By: Erin M Diericx

A sermon given on John 10:1-18.

There is something powerful about someone says your name. And each person says your name differently. Our parents give us our names hoping it will somehow define us for greatness. During our childhood, we learn the different ways our parents say our names, and we can tell if we are in trouble or not. Usually if our first and middle names were said together, we knew we were in trouble and we better hurry home. Over time we gain nicknames, which signify a relationship where a bond has been formed and nurtured. 

In college, I gained the nickname, E, because my friend could only say her vowels. Depending on how she said E, I could tell if she needed help immediately or if she just wanted to chat. When I have not seen a friend in awhile, I love hearing them greet me with my name in a way that only they can say it.

When Jesus calls himself the gate (or door which is more accurate to the Greek), he is offering us the security and love of God the Father. As a door, Jesus gives us protection from the thief and bandit who threatens to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10) everything the Triune God stands to protect. The metaphor of Jesus as door symoolizes the security and protection he gives to us for accepting the gift of forgiveness.

The painting, The Light of the World by William Holman Hunt, has a powerful message with layers of metaphors. The man in a white robe with an elegant cloak serves as the focus point of the painting. The white robe symbolize Jesus’s purity from being apart of the Trinity. The golden halo around his head also signifies his divinity and relationship with God the Father. 

Jesus has the crown of thorns on his head indicating through his crucifixion allows you entrance into the Kingdom of God. Through Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection, you are able to be in a relationship with the Triune God, to share his light in the world, and to enter heaven. His right arm is raised as if he is opening a door, though it appears to have no door knob to open it with. In Revelations 3:20, “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me” (NRSV). The doorknob is Jesus Christ himself. He is our way, our key to unlock the door to the Kingdom of God. He is our way to know and to be in a relationship with God the Father.

If you allow Jesus Christ into your heart, then God can enter our lives and use us to do his will in the world. The lantern in his left hand further signifies Jesus as the light of the world. In John 8:12, Jesus calls himself the light of the world: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (NRSV). Since the painting is set at night, it signifies as the light of the world Jesus is able to break through the darkness and shine God’s light in order to gather the lost, the disbarred, the forgotten, and others to be children of God—this includes you. With Jesus in your heart, you never have to walk in the darkness, because we have the light within us. Therefore, we take the light, Jesus Christ, into the world with us to share with others.

Jesus calls himself the shepherd and his disciples sheep. As the shepherd, Jesus knows his sheep by name (John 10:3). When a sheep is trouble, the shepherd goes out looking for him/her. Jesus looks for us when we are lost in the darkness; he calls out our names (Erin, Andrew, Faith, Amanda, Beth, Kara, Julie, Stacy, Katie, Margaret, Mary, Dorothy, Christina, Lauren, Laura, Liz, Brian, Keith, David, Bob, Ashley, Nathan, Ryan, __ …), so we can follow his voice back to the fold. 

My three pups love to explore in the backyard. When they hear their names being yelled, the pups come running in, because they know the door is open and there is something going on, like dinner. When their names are said sharply, the pups know they are in trouble and come with their heads bowed. No matter how their names are said the pups know they are safe and loved.

This is what Jesus does for us. Jesus comes looking for us individually and calls out our name when we stray from him. Jesus went so far that he suffered death on the cross, so we could open the door to be in a relationship with God the Father. Every time we stray from the Triune God, Jesus comes after us and reminds us of his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. When we feel like we have failed God and try to hide from his sight, Jesus comes to find us and takes away our guilt because God the Father wants to be in a relationship with us. Even if you have stole, killed, lied, or [whatever “it” is], God wants to be in a relationship with you. All you have to do is repent and let go of your guilt. There is nothing that can separate you from God the Father as long as you repent and renew your relationship with him.

As the shepherd, Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows our insecurities, doubts, precious moments, etc. On our bad, horrible, no good days, Jesus is there to comfort us with a hug and his abundant love. Jesus calls us by name when we stray away from his love. The Triune God never wants to let us go. When we wonder off into the wilderness, Jesus comes looking for us and brings us back into the fold. Jesus leads us to God’s abundant love and to enjoy the security God gives to us. Jesus gathers us in to be children of God.

