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

This is Christ's Table - Sermon John 6:51-58 - 08.19.2018

Listen to the gospel and the sermon here. 

John 6:51-58

51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."⁵² The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"⁵³ So Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.⁵⁴ Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day;⁵⁵ for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.⁵⁶ Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.⁵⁷ Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever." 

This is Christ’s table and Christ is the host.  All are welcome to the altar rail, to stand or kneel as you are able.  Communion will be served by intinction. You may take the bread, dip it into the wine or grape juice, and consume.  

Communion is something we do every single week during worship.  It is an essential part of our worship service and an even more important practice in our Christian living.  For most Christians, Communion is considered a sacrament of faith, therefore it is a transformational experience within our worship.  In that significant moment, when the body and blood are offered and consumed, we partake in a heavenly banquet. With all the saints, past and present.  We receive a glimpse, a foretaste of the feast to come. And it is so much more than just a ritual of eating and drinking together. When the elements of bread and wine are given, we not only consume them, but the very presence of Jesus consumes us.  Christ fill us with grace and forgiveness, promise and hope. In the sacrament of communion we are reminded of God’s enduring promise of fruitful, eternal, and everlasting life. That whoever eats of this bread and drinks of this blood will have eternal life.  There is a reason we commune every single week.

Certainly the risk is then that such a regular practice can become routine.  Mundane. Expected and uneventful. We risk going through the motions, doing what we’ve always done and will always do without fully appreciating or accepting the promises expressed in communion.  We risk becoming indifferent or apathetic to the significance of the meal, rarely pausing to consider the gift we’ve been given. There is a reason we commune as often as possible. 

For us, as Lutherans, communion is one of two sacraments: Eucharist and Holy Baptism.  I suspect we’re familiar with both sacraments, we’ve seen them done and participated in them, but how often do we deeply reflect?  Intentionally dwell on their significance? How often do you faithfully process what takes place in the sacrament of Holy Communion?

Alright, put on your catechism hat for a moment of Lutheran 101 review.  For us, as Lutherans, What makes a sacrament a sacrament? Is it the ritual?  The words? The motions? Is it because Luther said so? I won’t ask you to answer out loud, but think for a moment, what makes a sacrament a sacrament.  Specifically, for today’s purposes, what makes communion a sacrament? After all, if we are to participate in the rite of Holy Communion every single week, one might argue we should understand it’s significance as best we can.   Luther actually says, “it is contempt for the sacraments that condemns, not lack of the sacraments” 

I see some minds turning.  What do we believe makes a sacrament a sacrament?  Luther teaches, and the church confesses that there are three criteria, components that make a rite a sacrament. 

First, there should be a physical element.  An earthly, visible element. Something we can see, touch, or even taste.  This is the component we’re most familiar with, right? Bread, wine, and water. Done.

Second, a sacrament is something Jesus commands us to do.  We might easily recall Jesus’ commissioning the disciples where he commands them to go out into the world, baptizing all nations in the name of the father, son, and holy spirit.  We might also easily recall Jesus commanding the disciples on a Thursday night in an upper room to “do this in remembrance of me.” A command by Jesus. 

So far, a sacrament is commanded by Jesus...go and baptize...do this in remembrance of me... and it has some type of physical, earthly, element...bread, wine, and water.

Arguably those two are the easiest for us to reflect upon and understand.   But it’s the third component that is so often overlooked. 

Third, a sacrament is connected with God’s promise, the word of God, which gives faith.  A sacrament, and in today’s case, communion is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given to us.  This means that by Christ’s command and through the earthy element, God’s promises are given to us. Graced upon us. Washed over us.  Consumed within us. 

Element, commanded by Jesus, Connected to God’s promise. 

For the last 5 weeks we have been trudging along in the 6th chapter of John.  It all started a few weeks ago as Jesus climbed the hillside for a bit of rest and the crowds followed him.  Jesus tested Philip and asked how they would feed everyone. So from 5 loaves and 2 fish Jesus blessed, broke, and fed all 5000 until they were satisfied.  They collected 12 baskets of leftover food. From the point on the crowd, especially the Jewish authorities have been entrenched in a conversation about Jesus and bread.  About Jesus and being fed. About Jesus and being filled with life.

