Festival of Christ the King ---- 24 November 2019

Luke 23:33-43

33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 [Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."] And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37 and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" 38 There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews." 39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." 42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." 43 He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

·        This festival is called “Christ the King” or in some traditions, “The Reign of Christ.” References to royalty and kingship bring up vision of crowns, royal robes, ornate thrones, and rank upon rank of servants and guards. What does not fit in our minds is the lonely figure of a man crucified, executed in what might be the most shameful manner ever conceived.

·        He was abandoned by his friends and followers, betrayed by one of them, mocked by the crowds, and even ridiculed by the criminals to either side of him. One did change his tune later, and he made a strange request: Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answer is positive, but a bit mysterious: Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.

·        The crucified king does not fit the idea of what a king might or should be. No crown but thorns. No royal robes but the clothing the soldiers diced for. No throne but a rude cross. No ranks of followers eager to do the king’s bidding. No legions of angels to intervene in the name of God on that terrible afternoon.

·        The crucified king changes the idea of who God is and what that means to the life of the world. The king who suffers as the people suffer changes how we might see that king. There, I think, is the biggest difference in views of kingship. Kings lead their people and in the best light, serve as a symbol of the people. This is often corrupted to become something quite the opposite – where the people are seen as property of the king and tools for what the king wants. Many earthly kings have set themselves apart from their people. The excuse has been made that this distance is needed to maintain the “mystery” of royalty.

·        In the case of Jesus as king, the distance is gone although mystery remains. Our king did away with the distance between heaven and earth in the stable in Bethlehem, yet that mystery of “the-Word-become-flesh” remains; it will not go away.

·        The distance and mystery is also seen in the cross. Jesus suffered and died and all humans die even though not all suffer as he did. His suffering and humiliation unites him with all of us, for we have all experienced humiliation and suffering of a sort. One way or another, no matter what we have endured or suffered - whether that is sickness, loss, exile, betrayal, or ridicule – Jesus has been there as well. He knows us and our lives for that has been his life as well. Since we hold firm to his resurrection, this continues to be his life.

·        Jesus’ kingship includes his suffering and death as much as it includes what Paul wrote of in his letter …all things have been created through him and for him. Jesus is and remains at the center of all creation as the firstborn of all creation.

·        This is hard to understand; it remains mysterious and beyond our understanding. The thing that is not so beyond us is that Jesus remains with us, through all our troubles. We may well wonder why we suffer and why God does not rescue us from those sufferings. My only answer to that is the one I learned over time and that is to point to the cross. Jesus is with us in our own crosses, assuring us that we are not alone in our pain, and even pointing to what lays beyond the cross. Good Friday always leads to Easter Sunday, even if we can’t feel it or see it.

·        The Christian writer and pastor, Eugene Peterson died a little over a year ago. He was known for his pastoral writings and a translation/version of the Scriptures entitled The Message, written in the style of modern language. At his funeral, his son said Peterson fooled everyone and had only one message and one sermon. It was something like this:

God loves you.

God is on your side.

He is coming after you.

He is relentless.  – Eugene Peterson

·        This is why the crucified Jesus responded to the other crucified man with these words: Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.

·        What did the other man say? What is it that we might say?

Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

The 23rd Sunday after Pentecost ----- 17 November 2019

Malachi 4:1-2a

1 See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

6 Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, 8 and we did not eat anyone's bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. 9 This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. 11 For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. 12 Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 13 Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.

Luke 21:5-19

5 When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, 6 "As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down." 7 They asked him, "Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?" 8 And he said, "Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, "I am he!' and, "The time is near!' Do not go after them. 9 "When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately." 10 Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11 there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven. 12 "But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13 This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14 So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; 15 for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17 You will be hated by all because of my name. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your souls.

See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble…

·       All three of our readings today are more troubling than usual. Malachi speaks of the coming “Day of the Lord.” Paul exhorts the members of the Thessalonian church to work quietly and to earn their own living. Jesus tells his awestruck disciples that the Temple in Jerusalem is to be destroyed.

·       The prophet Malachi, whose name means “messenger”, is telling a troubled nation that things will turn, but those who fear God will experience healing and joy, leaping like calves from the stall. Our Christmas carol, Hark! The Herald Angel Sings, uses this image of healing and wings to tell of Jesus’ mission to the nations. (Light and life to all he brings /Risen with healing in his wings.)

