Wait in the Present - Sermon on Luke 3:7-18

Listen to the gospel lesson and sermon here.

Luke 3:7-18

7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?⁸ Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.⁹ Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."¹⁰ And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?"¹¹ In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise."¹² Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?"¹³ He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you."¹⁴ Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."¹⁵ As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,¹⁶ John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.¹⁷ His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."¹⁸ So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

Sermon

Again, I promise you, the well known and wonderful texts of Mary and Joseph, the babe lying in a manger, shepherds of the field, and the great tidings of joy….those texts are coming.  Hang in there. In fact, join us for Christmas Eve worship next Monday because I have a good feeling you’ll hear them then. They’re coming.

But until then, we continue to wade in the season of Advent.  The season of waiting. Of expectation. Of preparation. Of wandering and wondering.  Reflecting and anticipating the return of Christ. We remember that our waiting goes well beyond the next 9 days when Christ is born and we celebrate the season of Christmas, but we wait anxiously for the return of Christ the newborn king.  Of Christ and the fullness of the kingdom of God. We wait and wait and wait some more. And Advent is our friendly, 4 week reminder that our waiting, our anticipation...it is life long.
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In those days, the people were unsettled with great expectation.  Great anticipation. They were eager for a Messiah, as proclaimed by the prophets of old.  They were pacing for a savior that reign over Israel and restore power over all nations. And so when a man named John, who resembles the prophet Elijah comes out of the wilderness proclaiming repentance for the forgiveness of sins because a savior is near….the crowds gather.

And I love this moment.  Because it feels so unexpected.  So out of place..

Recall last week’s text, when Luke paints the scene for the arrival of John the Baptist.  Luke begins by saying, “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler[a] of Galilee...during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.  

And here is a what I love...the word of God passes by all these powerful government and religious leaders, where people likely expected the prophecy of a Messiah to take place...and God’s word speaks to a simple man named John.  John of Zechariah. A man of the wilderness...the dark, dingy, despairing wilderness. And out of the wilderness, John emerges with the word of God….and the crowds gather with great anticipation and excitement for the word of God...and the word speaks through John by saying, “You Brood of Vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come!!” 

Love it!  We might expect “Grace and peace to you friends…”  Or “Behold, I bring great news because a savior is coming soon”....Nope… “You brood of Vipers!” 

Oh man, what an entrance.  And admittedly I admire his opening strong word of conviction.   You brood of vipers! ...It’s such a bold and risky approach to proclaiming the word of God to eager crowds.  I admire his confidence. 

Sarah and I took a prophetic preaching class in seminary.  And one of the biggest challenges to preaching prophetically is to speak truth in love.  Knowing full and well that those truths might be unsettling and will likely be met with resistance.

Now I’ve been here over a year, and I feel like I’ve gotten to know a lot of your fairly well...but there is no amount of confidence that would empower me to begin as John the Baptist did.

He spoke to the crowd gathered, folks who had come to hear what he had to say and be baptized in preparation for the possible arrival of a messiah...and the first thing he does is scold them.  Convict them. Speak hard truths.. 

He tells them that just claiming Abraham as an ancestor is not enough.  It’s empty and fruitless...for anyone can claim than ancestry. And for you who claim Abraham as your safety net but act in selfish and harmful ways...the ax is nearby...ready to cut down trees that bear bad or no fruit.  To the tax collectors skimming off the top...the soldiers abusing their power….he speaks convicting truths.

And the remarkable thing is that unlike the prophet’s before him… who spoke convicting truths in love...who used aggressive language and often received hostel responses from the crowds...the people gathered around John don’t revolt.  Despite is strong, aggressive intro...They don’t raise up. They don’t walk away. They don’t stone him or rebuke him. 

No, what do they do?  They lean in...they push in closer...and what’s even more powerful is that they’re struck with curiosity.  Three times they inquire, “What then should we do? What should WE do? What SHOULD we do?”

…

That’s an honest question isn’t is?  A raw, vulnerable question? The crowds whether full of fear for being axed due to bearing bad fruit or genuinely interested in becoming better people...they ask John, “What then should we do?” 

I think deep down we all wrestle with this question.  As Christians, we know we’re clothed and cleansed in the water of baptism, and we know that baptism is being claimed by God...washed in abundant grace….and absolutely nothing we do or don’t do can change that….

but I think deep down we all know that baptism alone doesn’t prevent or excuse us from bearing bad fruit.  Just because we claim our ancestry...our identity in Christ the waters of baptism...we all wrestle with sin.  We all struggle with abuse of power and relationships. Despite doing our best or trying our hardest we all wrestle with selfish ambition...pride...sinful behavior...and bad fruit.

What then should we do?

I’ve spoken before about a Spiritual retreat called Teens Encounter Christ.  It’s much like Via De Cristo, but oriented towards youth and young adults. It’s a weekend of intentional spiritual renewal.  I went when I was in high school, and I remember upon arrival they asked us to leave behind our watches, phones, alarm clocks or anything that told time. 

The intention was to remove any and all distractions that would prevent us from being full present.  And the mantra they taught us was “Don’t anticipate, participate.” That is don’t worry so much about the next thing...the next event or session. Don’t worry about how long or when...but rather worry about the present.  Be present. Participate fully in the now.