We’ve heard Jesus say, “I will give you bread from heaven.” and “I am the bread of life”  ..Jesus makes the connection and says “I am the bread from heaven. He says “I am the living bread” and today he tells them “The one who eats this bread will live forever.” 

Our tendency whenever Jesus talks about bread is to interpret it in light of communion.  We understand him to be making allusions to the last supper and the institution of communion.  And that’s an easy connection for us to make. But if we consider the crowds gathered on that day, they have no memory, experience, or even concept of Jesus and the last supper becasue it hasn’t happened yet.  In fact, as John goes on in his gospel writing, there is no account of the final supper. No command to “do this in remeberance of me.” So chapter 6 is it. This is John’s moment of teaching with regards to Jesus and the bread of life.  This idea that Jesus, God’s son, is a sustaining source of life, a new manna from heaven. Jesus is the bread of Life, from God, for all people, by which we are fed and nourished and gifted eternal life. That is Jesus has been teaching in the 6th chapter, and it is what we have been unpacking the last few weeks.

And today’s excerpt from the 6th chapter of John narrows in on that third criteria of a sacrament.  The promises of God within the meal. Whereas the disciples and authorities are concerned with what the bread looks like and how they will receive it, Jesus offers a litany of benefits to eating.  

“Whoever eats of this bread will live forever”

“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life”

“I will raise you up on the last day” 

“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them” 

^“whoever eats me will live because of me” 

“The one who eats this bread will live forever." 

Jesus’ focus is on the promises received in the eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ.  Jesus is proclaiming a promise of life. God’s promise of eternal life. Jesus is focused on life and living, now and in the future.  Present and not yet. For all who eat and drink will be filled with the grace of God and lifted up on the last day.

These are the gifts and promises of God given at the altar rail.  Promises of eternal life in Christ. Promises of health and salvation.  A promise that as much as we consume the bread and wine, Christ consumes us.  Fills our very being to the fullest with grace upon grace. In this meal, it is God’s promise to abide with us forever and ever amen.  When we but taste the bread and wine, the body and blood of our Lord, we join the whole company of saints in celebration of an eternal promise.   Like the Israelites desperately wandering the in the wilderness, God provides manna from heaven, food for the hungry, strength for the weak, hope for the journey.  Christ is our manna from heaven, the very sustenance by which we live, breath, and have our being. 

And we journey to the altar rail, where one and all come to Christ’s table.  Christ invites us to come, taste, and see not because that’s what we’ve always done.  Not just because Christ commands it. Not just out of guilt, routine, practice, or obedience.  We come to the altar rail, arms stretched out, because deep within we are desperate for the promises of God.  Desperate for the body and blood of Jesus to fill us again and again with grace, mercy, forgiveness, hope, and life.  We are wilderness wanderers, and we should be racing to the altar. Fighting our way to the front of the line, not because there won’t be enough to go around, but because we feel that we can’t get enough of what God promises in this holy sacrament.

Throughout the gospel Jesus regularly encounters people of God around the table.   Jesus accepted an invitation to dine with Levi, a tax collector. He accompanied Zacchaeus and remained at this home.  Twice in Luke’s gospel Jesus dined with Pharisees and risked ridicule. On the road to Emmaus Jesus accepted an invitation to dine with mourners and hear their story.  Again and again Jesus shares in a meal with sinners, tax collectors, lawyers, rich elites, poor peasants, oppressed, and the outcast of society. 

And in the end, it is Jesus who flips the script and becomes the host.  In this meal, Jesus host. Jesus prepares a banquet, a feast, and invites all people to experience the gift of grace.  And this table is open, welcoming, and unconditional. Christ welcomes all to the table that is abounding in steadfast love and overpowers all boundaries.  It is christ’s table and Christ is the host. All are welcome to come, taste, see, and be consumed with God’s promise of life and life everlasting. 

And friends, when we truly reflect, embrace, and embody the fullness of God’s promises in this meal we are changed.  We are transformed. We are made alive in Christ, here now and forever. In the meal Jesus nourishes us in faith, forgives our sin, and empowers us to be faithful witnesses of the good news.  The sacrament is life-giving not only because Jesus is the host, but also because Jesus is the one given. The bread from heaven. And whoever eats of this bread will live forever. This is the promise of God, and the reason we come again and again to the rail, every time we worship.  

