Weak to Be Strong

Weak to be Strong
Finding God at the End of Your Rope - Part 7
Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024
Matthew 27:62-28:15, 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

The next day, which was the day after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate.  They said, “Sir, we remember that while that deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will arise.’  Therefore, order the grave to be sealed until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people, ‘He’s been raised from the dead.’ This last deception will be worse than the first.”

Matthew 27:62-64

If the authorities were terrified of a dead savior, who they were convinced could not truly have risen from the grave, how is it that a living savior who we believe is alive in us be so easily ignored by the world?  Could it be that a dead Savior held more power over them than a living savior holds over us? 

In Matthew 28, we find the soldiers spreading the lie that they had fallen asleep and that the disciples indeed did steal the body.  What could possibly drive a Roman Soldier to "admit" that he fell asleep on duty, let alone an entire guard unit?  Such failure carried serious consequences, perhaps even death, which is why they depended on bribes from the Sanhedrin to save their own necks.  

Even though Jesus’ enemies did not believe in the resurrection itself, they absolutely believed in the power of the idea of a resurrection, and it brought them to their knees and left them scrambling to cover up the evidence at any cost.  We believe in the resurrection, or at least we say we do, but somehow, we don’t live as if we believe it has any power or meaning.

For the disciples, this truth had the power to turn their very lives upside down… it gave them the boldness to risk everything and defy the very world which held over them the same power of life and death they had held over Jesus.  Almost every one of them was so absolutely confident in the power of the resurrection, that they preached it even in the face of their own executions.  Like Jesus, the disciples were loved by many who believed, but were very much despised, rejected and hated by the world as a whole.  They suffered imprisonment, abuse of every kind, and even death at the hands of both the religious leaders and Rome itself.  But no matter how badly they were treated, they absolutely could not be ignored, because the power of the Risen Christ lived within them?

The power of the resurrection is easily stripped away by familiarity, as if it were just another good story.  But this year, will we allow ourselves to look deeper into our weakness, deeper into the graves in our lives, and tremble with fear and joy that God has overcome the grave.  If Christ is still dead… then we are still dead in our sins… but if Christ is alive, then the Resurrected King is resurrecting us… unraveling the grave-clothes of sin that have held us in the tomb for so long and sending us forth to declare His victory!

The final question for us…

Does the reality of a Risen Savior affect our lives as much as the mere idea of a Risen Savior affected the authorities of Jesus’ day?

When someone looks at you and the way you live out your faith, would they conclude that Christ is alive or dead?  And would they have any reason to believe that it matters?  We may be loved or we may be hated, but if Christ truly lives within us… we cannot be ignored! 

We cannot simply walk away as if it’s just another good story.  In any age… a “dead man walking” demands a response from everyone who hears. 

How do you respond to the Good News that Christ the Lord is Risen Today?  Perhaps with joy, perhaps with fear… but indifference is simply not an option.  As you walk away from the empty tomb this week, what will you do with the Risen Christ?

Get Up and Walk

Get Up and Walk

Good News - Part 6

Sunday, February 11, 2024
Mark 2:1-12

So many gathered that there was no longer space, not even near the door. Jesus was speaking the word to them. Some people arrived, and four of them were bringing to him a man who was paralyzed. They couldn’t carry him through the crowd, so they tore off part of the roof above where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they lowered the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven!”

 Mark 2:2-5 (CEB)

Listen to this Week’s Sermon here:

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This may be one of my favorite scenes in the gospels partly because it is so absurd, but even more because it shows how far people will go when something matters enough to them.  In this case, what mattered most for these four individuals, was their paralyzed friend.

Most of us are probably good friends.  We care for those we love in times of need.  We will visit them in the hospital and call to check in if someone is alone.  I’m guessing these four also were good friends to the paralyzed man.  They probably made sure he could get where he needed to go and helped him with food and other basic needs.  Without friends like that, someone in his condition would not have lived very long.  It is truly a humbling experience to depend on someone that much just to survive. 

At a previous church I regularly visited a man, who at age 18, became a quadriplegic after a tragic diving accident in a pond.  He spent 38 years in a hospital bed at home, unable to move except for his head.  I was privileged to preside over his funeral in 2015.  He was strong and always did what he could to help others primarily on the phone, arranging anything his mom needed taken care of in the house even as she struggled to care for his medical needs.  He was also a brilliant artist, having taught himself to paint by holding the brush in his mouth.  During the final years of his life, he knew his mother’s health was declining and he constantly felt like a burden to her no matter how much she said otherwise.  His last words to me expressed his desire to go home to Jesus so she could finally get the rest she so desperately needed.  I imagine Jesus’ first words to him in heaven may have been something like, “get up and walk,” just as he said to the man in this passage.