What should we do?  I think John offers a remarkable answer.  He doesn’t say Go to the synagogue or temple and repent and pray.  He doesn’t say, go be with family or community...go confess sins or practice sacramental rituals.    He doesn’t say go and obey the law and religious traditions..

No, John says, if you have two coats, share one.  Share with anyone who has none. If you’re a tax collector then don’t cheat people…collect amount due and no more.  If you’re a soldier, be a soldier, but extort money or abuse your position of power.

John says, be who are you are.  Be you who you are called to be.  Live out your vocation, and while doing so...be no more or less than you were called and created to be.  Be present. Be respectful. Be welcoming. 

If you’re a tax collector, be honest and trustworthy.  Be dependable and genuine. If you’re a soldier, be a protector, defender, and advocate.  Be equitable and fair. 

John says, be who you are called to be.  And for us dear friends, we are called by God, washed in the waters of baptism...claimed by God...to be who we are called to be. 

What should we do?  In Greek, the word “do” as in what should we “do” shares it’s root with bear as in “bear good fruit.”  John exhorts the people to bear fruits worthy of repentance. And the people respond, what should we do?  What should we bear?

Friends, in this season of Advent, this time of year, we’re really good at anticipating.  Anxiously waiting for the Christmas season. Easy to look ahead to the next thing. To get wrapped up and consumed by the business of the season.  To be distracted by upcoming plans, travel, or celebrations. 

The same is true for life.  Always looking ahead, caught up in the whirlwind of life… commitments to our jobs or friends or family.  Obligations to committees and boards… Drowning in the business of life… the events, practices, meetings, ..all the places we have to be and when.   Seem to always be looking ahead, in the distance, worried about what is to come. 

But perhaps, the call of Advent, the season of preparation and waiting is a 4 week reminder...not just that God came to be among us in the Christ child.  But a reminder to be present. To be present. To breathe in the now. To be who we are called to be here and now. To be children of God. 

Caring for others. Sharing in resources.  Giving our extra coats. Living out our vocations in the richest way possible, as a light to the world that Christ is present here and now.   Faithful, diligent, patient, and humble acts of mercy in our everyday lives. Being no more or less than God has called us to be.

That is what we should do.  That is how we wait. All the while, bearing good fruit.  Amen

© Pastor Daniel Locke, preached 12.16.2018 @ St. Mark's Lutheran JAX, FL

Turning the World Upside Down - Sermon on Luke 3:1-6

Listen to the gospel lesson and sermon here.

Luke 3:1-6

1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene,² during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.³ He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.⁵ Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth;⁶ and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.' "

Well, we seem to be getting closer to the holiday texts we know and love.  Last week we read from Luke 21, where Jesus sits on the temple mount and offers an apocalyptic discourse to the disciples.   Today, we go back just a bit further in time to the time of John the Baptist. Today’s text in the third chapter of Luke actually occurs after Jesus has been born and raised.  

I promise, if you hang in there, we’ll eventually get to the picture perfect holiday texts that we all know and love.  The manger, shepherds, Mary and Joseph. All of the good stuff. I promise it’s coming.

But until then, it is important that we spend some time in Advent being reminded that we wait not only for the story of Christ being born, but also we wait for the second coming of Christ.  We wait anxiously for the time in which God will make all things new. A time when God will turn the world upside down. Restore all of creation and make us whole.

We wait ever so patiently for the completion of God’s kingdom, praying daily for thy kingdom come and thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  For now, in the season of Advent, it is good for us to dwell with the gravity of what it is we’re actually waiting for.

Today’s text sets up the time of John the Baptist.  We don’t actually hear from the John the Baptist until next week, when he comes out swinging from the wilderness and he shouts to the crowd, “You brood of vipers…”.  

But until then, today’s text only introduces the one crying out in the wild.  We are introduced to his presence, and the stage is set for his arrival. The arrival of the one written about in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” 

I think it is interesting and worth noting in today’s text, that the text isn’t about Jesus.  It’s actually not even about John the Baptist. In fact, today’s text opens with an unexpected litany of political, economic, and religious leaders and officials.  Luke sets the stage for John’s entrance by rattling off the who’s-who of first century people in power. 

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius…when pontius Pilate was governor of Judea.  When Herod was the ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the the region Ituraea and Trachonitis, and lysanias of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas…

Luke is setting the scene for the time of John and Jesus’ arrival.  And between you and me, Luke is baiting his audience, the readers,...he’s baiting you and me to learn a valuable lesson about God and what God is up to.  This text is about God and what God is up to.

The text isn’t actually about Jesus.  And it isn’t really about John the baptist.  Nor is it about the list of powerful leaders.  This text is really a subtle proclamation about God and God’s intention for the world.  It is a subversive message about God’s plan for salvation to a broken creation. It’s about God and what God is up to. 

During my time at Lutheridge as a camp counselor, I learned a lot of songs.  And one of the camp favorites was a song called One Name. The lyrics read, “One name under heaven, whereby we must be saved.  Forgiven of our sins, baptized in the water, filled with the Holy Ghost, washed by the blood of the lamb. Free to be free my friends, freed by the blood of the lamb.”  