·       Paul is concerned with a group in the local church who won’t work since “Jesus is coming soon” and why should they be concerned with the mundane things of daily life. He call them “idle” and “busybodies.” Now what he really said was that they were unruly and out-of-step, like a soldier out of formation. He councils the congregation not to feed them and to call them to a responsible disciple’s life, working to feed themselves and working as to spread the Gospel.

·       Jesus engages his disciples in a discourse about changes, persecutions, and signs from heaven. He says to be prepared but not to rehearse. Family ties and all other relationships will be tested, stretched, and often broken. One relationship will not be fractured, and that is the relationship the believer has with Jesus. Death may come to some, but Jesus remains the Lord and he will see his disciples through.

·       Once in a while, we all need to be reminded that our own lives with all our concerns are not the last word on all reality. The prophetic message of the Hebrew Bible, the community exhortations of Paul’s epistles, and the words of Jesus about holding fast in times of trouble are all something we need to hear.

·       We don’t need to be frightened about every loud noise, every crack of thunder, or every report of violence. These have been going on since the beginning of human life on this earth. We have our daily tasks to maintain and our daily relationships to carry on, all of which we can see as gifts from God – solid Lutheran theology. The words of the prophets, apostles, and the Gospels give us a grounding in what is behind all we do and allows us to keep perspective in all things. Jesus remains the Lord, even of this often-scary and troubled world. We have eyes on more than those troubles and the everyday things.

·       We act and live in the “fear” of God as those who, as Malachi would say, revere my name… This fear of the Lord is a good deal more than fright; it is the awe something like we might feel when we face the ocean, the great mountains, or the night sky full of stars. It is a feeling like fear from the realization that things are far bigger than we are… and that can be a situation of terror.

·       And that is the reality we live in. We do our daily things and live in our relationships, all within the presence of God. In realizing that, we take seriously what we might call the fear of the Lord, revering the name of the Lord where “the name” means the whole being of God.

·       All these scary and troubling images had a purpose at the time of the writing of the Gospel. Today, they remind us that our faith might have a cost beyond the collection plate. As disciples, we follow Jesus, even to the cross. Those words bring to mind the reality of how the Gospel of Christ stands against so many thoughts, ideas, and standards of any society in which Christians live. We are part of the society around us and yet we stand somewhat separated from it. The reality of history shows us that you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify.

·       And still even in that, we will not be alone, Jesus will be with us. … I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. …By your endurance you will gain your souls.

22nd Sunday after Pentecost ----- 10 November 2019

Luke 20:27-38

27 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him 28 and asked him a question, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; 30 then the second 31 and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32 Finally the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her." 34 Jesus said to them, "Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; 35 but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37 And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive."

“Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive."

·       The Gospel reading today can be a bit confusing since the sort of marriage tradition mentioned is no longer common and the group that asks the question no longer exists.

·       The Sadducees were a religions group within the Jewish culture of Jesus’ time. They included most of the Temple authorities and they differed from the Pharisees in that they did not believe in a resurrection.

·       Their question was an attempt to trip up Jesus by posing the absurd situation where a woman died childless after marrying each of seven brothers. The custom, called “Levirate Marriage”, stated that a widow was to marry her deceased husband’s brother in order to continue the husband’s bloodline. It also provided a provider and protector for the wife in a society where women had few or no rights of her own. It also insured inheritance for the deceased man’s family. This custom can still be found in some places in the world.

·       The Sadducees posed the question - In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? – not out of concern for any woman but to trip up Jesus on the issue of the resurrection. This is the equivalent of the modern nasty question “Are you still beating your children?” To answer either yes or no puts you in a seriously bad place.

·       Jesus neither side-steps the question nor directly answers it. He knows the malice of the questioners and knows they do not understand the concept of resurrection. So he confronts them with Scripture: “Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive."

·       God is alive and death does not have the final word. All the Christian scriptures - the Gospels, the Epistles, the Book of Revelation – all point to the resurrection. Our celebration of Easter, where we honour the Resurrection of Christ, celebrates our own participation in that resurrection.

·       It’s been said that where Jesus goes, we will follow. Paul writes: For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. (Rom. 6:5-8)

·       I can’t begin to tell you what it might be like or when. I don’t know and my guesses are silly; I’ve said I’m holding out for a better body when that the resurrection comes.

·       But again Paul wrote: as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9)

·       There are a few things we can surmise for ourselves. We know that we are not spirits temporarily given a body, for humans are both body and spirit together. Our bodies are not inferior or just temporary annoyances. That is how God created us and that is how we will be resurrected. After his Resurrection, Jesus was changed and yet he was known to be Jesus. He ate with the apostles, yet he was not hindered by such things as locked doors. He was not simply revived, but resurrected and, like him, all will be changed.

