Relationship - Holy Trinity Sunday B Sermon - 05.27.2018

Listen to the gospel reading and sermon here:

Romans 8:12-25

¹²So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— ¹³for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. ¹⁵For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. ¹⁸I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. ¹⁹For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; ²⁰for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²²We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; ²³and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

John 3:1-17

3Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. ²He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” ³Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” ⁴Nicodemus said  to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” ⁵Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. ⁶What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ ⁸The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”⁹Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” ¹⁰Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? ¹¹“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. ¹²If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 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.

Grace and peace to you in the name God, the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Happy Holy Trinity Sunday.  Today is a festival Sunday dedicated to celebrating our triune God.  Three-in-one. One-in-three. Simple enough, right. God is the creator of all things, known and unknown, seen and unseen.  God became incarnate in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Jesus, fully human AND fully divine walked this earth to teach, preach, and offer a new way of life.  By the power of God, Jesus conquered the grave and rose to new life and ascended to heaven. Of course, we can’t forget the presence of the Spirit. In creation the breath of God blew across the waters like a wind.  The Spirit descended like a dove into Jesus at baptism. Jesus promises that the Spirit will abide with us, and at Pentecost that promise is fulfilled as the Spirit descends, dances, and swirls.

It’s the Holy Trinity.  A Sunday dedicated to this uniquely perplexing doctrine of faith. One-in-three, father son and Holy Spirit working together seamlessly yet individually.  Father, son, and Holy Spirit as God, Three-in-one. Remarkably Interconnected and intertwined, yet distinctly individual and unique in their ways. The three-in-one, each completely dependent upon the others, and yet the one-in-three, each completely self-sufficient and independent.  And today we celebrate this beautifully complicated yet simplistically divine doctrine of God. Seems simple enough. So, happy Holy Trinity Sunday everyone.

The Holy Trinity as a doctrine is incredibly elusive.  It seems that any time we get close to understanding, defining, and explaining it we find ourselves trapped in some form of heresy.  How is that three distinct beings can wholly be one. And one distinct being can wholly be three. 

I think that second to Holy communion, the doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most widely debated doctrines of faith in all of Christian history.  For example, the Nicene creed, which we typically use for festival seasons and Sundays..it was initially written and approved in 325. It was edited, debated, argued, and fought over for another 50 years until they settled on a the Nicene creed.  But even in the 6th century some churches changed the language about the relationship between God and the son. As of 20 years ago, the Vatican was still having debates and discussions of proper grammar of the creed to avoid heresy. In a few moments we’ll confess together the Athanasian creed. It was written in the 6th century and it goes to incredible lengths to shed light on the Trinity.  For nearly 2000 years, since God became incarnate, Christians have dedicated their lives to explaining the divine doctrine of the Trinity. The three in one, the one in three.

And yet today, we’re supposed to celebrate the Holy Trinity.  How do you celebrate something that doesn’t make sense. So on this celebration of the Holy Trinity, I feel confident is saying two things about the Trinity. 1) I can not fully explain the trinity to you.  Just being honest and 2) There is nothing I can say about the Trinity that hasn’t already been said or debated in the previous 2000 years of Christianity. 

The other week I was in Tony’s office and we were talking through the events of upcoming Sundays.  As we got to Holy Trinity Sunday, I sat down in the chair and lamented, “Oh what can I possibly preach on about the Holy Trinity that isn’t heresy.  This incredibly complex yet beautifully simple doctrine of faith is a nightmare for pastors, and I would bet that 9 out of 10 would tell you they lament preaching on Holy Trinity Sunday more than any other Sunday.

So what is it about the Holy Trinity that makes it so elusive...so unable to define?  What is it about the trinity that has the power to cripple our language and imaginations at every effort to define it.  What is it about the Trinity that makes it feel so close to us yet so distant. Why dedicate a Sunday to the Holy Trinity and call it a festival?

Each and every single week our worship revolves around the Trinity.  I stand up there and say “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”  We talk about the Trinity. We just sang about the Trinity in our opening hymn: Holy and blessed three, Glorious Trinity, Wisdom, love, might! Boundless as ocean’s tide, Rolling in fullest pride, Through the earth, far and wide, Let there be light!.  We pray in the name of the Trinity.  We confess the Trinity. We believe in God the father almighty...I believe in Jesus Christ God’s only son.  We believe in the holy Spirit…Our worship is drenched in Trinitarian language.