Amen.

Abundance - Sermon on John 6:1-21 - 07.29.2018

Listen to the gospel and sermon here.

John 6:1-21

1 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.² A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick.³ Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples.⁴ Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near.⁵ When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?"⁶ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.⁷ Philip answered him, "Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little."⁸ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him,⁹ "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?"¹⁰ Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all.¹¹ Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.¹² When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost."¹³ So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets.¹⁴ When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world."¹⁵ When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.¹⁶ When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,¹⁷ got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.¹⁸ The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.¹⁹ When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified.²⁰ But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."²¹ Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

Sermon

A few weeks ago more than 100 million people worldwide celebrated a much anticipated holiday.  Well it’s not necessarily a holiday...yet. But it’s a 30 hour celebration of slashed prices, incredible discounts, next day delivery, and online consumerism at its finest.  Of course, I am talking about Amazon Prime day. 

Amazon is one of the largest and most profitable retailers in the world and for the last several years they have lured more than 100 million users into a mid-year shopping spree.  They offer incredible deals and discount prices and major, popular items. It’s sort of an online, mid-year, Black Friday, without the lines. And it’s a big deal for a lot of people. 

Last week I was listening to some friends talk about their Amazon Prime Day experience.  They were listing all the things they bought and how much money they saved by buying them.  They spent hundreds of dollars buying two of these and three of those, but they saved hundreds more.  And as they were boasting about all of their new toys, one person said, so how are you enjoying your new items?  They paused, also in a moment of conviction, and said “honestly I haven’t even opened the package yet.”   After thinking for a moment they said, “ I really didn’t need any of it.” “So why did you buy it,” a friend asked?  “Well, the deal was too good and I was afraid that if I didn’t buy one then they would run out of stock...so I bought two.”

I was afraid they would run out of stock...so I bought two.  Funny, isn’t it, how our culture and our society has developed in such a way to convince us that there won’t be enough.  If we don’t act quickly, we’ll miss out.  There is only a finite amount….a limited amount of supplies, resources, energy, people, hours in the day.  Act now while supplies last! Sale ends today! Everything must go! Once it’s gone...there will be no more! 

Once I was walking through the grocery store and there was one package of Oreos left on the shelf.  I didn’t need Oreos. Wasn’t looking for Oreos. Wasn’t craving Oreos. But my mind said if I don’t grab that last package someone else will and there won’t be any more.   I remember the same thing happening when I was kid around the holidays.  Mom and I would go to the store as we prepared for a holiday meal and she would buy up all of the cream cheese.  Granted her recipes were always rich with cream cheese, but there seemed to be this mentality that there would never be another block of cheese available to us if we didn’t act now.   To this day I find myself glancing at the cream cheese as I pass it to make sure there is plenty to go around.  But if the supply is low I have an urge to act.

When there is a natural disaster or sudden international conflict...there is a risk of gas shortage...so what do we do? We all fill up our cars and gas cans in case it’s the last tank we ever top off.  

Oo or have you ever eaten at a buffet?  And your cruising through the line, one item to the next, your plate is full...until you come across one of your favorite foods.  You know it’s endless, but there is only one serving left, and if you don’t grab it now… I think you get my point.

For better or worse, our culture and society has trained us to act out of fear of not enough.  Our gut reaction is often to act within a mindset of scarcity. 

Maybe we’ll implement this approach for council positions this fall.   Get your position while it lasts! There are only five openings! Act now!  Don’t miss your chance! 

It’s a strange mindset of Scarcity.  In fact, there is an entire theology built on scarcity.  A whole belief system that says God created a finite amount.  A pattern of behavior that makes us queasy and impulsive because we fear there won’t be enough.  And it’s more than just consumerism.  It permeates the various aspects of our life, and if we’re not mindful, we can unintentionally approach relationships, situations, opportunities with this scarcity.

I think today’s gospel lesson confronts the theology of scarcity in a way that challenges us and perhaps makes us uncomfortable.  Jesus and his disciples retire to the other side of the Sea for a bit of rest.  But they barely make it to shore before large crowds swarm him. These crowds had seen many of the things Jesus had been doing and their curiosity was so peaked that they dropped everything to see what he would do next.   So as Jesus and friends climbed the large mountain, sat down, and watched as thousands...literally thousands of people approached. 