Then the 4th and final stanza of the song goes, “God’s goinna move this pla-a--ace, God’s goinna move this place...God’s goinna turn this whole world, upside down.”

God’s goinna turn this whole world upside down.  That’s the subtle message of today’s text and I suspect it went right by most of us when we first read it.

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius...with Pontius Pilate governing Judea...with Herod and his brother ruling Galilee and beyond.  With Annas and Caiphas ruling the high priesthood.. God is up to something. Something new. Something unexpected. Something that will turn the whole world upside down.  Something that will shake the status quo to its core. 

You see, in those days the world in desperate and eager for a Messiah, a savior.  Someone to fill the centuries of prophecy that came before. Someone who would be raised up as a might ruler, a king of kings, a leader of nations, a great and powerful savior of the people.  

And so with each powerful political and religious leader that Luke rattles off he challenges the expectations of the world.  God’s up to something …but it won’t happen through the mighty Emperor Tiberius. God is up to something, but it won’t be through powerful Pontius Pilate, Governor of Judea.  God is up to something, but it won’t be through the revered king Herod or his brother. God is up to something but it won’t be through the religious elites, Annas and Caiphas.  

With each and every name Luke announces he not only establishes a timeline to set up the time of John and Jesus, but Luke announces the mighty and powerful leaders of their time and then sets them aside.   And with the world’s greatest economic, social, and political leaders aside, Luke tells us that the word of God came to a man named John. Not an emperor, not a governor or king..not a religious leader. Just John, son of Zechariah...king of the wilderness.

God’s goinna turn this whole world upside down.   God’s word...God’s word incarnate...comes in complete opposition to the world’s expectations.  To a wild man in the wilderness...a lowly guy named John, the word of God comes forth as a voice in the wilderness, crying out, “prepare the way of the lord” proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 

Do you see what God does?  And honestly, as people who know the complete story it should come as no surprise, but God is flipping the script.  Turning the world upside down. Dismissing human expectations and understandings of power. 

God breaks forth not in the mighty and their thrones, but in the lowest, smallest, most unexpected way.  In fact, it is out of the wilderness, the very place that represents wandering, doubt, darkness, and uncertainty, that’s the place that the word of God shows up.  

That’s where the word of God prevails.  Not in the rich, mighty, and powerful. But in the damp, dark, dirty wilderness...God is up to something. God’s goinna turn this whole world upside down.

Luke makes it a point to tell us that God shows up in the most unexpected, counter-cultural way. The fact of the matter is that the systems of power in place in the world will crumble at the presence of God.  God will humble everything that is proud and self-satisfied. God will cast the mighty down from their thrones and uplift the lowly. Out of the wilderness, God is up to something. 

And whether we like it or not...whether we admit it or not...this upside down turning of the world is what we wait and long for in the season of Advent.   It’s what we hope for. It’s what we pray for. It’s what the world is desperate for.

A savior who turns the world upside down.  Who actively seeks out the outcast, poor, lost, lame, and last.  A savior that proclaims good news to the oppressed and sets the captives free.   A savior who challenges and opposes the systems and cycles of power still rampant today.  A savior who confronts any and all abuse of power and restores justice. A savior who flips the script, restores right relationship, and calls forth all of creation to be made new. 

As you most of you know, I have a 4 month old son, Bennet.  And raising Bennet is a learning curve that I know many of you can attest to.  Well, he recently learned a new trick. He has learned how to roll over onto his stomach.  But...and I think this is the important part...he doesn’t know how to roll back over. 

So while it may be cute and adorable at 3 in the afternoon to watch Bennet roll over on his play mat...it is less than cute at 3am ...and 4am..and 5am...when he rolls himself onto his stomach and then screams because he’s stuck.  He finds such joy in his new ability, but it ultimately leaves him stuck, annoyed, and lost.

The world is just like Bennet.  Infatuated with our abilities, our human-made structures and systems, enamored by power and status.  Humankind is wading in sin, wandering in the darkness...stuck and lost from our ways. Screaming out for a savior.

Two nights ago, in the span of 8 hours...Sarah and I responded to Bennet’s screams for help 10 times.  10 times in 8 hours we awoke to him rolled over..stuck, annoyed, and lost. And each time, we crept into his bedroom, gently turned him over, reminded him that he is ok and he is loved, and then soothed him back to sleep...knowing good and well he’d do it again.

God’s goinna turn this whole world upside down.  That’s how God is with us. In the time of John the Baptist and Jesus, the world had lost its way.  Humankind was living for their own sake. 

The emperor Tiberius, the Governor Herod...the religious and political leaders and officials… they lived for their own benefit.  For their own wealth. They thrived on systems of power the abused relationships, discarded other human beings, neglected the sick, poor, oppressed, lost, last, and lonely.  The world was stuck in sin. Screaming in the night for someone to come and save.

And God did just that.  God became incarnate, took on human flesh to be among us.  God’s word came out of the wilderness...the very place of wandering, doubt, despair, and darkness.  And God’s word spoke. Calling all people into repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Sins that got us stuck in the first place.  

Repentance, by its very definition is to turn around...to turn away from harmful, corrupting, and indulging sin...and turn to God.  A complete 180.

And God, gracious and abounding in steadfast love responds every time to our cry.  God’s gonna turn this whole world upside down..

