donald Trump may not be on your heroes list. But you have to give him credit. He is enormously wealthy for a reason. But his fortune, ultimately, means nothing. His fortune is nothing compared to the great bounty which has been given you, given us. This is the great gift of eternal life, which comes to us through faith. The gift God has given us through Jesus Christ is truly precious. Yet this is not a gift  which we are to keep to ourselves. It is meant to be shared.

Almost two thousand years ago, the resurrected Christ commissioned his disciples to baptize in the name of the Triune God,  to spread the Gospel, to make disciples of all nations. Almost two thousand years ago, Jesus sent down the Holy Spirit on that most Holy day of Pentecost to form his church. His church was and is entrusted with the most precious wealth of all—the gospel, the good news of eternal life and salvation. We have been entrusted to be productive with that wealth. Every Christian has been called into that service. Jesus has entrusted us to be the managers of His great and glorious mission to the world.

            Yet, as we look at the city, this province, this country, this continent, we see a troubling trend. Over the course of the last century we have seen a great falling away. The church, across denominations, is shrinking instead of expanding.  Members across denominations speak of restructuring  and downsizing and survival.  Do you see something wrong with that picture?

            Through the words we hear in today’s gospel lesson, Jesus is giving us a wake-up call. Most people work hard  for their employers, want to do the best job possible to please their bosses—will use every once of brains and muscle necessary to get the job done and get the job done well. Why not, then, for God? Why, not, then, for the interest  of advancing the Gospel? Let’s be clear. We are not called by God to work for our salvation and new life. That has been given to us freely through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. But we are called to advance the kingdom of God.  This does not mean, necessarily, within the walls of the church building. In fact, most of this work will be outside of it.

            A popular question these days is: How do we get people into the church? This is actually the wrong question. The better question is: How does the church be a presence where the people are? And we speak here not only of congregational outreach projects, but also about the lives of individual Christians who make up the church, who are members of the body of Christ. 

An important part of the Protestant reformation of the 16^th Century entailed a new understanding of Christian vocation—actually it was a return to  the lost biblical understanding of Christian vocation.

You see, during the middle ages in Europe, Christian vocation was associated exclusively with priests and nuns. Almost over-night, that understanding changed amongst those who would become evangelical Christians. All Christians are equal, and all Christians are called to ministry. All Christians are called to ministry in the name of the Gospel—and not just ordained clergy.

All Christians  have been entrusted with Christ’s mission of sharing the Good News. Yet, still, the perception remains among some that this is principally the work of the pastor. Yes, it is indeed the work of the pastor to share the gospel. And it is also true that the pastor ministers in a way that is the special. But it is equally true that non-ordained people minister in ways that are special and unique, and as important as the pastor. The questions we need to ask ourselves are “How do I bring Christ’s mission directive into my everyday life? How do I carry out ministry to those around me?

All Christians have been entrusted with the great task of sharing the gospel in their time and place through words and action. And in this time and place in history, this requires tremendous determination and imagination and risk. It is so because there will be a tremendous resistance. And no one wants to offend others. But let us not worry so much about pleasing other people, but instead affix our attention on pleasing God. We cannot afford to be quiet. Fifty years ago, the Christian church held a privileged place in Canadian society. This is no longer the case, and it is a fact which can no longer be taken for granted. The church is in a mission mode. This congregation is in a mission mode. But the fact is, the truth is, that a church regardless of its size, regardless of its material wealth, regardless of its programming, must never stop being in the mission mode—in mission for the God who, in the words of St Paul, desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Doesn’t this most important mission deserve our best effort possible?

            This afternoon, this congregation welcomes the neighbourhood, which is an extension of Christ’s mission to the world. It is easy to overlook this, and see the party as something the congregation is doing in addition to its mission. But this isn’t the case. The great communication theorist, Marshall McLuhan, years ago asserted that the “medium is the message”. What we do, tells others who we are and what we stand for. And what we stand for is the Gospel of salvation and new life, that all would have life and have life abundantly. This afternoon we invite the folks in this neighbourhood to share in a part of the abundance which has been so generously poured upon us. 

            We live in a world where people are hungry, people are in pain, physical and emotional, where people grope and claw in rhe darkness for answers to the deepest questions of life. And we, as disciples of Christ, have real food to give them. We must never lose sight of this fundamental mission.

We are in the last weekend of summer. The signs of fall are here. It will not be long before we are in the grip of winter, and the year will be winding down. But in a very real sense, life is winding up. Children are back in school,  families are in new programs, university students are hard at it again, and mid term exams will soon be approaching. Amidst all of this, God is at work, too—moving us to proclaim his word of life to a world  desperate need to hear it. All Christians are called to proclaim the life giving word of the gospel in spoken word and visible action. All Christians are called to use their gifts in proclaiming in this time and place—for we have been entrusted with the greatest treasure of all, the eternal life which has been given us through the life death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Amen.