The truth is, we may never fully understanding the Holy Trinity.  The three-in-one and one-in-three. If 2000 years of debate haven’t sorted out some form of Christian consensus then the reality is that we may neverput the power of the Trinity into a complete and comprehensive definition.  And honestly, I think there is something completely freeing about that. 

So rather than devote ourselves to gaining knowledge of the trinity and how it works...rather than over analyze and stress about the details of the divine, I think we are well off to devote ourselves to embracing and sharing our experience of the trinity.  Rather than how the Trinity works, we might consider what the trinity teaches us. 

Because deep down, as the foundation of every theological attempt to define the trinity..at the core of each creedal statement is relationship.  

The Holy Trinity...the three-in-one, one-in-three is about relationship.  It is all about relationship. God and the Trinity of God is first and foremost a witness to us of the relationship that God created us for.  The type of relationship that God invites us to participate in. 

The creeds teach us that the three persons of the trinity are so interconnected and interdependent, spiraling togethering in a divine dance, and God invites us into that dance--the dance of the Trinity. 

This relationship begins for us in baptism.  In the waters of baptism our very lives in Christ are tied to the  Holy Trinity. When we were washed and named, we were claimed in the name of God the father, God the son, and God the Holy Spirit.  Our new birth into the body of Christ is rooted in the Trinity. We are born anew as relational beings, and God created us and deeply desires for us to be in relationship with God and one another. 

In our gospel text, Nicodemus approaches Jesus with theological curiosity.  Now Nicodemus is a Pharisee, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities.  He has scriptural and theological education and training. And yet, he has observed something new and intriguing about this jesus character that urges him to know more.  So he asks Jesus about being born anew, about the kingdom, and how one comes to participate in the kingdom. 

So Jesus says, “no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”  According to Jesus there is some different way of living that makes one aware of the kingdom of God.  There is something different about a life apart from God and a life within God’s kingdom.

Life in the kingdom of God is a life rooted in and created for relationship.

You and I are created to be relational beings.  We are created to care for, depend on, nurture, love, sustain, encourage, lift up, compliment, and accompany one another.  In the waters of baptism we are interconnected and interdependent beings. We are welcomed into this divine dance between God, the father God the son and God the Holy Spirit. 

We are welcomed into a relationship that is so filled with love, that God would even sacrifice part of God’s self for the world.  A sacrifice of God for something God created in the first place. And in the death and resurrection of Jesus, the savior, God welcomes all nations, all peoples into the relationship of salvation. 

God’s salvation means living a life of relationship with God and one another.   And when we come to understand the Trinity in light of this relationship of God’s love for the world, we begin to have the wisdom of the trinity.  

Whereas generations before us have sought knowledge of the trinity, seeking facts and definitions…. it is our experience of God’s love poured out for the world in creation, God’s love through Jesus Christ to offer salvation, God’s love in the Spirit to accompany us in our journey of faith that gives us wisdom of the Trinity. 

Martin Luther suggested that the Holy Trinity is the greatest mystery in heaven and on earth.  We celebrate the Holy Trinity today not strictly as mystery of theological doctrine that we may never fully understand.  But we celebrate the trinity because it is a true witness to the outpouring of God’s love between God the father, God the son, and God the Holy Spirit that we may never fully understand.   Each member of the trinity empties itself of love for the others, but is in turn overflowing with love poured out. Love for a world in creation. Love for a world in salvation. Love for a world that continues to try and figure it all out.  

And until we do figure it all out, perhaps God would have us live into the kingdom created for us.  A kingdom built on a relationship of love. A kingdom inviting us to be in a loving relationship with God and one another.  And perhaps...just perhaps...once the whole world has come to witness and participate in that relationship of love, we might truly know God.

Amen.

The Spirit is Always Up to Something - Pentecost B Sermon - 05.20.2018

Listen to the gospel and the sermon here.