By: Erin M Diericx 

https://www.facebook.com/GtHealer/videos/641161686432295/?t=15

A sermon given on Luke 24:13-35.

The road to Emmaus is a similar story to us. Two of Jesus’s disciples are on their way to Emmaus, where they lived perhaps, when a man starts walking with them and asking what they are discussing. You can almost imagine the shock of the two disciples. How could the man not know what conspired and happened in the last few weeks? How could he not know about Jesus, the great prophet? How could he have missed all of the commotion?

We have all been taken back when someone has approached us and asked what was all of the commotion about. We no doubtably vocalized, “Have you been living under a rock? How do you now know?” It would be like someone who did not know about the pandemic or like someone who you saw everyday but did not know you were eight months pregnant. There is some kind of shock that someone could miss all of the commotion.

We have also been last to know something. Maybe you would absorbed in your own work that you have not had time to watch the news. Or maybe you are wilderness guide and had just come back from being in the woods for three months without any contact from the news media. Or maybe you were sick and were put in a comma for three months. There are a number of reasons why we have been left out of the loop.

So similar to what we would do, the two disciples describe at length about what has conspired in the last three years. The disciples tell the man about the man named Jesus from Nazareth who was thought to be a prophet, because he healed the wounded, comforted the sick, drove out demons, rebuked satan, and on and on until they came to the part where the Jewish authorities had him put on trial, tortured, and crucified and ultimately killed. It was three days since Jesus died, and the women who had gone to his tomb to mourn reported that his body was missing from the tomb and they saw angels who said, Jesus was alive, risen from the dead. And other disciples raced to the tomb to see it was as the women had reported.

You can almost see the baffled looks on the disciple’s faces. They do not get it. And you can also see the man who (spoiler alert) is actually Jesus himself is disconcertment that the disciples missed the whole reason why he was crucified and died and why the women found the tomb empty and were told he was alive. The disciples know so much, and yet they cannot get past the empty tomb; the body is missing. So the man gives the disciples a quick Jewish history lesson; starting with Moses, King David, and the other prophets who had prophesied about the Messiah. And the disciples still did not get the nudge.

Since it was getting dark, the two disciples invite the man to stay with them. Even in their bafflement of the tomb being empty, the disciples help the stranger. This must have warmed Jesus’s hearts; his disciples may not understand the ending, but they did grasp the greatest commandment of loving their neighbor as themselves; all was not lost. So the man agrees to stay with the disciples, and at dinner, he takes bread and blesses it … and … and … and the two disciples finally realize the man is Jesus Christ himself, not a stranger, but the man who they have followed for three years and had watched be tortured, crucified, and die. The two disciples understand now why the tomb is empty, because … because … because he has risen, he has conquered the grave, death no longer has claim on their lives. The story does not end with Jesus from Nazareth dying on the the cross, but it continues with Jesus conquering the grave and ascending to heaven, the Kingdom of God, so we can have eternal life.

Once the shock subsides, once they fully comprehend what has just happened, the two disciples realize Jesus has vanished, gone, and they get up from the table and rushed back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples what had happened. In recognizing the stranger as Jesus Christ himself, the disciple’s eyes are opened and come to realize the significance of the cross; death is no more, the promise of eternal life is real and tangible thing.

So where are we in the story? How can we relate to the two disciples on their way to Emmaus? There are times when we just feel far  away from God, Jesus Christ, and like the disciples, we just don’t get where Jesus is or what he is up to. We get lost in the tangible things; the things that we can reach, touch, grasp, dissect or experience, and explain. Sometimes, like the disciples, we miss the point. We miss what Jesus is doing in our lives and in the world. And, like the disciples, all we have to do is reach out and take his hand; to climb onto his lap and be in his presence; to share a meal with him and listen and be presence. Jesus Christ, our Savior, through God the Father and the Holy Spirit is always, always with us. All you have to do is reach for his hand and be in his presence.

Let us pray…

O Lord, Thank you for overcoming the grave, death itself, and being always presence. Help us to reach out and take your hand; to be in your very holy presence. Grant us the wisdom to see what you are doing in our lives and in the world through the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen!

By: Pastor Brian Krause and Erin M Diericx 

https://www.facebook.com/GtHealer/videos/2566086450281023/?t=0

A sermon given on Matthew 28:1-10.

