5th Sunday after Pentecost For July 1Proper 8C Lectionary 13 Sermon

5th Sunday after Pentecost

For July 1

Proper 8C

Lectionary 13

Luke 9: 51- 62

" but......"


"When the days drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him; but the people would not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?" But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village. As they were going along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head." To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." But he said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."" Luke 9:51-62, RSV.

Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen

The following story named One Task speaks to our gospel lesson this morning.

A guard in charge of a lighthouse along a dangerous coast was given enough oil for one month and told to keep the light burning every night. One day a woman asked for oil so that her children could stay warm. Then a farmer came. His son needed oil for a lamp so he could read. Another needed some for an engine. The guard saw each as a worthy request and gave some oil to satisfy all. By the end of the month, the tank in the lighthouse was dry.

That night the beacon was dark and three ships crashed on the rocks. More than one hundred lives were lost. The lighthouse attendant explained what he had done and why. But the prosecutor replied, "You were given only one task: to keep the light burning. Every other thing was secondary. You have no excuse."

Temptation is a choice between good and evil. But perhaps more insidious than temptation is conflict where one must choose between two good options.

The lighthouse keeper in our story found himself in such a conflict situation. So also are the would-be disciples in today's gospel story.1

For in our gospel lesson, Jesus called to people to follow him, but they wanted to do something else first. The text says To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father.

Another part of the gospel lessons says

Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home."

These people had two legitimate things they needed to do, bury a father, say good bye to parents, but Jesus says following him is more important than that.

That little but changes everything, But can I do this first, but can I do this second

The word but, as in, I will follow you, Lord, but it negates all that come before. Or, I love you, but.......you must not gain weight. Get the idea. The but is a good way for us to go back on our commitment our promises, our faithfulness.

We are good at coming up with the buts of life. We are good at giving excuses. Excuses for this and excuses for that, And the best excuses are found here in the church, I will worship you Lord, but..... and a whole host of things may follow.

Pastor Dale Barrick got so tired of hearing all the excuses of his people why they don't attend church, that he come up with this novel idea, A NO Excuse Sunday.

It said:

There would be; cots in the church for those who like to sleep in,
blankets for those who fine the sanctuary too cold
fans for those who find the sanctuary too warm
sand for those who prefer the beach
televisions sets for per persons who prefer services on the screen
Poinsettias and lilies for those accustomed to entering the church only on Christmas and Easter

I thought about his list and came up with even more:

stop watches for those who want to go in exactly an hour and a whistle to stop the service
putting greens for those who enjoy golf
masks to hid the faces of those who have been gone for so long they are embarrassed or feel funny coming back
money for those who don't want a financial commitment but feel funny not putting anything in the offering plate
meals to carry out
exercise bikes

I guess we could go on and on. We are good at making up excuses aren't we? Jesus doesn't want our excuses, he wants our faithfulness, our commitment to follow him.

As you might have guessed our sermon topic today deals with our commitment or faithfulness in following the Lord, not only in regular worship, but in all areas of life.

Jesus calls us us to a committed way of life which places Him first and everything else second. A faithfulness which is reflected in all that we say, in all that we do, in all that we are. Jesus wants us to set our priorities on the most important areas of life. Those are loving the Lord your God with all of your mind, with all of your soul, with all of your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself. When this comes first, then everything will fall into place. This commitment takes dedication, it takes faithfulness, it takes a mind set to follow through. It is not easy, however, in the long run it will be rewarding as you and I spend eternity with the Lord. And in the short run living in this commitment will give meaning and purpose, comfort and strength, guidance and courage as you and I walk the faith journey.

The following will give you an example of what I mean: '"The Spanish explorer Pizzaro was getting ready to take his soldiers into Peru. But the men hesitated, they were on the verge of revolt, They didn't know what was ahead for them and weren't sure they wanted to find out. They wanted to stay in Panama where life was easier. He called his men together, drew a line from east to west in the sand with his sword and said, 'Friends and comrades on my side are toil and hunger, nakedness and drenching storms, desertion and death, on your side, ease and pleasure. This way lies Peru with its riches, there lies Panama and poverty. Choose each man what best becomes a brave solider. For me I will go south ' "

This is like Joshua in the Old Testament when he said in Joshua 24:15* And if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.

but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.