The good news my friends is that God is still up to something.  God is still active. God is still the one meeting us in the darkest wildernesses of our lives and proclaiming a word of hope.  God is still moving among us. God is still calling us to repentance and forgiving our sins. God promises to always be present.  And God promises to turn this world upside down….or perhaps...right side up.

So, I suppose the question is: Do you ever stop, pray, listen, and wonder...what is God up to?  Where is God moving and stirring? Where in life do you find yourself in the wilderness? In the dark, desperate, and despairing places?   Do you cry out to God? Is God responding? 

And if so, is it making you uncomfortable?  Unsettling your foundation? Is God moving in a way that challenges you to evaluate and reexamine your life?  Is God turning your world upside down?

Amen. 

© Pastor Daniel Locke, preached 12.08.2018 @ St. Mark's Lutheran JAX, FL

Freedom - Sermon on John 8:31-36 - Reformation Sunday 2018

Listen to the gospel lesson and sermon here.

John 8:31-36

31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples;³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."³³ They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, "You will be made free'?"³⁴ Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.³⁵ The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever.³⁶ So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

SERMON

So what is so special about this day?  Why is today a festival Sunday? Anybody know?  That’s right, it’s my one year anniversary at St. Mark’s!  That’s what you were all thinking right? One year ago today marked my first Sunday in this pulpit as your newly called pastor.  And while it may be worth noting or even celebrating my anniversary, today’s festival actually remembers and honors the 501st year of the protestant reformation. 

500 and One years ago, a good German monk posted 95 Theses on a church door in Wittenberg, Germany.  Luther’s theses kicked up the dust of complacent theology, and sparked a reformation of the church with an outcome that he never imagined, nor intended.  

His 95 Theses were prompts for debate, meant to encourage theological discourse for the benefit of the whole Christian church.  And even more so, his theses were posted to challenge the Pope and the theology of the Catholic church in his day. 

He strongly believed in a more robust, freeing, and grace-filled interpretation of God revealed in scripture.   He was passionate about the Word of God and making it accessible to all people. He envisioned a Christian faith that sought input and perspective from every member of the body, and worked tirelessly to encourage and empower those not privileged by a seat of religious power to explore, discuss, interpret, debate, and celebrate God’s salvific grace.  

And to be fair and honest, while there is much to honor about Luther’s contribution to church history, we should also acknowledge that he was by no means perfect.

It was my first week here a year ago….it was the 500th anniversary of the reformation.  And I noticed, after walking the hall 100 times, that the there was a hallway dedicated to Luther.  Luther paintings and prints. 95 theses, and images of the reformation. There were books in the cabinet.  

And I remember commenting to someone, “So, what will we display next?”  They looked at me puzzled. “What do you mean?” I said, well it’s the 500th anniversary, and this hall is full of Luther-things, so I only assume it’s decorated for the occasion and I was just wondering what we’ll put up after the reformation.”  I remember them laughing at me then saying...No, this is Luther Hall and these pictures have been here for at least 20 years.”      

Even two weeks ago, former Pastor Bill Trexler walked into the hallway and said “Oh, good, Luther is still hanging here in the hallway!”  I have learned not to make assumptions. 

But the question I ask today is why?  Why celebrate the protest reformation?  Why Luther hall? Why Lutheranism? 

In one of Luther’s many works, he wrote: “The first thing I ask is that people should not make use of my name, and should not call themselves Lutherans, but Christians. What is Luther? The teaching is not mine. Nor was I crucified for anyone. St. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 3, would not tolerate Christians calling themselves Pauls or Peters, but only Christians. How did I, poor stinking bag of maggots that I am, come to the point where people call the children of Christ by my evil name?”

It seems to me that Luther, and the whole company of protestant reformers had absolutely no intention of being honored or venerated for their work. I suspect Luther, lying in his grave underneath All Saints’ church in Wittenberg would be rolling knowing that there is an entire denomination of Christians who identify as Lutherans.  Especially if he knew how fractured Lutheranism itself has become.  And of course, this is to say nothing of having his own hallway at church in Jacksonville, FL 

So why this reformation Sunday?  Why recognize and honor the reformers, whose only intentions was to elevate debate, challenge religious authority, and point to the freedom of God’s grace in Jesus Christ?  

Perhaps the biggest witness this day, is not the act of the reformers, fracturing a church through theological debate, but rather their passion, dedication, and commitment to the re-forming of Christ’s church.  Above all else, we ought to honor the reformation and its many reformers for stirring up complacent theology and equipping the Christian body for theological freedom by pointing to Christ.  For teaching us that Christ’s church was first formed by God, and as long as we belong to God, the body of Christ will always be forming and reforming in God’s grace.

And the best way for us to honor the reformers this day is not to lift them up or elevate their contributions, but rather honor their footprints, hear their message of reform, and trace their finger as they point to Christ.  Christ crucified. And thankfully, in the greatest transformation the Christian church has ever known, Christ conquering death and rising to new life.

In today’s gospel lesson, Jesus is in the Temple Mount and he’s in an on-going conversation with the Scribes, Pharisees.   Through this conversation he begins to win favor among some of the Jews who were listening. Finally he looks to them and says, “if you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 

He goes on to say, “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”   Well, now wait a minute. It seems only a week ago that I stood here and read from the 10th chapter of Mark, where Jesus tells the disciples if any wish to be the greatest or to be first, then you must be a servant to all.  In fact, Jesus says, you ought to be a slave to all. 