Pastor Brian Krause says…

I remember the day I had to go to the Candidacy Committee of my synod to meet with them about becoming a candidate for ministry.  I had already graduated college and now I was preparing to go to seminary.  I had written a detailed description of my life to that point.  I had gone to see the Psychologist to have a Psychological exam.  The results of that exam were in the hands of the candidacy committee.  I was nervous about what the candidacy committee might ask me, and what they might do with the information they had in their hands.  Would they find in my Psychological evaluation a reason to prevent me from entering candidacy and working towards becoming a minister?  I was nervous about the interview, so I called one of my college professors, Phil Ruge-Jones.  I told him I was nervous about the entrance interview for candidacy.  I still remember what he told me that day.  He told me that if this call I felt was from God, then God would be with me and help me with the interview.  I went to the interview and soon realized that several members of the candidacy committee were members of my home congregation.  They had known me all my life.  The interview was very friendly, not contentious or intimidating as I thought it might be.  In the end God was with me that day and God led me through the candidacy process so that I became an ordained minister.

Another time when I was a pastor in my first-call I had several students whom I led through the confirmation process.  I remember one student I had who always seemed to be disinterested in the lesson I was teaching.  If I asked him a question he never had the answer for me.  The other students I had in the class would engage the material, but this one student seemed not to care.  One night I even asked him to stay after class so that I could talk to him.  I told him that confirmation was a religious ceremony, not an inalienable right.  I needed to see him engaging the material and I needed to see that he was learning if he wanted to be confirmed.  In that congregation they had a tradition of having the students come and speak with the church council before they were confirmed.  I was nervous that this kid would do horrible.  How would we deal with a student who clearly seemed like he could care less?  What would his failure say about me as a pastor and teacher before the church council?  The night of the council meeting arrived, and I was blown away.  The student who seemed like he wasn’t learning anything and that he would rather be anywhere but in confirmation class actually answered the catechism questions correctly.  The student also had intelligent answers for the more subjective questions.  That night there was no question that the Holy Spirit had been at work creating faith in that student, even though I thought he didn’t care.

Erin M Diericx says…

Sometimes our biggest worries and fears are our biggest hurdles to overcome, at least for me. When we give into our worries and fears, we make a hurdle for God to help us and to reveal his plan for us. However, when we let go of our worries and fears, we break down the hurdle and let God work in amazing ways. 

Pastor Brian Krause says…

For all intense and purposes Jesus ministry was over.  Jesus had been arrested, tried and executed.  How could anyone come back from that?  The disciples were trying to figure out how to move on from this seemingly failed movement.  Their leader was dead and buried, what more could possibly come of this Jesus movement?  Just when all hope seemed lost, Jesus shows up again.  Jesus rose from the dead and showed his disciples that he was indeed the Lord of Life.

Erin M Diericx says…

It must have felt hopeless, just like it does now. Jesus had died, and  the disciples do not know what to do. They are hiding from the Jewish authorities in fear they will be arrested and crucified next. It was a scary situation as it is now.

Pastor Brian Krause says…

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day thought they had squashed this movement and maintained the status quo.  The leader of the movement was dead and buried.  What’s more, to prevent any claims that this would-be messiah had risen from the dead they had gone to Pilate and secured a guard of soldiers to watch the tomb.  They sealed the stone and posted the guard to keep watch over it to prevent anyone from breaking in and stealing Jesus’ body.  They had thought of everything to maintain the status quo and hold on to their power.  

Erin M Diericx says…

Their sense of power is misguided and misdirected. The Pharisees think because they follow all of the Old Testament laws, they are good to go and will be permitted into the Kingdom of God. However, the Pharisees are missing how God is acting in a new way, which is redefining who is God’s family, who will enter the Kingdom of God, or even what happens when we die.

Pastor Brian Krause says…

The Pharisees had not thought, however, about the possibility that this one really was the Son of God and that God would raise him on the third day.  There was no way they could have prevented that.  The text tells us that as the women were walking to the tomb there was an earthquake.  An angel descended from heaven, rolled away the stone and sat upon it.  The soldiers who were tasked with securing the tomb shook in fear and became like dead men.  The angel told the women to not be afraid for Jesus had been raised.  God had achieved that which seemed impossible.  The women even see the resurrected Jesus not long after receiving the message from the angel.