Can you says that?

Jesus is calling us to such a commitment, no promises of an easy life, no promises of an uneventful walk with him. All he promises is his companionship and the promise of eternity in the golden rooms prepared by Him. As you and I surrender our lives, our property, our selves to him, we will find the way easier, with few burdens weighing us down.

As we live this committed life, we become a light, a beacon for all those around us to see Christ. A Christian lives in the world , but not of the world. Christians are suppose to be different in this world. Paul says in Galatians, "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." As we commit our lives to Christ, this Spirit allows us to bear the fruit of the Spirit which is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control;". A Christian is different as he or she allows the Holy Spirit to lead their lives.

A pastor tells the following: "Joel, goes out and plays with the neighbor kids, some of whom have already at the age 6, learned every profane word there is. Joel has learned that as a Christian there are better ways of dealing with negative feeling than using profanity. One day a friend was starting to use those words when I overheard Joel say: 'Jason, God doesn't like that kind of talk. That's not what your tongue is for! Why do you talk like that?'' In the next moment, Joel learned a very difficult lesson. The boys started making fun of him and then they pushed over his bike. He came running into the house crying and saying, 'They said I'm dumb and that you don't know what you're talking about.'"

Joel learned at a young age that this committed life is not easy. He learned if one lives each day committed to the Lord, and is willing to stand up against the world, it will be tough, it will not be easy. Christ did not say our lives would be easy as he has sent us out into the world to be lights, to bear witness to his glory.

but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.

Many I am afraid are not like Joel. They are not willing to stand up for their Christian convictions in this world. They are like the tubas in the following." A marching band of a small college wanted to play for homecoming and impress the crowd. But they didn't have a big enough band. So they recruited some students who would march along even though they couldn't play. They could carry the tubas. And they looked very impressive great big shining horns. As they came marching down the street a little boy who was watching intently said, 'Momma there's nothing coming out of those big thing.'"

Many Christians, I am afraid, are like that all show but nothing coming out, They enjoy saying they belong to such and such church, but when the rubber hits the road they are the first ones to say and do nothing. They enjoy the great feeling of Sunday as they worship in church, but come Monday you wouldn't know where they had been on Sunday.

And lastly, a committed life for Christ means you and are free as Paul says free to live in Christ not bound by the law, but free by the gospel to serve. We have a responsibility to serve our neighbor with the freedom we have received from Christ. But the freedom of grace is difficult to live with because it places the burden on our shoulders. I am free to live as long as my freedom doesn't infringe on the rights of others. I am free to serve as long as I remember that I am serving out of love and love means I have a compassionate heart for others.

A closing story says it well:

A number of years ago in Northern Virginia, an old man stood by a river bank waiting to get across. Since it was bitterly cold and there was no bridge, he would have to "catch a ride" to the other side. After a lengthy wait, he saw a group of horsemen approaching. He let the first pass, then the second, third, fourth, and fifth. Finally, there was only one rider left. As he drew abreast, the old man looked him in the eye and said, "Sir, would you give me a ride across the river?"

The rider without a moments hesitation said, "Why certainly, get abroad."

Once across the river, the old man slid to the ground. Before leaving the rider asked, "Sir, I could not help but notice that you permitted all the riders to pass without asking for a ride. Then, when I drew abreast you immediately asked me for a ride. I'm curious as to why you didn't ask them and why you did ask me?"

The old man quietly responded, "I looked into their eyes and could see no love and knew in my own heart it would be useless to ask for a ride. But, when I looked into your eyes, I saw compassion, love, and the willingness to help. I knew you would be glad to give me a ride across the river."

With this the rider very humbly said, "You know, I'm very grateful for what you said. I appreciate it very much." With that, Thomas Jefferson turned and rode off to the White House.

