OH, MY LORD!
Pentecost 2a, June 22, 2014 (Matthew 10:24-39; Genesis 21:8-21 and Romans 6:1b-11 in the b.g.)
The earliest confession of the first Christians was this: JESUS IS LORD! Their confession arose out of their circumstances, their understanding and experience of who Jesus is in the middle of their living and dying. "Lord" for them may have been the one who owned their land. "Lord" for them was the one you paid taxes to. "Lord" for them was also the one who had the responsibility to protect them from enemies. "Lord" was the person to be obeyed, respected and even feared.
On the surface we are so disconnected from such understanding of the word, "Lord". Most of us own or at least buying our land. Nor would we think of the bank or the mortgage company as the One who would protect us from our enemies – or the one who might care for us when we are down and out.
Nevertheless, are there not ones whom we fear? Are there not powers or individuals that demand we obey them, no matter what? You know the old proverb – death and taxes – the certainties of our lives. Are they our "lords" – in the sense that we have ultimate fear of them, must obey them or do whatever we can to avoid them or minimize their bondage upon our lives? So, I ask, do we in any manner shape or form, experience anyone or anything as our "lord"?
I remember Harold and Emma. They loved each other. They had been married about 25 years when I met them. Life was good. But then Harold was diagnosed with cancer. The scene i am introducing you to finds Harold on his death bed. His big frame and 240 pound body has been reduced to what in many ways seems like a smallish man – now more like 180 pounds. His petite but oh, so strong Emma is beside him, holding his hand as his death draws near. Following a significant time of silence save for her quiet sobs, Harold opens his eyes. He takes Emma's tiny hands in his large, calloused hands. He utters words I will not forget. "Emma, what we have is the cross! Nothing and no one can ever take that from us." In the literal face of death, Harold speaks what for him is the truth – not a philosophy or merely a theology to be written in a book or spoken in a sermon but the very foundation of his life. He is "betting" – everything on this as he makes the journey towards death. This Jesus who dies on the cross is Harold's Lord. And nothing can separate him from the power and love of his Lord. Thanks be to God!
None of this is easy: such living, loving, caring, dying. Jesus' own life is so far from conflict free. How he sometimes struggles with his disciples who so often just don't get it. They left him alone when he needed them most. His own parents don't begin to understand who He is. Even his mother, as he is beginning to teach and travel occasionally thought that he had lost his mind. He says something very interesting then. His "family" are those who do his will. In addition to all of this he often was in conflict with the authorities – including the religious authorities who don't hesitate to accuse him of BEING EVIL.
Yet none of this deters him, from being and doing His Father's will. So it is, he moves on - reaching out, caring, speaking truth into the midst of all that is. In doing so, he draws others to him. He then sends them out to share this amazingly good news: God loves them. Any and all other powers do not have the final nor the lasting word. Indeed God loves all people and seeks to reclaim them from any and all powers of evil and death. The disciples are to go and live in ways that reflect his life, death and resurrection.
So he called his earliest disciples. So it is, he calls us. The very word disciple means LEARNER. We are to watch him, to study his words, his ways. We are to obey him. When there are conflicts of interest, competing forces demanding our attendance and allegiance, He wills us to be clear about whom we can trust, whom we are to ultimately obey. He is our Lord. Not our families. Not the government. Not sport. Not work.... not that any of these things aren't or can't be good. They each are gifts to us from God. They each have roles to play in our lives. But they are not to be our gods. They cannot bear the weight of life, nor the powers of evil or death. Only God can take on such responsibility. Remember, know Jesus is God. As the earliest Christians claimed Jesus is our Lord and our God!
Remember, know – it is God who gives us, all people, all creation life.
Remember, know, it is God who in Jesus lives, suffers and dies to take on and ultimately overcome the powers of evil: death, hatred, violence, fear. WOW! Is it any wonder that at their best some of the most effective recovery programs for people caught in addictive behavior have as one of their main mantras, "LET GO AND LET GOD!"
How we need help with this!
Today Canadian Lutheran World Relief calls us to remember the refugees in the world. CLWR has from its inception been in the "refugee business". Some of us – or at the very least perhaps our parents or grandparents were brought to this country under the auspices of CLWR. Thanks be to God!
Tragically the number of people who are forced to flee their homes and become refugees continues to multiply. War and genocide are tragically ongoing realities. Do you realize that there are over 3 million Syrian refugees alone? Can you imagine if nearly ten percent of Canadians were forced to flee for our lives, leaving friends, homes, possessions and businesses behind? How would we survive? Might we then realize our NEED for the help of God directly and through others that God was moving to give of themselves to help us?
Make no mistake. Jesus calls upon us to remember, to pray for, to do what we can to help others, especially those who are refugees.
Why? Because Jesus is our Lord and their Lord. Since Jesus loves the world we too are called to love the world. Since Jesus continues to bless us, we are called to bless others with gifts of our time, talents and so-called "possessions".
Dear God, the Holy Spirit is alive. That Spirit calls us to faith which is an active obedient trust of Jesus who calls us in ongoing ways to a living learning that involves ongoing service.
To be sure: Jesus loves you – all the way to the cross, into the grave and up, out of the grave. Jesus loves us – all refugees too – all the way to the cross, whatever that may be as they flee their homes, desperately hoping to find some "camp" where they can lay their heads, have a drink and receive some food to feed their kids.
Jesus loves us? Whom then are we loving, following?
May God move us, even drive us, to look closer, to see and learn. May we see God's face, even our children's faces and our own faces in the faces of the boys and girls around us, in the faces of the boys and girls, teenagers, adults and elderly in refugee camps. In so seeing, may we also hear God calling us to do what we can – because of who we are, God's sons and daughters. Knowing that we are moved to act trusting that death and evil as strong and mighty as they are, WILL NOT WIN THE DAY!
Harold is right. Dear people we have the cross. Jesus is Lord. Because he lives, we too can live. Because he lives the world will and must be loved. Amen.