A week ago I preached on Jesus calling us to be servants and slaves to one another..  Yet today Jesus reminds us that we are free and free indeed. So which is it? As Christians, are we free or are we slaves?  

Well, on this reformation Sunday, as we honor our heritage and tradition as Lutherans, it seems that perhaps the best Lutheran answer is Yes.  It’s both And. Yes we are free. Yes we are slaves. After all, Lutherans love paradox.

In fact, this is one of Luther’s biggest contributions to the Christian faith. Luther passionately believed and defended relentlessly that it is Christ alone who makes us free.  Christ alone.

By the grace of God in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we are free from the power of sin, death, and the devil.  We are freed by God. Freedom from the elements of the world that work to disrupt our relationship with God. 

Freed from the lure of a sinful world that thrives on division and destruction, wealth and power.  Freed from corruption of greed. Freed from self-centeredness, standards, judgment, and personal ambition.  We are made free to live life in the God’s creation as God intended.

Freed to live for the sake of the other.  Indebted to no one. Beholden to nothing. God and God alone freely bestows upon us by grace a faith that is rooted in love and service.  And it is through the freedom of God’s grace that we live to serve one another; just as Christ lived to serve.

Freedom from and Freedom for!  To be a Christian is to be totally free from all things and yet to be bound in service to all people.  This is how God formed creation out of nothing to live.  And thank God, that in spite of our faults, shortcomings, or wavering, God continues to form and reform us.  Always making us new. 

One need not look too far now-a-days to see a world in desperate need of transformation.  To see and hear a world that is yearning, groaning even to be re-formed. Groaning as divisions between siblings in Christ deepen and hatred swells.  Crying out as pipe bombs and mass shootings have become a typical news cycle.  Yearning as society dismisses, dismantles, or displaces an entire race, gender, ethnicity, or culture.  Groaning as we live in fear of the other, attacking and accusing rather than listening.   Crying as empathy and compassion are trampled upon by power, fear, and indifference. Yearning as our siblings in Christ risk persecution and judgment in order to just be themselves. As they so desperately long to be seen, heard, recognized, and honored as people of God. One need not look too far now-a-days to see a world in desperate need of transformation.

Luther once said, “The church needs a reformation, which is not the work of humankind…but it is the work of the whole world, indeed it is the work of God alone.”

I think it does us well this day, as we honor the life and work of the protestant reformers, to remember that God is always stirring up something new.  

Since the dawn of creation God has always been about the work of forming and reforming.  In the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God continues God’s promise of reforming and transforming.  Again and again. making all things whole. Making all things new. 

And, friends, hear me when I say this, in the waters, God transforms us.  Frees us from sin death and the devil, and frees us for a life in God’s love and grace. God names us and claims us, seals us with the Spirit and marks us with the cross of Christ, freeing us to serve God and serve one another.  

Freedom to tear down the walls the divide.  Cross the borders, barriers, and aisles.  Reform division into unity and equity.

Freedom to raise up the lowly.  Give privilege and honor to the oppressed and voiceless.  Freedom to work for justice and equality.  Re-form oppressive systems of power..

Freedom to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of the other.  Advocate for the downtrodden, dismissed, and displaced.  Stand up to hatred, violence, and abuse.  

Freedom to challenge human-made standards and expectations. Freedom to challenge powerful systems and proclaim peace. 

Freedom to respect our neighbor, honor our unique gifts, differences, and traditions.  Freedom to worship regardless of race, sex, color, gender, ethnicity, or belief.  Freedom to grieve and mourn. Freedom to see and be seen.  To be heard.  To be know and honored as a child of God.

Freedom to NOT live in fear.   Freedom to confess our sins in the promise of forgiveness.  Freedom to love, love, and if God help and guide us to love some more.  

Freedom to admit defeat, share success, and work together for the sake of the world.  Freedom in Christ to always be made new.

Friends, the freedom God gives us through Christ isn’t meant to be stagnant, complacent, or content.  It is a freedom from but it is also a freedom for. Freedom that should burn within us a fire for justice, peace, and love.  Freedom that has the power to heal the world, offer hope, and restore faith. 

By the grace of God, may we, the church, and the world always be forming, re-forming, and transforming until such a time that all will not only be made new, but all will be made one.  

One in Christ, by God, through the Holy Spirit.   Amen. 

© Pastor Daniel Locke, preached Oct. 28, 2018 @ St. Mark's Lutheran Jacksonville, FL

Speaking Prophetically - Sermon on Mark 6:14-29 - 07.15.2018

Listen to the gospel reading and sermon here.

Mark 6:14-29

14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some were saying, "John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him." ¹⁵ But others said, "It is Elijah." And others said, "It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old." ¹⁶ But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised." ¹⁷ For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her. ¹⁸ For John had been telling Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." ¹⁹ And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, ²⁰ for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. ²¹ But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. ²² When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it." ²³ And he solemnly swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom." ²⁴ She went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" She replied, "The head of John the baptizer." ²⁵ Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." ²⁶ The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷ Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, ²⁸ brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

SERMON:

The Gospel of the Lord?