We can say, but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.

Amen

Written by Rev. Tim Zingale June 25, 2007

You may freely use this as is or in parts. Please somehow give credit if possible, thanks! Not for commercial use.

1 Fr. Ernest Munachi Ezeogu from eSermons.com

4th Sunday after Penteost Proper 7 C Lectionary 12

4th Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 7 C

Lectionary 12

Luke 8:26-39

"Fear and Surrender"



"Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. And as he stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons; for a long time he had worn no clothes, and he lived not in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you, do not torment me." For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him; he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters, but he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them leave. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear; so he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but he sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him." Luke 8:26-39, RSV.

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen

Fear is all around us. We can become frighten by what we see on television. We can have our own inner fears. People can be afraid of the water, Hydrophobia is fear of "water." Nyclophobia is the fear of "darkness." Acrophobia is fear of "high places." Taxophobia is fear of being "buried alive." Xenophobia is fear of "strangers." Necrophobia is fear of the "dead." Claustrophobia is fear of "confined places." I have a fear of dogs. When I first came home from the hospital when I had polio, and was learning to walk again, a dog knocked me down when I was outside. I guess, I couldn't get up by myself, so the dog just stood over me until help arrived. From this day, I am afraid of dogs, dogs of all sizes.

Our gospel lesson is about fear. The fear the people had of the man with the unclean Spirit, named Legion. The spirit Legion had a fear of being cast out into the abyss. The herdsmen and the town people we afraid of Jesus after he cast out the demons as the swine went into the river.

As the text says
Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear;

The only person who was not afraid was the man himself who was possessed by the unclean spirit for the text says
When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

The man with the uncleaned spirit after he was healed sat at the feet of Jesus learning what he could from this man who had healed him.

Notice an interesting fact in this text, the man with the uncleaned spirit did not ask Jesus to heal him, but Jesus did anyway. For the text says:
And as he stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons; for a long time he had worn no clothes, and he lived not in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you, do not torment me." For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man

The spirit did not want to be tormented by Jesus, but the man himself was quiet. I suspect the man was just happy that he was willing to stand there and allow Jesus to act upon his life. He did not ask Jesus to heal him, but allowed Jesus to have control over his life. And when did act and he was cleansed, what did he do? He sat at the feet of Jesus to learn all he could about Jesus.

I think there are two general themes to our gospel lesson this morning. One theme is we need to remember to surrender our lives to Jesus. Our whole lives. Not a part, our whole lives.

Another theme is fear, fear of the unknown. The people were afraid of Jesus because he healed a man and they did not understand this, so they were afraid.

This fact is seen in the following story:
Once there was a very wealthy young man who lived in a great,elaborate house with dozens of rooms. Each room was more comfortable and more beautiful than the one before it.

One day he decided to invite the Lord to come and stay with him.

When the Lord arrived, this young man offered Him the very best room in the house. The room was upstairs and at the end of the hall. "This room is yours, Jesus, stay as long as you like and you can do whatever you want to in this room. Remember Jesus, it's all yours."

"Thank you," the Lord replied, and with that the man shut the door and went about his business.

That evening, after he had retired for the night, there came a loud knocking at the front door. The young man pulled on his robe and made his way downstairs. When he opened the door he found that the Devil had sent three of his demons to attack the man! He quickly tried to close the door but one of the demons kept sticking his foot in the door.

Sometime later, after a great struggle, he managed to slam the door shut and returned to his room totally exhausted. "Can you believe that?" the young man thought. "Jesus is upstairs in my very best room sleeping while I am down here battling demons. Oh well, maybe he just didn't hear."

The young man slept fitfully that night. The next day, things went along as normal and, being as tired as he was, the young man retired early that evening. Along about midnight, there came such a terrible ruckus at the front door that the young man was sure that whatever it was would tear the door down. He stumbled down the stairs once again and opened the door to find that there were dozens of demons now trying to get into his beautiful home.