“Hey Philip,” Jesus asks, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 

Philip goes right past Jesus’ question as to say, even if there was a place for them to buy that much bread for the crowds, they would never have enough money to do so.  Even six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each to get a little.  Philip responds that there isn’t enough!  We can’t do it! The resources needed are unobtainable and the resources available are too finite.

We know how the story goes.  Jesus takes a small amount of bread and fish from a boy in the crowd, gives thanks, and distributes it among the 5000 people until all ate beyond their satisfaction.  Following the meal, Jesus instructs the disciples to collect the fragments.  So the disciples collect...and they don’t collect the fatty, tough, uneaten bits of food, but rather they collect 12 baskets of leftover food.   The crowd had eaten beyond their satisfaction and there was still food left to be shared. 

Today’s story in John is a lesson of faith and abundance from Jesus.  From five loaves and two fish Jesus offers an abundance of food for the crowd.  Jesus offers so much food that there were 12 baskets full left after everyone was satisfied.   

And certainly the lesson that Jesus teaches the disciples and the crowd is that in Christ there is enough.  There is more than enough. Our God is one of abundance.  God created in abundance.  God saved the Israelites in the wilderness with an abundance of quail and manna.  God saved all people through the death and resurrection of Jesus with an abundance of forgiveness and grace.  An abundance of hope and love.   Such an abundance that all may be filled beyond satisfaction.  That all may have abundant life and life eternal. 

Now I say all of that, and I believe it to be true.  But it is admittedly difficult to live in this tension: wholehearted and faithful believing that God always provides in an abundance and the harsh realities of the world in which we live.  I am not naive, and I know God isn’t going to write a check for the mortgage when the budget is tight if I just believe that God gives abundantly.  I know that Jesus himself wasn’t leading games at VBS, or teaching Sunday school, serving on council, or stuffing backpacks.   I know that God, powerful as God may be, won’t be the one dropping food in the UCOM food wagon, scooping ice cream after church, or roasting the pig this fall for our anniversary.  

Don’t get me wrong, I have no doubt that God is present in all of things through the body of Christ, but I suspect Jesus himself isn’t physically present making sandwiches for the homeless, sleeping on the couch while family promise is here, changing the filters on our AC units once a month, or making bulletins if we just believe God will provide  

Philip, how are we going to feed these people.  Well, Jesus, we can’t. There isn’t enough.  It’s easy for scarcity to be our out.  It’s a good excuse, at best. There isn’t enough.  Simply can’t. Not enough volunteers. Not enough resources. Not enough money. Not enough time.  We’re all out. This is what the world would have us believe. Scarcity. 

So maybe today’s lesson is a bit deeper than simply saying “God will provide.”  I suspect Jesus’ lesson for the disciples is a bit more rich than “if you just wait...God will make it happen.” 

I think this mountaintop moment is meant to be a game changer for both the disciples and the crowd.  For weeks they have watched and listened to Jesus. They have witnessed some incredible moments of ministry...enough to make them follow him wherever he goes.   And now, on this mountaintop, they do more than just witness, they become participants.  Consumers of Jesus’s bounty, both in food and miracle. They experience Christ. They taste and see the power of Jesus.  

And I think the lesson to be heard today is not simply to trust in God and God will provide.  Rather I think Jesus is inviting to completely shift our mentality. To change the starting point of our actions.   Rather than place restrictions or limits on our ministry and outreach by a lack of resources, perhaps we first ask what would God have us do.  What are the opportunities for ministry? What is our community crying out for? What are the needs of those around us? Where is the crowd that needs to be fed? 

And once we see the crowd, once we know the needs. When we hear the pains.  Identify the hurting, the suffering, the last, the lost, the least. Once we discern what Jesus would have us do...we might prioritize our resources to respond faithfully.  Trusting that in faithful ministry, God will provide.

Because in God we have been gifted enough.  We have been washed in the waters of baptism, claimed as a child of God and received grace upon grace.   When we come to the Lord’s table we receive the body and blood of Christ and we are filled with strength and love.  In the bread and wine Christ consumes us...filling us beyond satisfaction… again and again. 