Erin M Diericx says…

I can only imagine the women’s emotions in this moment. “Huh? What are you talking about? What do you mean? Where is his body?” In John’s gospel, Mary even asks the gardener where Jesus’s body is. It is only when the gardener says her name that she realizes it is actually, really Jesus. Mary goes from being distressed and weeping to being overcome with joy and happiness that Jesus Christ has risen from the grave. 

Pastor Brian Krause says…

It is amazing how God moves.  Sometimes we think that God is absent and then all of a sudden we get a sign that God has been with us all along.  We find ourselves in situations that seem hopeless and we wonder how we will get out of them, then God shows us a way that we never saw before.  We sometimes deal with people who seem to resist God’s work and God’s call and we think that it is hopeless, then God moves to break down barriers that we thought were impenetrable.  The story of Easter is the story of God breaking in to do the impossible.

Erin M Diericx says…

And Thanks be to God that he does break in and make the impossible possible. Without God, things would be hopeless, but he does not leave us to our own devices.

Pastor Brian Krause says…

The message of Easter is that God breaks into our world to bring life out of death, hope out of despair, and victory out of defeat.  God turns the mourning of Jesus’ disciples into joy.  Human beings had done their best to try to stop Jesus, but God would not be stopped.  God’s plan for the salvation of the whole world could not be thwarted!

Today civilization seems to have been thwarted by an invisible enemy, the coronavirus.  Many countries have shut down and ordered people to shelter in place to stop the spread of the virus.  We wonder if things will ever get back to normal, or if this might be the end of civilization as we know it.  How could something so small bring about so much destruction?  It seems as if our dreams have been thwarted by a small pathogen.  While things look bleak in the world around us this Easter we know that God has a plan for creation.  Our plans may have been thwarted, at least for a time, but God’s plan for us will not be thwarted.  

Erin M Diericx says…

God does have a plan for us; we just have to be patient and open to things becoming new again. God is presence in the world today. God is acting and making things new even now.

Pastor Brian Krause says…

God does have a plan to make all things new.  God has a plan to give us eternal life.  God has a kingdom for us where there is no more suffering, death, mourning, or pain.  In God’s new kingdom we will know life forevermore.  God’s plan to bring us to this new creation will not be thwarted.  There is no plan or scheme of man that can throw a wrench in to God’s plans.  There is no virus or bacteria that can make God’s kingdom crumble.  Although our world is in the midst of mourning this day the death of thousands in this global pandemic, we know the God who brings life out of death, joy out of despair, and peace out of chaos.  Today we may struggle to see how God is at work, but one day we will see what God has been doing all along.  On that day we will celebrate Easter, not just for a day or even fifty days, but forevermore.  

Erin M Diericx prays…

O Lord, Thank you for defeating the grave and for the blessing that you are always with us, even when we feel alone. We lift up the first responders, doctors, and nurses and other essential workers. Guide them and give them your wisdom. Comfort the sick, those on ventilators, and those who are actually dying. Hold them and give them your peace. We pray all these things in your holy name, amen!

By: Pastor Brian Krause and Erin M Diericx 

https://www.facebook.com/GtHealer/videos/561212941172571/?t=2

Text: Psalm 22

Pastor Brian Krause says…

I thought that everything was going my way.  I had been trying to get a job in Florida so that I could be closer to Erin for a long time now.  I was trying to do the responsible thing, you know, get a new job while still hanging on to the Job I had so that there would be little if any interruption in my income as I transitioned from my job in Ohio to my job in Florida.  I finally thought I had landed that job.  After an interview with the State of Florida for a prison Chaplain position I was told to be patient as it might take a few weeks for them to run it through the bureaucracy.  At the end of the phone interview I was even told to, “not be discouraged” if it took a few weeks to hear back.  Those are the kinds of things you want to hear when you are interviewing for a job. I was certain I was going to get the job, but before they could get back to me things really changed in this country.  I still have not heard back, and my interview was in late February.  The last I did heard was that things had been slowed down significantly because of the Coronavirus.  Part of me thinks that hiring may have been put on hold indefinitely.  