For more than 3 hours he fought and struggled against the demons from

hell and finally overtook them enough to shut the door against their attack. All energy seemed to fail him. "I really don't understand this at all. Why won't the Lord come to my rescue? Why does he allow me to fight all by myself? I feel so alone."

Troubled, he found his way to the sofa and fell into a restless sleep.

The next morning he decided to inquire of the Lord about the happenings of the last two evenings. Quietly, he made his way to the elegant bedroom where he had left Jesus. "Jesus," he called as he tapped at the door. "Lord, I don't understand what is happening. For the last two nights I have had to fight the demons away from my door while you were sleeping. Don't you care about me? Did I not give you the very best room in my house?"

He could see the tears building in Jesus' eyes but continued on. "I just don't understand. I really thought that once I invited you in to live with me, that you would take care of me, and I gave you the best room in my house and everything. What more can I do?"

"My precious child," Jesus spoke softly, "I do love and care for you. I protect all that you have released into my care. But when you invited me to come here and stay, you brought me to this lovely room and you shut the door to the rest of the house. I am Lord of this room but I am not Master of this house. I have protected this room and no demon may enter here."

"Oh Lord, please forgive me. Take all of my house, it is yours! I am so sorry that I never offered you all to begin with. I want you to have control of everything! With this he flung open the bedroom door and knelt at Jesus' feet. "Please forgive me. Lord. for being so selfish."

Jesus smiled and told him that He had already forgiven him and that He would take care of things from now on.

Along about midnight the banging on the door was frightening. The young man slipped out of his room in time to see Jesus going down the stairs.

He watched in awe as Jesus swung open the door. Satan stood at the door demanding to be let in. "What do you want, Satan?" the Lord asked. The devil bowed low in the presence of the Lord. "So sorry, I seem to have gotten the wrong address." With that, he and the demons all ran away.1

This man in our story finally surrendered to Jesus and the demons left.

The man in our gospel lesson surrendered to Jesus and the demons left. He did not have to ask Jesus to have the demons leave, Jesus acted on His own accord. The only request that was made was made by the demon itself, Legion asked that they not be put into the abyss, but to enter the swine and Jesus agreed. But the swine being filled with the demons rushed down the bank into the river and were drown.

The man, now free from the demons, sat at the feet of Jesus and we can just imagine that Jesus was explaining to him who he was, the Son of God.

As we live our lives, we need to surrender them to Jesus, so that he may take care of us totally. We need to trust and rely on Jesus as we walk our journey of faith.

The following speaks volumes:

One of my friends has a pilot's license and someone asked Bill if he ever took his children flying with him. Bill said, "Yes". The next question was, "What is their response?" I was particularly interested in Nathan's response. He said Nathan curled up and went to sleep. Nathan could go to sleep because the pilot, his Daddy, loved him, and wasn't going to allow anything to happen to him that wasn't for his own good. That is not saying the two of them didn't run into any turbulence, but Nathan could trust Bill, because he knew that his Daddy had his best interests at heart. How like our Heavenly Father that is. We know that He loves us, and won't allow anything to happen to us but what is for our own good and in the process strengthen someone else's faith. (William Barrows, Olathe, Ks.)

Yes, we might have turbulence or bad weather, but no matter what Jesus is there for us as long as we let him. As long as we surrender our whole lives over to him.

Our second them is fear, fear of things that we don't understand or don't want to understand. The towns people were afraid of Jesus because they could not understand or did not want to understand who he could drive out the uncleaned spirit.

We are like that in our lives. We fear things that we don't understand or want to understand.

An example from my life.

When I was in the senior year of college, I began applying for teaching jobs. It was later that In entered seminary, but I graduated from college with a BA in elementary education. I had an interview on campus with a superintendent of a school system. It was a good interview and at the end he offered me a job teaching 4th graders. But he said that the school board would have to approve, but thought that would be no problem.

I left feeling confident that I had a job. My wife and I were engaged at the time and we planning a wedding as soon as I graduated. I had told the superintendent that I was going to my wife's family for the weekend and he could contact me there with the final approval.