The Spirit continues to fill us with grace and mercy, love and forgiveness, hope and grace, peace and everlasting life.  And these gifts from God never run out. Never expire. We have each been blessed with gifts. Talents. Abilities. Resources.  Time. And our call is to be stewards of these gifts. Not just to follow Christ from place to place...watching, listening, tasting, and seeing,...but to believe, go, tell, and feed.  To be stewards of God’s abundance. To challenge the world. To proclaim that in Christ we have all we need. We have enough.

Jesus knew what he was going to do on that mountain top.  The text tells us so. Before he asked the disciples or gave them a chance to give up, he knew what he was going to do.  

Jesus takes the smallest amount of food and transforms it into an abundance.  That’s what God does. God transforms scarcity into abundance. Out of nothing, God created the world.  Out of the desert God fed the wandering Israelites in abundance. Out of a rock God struck an abundance of water.  Out of a forgotten town and a no-name girl, God became incarnate. Out of the nothingness of death, the very scarcity of life, God made way for abundant life.  Abundance is what God does. Abundance is what God will always do. 

Because our God is a God of abundance, and in God we have more than we will ever need.   So while the world might trick us into thinking there isn’t enough of what we want, in God there is abundance of what we need.  The supply is infinite. It’s abounding. And in faith, it’s not about what we need or don’t have…it’s about what we do have. And today, it’s a generous God with 5 loaves, 2 fish, and an opportunity to feed the hungry.    Amen.

Welcome & Welcome Back - Easter 2B Sermon

Listen to the sermon here.

John 20:19-31

¹⁹When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” ²⁴But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” ²⁶A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” ²⁸Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” ³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.One week since

Well, fancy meeting all of you here!  But in the nicest way possible, may I ask, what are you doing here?  One week after the Easter story was proclaimed, what brings you back?  Last week the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty.  The angels proclaimed to Mary that that Jesus of Nazareth is not here, he is risen and he has gone ahead to Galilee to meet you there.  Remember? Alleluia, Jesus is Risen….he is risen indeed, alleluia!?

Now granted, not all of us were together in this space for worship last week, and if you weren’t here I hope that you were able to worship with a community of faith elsewhere for Easter.  But seriously, what are you doing here?

Christ is risen from the grave. God has fulfilled the promise of life over death.  

Sin and the devil are defeated. Jesus who was crucified has risen and gone ahead as promised. And we, along with Mary and the disciples were tasked with the responsibility and privilege of going and telling the world about Jesus!  Yet here we are.

Maybe your 1st week of Easter was packed with going and telling.  Perhaps you ran the streets like an ice cream truck singing the praises of God.  Shouting up Alleluia.  Serving anyone who was intrigued.

Maybe your 1st week of Easter was a moderate, more subtle week of proclaiming Christ is risen. Maybe you shared your Easter experience with someone in the office.   Called to check in on family and friends and catch up through conversations of faith.

Maybe you talked to a stranger about Jesus or even invited them to come and see for themselves. Maybe you helped a neighbor or someone in need...took intentional efforts to be a witness to the resurrection ...a light in the world.  

Maybe you were unmotivated, unchanged by the Easter proclamation. Maybe you were scared to talk about Jesus or afraid of what the Spirit might be up to.  Maybe you were sucked right back in to a routine that suppress the glory, joy, and energy of Easter morning.

Maybe some of you stood graveside with a loved one, experienced terror hatred.  Maybe some of us were reluctant to even care about Jesus at all because it feels as though Jesus has failed to care about us.  So why bother.

Whatever our experience of this first week of Easter, faith and the Holy Spirit have led us here; gathered together in this sacred and safe place.  Whether to have the flame of Easter fanned once more, confess a reluctance to embrace the call of going and telling.  Whether to ask hard questions about faith, seek clarification, or plea to God for a sign to help our unbelief...we are here again.  After the first week of Easter, Welcome to some. And Welcome back to others.  It is good to be together again.

The first week of Easter is precisely where we find the disciples this morning.  Mary returns from the tomb that first Easter morning proclaiming that she has seen the Lord.  

She went to the disciples as she was instructed by the angels.  Now either disciples believed her without question and were just waiting for Jesus to show up or her message feel on deaf ears.  Because Mary proclaims the Easter message and not a word was said in return to her.  