As I saw modeled in his mom, it takes a tremendous amount of strength to care for someone in that situation.  The man’s friends in Mark must also have been like that, even as they carried him on a stretcher for who knows how far, just to see Jesus.  But when they got there, it was too crowded.  There was no way to get anywhere near this increasingly famous healer.  So they raised his stretcher up to the roof, removed a section of thatch, and lowered him down to Jesus.  Setting aside the issues of destruction of property and cutting in a very long line, their dedication to him and their faith in Jesus was incredible. 

It makes me wonder, as we care for our friends and family and others in need around us, how far would we be willing to go to get them to Jesus?  Do we even mention Jesus’ name when we are in their company?  Do we share what our faith means to us and how Jesus has strengthened and healed us in our own lives?  Do we ask them to share stories of the beautiful things in their lives and celebrate together as we reflect on the amazing ways God keeps showing up? 

Who in your life needs you to bring them to Jesus this week?

Be Clean

Be Clean

Good News - Part 5

Sunday, February 4, 2024
Mark 1:40-45, 2:13-17

A man with a skin disease came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”  Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I am willing. Be made clean!”  Immediately the skin disease left him, and he was made clean. 

Mark 1:40-42 (NRSV)

Listen to this Week’s Sermon here:

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“If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

At first glance, I find two very interesting things about this simple line.  First, it is not actually a question.  The man with the skin disease, likely leprosy, does not directly request healing.  Perhaps he feels unworthy or afraid to ask, especially given his unclean status in society.  But whatever the reason, he only acknowledges his faith in Jesus’ ability to cleanse him. 

The second point is the issue of willingness.  Other translations say, “If you want to…”  In today’s prayerful language, we might say something like, “If it be your will…”  The man seems to be hedging his bets.  On one hand, he believes Jesus can heal him, but on the other hand, he’s not sure Jesus would even want to help.     

The writer says that Jesus was moved with pity or compassion and declares that he is willing and wanting to heal.  This is consistent with Jesus’ actions throughout the gospel, healing sometimes even without intentionally doing anything, such as when the healing power simply flowed out of him to the unknown woman who touched his cloak (Mark 5:28-30). 

Other Greek manuscripts, however, say that Jesus was moved with anger, or incensed, when he responded.  There is much scholarly debate as to which translation is the most authentic, but regardless of the answer, I find the possibility of anger interesting indeed.  I confess, I printed this scripture in the NRSV instead of the CEB which I typically use, precisely because the language of pity felt more comfortably in line with Jesus’ nature than the word “incensed” used in the CEB.  However, that choice may reflect my own discomfort at the idea of Jesus’ anger at a man in need of healing.  Which raises the question, is there a good reason why Jesus might be angry at this man’s request?

Some say that Jesus was angry at the suffering this man had endured.  Perhaps, but I wonder if he might have also been upset about the way the question was raised.  “If you want to…”

Almost every day after school our daughter asks “What’s for dinner?”  Sometimes, especially if we are going out, I say, “You’ll see when we get there.”  Her response is, “Well is it at least something I like.”

In this response, I can imagine why Jesus might get frustrated with the question.  I answer, “Have we ever gone someplace that didn’t have something you like?” to which she sheepishly responds, “Well, no…” and then continues on with her persistent curiosity.  The negative assumption in the question is that we might not take her into consideration or care about what she wants.  Similarly, the assumption of Jesus is that though he could certainly help, he may simply not feel like it, or may not think this man worthy enough.  It challenges Jesus’ character.  It questions Jesus’ desire for an abundant, flourishing life for all people and God’s nature as one abounding in mercy and steadfast love.

I wonder if in our attempt to hedge our bets about whether something is God’s will, just in case it doesn’t happen, if we may be unintentionally causing people to question whether God would even want to help us at all.

Let's Head the Other Way

Let’s Head The Other Way

Good News - Part 4

Sunday, January 28, 2024
Mark 1:29-39

Early in the morning, well before sunrise, Jesus rose and went to a deserted place where he could be alone in prayer.  Simon and those with him tracked him down.  When they found him, they told him, “Everyone’s looking for you!”

He replied, “Let’s head in the other direction, to the nearby villages, so that I can preach there too. That’s why I’ve come.”  He traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and throwing out demons.