The phone rang, I answered and the superintendent told me that I did not get the job. He said the school board did not want some one like me teaching their kids.

His exact words were: "We don't want someone like that teaching our kids"

Some one like what?

For he explained to them that I wore a long leg brace and used a cane for walking and they were afraid of my disability and would not hire me.

They were afraid of someone who was different so they did not want to have anything to do with me.

Surrender and fear. If we truly surrender our lives to Jesus, then I think we might have even less fear.

Amen

Written by Pastor Tim Zingale June 18, 2007

You may freely use this but please give credit. Not for commercial use.


1 from SermonCentral

3rd Sunday after Pentecost Sermon

3rd Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 6

Lectionary 11

Luke 7:36-8:3


"are forgiven"




"One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house, and took his place at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner." And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he answered, "What is it, Teacher?" "A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he forgave them both. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, to whom he forgave more." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly." Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means." Luke 7:36-8:3, RSV.

Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen

The following is an adaptation from the Augsburg Sermon Series of a sermon given by Vernon Schreiber.



"At the beginning of this service, we began with the invocation, saying, "We begin In the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit." Through this act we called upon the name of Christ for his presence to be with us this morning, because he said, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I shall be also." Christ has been with us through our confession, the absolution, the hymns of praise and now as we settle back to hear his word proclaimed in this sermon. But don't get too comfortable because His word can challenge you, can confront you, can upset you as well as comfort you, console you and bring you peace.

I would like you to imagine Christ is present here please focus on the top step of the chancel, focus with all your psychic energy, focus there and imagine that you begin to see the form of a man, a man in dazzling white, a man who becomes clearer with each passing second. The image remains clouded, but there you can see an image of Christ. Christ is truly present with us this morning.

As you focus on that image, I would like to tell you that something very peculiar is taking place in the back of the church, don't turn around, focus on Christ, a lady is entering the church. She is wearing rags, she is slipping in as quietly as possible so no one will notice. Her appearance tells us she is poor, she walks with a cane and is visibly tired after climbing the stairs. She shakes as she sits. Her clothing wreaks of dirt and grime. She is from as we would say the wrong side of the tracks.

Continue to focus on Christ standing at the top of the chancel steps. The woman looks to the front and sees image of Christ. She sees Christ as she does rises from her seat and begins a slow walk to the front.

You want to stay focused on Christ, but you cannot, you turn you look you see this woman approach Christ. You gasp. You wonder how she could dare approach him in such rags, with such a miserable life.

She sees your stares, she can almost read your mind as she continues her slow walk to the steps of the chancel.

Many of you are thinking, how did she get in here. Where did you come from? How can we let a woman like that in our church?

She knows what you are thinking but still she comes. As she approaches closer to the steps her pace quickens.

You focus again on Christ. What will be His reaction to this woman? How will He respond?

She reaches Christ, falls on her knees at his feet, lying upon those steps. Tears are running from her eyes . She lifts her head, and smiles at Him. Her tears are making drops of water on his feet. She uses her hair to wipe them away. She stays there at His feet, crying joyous tears. She doesn't move, she doesn't seem afraid of Him. She seems perfectly, comfortable, perfectly at peace.

Focus an on Christ.

Christ lifts His head and looks at you. His smile turns to a frown.

He address us saying: "I have been present with you since the invocation. My spirit has been here with you and I have felt your worship. You have been polite but you have not rejoiced in your hearts at my presence with you. As I became clearer, as you focused on me, I felt a strange fear, as if you didn't know how to be at peace in my presence. I saw the shock, the wonderment in your minds as the woman came forward. She came out of love, out of a joyous heart because she had heard me preach the good news and had to come and find me to share her joy, to share her love, to express her thankfulness at being released from sin and beginning a new life with me. This woman has great love. "I tell you, her sins, which are many are forgiven, for she loved much."

As you focus on the image of Christ with the woman lying at his feet it begins to fade. It blurs, it becomes fainter and fainter. It is gone. You are left with a strange feeling in your heart. You wonder, you think, could it happen? and if it did, how would I react? How do I feel in the presence of Christ? How do I feel about that woman? Can I rejoice and feel happy because Christ is my Lord?