This is one of those rare days where my call to preach and proclaim the good news of Jesus is directly challenged by a gospel text that isn’t really about Jesus.  In fact, Jesus is only mentioned in passing as a set up.  Ya know so often we read and hear stories of Jesus that teach us a lesson or moral, a lesson that challenges us or affirms our calling, but today rather we get a story that is a bit tangent to the rest of the gospel.

Mark’s gospel account begins with John the Baptist.  From the first verse of chapter one, JTB is proclaiming out of the wilderness.  “Prepare the way of the lord” he says. “Make straight his paths”. Recall the season of Advent when John the Baptist saying, “the one who is more powerful than I is coming after me and I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.  I baptized you with water but he will baptize you with Holy Spirit.”

John spent his days as a prophet, proclaiming the arrival of the Messiah.  He was the one crying in the wilderness, prophesying a word of hope among the people.  With prophetic and faithful witness, he proclaimed the coming light into the world. A light not darkness can overcome.  And of course, Jesus arrives right on cue to be baptized.

And we hear this marvelous story unfold about Jesus emerging from the waters of baptism, and the heavens being torn apart, and the Spirit descending like a dove and God say, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”  Jesus wandered the wilderness, ignoring Satan's temptations.

And as Jesus leaves the wilderness to call disciples and embark on his Galilean ministry, there is one small, quick verse that is often overlooked.

The 14th verse of Mark’s first chapter says, “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news…”   How subtle of Mark. The author begins his gospel with this wonderful prophecy by John the Baptist, but once Jesus arrives, John seems to become old news.  Oh, and he was arrested, but back to Jesus.

And yet, for some reason, four chapters later, Mark finishes the story of John.  It’s a side story, a flashback really. And if you’re reading the gospel of Mark straight through, chances are you have forgotten all about John, and probably don’t recall that he was even arrested.  

We’re so focused on Jesus being active and present as the Messiah, Jesus healing and teaching in the synagogue, Jesus sending the disciples out two by two….but all of a sudden Mark is says, “Oh by the way...remember that John the Baptist guy?...have you ever wonder what happened to him?”

Well as the story goes, King Herod married the wife of his brother.  In other words he married his sister-in-law. Her name was Herodias. And by the law in Leviticus, their marriage was to be considered unlawful.  

So, John the faithful prophet and witness calls attention to their unlawful marriage.  He spoke a hard truth to those in power and authority. This does not sit well with Herodias.  She held a grudge against John.

So Herod has John arrested, whether to appease his sister-in-law turned wife, or to silence the faithful prophet and save face among his people, he arrests John none-the-less.

But what is interesting is that the text tells Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man.  So Herod protected him. Even more so it tells us that Herod was intrigued by John the Baptist and enjoyed listening to him.  John made him think. As John prophesied and proclaimed, sowing seeds we might say...Herod thoroughly liked John’s company. Never-the-less, John spoke a hard truth to hold the king accountable, and he found himself imprisoned.

So it was Herod’s birthday, and during the party his niece, now step-daughter dances for Herod and his guests.  And to be clear, it is likely Not a suggestive or inappropriate dance. Rather she was a young girl, likely performing an innocent routine, hamming it up for Herod’s guests.  

So he summons the girl and says “whatever you ask me, I will give you.”  So the girl runs to her mother, seeking advice on such a big ask.

And Herodias, with her festering grudge against the truthful yet convicting prophet, says, I want John the Baptist dead, with his head on a platter.  

So the girl conveys her wish to her uncle, now step-father.  And rather than appear weak or face embarrassment, Herod is bound by his word.  Thus John the Baptist is beheaded and brought on a platter to the girl. I can only imagine her reaction.  The girl gives the platter to the mom and John’s disciples came to collect the body. The end..

Now, where were we with Jesus and his friends…

It’s an oddly placed story in the middle of Mark’s gospel.  Jesus is thriving in ministry. Sure he just faced a cold greeting in his hometown, but things are going well.  We, the hearers, along with Jesus’ disciples are learning more and more about this Messiah, his power, and his purpose.  Then out of nowhere...oh, do you remember John?

It’s a strangely-timed flash back that closes the book on a character we’ve long moved past.  And there is only a passing mention of Jesus in order to set the story up. So what could the author of Mark possibly be teaching his audience?  Then and now? What, if any, is the good news in today’s text?

Perhaps the key to first understand the author.  Mark is a brilliant writer, and part of his style is to bookend stories within his writing.  Throughout his entire gospel account, uses bookends to write in rounds. He has a clever and subtle way of writing the narrative so that the format tells as much of a story as the text does.  He draws subtext parallels and expands metaphors. He foreshadows much of what is to happen later. Today’s text is a perfect example in two ways.

First, the story of John the Baptist being beheaded foreshadows Jesus’ death.  From speaking hard truth the those of authority and power, to dying at the hands a timid and reluctant political leader.  John’s death prepares us for a greater and more traumatizing death that is to come.

Second, and this might be the key, the beheading of John the Baptist is preceded by Jesus sending out the disciples two by two, and followed by the disciples returning to Jesus and Jesus feeding 5000.  