            

BLOCK PARTY THIS SUNDAY!

We are hosting a block party, this upcoming Sunday, September 19th. Please join us(12noon-4pm) for free food, refreshments, and family fun (including pony rides, and a balloon artist)!

God loves sinners. Luke 15:1-10

They saw themselves as the holy ones. They were the religious elite of Jewish society. They were the men determined to restore holiness to Jewish life and society. A central aspect of this restoration was the clear recognition of sin, and the definite and utter  separation of those who were holy from the unholy, the sacred from those who would profane the sacred by their words and actions, by their very being.This was the message of the Pharisees. This was their mission: to restore holiness.

            But then Jesus came along with his own message and mission, his own characterization of what it meant it be holy, his own way of doing things. Instead of separating himself from sinners, he ate with them. Instead of shunning them, he welcomed them to his table. Instead of separating himself from them, he invited them to join him. Instead of pushing them away, he pulled them closer. Instead of berating them and pointing fingers at them, he drew them into relationship with him.

            As followers of Jesus, Christians are called to be like him—in fact, to let his light within them shine forth as a witness to him. This means thinking as he thinks, and doing as he does. This means to be radically inviting to sinners. This does not mean condoning sin, or overlooking sin, or taking sin lightly. But it means loving those who sin—loving those who sin not in some, detached intellectual fashion, but in a real, concrete way. There are many examples of this unhesitating love of sinners.

         Some of you are aware of the work of Wes Wagner, a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Vancouver. Some years ago Wes established a powerful ministry to people overcoming harmful addictions. Wagner Hills now operates two 45 acre farms, one for men and one for women, located in Langley. Here those whose lives have been torn apart by addictions to alcohol and drugs are given new life and new hope through a direct encounter with the love of Jesus. It is space where people caught in the bondage of addiction can repent and experience the unconditional forgiveness of God. A man by the name of Jamie Smyth has recently given testimony of God’s forgiveness and unhesitating love of him. As  child at about age 10 I stopped going to church and stopped following God. I was messed up in my thinking, in who I thought I was. I felt alone, abandoned. I felt I was a misfit, that I didn’t measure up. So I figured the best way to solve this issue was to become a people pleasing performance based person who was trying to do everything perfectly in order to gain approval and love. Even as life moved on I was not willing or able to receive the love others and God had for me. I cut myself off from reality, thinking that if I could control everything or those around me(my circumstances, situations, and people) life would be just fine. I tried playing god. I began serving myself. If things didn’t work out I would run or try to change my environment. If life got tough I would seek relief and pleasure in food, drugs, sex, or entertainment. I was in bondage: to the lies, to addiction, and to a life of self destruction. I came to the Lord over twenty-five years ago. However, I was still doing it my way. Through my years of knowing about God, I came to realize I had to die to myself in order to gain life. Over a year ago, it was put on my heart to come to Wagner Hills. I was finally completely willing to lay it all down so God could do the work in me and bring me what I had long searched for: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. During my year at the farm I was able to ome to know what it is to have a relationship with Christ. I was able to learn about and receive His love. I was able to walk in faith, to trust and to let God guide and direct me. I understand His plan and purpose for my life, one that is so much different and better than the life I had bought into.”(quotes from the Wagner Hills newsletter)

Loving  a person struggling with drug addiction is not easy, and people do not naturally take this harder road, less traveled. The reason it is so difficult for Christians to love sinners is because Christians are sinners. If this were not the case, then we would be able to do as Christ does—love the sinner without hesitation. It is far easier to travel the safe and easy path of stamping labels on people thinking that sinners are “out there somewhere” and we are the holy ones. How easy it is to assume the posture of a grumbling Pharisee or scribe, pointing fingers and condemning. But remember this--and many have heard it-- that every-time a finger is pointed at someone else, three others point back at the pointer.

            This last week, as many of you have heard, a pastor in the United States  and his congregation garnered widespread international attention with plans to burn the Koran, the book holy to Islam, on the anniversary of the 911 attack. The only thing this managed to do was show-case this pastor as an aggressor and instigator of hatred—the very things he accuses his enemies of.  Where is Jesus in that message?

Yet, it is also easy to step up on a pedestal and point an accusing finger at Pastor Jones, taking great delight in mocking him, all the while thinking we would never stoop to his level.

            The media has eaten up this story, and the enemies of the Christian church surely love it. What we are less likely to hear about is occurring across the globe. We are less likely to hear about the response by Christian communities around the world to the devastation which has struck Pakistan. Churches, including this community in Christ, have sent aid, have prayed. Christians have volunteered on the ground, have extended hospitality to a largely Muslim population, even while they may vehemently disagree with its faith position. But in that extension the love of Jesus has been  extended, the love of God had been made manifest.