That little adventure in our imagination sets the tone for this sermon.

For this sermon speaks about those two word that Jesus uttered, "are forgiven". Because this text for all its themes and ideas is about one thing forgiveness. Jesus forgave the woman of her sins. Jesus forgives us of our sins. We forgive those around us for their sins that impacts our lives.

"are forgiven". The words were spoken by Jesus that changed the women's life, that changes our lives. We live in the power and the hope of being forgiven of our sins. We live in the assurance that forgiveness come from Christ. We live in the reality that we sin each day and need the power of Jesus forgiving hand in our life daily. That is why Lutheran belief that daily we need to return to the waters of Baptism. We need to be drown to the old self and raised up a new each day.

Someone once said, 'I want a religion that can speak to me when I have been a real stinker."

Jesus speaks to us daily in our sinful state and declares that our sins "are forgiven".

When our sins are forgiven, we need to try and not sin again. For forgiveness does not mean we can carry on the way we did before. But forgiveness gives us the power and the strength to try and not commit that same sin again. We need to be sorry for our sins and at the same remember that Jesus holds no memory of those forgiven sins.

Forgiveness gives us the power to change.

It is like the two little boys in the following story:

Two little boys were playing together one afternoon. They had not been playing long when the larger boy took advantage of his weaker playmate. Georgie, the smaller one, too proud to complain, withdrew some distance and sat by himself, manfully winking back the ready tears.

After a short time, the larger boy grew tired of his solitary play and called, "Say, Georgie, come back. I'm sorry."

Georgie, warned by previous experience, did not respond to the invitation at once.

"Yes," he replied cautiously, "but what kind of sorry? The kind so you won't do it again?"

"but what kind of sorry? The kind so you won't do it again?" What kind of sorry are you? When you are forgiven by Christ are you that kind of sorry that you won't do it again? We need to have that kind of attitude of not wanting to sin again, but at the same time knowing that if we fail, we will be forgiven again and again.

And we need to remember that Christ when he forgives our sins, he does not remember them. For true forgiveness means that the sins are forgotten. The person is given a clean slate.

In Hebrews 10: 16, it says, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,”
17 then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their misdeeds no more.”
18* Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

For us that quality of forgivenesss can be difficult. We tend to hold grudges, we tend not to forget as we forgive,

A story from the life of Thomas Edison show what true forgiveness is really like.

Thomas A. Edison was working on a crazy contraption called a "light bulb" and it took a whole team of men 24 straight hours to put just one together. The story goes that when Edison was finished with one light bulb, he gave it to a young boy helper, who nervously carried it up the stairs. Step by step he cautiously watched his hands, obviously frightened of dropping such a priceless piece of work. You’ve probably guessed what happened by now; the poor young fellow dropped the bulb at the top of the stairs. It took the entire team of men twenty-four more hours to make another bulb. Finally, tired and ready for a break, Edison was ready to have his bulb carried up the stairs. He gave it to the same young boy who dropped the first one. That’s true forgiveness. 1

The young boy's "sin" was forgiven and forgotten. That is what Christ does for us, forgives and forgets.

A closing story sums up the idea of this sermon, forgiveness.

"A man in retirement decided to visit as many cemeteries as possible to see the uniqueness of the tombstones. After his travel, he put together a slide show of the many unique tombstones he found. At each show, someone would ask what was the most impressive one. He always saved the answer to last. He would have the lights turned completely off, he would dramatically build the audience curiosity then he would show the slide. It was a very simple tombstone barely a foot tall.

On it the inscription said one word:

"Forgiven"

Amen

Written by Pastor Tim Zingale June 11, 2007

1 James Newton, Uncommon Friends. Contributed by: Joel Smith on SermonCentral

You may freely use this as is or in parts. Please somehow give credit if possible, thanks! Not for commercial use.