ACTS 2:1-21

1 When the day of Pentecost had come, [the apostles] were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.  5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”
  14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
  17 ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.  18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.  19 And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist.  20 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.  21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ ”

John 15:26-16:15 

²⁶ “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. ²⁷ You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. ⁵ But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ ⁶ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. ⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ about sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; ¹¹ about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
¹² “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

 I have come to believe wholeheartedly that the Spirit is always up to something.  I think our understanding of scripture and the Christian tradition teaches us that Spirit is always moving, always stirring, she’s always up to something.  The Spirit challenges us, pushes us to the realization of things that we cannot come by on our own fruition. The Spirit is enlightening, she is encouraging, she is breathing and moving.  The Spirit, at times can even be a real nuisance, relentless annoying, but nevertheless she persists. 

We are blessed with this weird, power-struggle of a relationship with the Spirit.   It seems we’re either praising the Spirit for being active and abiding in a certain situation, or whether we’re blaming the Spirit because she nudged beyond our comfort zone or calls us into a situation that will undoubtedly result in personal change, transformation, or growth.  The Spirit, as Jesus promised does not leave us alone. The Spirit abides with us through our lowest of lows, standing firm as our punching bag...graciously taking the blows of our emotions. The Spirit abides with us through the highest of highs, demonstrating humility and grace.   From one extreme to the other, the Spirit abides. Faithfully. As Jesus promised. And in those moments it is easy to consult the Spirit...whether through anger and yelling or by praise and thanksgiving.

But what about every moment in between?  When life is content? When everything feels settled, normal, routine, comfortable.  You feel far from a crisis and close to joy. It is precisely those moments that the Spirit stirs.  Ready or not, here she comes.

The story from Acts today is a familiar story.  The disciples have been through some incredibly rough waters, from living with Jesus to watching him die.  From mourning his death to him being alive again. From celebrating that new life to watching him ascend. Last week the disciples rolled dice to replace Judas and restore their numbers to 12.  They did this to fulfill scripture. 

So the disciples and the crowds around them have grieved together.  They processed all of the recent events in light of all that Jesus has said and done, and they seem to be at a place of comfort or at least content.  They have their mission and they understand, for the most part, what it is they are called to do. Whether they know it or not, they have become...vulnerable to the power of the Spirit. 

From Acts, “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.”  

I think it’s good to remember that Pentecost is not strictly a Christian celebration.  Pentecost began as a Jewish festival, specifically the festival of Weeks. Or better yet, the harvest festival.  Jews celebrated this festival 50 days after the festival of Passover meal. It was a festival of harvest, of first fruits, of grain.  The festival also has connections to people of Israel in Exodus and God giving the Torah to the whole nation at Mount Sinai.

So the disciples, along with devout Jews from other nations were gathered in one place for the festival of weeks.   They were gathered to celebrate the harvest. Per tradition and cultural norms, they were going about their lives as they would have any other year.  Devout Jews from every nation aren’t gathered for Jesus’ sake. They’re not there to console the disciples or even inquire about the once-dead, now-alive-but risen Christ.  And it is precisely this moment that the Spirit chooses to descend and stir up a holy chaos. 

Sarah and I regularly visited a Starbucks in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.  And as we sat there drinking coffee and working I paused to listen. Everyone around was speaking in a different language.  Tamil, Malay, one of three Chinese dialects, even some German, and of course English. Now there was no rush of a wind or tongues of fire to help me understand my neighbor, but it was by far the closest I’ve come to appreciating this story from Acts. 

Devout Jews from every nation were gathered for the Festival.  And they didn’t speak the same language or dialect. As they traded their harvests and carry about daily living they couldn’t communicate with one another verbally.  And as I’m sure you’ve experienced, if you can’t communicate easily with someone then chances are you don’t interact at all. So, come Holy Spirit.

The disciples, unsuspecting and vulnerable to the power of the spirit are lit up with tongues of fire.  The rush of a mighty wind fills the room and divided tongues, like fire, rest on each of them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking other languages.  

This holy chaos draws the crowds in and Devout Jews from multiple nations gather with curiosity and intrigue.  And beyond their wildest dreams, they heard their native tongue being spoken by strangers from another land. The Spirit was moving. 

And rather than shrug it off or explain it away, Peter embraces the Spirit and proclaims the word of God.  Peter speaks and all hear and all listen. The Spirit moves and the good news of God is proclaimed. 