We had dreams for my future.  I was going to move to Florida with a good job, and then we would save up for our wedding.  I was hoping that I would be able to transfer to a prison closer to Erin to continue my chaplaincy after we got married.  Everything seemed like it was finally coming together after months of trying, and then it all seemed to have crumbled so quickly.  I did move to Florida, but without work.  I am still trying to get work in the area, but I don’t know if any one is hiring in the midst of this global pandemic, and I fear that if I get a job outside the house I could be putting not only my own life at risk, but Erin’s life as well.  How could so much have changed in such a short amount of time?  In late February and early March I thought we had a good plan for our future, now I have no idea what our future holds.

Erin M Diericx says…

It is scary to think just how much has changed in a short amount of time. We did have a solid, responsible plan. and we are not the only couple that had their plans derailed. Couples across the nation and around the world are being forced to postponed their weddings or have small wedding with just the priest and two witnesses. And then there are the high school seniors who are missing a whole host of end of the year events, including prom and graduation. The coronavirus has really changed how we function in the world. I just wish he would reveal his plan and show us the way out of the darkness.

Pastor Brian Krause says…

If there was ever a Good Friday where we could cry out with Jesus and the Psalmist who wrote Psalm 22, this certainly is the year.  How many people have seen their dreams for the future thrown into Chaos?  How many people have gone from planning for their future to hoping they have enough money to keep food on the table?  The Coronavirus has sent a harsh shock into our lives, and the futures we were all dreaming of have all been put on hold, if not cancelled.  We don’t know when things will return to some sense of normalcy.  We don’t even know when we will be able to leave our houses without the fear of catching a highly contagious and very serious disease that is killing people by the thousands every day.  The whole world has been turned on its head.  

The news doesn’t seem to be getting any better.  We keep hearing signs of optimism, perhaps we are flattening the curve, but then there are fears that the virus could resurge if we come out of quarantine too quickly.  Perhaps the heat and solar radiation in the summer will keep the virus at bay for a few months, but then they predict that it could come roaring back in the fall.  Just how long are we going to have to keep up this social distancing? When will it ever be safe to leave the house again?  What is God up to in the midst of all of this suffering and death?

Erin M Diericx says…

What is God up to?  It feels like God has abandoned us!  How can we speak of God in the midst of so much suffering and death?  Shouldn’t God have done something to have prevented all of this suffering?  

Pastor Brian Krause says…

Sometimes God feels so distant when we are suffering.  It feels like we are down here languishing and God is up on some cloud somewhere being attended to by angels.  People are dying and it feels as if God is nowhere to be found.  If God would just come down from Heaven God would see just how bad things are down here, and then, perhaps, God would do something about it! 

Erin M Diericx says…

Is that not why we have this day?  Is that not the reason we commemorate Good Friday?  

Pastor Brian Krause says…

God did come down from Heaven.  God came to earth in Jesus.  He was born of a human mother and lived a life like all humans live.  He knew what it was to suffer as we all suffer.  Jesus became truly human.  What does that mean?  It means that Jesus was not immune to the viruses that affect human beings.  Did Jesus get sick?  If we truly believe that Jesus became truly human then we must also conclude that at times Jesus had to contend with viruses and bacteria invading his body and making him sick.  The gospel writers did not write about Jesus getting sick, but then again the gospels only cover a small fraction of Jesus’ life.  What we do know about Jesus, however, clearly indicates that he struggled with many very human things.  The gospels tell us that after fasting for forty-days Jesus was famished.  Jesus knew what hunger was.  Jesus wept at the death of his friend, Lazarus.  Jesus even knew what it was like to feel abandoned by God in suffering.  On the cross Jesus cries out that he is thirsty, and “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Erin M Diericx says…

That’s the part that keeps running through my mind: Abba, Abba, why have you forsaken me? It is a plead for help; an anguish cry; help me, Father. It is the same plead we are crying out, “God, help us!”

Pastor Brian Krause says…

Jesus did not just come to earth to experience human life, however.  Jesus came to earth to do something about the brokenness of our human condition.  Jesus gave himself up on the cross to save us from sin, death, and the power of the devil.  Isaiah says that, “By his stripes we are healed.”  Jesus death opens for us the way to a life without suffering or death.  Through faith in his death and resurrection we have access to new life with God.  We definitely do not yet experience this life in its fullness here and now, but it is ours already by faith.  