            Such love gives hope in hopeless circumstances, and  promises forgiveness to repentant sinners without condition, without demand. It is given freely, and where it is given and received, new life is made possible. What an extraordinary love this is!

            This kind of love is something about which the Pharisees did not know. And in response to their grumbling, Jesus provides two illustrations of God’s love for the sinner. The first is the parable of the lost sheep.  In this parable Jesus invokes the imagery of the sheep and shepherd. The imagery is lovely and pastoral, but as modern people living in the industrialized world, the power of this imagery may not be fully appreciated. But to the audience who first heard these words of our Lord spoken, the image of the lost sheep would have been overwhelmingly powerful: for sheepherding was a staple of the economy for those living in 1^st century Judea. To leave a flock of ninety-nine sheep in search of one  would have been a huge risk. Just imagine that, putting your entire livelihood on the line in order to recover a small portion of it? How many of us would take that kind of risk?  God does it, and God has done it. God loves sinners.  If God  patiently waited for them to come to Him, we would consider that, in itself, to be an extraordinary love. But he goes further than that. He seeks the lost.  God gave his Son so that the lost might be found. God finds the sinner.

And God rejoices when the sinner repents—for to repent is to accept this extraordinary love which is freely offered. It is to bask in the warmth of God’s glorious light.  You see the call to repentance is not the all to a cosmic guilt trip, or  some kind of a downer. Repentance is the frank admission of being a sinner, and utterly in need of God’s love and God’s forgiveness. It is to admit powerlessness over over  the power of sin apart from God. It is to admit how others and ourselves have been hurt by behaviour which results from sin. Some theologians and pastors may want to down play the role of repentance. But to do so is to rob the people of the precious fruit which it leads to—which is freedom, peace, and joy.

Jamie, the fellow I spoke about moments ago repented when he realized that he could not do it on his own, that his own way led to brokenness and pain, that he needed God. In a very real way Jamie’s life embodied the words we hear today in Psalm 51. The Psalm concludes with the words, “ Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”  God has promised to deliver on this plea, and has done so through his Son. As Martin Luther said, where there is forgiveness of sins, there is new life and salvation—there is the extraordinary new life God wants us to have, God yearns for us to have, which God has given to us if we would only take it. This is why Jesus welcomed sinners, ate with sinners,  not so that he would keep them company as they dwelt in the  misery of their sin, but so that they would experience the great gift God has given to them. It is the same gift God has given to you. It is the same gift God has called all Christians everywhere to share with every sinner, which means everyone. And there is not one sinner whom God does not love and sees as precious.

Just as the woman in the second parable we read today searches tirelessly for the lost silver coin, God continues to search for those lost in sin, those who have chosen to follow their own paths.  Sadly some will turn away from the life giving message of the gospel. But  the Christian church has been entrusted with the great responsibility of reaching them with this great message of hope.

How are we to do it? What are we to say?  First, Christians must always realize who we are: we are forgiven sinners. We are not just people who make mistakes every once in a while, but are otherwise perfect. We are sinners determined to do it our way, and not God’s way. There is a great impression out there that the church is filled with perfect people. This impression has, as a matter of fact, prevented many people from coming to church. They simply feel that they are not good enough to attend, and be with all of those perfect people. This impression must be challenged and corrected. Just before he died, Martin Luther was quoted as uttering the sentence: “ We are beggars, this is true.”  In other words Christians, as forgiven sinners, are constant need of God’s  word of forgiveness and new life. We can never outgrow that. For to outgrow it is to outgrow God, which we can never do. A second popular impression is that the church is just full of hypocrites. To this  charge the answer is clear: yes, its true. It’s true because every-time we sin, we do not live up to the standards which we not only ascribe to, but confess. That’s the nature of sin.

Christians are not Holy on the basis of anything which we have done. We are Holy because God has declared it so. Now that’s a different, a radical different understanding of what holiness means. For the sake of Christ, God has declared you Holy through his life giving word. We can see this radical declaration foreshadowed in today’s gospel lesson through our Lord’s extension of radical hospitality. We, in turn,  as disciples of Jesus, are called to extend the same hospitality to all people. We, too, are called to search the lost, and extend that invitation.

Just over two thousand years ago, Jesus ate with the sinners. Against the religious leadership of his day, he engaged in this radical act of hospitality In a moment, Jesus will invite the sinners to his table, and feed them his food of forgiveness and new life.

Now may the peace which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Interested in learning more about Lutheran Christianity? Join us for an adult catechism, beginning Thursday evenings this fall. Contact the church office for more info.