And I don’t think the point of the story is that Peter is a good, faithful proclaimer...It’s not that the Spirit is bilingual or a good translator.  What is being proclaimed through this story is that Spirit is alive and moving. The Spirit is stirring. And whether we like it or not, here she comes.  Just because we are unsuspecting, content, comfortable, or settled doesn’t mean the Spirit will wait on us to be ready to move. She is always swirling, always stirring, always moving, always challenging, always up to something.

And if that’s true, then people of God, watch out.  Be alert. Because life in the Spirit yields growth, change, and transformation.   I won’t have you raise your hand, but how many of you have had an experience in life where you just know, you can sense it and feel it, whether you like it or not that the Spirit is stirring within you.  The Spirit is calling you to do or be in a way that will make you uncomfortable...push you beyond your bubble. And this calling, this gut-turning flow of the Spirit will transform you. We call those growing pains.  Because a life in the Spirit means never being settled, never being content, never being comfortable. The Spirit is always up to something.

And here is the crazy part, did you know we actively and consciously pray for that swirling and stirring.  We knowingly call upon God to move among us. Come, holy Spirit. In worship we call upon the Spirit to fill our hearts, bless us in worship, in bread and wine. Come, Holy Spirit.  We urge God to wrap us in the mighty rushing wind. We sing it. We pray it. We chant it. We intentionally plea for the Spirit to move.

The same Spirit that will drive the disciples beyond Jerusalem to a life in service and faithful proclamation.  The same Spirit that will lead the disciples to be arrested and persecuted. The same Spirit that will accompany the disciples as their flogged and stoned for proclaiming Jesus.  The Spirit that leads to transformation and growth. The Spirit that draws you out, challenges you, takes you beyond comfort and into struggle. 

The Spirit that waits eagerly for your to say “here I am God, send me” and the Spirits says “please stow away your tray tables and put your seats in their upright positions.  Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicles at all times. Ready or not, here we go!” That’s the Spirit we pray to. We call upon. And I don’t think we’re that naive or uninformed...so Are we just crazy?!  

Peyton, Naomi, Tahiana, Miora.  In just a moment you will stand before this congregation and make a public declaration to continue in the promises made on your behalf in Baptism.  Whether you know it or not, the Spirit is moving in that. You will kneel and the altar, and I will say “Father in heaven, for Jesus’ sake, stir up the gift of your Holy Spirit.” Now let me tell you a secret. When I say that prayer you will not instantly understand God, Jesus, or the Spirit.  Your mind won’t be opened to all knowledge and understanding of Faith. Everything will not be made crystal clear. Nor are you declaring that you understand and believe everything forever. 

Rather just like the disciples and devout Jews gathered that Pentecost day, you promise to be receptive to the Spirit.  Open with curiosity and intrigue. You declare that you are vulnerable to the power of the Holy Spirit and you are prepared, as best as you can be at this moment in your faith, for the Spirit to stir up holy chaos.   Or at least, that’s what I’ll be praying for.

People of God, Pentecost is not simply a celebration of Jesus’ promise fulfilled in the gift of the Holy Spirit.  It’s not just a reminder that some 2000+ years ago the Spirit descended in a fiery chaos to change the world. Rather, Pentecost is a faithful proclamation that not only does the Spirit relentlessly abide, but also that the Spirit is forever stirring in our lives.  Forever stirring in this community of faith. Stirring in the world. 

Some may fight the Spirit.  Sometimes we just ride the wave.  Often times we just need to get out of the Spirit’s way.  Regardless, as Christians, baptized in the water and claimed by God we are vulnerable to the power of the Holy Spirit.   We are created and called for the Spirit’s swirling. In our individual lives. In our communities. Here at St. Mark’s. Make no mistake, the Spirit is up to something.  And in the name of God, I promise she’s up to something good. So ready or not, here she comes. Amen

© Preached by Pastor Daniel Locke on May 20, 2018 @ St. Mark's Lutheran Church

Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come.

“Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come.”  This prayer is our Advent refrain each week as we invoke the Holy Spirit to “stir up” within us through the prayer of the day.  These ”stir up” prayers in Advent have always been my favorite, and every year I discover a new reason to fall in love with them all over again.

In a literal sense, I love the image of the Holy Spirit stirring things up.  My mind is filled with images of the Spirit swirling, much like a desert windstorm or a tidal pool with the waves crashing together.  During the holidays I am even reminded of the Spirit’s “stirring” when I fold flour or eggs into a good batter, or marshmallows in a cup of hot chocolate.