Erin M Diericx says…

With our faith, we are led to hope in something beyond death and to love the Triune God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, as well as to love our neighbors as ourselves. It is in our faith that we can imagine something the grave.

Pastor Brian Krause says…

The story of Good Friday tells us that God does not sit around in the clouds being waited on by angels while humanity suffers.  God came to us in Christ.  God became fully human in Jesus and dwelt among us.  Jesus knows our suffering, our sickness, and our distress.  Jesus even knows what it is like to feel abandoned by God in suffering.  Jesus cried out with the author of Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  Jesus, who was God in the flesh, cried out from the cross so that we might know that God is indeed with us in our suffering.  God is not absent as humans are suffering and dying in the midst of a global pandemic.  God is at work comforting those who are mourning, working though the healthcare workers and first responders to save lives, and God is welcoming into the eternal kingdom those who are dying this day.  In this world we will struggle, suffer, and die, but by faith we have access to a new life in which we will no longer suffer, struggle, or die.  Jesus died on the first Good Friday to open the way of healing, wholeness, and life for us now, and forevermore.

Erin M Diericx prays…

O Lord, this Holy Week is a bit different than we can remember. We pray for all those who are sick, on ventilators, and actively dying. We thank you for the small blessing in knowing you are with all those who are dying and sick. We pray for angels to protect our loved ones and us during this time. We pray for your wisdom and peace. We pray all these things in your holy name, amen!

By: Erin M Diericx and Pastor Brian Krause

Text: John 13:1-17, 31b-35

https://www.facebook.com/GtHealer/videos/537262353596707/?t=3

Erin M Diericx says… 

In the Old Testament, Lamentations the Israelites are given specific instructions as to when they are clean and unclean. As Hannah Armidon writes, the Israelite’s whole lifestyle revolved around “cleansing, remaining clean, and keeping from contamination,” because being unclean meant you had to be kept separate from your family and your community; you had to yell unclean if someone was approaching you. Being unclean meant you were also separated from God; you could not enter the temple; you could not be in God’s presence; you were cut off and separated. It was not until you would have to go through sacrificial rituals in order to be made clean that you were allowed to reenter society, to be touched by family members, to go to the market, and to be permitted to enter the temple and be in God’s very presence.

Paster Brian Krause says…

At the end of a period of uncleanness the people had to wash themselves and wash their clothes.  This ceremonial act of washing meant that they were cleansed from the thing that had made them unclean.  These ceremonial acts of washing are the precursor to Christian baptism, which washes us clean, not just for a moment, but for all time.

Erin M Diericx says…

Being unclean sounds a lot like what we doing today by practicing social distancing and staying home. When we meet up with a friend, even with six feet apart, you cannot help to wonder, do they have the coronavirus; are they clean or unclean?

Paster Brian Krause says…

I certainly felt that doing simple ordinary things, like going to the post office to mail something or going in to Lowes to pick up an order.  You look at the people all around you and you wonder if any of them are carrying the virus.  We are suspecting everyone as being unclean in this time.

Erin M Diericx says…

When Jesus washed his disciple’s feet, it has several meanings. On one level, it symbolized the master, the teacher served are servants, the students. It is an awkward moment where Peter tries to stop Jesus as if to say, “No, let me wash your feet…” but Jesus stops Peter and explains it is more than just washing your feet; its means more. So Peter says, “Then wash my whole body.” Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean” John 13:10 NRSV.  Washing someone else’s feet is more than making their feet physically clean, but the act makes their hearts, their souls clean before God. 

Paster Brian Krause says…

This text plays with several meanings of clean and unclean.  Of course we have the basic dirty feet being cleaned by Jesus, but Jesus also speaks of spiritual cleanliness.  Jesus says to Peter, “One who has bathed has no need to wash, except his feet.  You are clean, though not all of you.” Jesus tells Peter that he is clean, not just physically clean but also spiritually clean.  The one who is not clean at this dinner is Judas Iscariot who had already made up his mind to betray his lord.