SErmon for the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost

2nd Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 5C

Lectionary 10 C

Luke 7:11-17

"Jesus' Loving Heart"


11* Soon afterward he went to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him.
12* As he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her.
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”
14* And he came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”
15* And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.
16* Fear seized them all; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!”
17 And this report concerning him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.RSV


Grace and peace to your from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen

Do you remember your high school science class? I do and I remember once certain class when we learned about magnets. Do you remember how we could not make magnets go together with the same ends, but the opposite ends would attract? I also remember using different kinds of metals to see which ones would be attracted to the magnet. I can also remember the teacher asking us to sprinkle steel filling on a piece of paper. They looked like grains of sand scattered over that paper. Then the teacher asked us to take the paper and place it on the top of the magnet. Then something exciting happened. The steel filings all arranged themselves in a beautiful symmetrical pattern. Every particle n the paper seemed to have found its proper place. Out of confusion the magnet brought order.

Our gospel lesson this morning deals with this very subject. Not the steel filings and magnets, but Jesus Christ and the order he can bring to our lives. How scattered and jumbled life seems at times! Just like those steel filings on a piece of paper our lives can be.

How can we reconcile joy and sorrow, love and hate, life and death? How can there be any plan to things? We look at life and wonder how we might be able to make sense out of it? We look at all the brokenness around us and we wonder how do we understand it? How do we fit in? How do we live?

Often we look at life and see all the brokenness, all the tragedy that is around us and we tend to make God the scapegoat for all the world’s misfortune. Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes often are seen as signs of God’s judgment. Illness, accidents and death are viewed as being somehow decided by God as he plays games with his human family.

While it is true that God works in all circumstance, it is not true that God wills and decides all of the individual experiences that make up our lives. God does not snuff out the life of an infant or small child. He does not create a tragedy that takes the life of a young person who is struggling towards adulthood. He does not decide that a parent will become a victim of caner and die a slow death leaving a family in anguish and chaos. He does not decide to inflict a person with a chronic and disabling condition just to test that person’s faith. We have not right to blame God for the adversities that come our way. He does not cause death or suffering, but he works in these things that are part of the human condition of sin to bring goodness. He does not place the cross on our shoulders.

Our gospel lesson this morning is about a lady, a widow who lost her only son. We need to understand why this is such a tragedy.

Donald Miller writes about this story this way:

“In this story death is seen at it worst. It had struck a youth, claiming its prey long before the lad had lived out a normal span of years. Death could conceivably be a mercy in old age. But here death had struck a particularly vicious blow taking the only son of a widow. Widows in that day were pitiable in any case for they had no legal right and could not receive any inheritance. They were dependent on their sons or the relatives of there husbands whose support cold not be demanded. The death of her son had left the widow defenseless in a cruel world. With no heir, the family name would be cut off in Israel. Here is the tragedy of humanity at its worse. The widow’s tears were eloquent testimony of the lordship of death. Death had indeed come in a cruel way to this lady.”

Then notice out of the chaos, out of the confusion, out of the disorder, Jesus comes. Jesus was traveling with is disciples and he was coming into the city of Nain. He saw the funeral crowd with the mourners leading the way playing their flutes and cymbals uttering in a kind of frenzy their shrill cries of grief. He knew she as a widow because there were no other men around her and this was there only son lying there on the funeral bier.

So the text says, “When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on errand said to her, ‘ Do not be weep’.

Jesus was moved to action because he could sense her pain, her despair, her loneliness, and her utter hopelessness. Jesus was moved to compassion because of his great love, because of sense of caring for the human family that is why he acted.

Jesus went and touched the bier and said, “Young man, I say to you arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak.

The miracle of life as important as it is not the main point of this story. The point is that God through Jesus came to someone in the utter moment of hopelessness and that person, the mother, was given renewed hope. Her life was filled with purpose and meaning as she realized that God cared even for her......she was not alone and forgotten any longer.

We need to look beyond the miracle in this story to the action and heart of Jesus. Notice, the woman didn’t ask Jesus, the woman didn’t even exhibit faith, Jesus was moved to action because of his love, because he understood the brokenness, the utter despair of this woman. Because Jesus understood the brokenness, the utter despair of the woman he acted, he longed to do something.