One of my favorite “stir up” prayers is on the third Sunday of Advent. On December 17, we’ll pray, “Stir up the wills of your faithful people, Lord God, and open our ears to the words of your prophets, that, anointed by your Spirit, we may testify to your light…” The power of the Spirit stirring up God’s people is empowering and exciting.  However, it is also downright terrifying.

There is a stereotype that Lutherans don’t like change. We’re often comfortable with our traditions and having “always done it that way.”  Whether that generalization is true or not is the topic of another time, but perhaps the same generalization could be made within our own lives.  How complacent can we become in our relationship with God?  How settled can we become in our faith?  How content can we become in our practices, traditions, rituals, and beliefs?  Are we truly ready or willing to be stirred up?

Willingly and knowingly invoking the Spirit to stir us up is a scary invitation.  After all, the Spirit has strong track recorded of stirring things up pretty well.  Off the top of my head I can think of a large ark, thousands of Israelites crossing the Red Sea, a whale’s belly, a wise judge, and of course a young woman named Mary.  The Spirit is always stirring and filling, empowering and challenging. 

One of the many joys of the Advent season is the invitation to begin again. To begin a new liturgical year.  To enter a new calendar year with excitement, goals, hopes, dreams, and ambitions.  To begin the story of Jesus, from birth and life to death and resurrection.  To be stirred up.  Advent invites us to have the settled, dusty, and stagnant parts of our lives stirred up by the Holy Spirit.

This year I am reminded of God’s promise in the Spirit to keep stirring.  I often want to condition my Advent prayer with “only if you want to” or “if you think I need it.”   But the question isn’t if the Spirit will stir, but when and how.  This Advent I am reminded that our prayer is not request or invitation as much as it is a proclamation of faith. 

From the beginning, God stirred up creation.  God stirred up love when Jesus, Emmanuel and Messiah, walked among God’s people in humble service— turning the world upside down in the death and resurrection.  And by God’s grace, God continues to stir things up for us in the most beautiful, challenging, and faithful ways.  How is the Spirit working in your life this Advent?  In what areas of your faith life might you find the Spirit stirring?

Originally Posted in the December, 2017 Messenger for St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Jacksonville, Florida.

Reign of Christ Sermon - Matthew 25: 31-46

Matthew 25:31-46

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

There is a popular expression of faith.  Although it is credited to Francis of Assisi, its origins are a bit unknown. Regardless, it resonates with today’s Gospel text.  It goes, “Proclaim the Gospel, and when necessary use words.” I suppose it sounds similar to present day quips such as “you can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk,” or “actions speak louder than words.” Personally, I’m more fond of the former “proclaim the Gospel, and when necessary use words.”

To be clear the intention of the expression is not to diminish the use of words or dismiss the inherent oral nature of the gospel message, but rather the intention is to highlight the interconnectedness of proclamation and action.  Word and deed. Theses two expressions of the Gospel go hand-in-hand, inseparable present-day manifestations of the good news in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.  

Not as a choice, but as an embodiment of our discipleship.  An instinct of our Christian nature. A stitch in the fabric that is the body of Christ DNA.   Proclaiming the Gospel, and when necessary using words.

Today marks the end of our liturgical calendar.  The end of the church year.  And so on this final Sunday of the church year, as we transition into Advent and new beginning we hear Jesus in his final public teaching moment with the Disciples. It is perhaps the perfect bookend to his public teaching ministry.

Recall that 20 chapters ago he began with the Beatitudes a world-turning, expectation-flipping assessment on the kingdom of God, in which the meak, poor, lonely, and lost inherit the Kingdom of God.  He goes on for another 10 chapters talking about the Kingdom teaching in parables, and preaching to the disciples and the crowds.

In chapter 16, after a decisive moment when Jesus asked Peter, “who do you say that I am?”  The text tells us “From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem to be killed and raised.”  From that time on he began to show.

It is not purely coincidence that Jesus spent his entire ministry both proclaiming and showing in action the good news of the Kingdom of God come near.  I don’t think either that is is purely coincidence that Matthew’s account of Jesus has him teaching for the last time about the interconnectedness of word and deed.   The humble, instinctive, and intuitive nature of doing to the least of these as Jesus did.