Sermon: Luke 14:25-33, Good News in a Difficult Text

Today’s gospel reading is what preacher’s refer to as a difficult text. This is because when we read through it the first time, we read little if any good news. The Gospel, the good news of eternal life through the life death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, just doesn’t seem to be present. In fact, some of the things Jesus says just don’t sound very nice. It doesn’t make sense that Jesus is calling us to hate our family members in order to follow him. Hate Father and Mother? Doesn’t that contradict the fourth commandment? Hate life itself? Give up all our possessions? This all sounds very disturbing. Could Jesus, who gave  and gives nothing but love, really have said thee things?

            Yes he did. Scripture doesn’t lie. Jesus said these things, and just as that large crowd did over two thousand years ago, we have to contend with them. We have to come to terms with these penetrating and disturbing assertions. In doing so, we need to step back, and keep a few centrally important considerations in mind. The first thing we need to attend to, above all things, is who is saying these words. It is Jesus Christ. Who is Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ is the second member of the Holy Trinity. Jesus Christ is God. It was God who first said these words. In these words, God was not saying anything new. He had said them all along. In these  words, God proclaims his Holy commanding Word. And God’s Holy commanding Word is the primary Word which brought all reality into being. It is the Word proclaimed in the First Commandment: I Am the Lord your God. You Shall Have no other Gods. Notice in this Word there is no middle ground, no compromise. God is God, and we should have no other. In other words nothing should be elevated to the status of a god and be worshipped by us. Jesus says this in other places in the gospels. When he speaks about money, it tends to make sense to us, because none of us thinks that greed is good or would deny the idolatry that can be a part of material wealth. But parents? But siblings? But children? Isn’t this taking things a bit too far? No, it isn’t. God is God, and God is entitled to demand absolute and total loyalty. Anything else, can and should be hated, relatively speaking. You see, today’s gospel lesson is all about the alignment of priorities.

            You see, there is a reason the commandments are ordered the way they are. Without the First Commandment being the first, none of the others make sense. The first, second, and third commandments relate to each and every human being’s direct relationship to God. Following from these, the next seven commandments discuss how we are to relate to God through each other. But the primary fundamental foundation upon which all rests, is absolute obedience to the first commandment. In today’s Gospel Lesson, Jesus gives his audience a very specific understanding of what it means to follow the first commandment. It is to follow him in total and unquestioned loyalty. It means to follow what he says, and what he does. It means to carry the cross. To carry the cross means to do as he did. It means to face rejection, to face persecution, to face crucification. It means to give up everything for the cause of God.

            But when we  examine our hearts and minds, we know the truth. Who has been able to do this? Who in history has been able to follow Jesus utterly and totally? None have. Yes, there have and continue to be tremendous examples of radical obedience and mrtyrdom. But none have been able to follow Jesus exactly. The reason for that is that human beings, Christians included, are sinners. And sinners resist, that first commandment with every fibre of their being. Sinners want to be god and make the decisions and call the shots, and elevate people and things to the status of gods. This is why we find these statements of Jesus so disturbing.  The sinner reflexively rejects God’s command in favor of his or her own ideas. So with the words we read today, Jesus hits our knee with a rubber hammer, and our foot shoots up. These words convict us. God’s Holy Word of Law convicts us.

            We are convicted  by God’s command. Yes this is true. But we are not abandoned.  Consider carefully. Who speaks these words to us today? Who is doing the convicting? Well, it is the very same Lord who is doing the saving. It is the very same Lord who has undertaken the greatest rescue operation in the history of reality. It is the very same Lord who gave up everything for you—yes you. You see, without Jesus, humanity would be lost in sin. To be lost in sin means to be separated from God, who is the source of life and goodness.  It means to walk around with a distorted perspective of reality, and to not see things as they should be seen, to misalign our priorities and proceed as if we were god. God has given us tremendous gifts, especially including family. But sin has distorted, and in some cases destroyed those relationships. It is only through the forgiveness of God, which comes through Jesus Christ, that restoration is possible. It is only through Jesus Christ that humans can relate to each other as they were meant to. The resurrected and ascended Christ is alive and giving. Christ is the Word made flesh, who has a special word to proclaim. It  is the Gospel—the good news of forgiveness and new life. But the  sinner needs to be  convicted, and people need to realize their utter dependency on God. When that utter dependency is realized the good news shines through. And that Good News is transformative. Jesus calls us to love one another as he has loved. God intends families to be close and loving. But that can only happen when God is at the centre—when God is priority one. Many people today have laid the foundation for good family life. Many people start off in healthy marriages. Many people start off well into parenthood. But then something happens, the foundation which was built does not yield the promise of its design. Many people today embark upon building projects they are incapable of finishing because they are trying to do it without God. It is only Christ, the Lord who transforms our hearts, who can guide us to where we ought to go. We don’t have to do it on our own. We don’t have to. Our Lord is one who has done it all for us, and will show us the way. Amen.