Jesus encounters resistance in his hometown, making clear the difficult reality of the call to preach, teach, proclaim, and heal.  The message and work of the one called is not always welcomed warmly. Then Jesus sends his disciples into the villages two by two, to teach and heal.  To be vulnerable and risk everything. To take nothing for the journey and trust in God and the message of hope.

It’s precisely in that moment, as the disciples leave, that the author flashes back to the story of a familiar and faithful prophet losing his life to wealth, power, and authority after speaking hard, faithful truths.  The timing isn’t ironic. The placement of this story isn’t an afterthought. For Mark, the message is intentional. We may not know exactly what the disciples encountered on their journey, but Mark is sure to tell us what they risked.

It makes me think about the phrase “Don’t shoot the messenger.”  We always hear in a context that says, “It’s not my fault you’re receiving the bad news, I’m just delivering it.”  But when I think about John and the prophets it makes sense because history may kill them but the message never dies.

Even centuries before John came crying out of the wilderness, the prophets spoke truths.  Hard, faithful truths in the face of opposition. They challenged authority. They offered warning to the hard of heart and hard of hearing.  

And many of them were killed for their prophetic voice.  Isaiah was sawn in two. Jeremiah was starved to death. Even Amos, from our 1st lesson was said to suffer a violent death after giving a powerful word of warning to the Northern Kingdom.  But despite a cold welcome by a resistant world, the stories of the prophets have life and meaning today because of the message they proclaimed. Not because of who they were speaking to, but because of in whose name they spoke.

The voice and witness of those who are called to teach, preach, proclaim, and yes prophecy is more powerful than death.  The message is greater than any earthly kingdom or unlawful ruler that may feel challenged by their words.

Power, wealth, and authority may arrest, imprison, beat, challenge, oppose, belittle, smear, slander, dismiss, behead or even crucify the prophet, but the message that prophet proclaims is far greater.   

Yes, they risked their lives, but their story and their proclamation are still told.  Herod killed John, but John’s life and prophecy to prepare the way of the Lord is far more powerful.  They killed Jesus, but God’s story of hope was far too great for sin, death and the devil.

So what do we do with this text that feels out of place?  Perhaps there is truth to be told today? Jesus sends out the 12 disciples to teach and heal, and we are reminded of our call as well to journey village to village and share in the stories of God and our neighbor.

I always think the hard part of being a follower of Christ is being sent two by two to strangers homes and sharing in their time, food, and stories.  But in light of today’s gospel, perhaps that is is the easiest part of being a Christian. And the most challenging and vulnerable thing for us to do is speak with Christ’s authority to people in power.

As Christians, it is our power and privilege, our call to speak prophetically to unlawful powers and unjust systems.  It’s our call to preach, teach, and heal with authority. With passion. With fervor and power. We are called to name sin and sinful behavior.  To encourage and empower repentance. To challenge unjust and unlawful systems. To prophecy against oppressive power.

And the prophets message is always one of hope.  Hope in a God who is far more powerful, far more just, and far more fair than any Earthly kingdom or rule.

Sure, Proclaiming Christ, being a prophetic voice and witness of hope in a world that is burdened by wealth, status, power, greed, and destruction is risky business.  But what is far more risky, is if the prophet never speaks at all. If sin is never named. If truth is never told. If hope is never proclaimed. If repentance and forgiveness is never offered.

So as the disciples leave for their first missionary journey, Mark closes the chapter on John the Baptist not to say that being a prophet is too risky.  Rather, Mark reminds us that power of the prophetic witness is far greater than the risk of speaking out. Jesus calls us to be prophetic in spite of the risk.  It seems that in today’s world there will always be unjust, unlawful, and unruly systems of power. And if that’s true, then there will always be a need for prophetic proclamation too.  That is our call, here and now. No matter how strange the timing may seem.

Amen.

John 3:16 - Sermon Lent 4B

Listen to the gospel and the sermon here. 

John 3:14-21

¹⁴And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. ¹⁶“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. ¹⁷“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ¹⁹And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. ²¹But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

For God so loved the world that God gave God’s only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

John 3:16 is by far one of the most referenced and highly revered verses in all of scripture.  I honestly can not recall a time in my life when I was void of the phrase “John 3:16.”  I can picture roadside billboards when taking road trips as a kid.  I can see countless windshield flyers, door hangers, and handouts that plastered John 3:16!   I remember sidewalk chalk plastered all over campus at least once a week at college that said John 3:16!  I have a vivid memory of watching a football game and seeing a well-known quarterback with black stickers under his eyes advertising John 3:16.  Tattoos, t-shirts, bumper stickers, coasters….I even discovered an entire apparel line this week dedicated to John 3:16.  I suspect you all have had your own interactions, experiences, and encounters with John 3:16. 

Some might say that there is no greater verse in all of scripture than this...That God so loved the world...To be clear, the content of John 3:16 is a significant proclamation of the Christian faith, and a crucial understanding of God’s desire for the world.  It’s a crux for which most of Christianity stands on.  Even the dedicated website for John 3:16 describes it as “The gospel in a nutshell.” 