Erin M Diericx says…

Jesus is taking the place of our sacrifices in order to make us clean in the eyes of God. We no longer have to yell unclean, unclean, unclean, but we can greet each other with Christian love, hope, and faith. We are able to be in a relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and be in his presence at all times. This is a message of hope for the individuals who have loved ones in the hospital and cannot be them physically, because they can rest assured that God is with their loved ones; he is holding them and hearing their petitions; when they are actively dying and when they ultimately die, God is with them and is welcoming them into his kingdom. This is the Christian hope that is timeless and never fails. 

Paster Brian Krause says…

When Jesus washed his disciples feet he was taking on the form of a servant and doing what the servant would do. Jesus then tasked us with lowering ourselves and serving one another.  Today especially we are seeing this in the first responders and medical personnel who are putting their lives on the line to save others.

Erin M Diericx says…

Maundy Thursday is probably my favorite service. A few years ago I washed the feet of the members of my congregation. There was a profound moment where the members were being served by the needy, a disabled individual who needs personal cares to function as a human being. The paradigm of “master” serving the “servants” was truly present then and even now as well as two thousand years ago. It is an act of submission to the will of God; to be his voice and body in the world. We serve God and each other, and we are served by God and others; the first will be last, and the last will be first.

Paster Brian Krause says…

On the night before Jesus went to the cross for us all he gave us a new commandment; that we should love one another as Jesus has loved us.  This love, the love to which Jesus calls us is not just having nice feelings towards other people.  Jesus tells us that we should love others the way he loves us.  We should seek not to exalt ourselves over others, but humbly serve.  We should seek not to save ourselves at all costs, but to willingly give ourselves away in service to our neighbors.  What Jesus calls us to do is not easy, but it is the way that we share the gospel with the world, especially in these dark days.   

Erin M Diericx prays…

O Lord, this Holy Week is a bit different than we can remember. We pray for all those who are sick, on ventilators, and actively dying. We thank you for the small blessing in knowing you are with all those who are dying and sick. We pray for angels to protect our loved ones and us during this time. We pray for your wisdom and peace. We pray all these things in your holy name, amen!

Music: Stay with Me by Bleibet Hier from Joy on Earth, recorded in Taize 

By: Brian Krause and Erin M Diericx

Text Ezekiel 37:1-14

https://www.facebook.com/emdeerx/videos/10103330712986963/?t=23

Pastor Brian Krause says…

We have come through another week of social distancing and self-quarantine.  If anything, it seems like we are even further from the end of this crisis than it did a week ago.  The number of people who have tested positive for the Coronavirus and the number people who have succumb to the virus continues to rise day by day at an ever-accelerating rate.  The longer this crisis goes on the clearer it becomes that this crisis will be with us for a long time to come.

This does not inspire much confidence in those who just want things to return to normal.  The longer businesses are shut down and people are asked to stay home the less likely it seems that we will be able to get things up and running again.  It is now clear that recovery from this crisis is going to take a lot longer than many of us would like. We are in this for the long-haul.  We cannot, however, begin to recover until we deal with the deadly affects of the virus.  It is only when we start to see the number of people testing positive and the number of people dying going down that we will be able to see a light at the end of this tunnel. Right now, it seems like there is no light at the end of this tunnel.  Some may even be feeling like this is the end of the world.

Erin M Diericx says…

It is difficult to even see past the pandemic to know what society will be like when it is all over. It seems like this could be the end, but then I think this must been when Jews felt when Hitler ruled Germany, if not more fear and uncertainty. 

Pastor Brian Krause says…

I bet the people of Judah had similar thoughts and feelings when they were in exile in Babylon.  The people of God were taken from their homeland.  Their capital city, Jerusalem, was destroyed.  The temple, which was the sign of God’s presence, lay in ruins.  Was this the end?  Would God’s people ever be a nation again?  They had seen their kin in the Northern kingdom carried off and scattered to the four winds by the Assyrians.  Now they themselves were living in exile in Babylon.  It seemed that the once mighty kingdom of David and Solomon would never exist again.  Was there any hope for God’s people in exile?