Because Jesus is the suffering Messiah, because he was a victim on the cross, because he suffered and experienced pain and all the sinfulness of creation on the cross, he knows and can feel with us. He can feel all the brokenness, all the chaos, all the confusion, and all the despair in our lives.

Jesus can reach into our lives with his hand of compassion as he did to that widow at Nain because his heart still aches, his heart still longs, his heart still feels the pain, the heartache, the utter helplessness of his family. Because Jesus suffered, because he experienced what we have experienced, his heart can reach to us as one who knows and as one who has been there.

Jesus feels our brokenness because he has been there. It is like a painter name Joseph Turner. Turner had 123 of his paintings on display at the Ontario Art Gallery in November, December and January of 1981 and 1982. In the local newspaper there was an article concerning one of this paintings. It said, “The sailors were fighting for their lives that night trying to keep their small steamboat from capsizing in the English Channel snowstorm, when a stumpy, scruffy old passenger suddenly demanded to be lashed to the mast. He said he wanted to experience the sea’s full fury so he could paint it. To get him out of their way, they tied him to the crow’s nest and he stayed up there for four hours, tossed by the gale winds and drenched by snow and freezing salt water. And when he got down, he painted the sea as no one ever had before.

Because Jesus on the cross felt the full fury of sinfulness and brokenness that is part and parcel of our lives, He can come to us and give us a measure of His grace and peace. Life is not a lonely journey that we struggle sometimes desperately to make by ourselves. Jesus comes to recharge our spiritual batteries just when we feel them to be dead and incapable of being recharged. We are the most opened to feeling the power of God’s intervention in our lives when we feel the most hopeless and alone.

When we are in the throes of grief and despair, we want a Saviour who will come and be with us. Jesus being with us is all that is required. A presence.

Joe Bayly in his book, View From A Hearse says that one of the best contributions we can make to a person going through intense suffering and loss is our presence without words, not even verses of Scripture dumped into the ears of the grieving. He said: Don't try to "prove" anything to a survivor. An arm about the shoulder, a firm grip of the hand, a kiss: these are the proofs grief needs, not logical reasoning.

I was sitting, torn by grief. Someone came and talked to me of God's dealings, of why it happened, of hope beyond the grave. He talked constantly, he said things I knew were true.

I was unmoved, except to wish he'd go away. He finally did.

Another came and sat beside me. He didn't talk. He didn't ask leading questions. He just sat beside me for an hour or more, listened when I said something, answered briefly, prayed simply, left.

I was moved. I was comforted. I hated to see him go.

He just sat beside me for an hour or more. That is what we need when we are in the grips of despair and grief. No words, no lecture, no explanation, just a presence, the presence of Christ through another. The presence of Christ through another, or the presence of Christ through the Spirit working with our Spirit to bring us a measure of his grace.

A closing story speaks about this presence.

An elderly man sat on a park bench one afternoon late in the fall. The air was cold, but he had been shopping on foot for 2 hours, ached, he needed to put down his parcels and rest a little before heading for home. He was never prone to feel sorry for himself, but he felt a loneliness in the cold busts of wind and the thoughts of returning to his now empty house did not excite him. He stared a this large, round hands as he worked them back and forth between his knees.

Suddenly a smaller hand, pink and chubby, was placed on top of his own. He jerked his head back and said, "hi-yah" in a bit of a raspy voice.

Then he got to his fee, took the child by the hand and let it gently back to its mother who stood smiling just a few paces away.

"Thank you," the mother said, 'He has just learned to walk and has to race over and greet everyone."

The man smiled, nodded, then hefted his packages and started for home. The ache was gone now. So was the loneliness. Memories of a chubby hand and a grinning face warmed hims. And just a few minutes before, he had possess no idea of how close he was to this particular experience of joy."

Amen

Written by Pastor Tim Zingale June 4, 2007

You may freely use this but please give credit. Not for commercial use.