In Matthew’s account of the Gospel, there are more than 50 references to the kingdom.  The majority of which come from Jesus in coordination with a healing, parable, miracle, or a teaching moment.  

Central to Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew is the presence of the Kingdom.  A reign of God in Jesus Christ.  The embodiment of love, mercy, and grace in Jesus Christ the King.   

When Christ cleanses a Leper, heals a hemorrhaging woman, and restores site to the blind he proclaims the arrival of God’s kingdom in both word and deed.  

When Jesus sits to eat with a tax collector and associates with despised members of society, Jesus proclaims the arrival of God’s kingdom in both word and deed.  

When Jesus feeds 5000 and 4000 on a hillside, breaks bread with disciples, and offers living water to the woman at the well he proclaims the arrival of God’s kingdom in both word and deed.

When Jesus advocates for the oppressed, teaches about wheat, seeds, and yeast, and walks on water he is proclaiming the arrival of God’s kingdom in word and deed.

The correlation between faithful proclamation and humble service for Jesus, and for Matthew is no coincidence.  And furthermore the presence of the Kingdom of God within both word and deed is no coincidence.  

Now look brothers and sister I know that the word and deed sermon isn’t likely a new concept.  I’m sure many of us have heard the talk the talk and walk the walk sermon.  Most of us are familiar with this text and its implications.  Never-the-less, today’s text on this Reign of Christ Sunday is a significant and intentional text for on the final Sunday in the church year.  Beyond its familiarity, Jesus offers his disciples, the crowds, and us an important reminder of the nature of the Kingdom of God.  

‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’

And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

I invite you to hear today’s text and message not as conviction but rather as a reminder, an affirmation of your participation in the kingdom. To help, I offer two insights:

First, may we not get caught up on the “otherness”... wondering who are the least of these.  I think too often we subconsciously determine who is the “the least of these.”  This determination impacts our ability or willingness to act.   We might identify the least among us by some set of unfair or unnecessary criteria.  Limiting our care for neighbors and others by some condition of “leastness”  

Rather may our focus be on the action themselves, regardless of the recipient. Perhaps Jesus’ teaching today is not so much about determining who the least are, and who is need of care, but rather the acts of compassion and care we carry out in the name of Jesus.  The feeding through programs like UCOM and foodbanks, the welcoming of family promise, the caring of our home-bound and shut-in members, and the visiting of those in need of a familiar face or a safe smile.  Acting in Jesus’ name as Thomas Merton says, “to love others, the sick hungry, thirsty, stranger, oppressed, naked...without stooping to inquire whether or not they are worthy.

Second, may we not get caught up simply on the actions themselves.  The works in Jesus’ name.  

After all neither the sheep nor the goats in today’s teaching realize that they have done anything good.  “Lord when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ The sheep and goats seem to share and ignorance in their response.  They are surprised by their fate.

So rather than focusing on the actions themselves...to help or not to thelp, may today’s text be a reminder that caring for others, regardless of worthiness is part of our very nature.  It’s intuitive to who and whose we are.

It comes naturally, perhaps subconsciously to those who have been washed by God’s grace.

Like a good tree producing good fruit, it is the very nature of the body of Christ to proclaim the arrival of God’s kingdom in word and deed.

Brothers and sisters the good news this Christ the king Sunday, is that Jesus Christ proclaimed the kingdom of God come near, and showed the world again and again the goodness of God’s grace by

dining with sinners, forgiving aggressors, clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, grieving with the bereaved, dying on a cross and rising again.  

And friends may there be no better news than the fact that through our baptism God has claimed us as children of God.  Sheep in God’s flock.  We are woven into the fabric of the body of Christ and we are gifted each and every day with the gospel message of Jesus the King. A king who reigns in the messiness of life.   Who shines light in a dark world and guides our paths.  Jesus who is the center all that we say, and do not because Jesus intrudes our life, but rather washed in the water we exude the resurrected promise of everlasting life.

So as we transition into a new church year, a new calendar year, a new church season...as we change the colors, decorations…The hymns and texts.. May Christ always and forever remain at the center…empowering us to do and say as Christ.  To proclaim the gospel message that Christ the King, Emmanuel and Messiah, Lord of Lords, mighty God, prince of peace has begun his reign. Halleluiah.  

© Pastor Daniel Locke Nov. 19, 2017 @ St. Mark's JAX