I have no issue with the branding and promotion of John 3:16...no issue with its prevalence in today’s world.  Certainly there are much worse things we could broadcast.  My only fear is how easy it is to hide behind John 3:16 as a brand, to proclaim the citation only, without every cracking the nutshell to hear, embrace, and embody the message of the verses.  Or more terrifyingly...to be changed by the words of the gospel nutshell, to feel affected, convicted, or empowered by its proclamation.  To be covered by the light of God and know that God loves the world so much that God would enter a world that has become partial to sin, not only to rid the world of sin and offer a better way, but to experience all the sin the world had to offer.  To experience pain.  To embody grief and sorry.  To embrace suffering.  To experience death.  It is more than a statement of faith, it’s a call to action.

For God so loved the world.  My fear is that we are not always ready to embrace who John 3:16 empowers us to be.  Does John 3:16 change you?  Does it change how we view, interact, live in the world that God so loves?

One of the traps of reading John 3:16 is that we ONLY read John 3:16.  We read, hear, and proclaim that God so loved the world that God gave Jesus so all who believe in him may not perish but may have eternal life.  Full stop.  If our affection for John 3:16 stops here then we risk conveying a message that says salvation is given by God through Jesus Christ purely out of God’s love for us, and therefore there is no need, no concern, no motivation, no purpose for our actions...word or deed.   No need to consider what kind of person we are, how we interact with others.  We risk conveying that the relationship between faith and salvation is simply to believe in the proclamation of John 3:16. 

I doubt many of us wrestle with the truthful proclamation of John 3:16 that God loved the world so much that God would conceive an incredibly generous and humble way to eternal life for all people.  But the greater and scarier truth is that John 3:16 is only the beginning of faith and faithful living.  God’s gracious and merciful act in Jesus Christ not only warrants, but demands a response.  A life-giving, and light-shining response - dare I say, good works.  

Here we can turn to our Ephesians text for some clarity. As John 3:16 is to Christianity, we might say Ephesians 2:8 is for Lutheranism.  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God - not the result of works, so that no one my boast.  Grace...not works...is one of Paul’s primary theological arguments, and it serves Luther as well during the reformation.  But the significance of this statement, for both Paul and Luther goes well beyond a discussion of grace over works.   

Paul writes to the church in Ephesus beginning with an extensive salutation claiming that God destined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ and elaborates on the promise granted to God’s children in the death and resurrection of Jesus.   He then prays, not so subtly, for the community of Ephesus.  He prays that God give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation….that their hearts be enlightened….and that they may know God’s immeasurable greatness for those who believe.

Now Paul reiterates that they were dead in their trspasses an sin.  They once lived according to the rulers and powers of the world, following the desires of the flesh.  But GOd...God who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which God loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved.   For God so loved the world, even when you were dead in sin, that God gave God’s only son, and saved us by grace through faith, so that all who believe may have eternal life, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.  

For the Ephesians this would be there bumper-sticker, mouse-pad, T-shirt moment.  Ephesians 2:8, Saved by grace through faith.  The breath of fresh air as they are reminded that God saved God’s people, God saved the world freely..and you don’t have to do anything to earn that.  

That’s all good and well if Paul stopped there, but Paul never shies away from cracking open the nutshell.  He then says, “For we are what God has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”  Created in Christ Jesus for good works, that is to be our way of life.  Truly I tell you that good works are not a prerequisite for God’s salvation in Christ Jesus.   Good works rather are an expression of God’s salvation through Christ. 

What Paul is truly expressing and will go on to explain is a way of life.  A behavior.  A change in our very being as a result of God’s salvation.  God’s gracious and merciful act in Jesus Christ not only warrants, but demands a response.  A life-giving, and light-shining response.  God’s salvation changes everything.

While John 3:16 indicates that no thing or no one is beyond the grasp of God’s salvation and promise to eternal life, The rest of John’s statement reminds us that God’s salvation does not permit us to simply stand idly by, comfortable and content.  For John, the message of God saving the world demands a reaction.  An active and willing choice to participate in God’s salvation in the world.

Active participation in a world that is partial to the darkness.  A world overwhelmed by temptations of the flesh...a world ravaged by self-interest and greed.  A world lost in the darkness of sin.

And the truth is friends that God so loved the world.  Not just you.  Not just me, but all of creation.   The object of God’s love is the world.  And we, the believing body of Christ, are fruits of God’s salvation.  Active and willing participants in God’s salvific plan for the world.  This means shining a light in a dark world through word and deed.  It means working to end hate and violence.  It means speaking out against injustice and oppression.  It means acting with compassion and love. It means pushing against the current to challenge oppressive systems of power and tear down the walls and barriers of life.

Make no mistake, For God so loved the world that God gave God’s only Son, not so those who believe may rest in comfort and complacency, turning a blind eye to the pervasiveness of sin in.  Apathy and indifference towards God’s salvation for the world only enhances the problem. 

Rather, God so loved the world, so that all who believe may have eternal life. The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. ²¹But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

John 3:16 is a proclamation of hope and promise for that world, the first step in a faithful response.  We are called to embrace and embody the confession of John 3:16 and that means being changed.  Changed from people of darkness to people of light.  Empowered by God to choose good in this world.  To stand as witness in a world desperate for good news.

 © Pastor Daniel Locke, preached on March 11, 2018 at St. Mark's Lutheran JAX, FL.