The disciples are hiding behind locked doors for fear of the Jews.  Their fear was amplified for various reasons, but mostly they were afraid that their proximity association with the supposed Messiah might land them in a similar situation.  And I suspect they were terrified because they had dropped everything to devote their lives to following Jesus hoping for him to be the Messiah and now that he’s dead they don’t know what comes next.  Their uncertainty leads to hiding.

And regardless of their fears, Jesus Does show up.  Alive. And Jesus offers them peace. Breathes on them the Holy Spirit and says, “as the father sent me, so now I send you.”  This is their Easter celebration.  The text says they rejoiced.  I imagine them shouting Alleluia and praising God.  Perhaps some high fives were thrown around. Friends leaning over to say “I told you so.”  Maybe they had an Easter brunch and enjoyed fellowship with one another.  Maybe some then took a nap.  But that was their Easter celebration.

And here is that crazy part. One week later they are still garrisoned inside this room, hiding behind a closed door.  For whatever reason, the Easter story was not met with a fervent and urgent response to tell the world what had happened.

So one week later, insert Thomas. Thomas gets a poor reputation for requesting proof. He’s faulted for his desire to see it for himself.  History labels him a doubter but the truth is he doesn’t necessarily doubt his best friends and their experience of Jesus. Thomas just wants his own experience with Jesus.  He wants the Easter moment to see and know that Jesus is alive.  

Thomas is simply a brother in the body of Christ eager to have his faith affirmed.  He’s willing and ready to believe, but he wanted be strong-armed or pressured into faith.  He won’t be argued or forced into believing. Thomas will not be shamed into believing. And too often history has mistaken his prudence for doubt.  

Our gut reaction is to appreciate Thomas because he validates our own hesitations of faith. Thomas embodies our own curiosities and desires to be met by Jesus. And while that’s true, perhaps Thomas’s story is more than just a validation of our own journey of faith.  

Perhaps Thomas is also a good representation of the world to which we are called to proclaim Jesus Christ.  Like Thomas, the world is desperate to meet and see Jesus.  They are aching for a sign or resurrection experience.  They’re willing to believe, but like Thomas, they won’t be strong-armed, bullied, or argued into faith. They simply want or need to experience Jesus for themselves.  This is what makes Thomas’s story so powerful.  

The reality is that we are called to proclaim Christ. To go and tell all the world.  And perhaps a greater reality is that people won’t always believe you. The world is not always so ready to believe and confess. The call is hard work, relentless work. After all, if 10 disciples couldn’t convince one of their own to believe after seven days of talking about their experience of the risen Christ, then how much more work is ahead of us.

A desire for clarification and understanding; a need for personal experience and encounter is a perfectly acceptable response to the resurrection story. And when our going and telling is met with what we perceive to be “doubting” it doesn’t mean we stop telling.  Just like Thomas’ 10 best friends kept on telling him, we too keep on telling the world.

Take heart that God is the one who confronts unbelief and hesitant faith.  God is the one who is appears behind the locked doors of our everyday lives. God is the one who gives a breath of promise when we’re grasping on to hope. We proclaim a God who doesn’t condemn what we perceive as doubt, but rather cultivates a faithful curiosity.  

Friends, I’m glad you’re back. Whether your first week of Easter was spent shouting Alleluia to anyone and everyone, or whether you lamented and despised anyone who was overly excited for Jesus. Welcome back. Whether it was a week of ceaseless praise, or uninspired prayer.  Welcome back. 

Because Here in this place, where some of us are wrestling with faith and all the curiosity, uncertainty, anxiety, and doubt that comes with it...and where some of us are telling our friends over and over our experience of Jesus.  God is surely present.  

The good news is that this is a safe and loving place for our moments of wrestling and our endless praising.  All are gathered and welcomed here because here in this place we are sure to meet Jesus.  In water and word, wine and bread.  Jesus and the breath of the Spirit graces us in worship as we are forgiven, nourished, and sent.  

And friends, as much as we love gathering together in this place, we are always reminded that Easter means we will always be sent.  Again and again. To go and tell.  To tell the story of Christ risen, from the perspective of doubt and uncertainty as well as a posture of confidence and assurance.   Either way the call to go and tell is the same.  And Jesus will surely be present.

© Preached by Pastor Daniel Locke on April 8, 2018 @ St. Mark's Lutheran, Jacksonville, FL