·       No matter what we might say or think, we don’t know what is to come… except that such a resurrection is coming. The Sadducees had their agenda and it was a hopeless one. The Good News of Jesus Christ always leads to hope. It also allows us to follow Jesus in this present world with hope, courage, and faith. That faith calls us to give hope to the world and to work for reconciliation and peace, an especially appropriate intention as we find tomorrow as Remembrance Day.

·       Our God is the God of the living, for to him all of them are alive. The resurrection of the body our Creeds speak of remains a mystery and a hope. However we are sure that the God who sent his Son for our redemption will not leave us orphaned. Why else would Jesus be raised from the dead? Why else would the Spirit be sent to live in the Church? Why else would we be assured that death is not the end? Death is NOT the end and our God is the God of the living.

… the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive."

Sunday of All Saints ---- 3 November 2019

Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18

1 In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream: 2 I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, 3 and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.

15 As for me, Daniel, my spirit was troubled within me, and the visions of my head terrified me. 16 I approached one of the attendants to ask him the truth concerning all this. So he said that he would disclose to me the interpretation of the matter: 17 "As for these four great beasts, four kings shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever—forever and ever."

Ephesians 1:11-23

11 In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12 so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14 this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory. 15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Luke 6:20-31

20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 "Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. 24 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25 "Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. "Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 "Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets. 27 "But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Then he looked up at his disciples and said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”

·       What Jesus speaks of in our Gospel passage does not seem possible to us. How can the poor be blessed if they are poor? Why are the rich and the satisfied and the happy told that woe is theirs? Our own experience of the world says that this doesn’t seem right.

·       Our readings today are loaded with things that don’t seem right. The prophet Daniel has dreams of monsters rising from the sea – although our reading did not describe those monsters. They represent four earthly kingdoms as the writer uses them to make a point.

·       Paul speaks of Jesus as raised from the dead and enthroned over all creation - he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things…

·       Finally Luke tells us of Jesus’ teaching on the nature of true blessing, which seems to go against reality as we know it. What we call “the Beatitudes” bring a message of hope for the poor and the suffering, many of whom have no hope in this life. It also proclaims ‘woe’ to those who have it all now. Our world and our society see those-who-have as blessed with all anyone could want in creation.

·       What we see however is an illusion. The four kingdoms of Daniel’s dream all collapsed sooner or later – Babylon, the Medes, Persia, and the empire of Alexander and his successors. We confirm the resurrection and Jesus’ existence while others doubt his life has any meaning for anyone. Finally all the money, comfort, respectability, and self-centered security are passing and sometimes they crumble quickly.

·       When we remember our passed loved ones on All Saints Sunday – as we do today – we look to the lasting realities of God’s love and God’s mercy. Riches and worldly fame fade. Cash slips through our fingers despite our best efforts. The beasts that rise from the sea – the powerful empires - in Daniel’s dream pass into history. The topsy-turvy promises of Jesus stand and stand fast. The kingdom of God is promised to the poor, the hungry, the mourning, and the excluded, not in some dim future but now. The kingdom is even promised to the rich, the satisfied, the laughing, and the respected who realize that all they have is from God’s grace and is to be shared. What a person is before God is all they are and nothing more. (Francis of Assisi)

·       Those who have passed from our sight and whom we have commended to the mercy of God are remembered here today. They are saints because Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. It is the grace of God that makes saints and those who abound in God’s grace might not look or sound like the plaster saints we imagine. Saints are all real people and every last one of them depends on God’s grace… and every last one of us depends on God’s grace. It’s what make us all “The communion of saints.”

·       As a pastor, I’ve buried a large number of people. At funerals, I add a short prayer of my own. It’s from the remembrance card given at my mother’s funeral and it is an old prayer used in other Christian traditions. It brings together the communion of the saints in a way few others do: "May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs receive you at your coming and lead you to the holy city Jerusalem. May the choirs of angels receive you and with the once poor Lazarus, may you have eternal rest."

·       I also add another prayer from the traditions of the Eastern Christian Churches: Christ is risen from the dead; by death, he conquered death and to those in the tombs, he granted life.

·       Today can be a sad day for remember what we’ve lost. It can also be a bright day of hope for we look forward to what we have been promised.

“…the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever—forever and ever."