Mark 1:35-39 CEB)

Listen to this Week’s Sermon here:

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Have you ever gotten a text asking “Did you get my email?” or a call asking “Did you get my text?” only to find out that the initial message was sent less than an hour ago.  In our fast paced, overly connected culture, there is an unwritten expectation that we are available to everyone immediately at any time.  My personal policy is that I will almost always respond to any message, voice, text or email, within 24-hours, but if I answered everything immediately I would never get any work done.  I have known others, however, who would interrupt meetings, meals, or personal conversations just to answer a spam call about their car’s extended warranty.  The idea of not answering, even if they know it is a robot calling, somehow seems more offensive to them than disrupting whatever they are doing. 

I get it.  We all have different personalities and styles.  There is nothing wrong with people who love being on the phone all the time and there is nothing wrong with those who would never answer a phone if they could get away with it.  But Jesus’ example as he begins to spread the good news goes much deeper than personality, preference, or phone etiquette. 

Jesus had been growing quite popular in his  ministry of healing and casting out demons.  Many more needed his help, and yet, the next day he was nowhere to be found.  Like a pop-up store selling the latest greatest gadget or the best food truck you’ve ever been to, but the next day when you try to bring your friend, the business has moved on. 

How can Jesus get everybody’s hopes up and then just disappear?  Why is he not available to help those who didn’t hear about his miracles in time?  Even when the disciples told him that there were many people waiting for him, he turned and went the other way, to go and spread the good news in other villages. 

It is easy for those of us who have spent much of our lives in church to feel a sense of ownership or priority where Jesus is concerned.  We come week after week expecting to hear good news.  We want to be comforted.  We want to be encouraged.  We want to find healing.  We want to be taken care of.  Inevitably there is someone in every worship service who walks away thinking, “I didn’t get anything out of that message today,” and someone else who felt like God was speaking directly to them in their deepest place of need.

Jesus reminds us that the “Good News” is never just for us.  It’s always for someone else too, and the moment we get jealous of how God’s Kingdom is growing in some other place, or the way Jesus is showing up for someone else, the more aware we should be at just how much we’ve missed the point of what this Good News is really all about.  God’s work is never exclusive to one place or one group of people. 

The good news is always for “them” as well, no matter who the “them” may be.

Come Out

Come Out!

Good News - Part 3

Sunday, January 21, 2024
Mark 1:21-28

The people were amazed by his teaching, for he was teaching them with authority, not like the legal experts. Suddenly, there in the synagogue, a person with an evil spirit screamed,  “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are the holy one from God.”

“Silence!” Jesus said, speaking harshly to the demon. “Come out of him!”  The unclean spirit shook him and screamed, then it came out.

 Mark 1:22-26 CEB)

Listen to this Week’s Sermon here:

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When we get too close to Jesus, our inner demons cringe.  They make excuses for us to stay away.  They remind us of our faith and our church involvement.  They tell us that we wrote our prayer needs on cards at church so others will take care of them for us.  They remind us of all the good things we’ve done so we don’t feel too bad when we neglect the good we know we should do.  They remind us of all those church services, Sunday school classes, and Bible Studies we’ve sat in on so that we can take a well earned break from our devotions.  They make us feel good, so that we will never know how sick we really are.

So long as we keep our distance from the Son of God, our inner demons are comfortable and they will do everything they can to keep us comfortable.  So long as we keep our distance from the Holy One, our Un-holiness doesn’t look so bad compared to others.  So long as we keep our distance from the Truth, it’s so easy to believe the Lie.

People experienced healing and wholeness when they came close to Jesus in faith because the demons could not remain in His presence.  When the light is turned on, the darkness disappears.  If the darkness remains, either the light is burned out, or we are not close enough too it.  Since the Light of Christ burns eternally, we must not be close enough if darkness continues to cloud our lives.  Imagine yourself in a pitch black room when a spotlight comes on and shines in your face.  You cringe and shut your eyes in pain.  It would be easier to go back to a dark corner than to look into the light.  But we must keep our eyes on the light no matter how hard.  We must take up our cross, surrender our will, and follow him even unto death.

We say we believe, but what does it mean?  Of course we have faith.  We believe in God the Father, Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth and in Jesus Christ His Only Son Our Lord.  Many of us recite it week after week. 

But I wonder if our inner demons have more faith than we do?

Demons fear God… demons recognize the Son of God… demons obey the authority of the Spirit sent from the Father through the Son.  Do we? 

People stare in amazement as the demons flee at His command.  They experience His healing among them, yet they still question His identity.  Jesus Himself silences demons so they don’t reveal it.  Does Jesus’ teaching, healing power and authority have more impact on the devil Himself than on we who claim to be His disciples? 

What darkness is holding on inside of you, trying to keep a safe distance from the Light of Christ? 

What are the things that control you, that consume your thoughts and life, that Jesus wants to cast out? 

What do you fear losing if you truly surrendered every part of your life to Christ? 

How would your life look different?