God calls the prophet Ezekiel to proclaim a message of hope to God’s people, Judah.  In his vision Ezekiel is taken to a valley in the wilderness.  The valley is full of bones and the bones are very dry.  Ezekiel is in a lifeless place and he sees a vast multitude of skeletons that are dry and lifeless.  The fact that the bones are dry says that these people have been dead for a long time.  It is in the midst of this lifeless valley of dry bones that God asks a crucial question, “Can these bones live?”  It is a question that we human beings wouldn’t even fathom.  How could there be any hope at all in the midst of the valley of dry bones?  When we look at the valley, we see no hope.  The bones are long dried up.  There is no flesh remaining.  Everything that isn’t bone had long since decayed.  How could we even think of life when we look at such lifeless figures.  From the text it sounds like the bones themselves are out of order no doubt disturbed by wild animals and the weather.  Indeed, when we look at this image from our human perspective we see no hope of life.

Is that the way we feel today?  Do you feel as if this crisis has caused too much destruction to repair?  There are many people who are out of work and pinching their pennies to try and survive this time.  We have set new all-time numbers for unemployment.   It feels like even if we could get businesses open again nobody would have money to spend at those businesses.  The longer this situation drags on the more dire the situation threatens to become for those who are already living on the edge.  As each week goes by the situation seems more and more hopeless.  If there was ever a time that we could identify with the dry bones, this is certainly it.  

Erin M Diericx says…

Definitely! All one has to do is put on the news and see the numbers growing exponentially. Stories of individuals dying in hospitals without anyone around them, because family members cannot risk being exposed, are starting to make the news. I am sure parents are wondering how to care for their children if they catch it. What if the child catches it first? How will the parents care for them? What if the parents get sick? Who will care for the children? Uncertainty is definitely causing fear, even among the faithful.

Pastor Brian Krause says…

It is in the midst of the lifeless valley of dry bone that God asks the question that we cannot fathom.  God asks Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?”  Ezekiel is shocked.  He doesn’t even know how to answer that question.  His mind tells him it is impossible, but something deep inside of him wants to cling to some hope.  Ezekiel’s answer to God shows that he truly is torn between the reality that his eyes see and the faith he has in the power of God.  Ezekiel says, “O, Lord God, you know.”  Sometimes our life is like that.  We look at our situation and our intellect tells us it is hopeless, but by faith we want to cling to some hope that God can do what we cannot even think or imagine.  Torn between what we know to be true, and what our faith tells us is possible, we join with Ezekiel in answering, “O, Lord God, you know.”

Erin M Diericx says…

As Christians, we are definitely torn between two realities: 1, the fear of the pandemic; the fear of dying a painful death; the hopelessness of not being able to care for our loved ones. And 2, the promise of eternal life with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; that there is something beyond this reality of the human conditional. And like Ezekiel, our hope lies in the fact that God knows. God has a plan.

Pastor Brian Krause says…

God indeed knows the future that God has in store for God’s people.  God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones and to call the bones to come together.  Ezekiel prophesies as God commands and he sees the bones come together.  Ezekiel watches as sinews cover the bones and flesh comes upon them and skin covers them.  It is an exciting moment that then gives way to a moment of disappointment and a feeling of failure, for Ezekiel says, “but there was no breath in them.”  What went wrong?  How is it that these bones did not come to life?  Perhaps Ezekiel’s logical mind was right, it is hopeless.  Before the feeling of hopelessness has time to set in God speaks once more, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.”  

Erin M Diericx says…

God gives us breath. God gives us life. 

Pastor Brian Krause says…

Sometimes when things are especially broken healing does not come all at once, but over time.  We might see signs that things are turning around, but things will not get back to normal all at once.  As we go through the long process of recovery from this pandemic it will take time for people to get new jobs, for businesses to reopen, and for life to return to a feeling of normalcy.  We will have to be patient and continue to trust in God’s goodness and love.

Erin M Diericx says…

It is important to note that it took two prophesies to bring the bones to life: 1, for the bones to come together, and 2, for the breathe to go into the bones. It takes time to have the bones to come together and to be living beings.

Pastor Brian Krause says…

Ezekiel prophesies to the breath, and the breath comes into the multitude and they come to life and stand on their feet.  The impossible has been accomplished through faith in God.  God tells Ezekiel that the people of Judah will be brought back to their own land.  They will be a nation again.  The exiles who feel as if all hope is lost and like their nation is dead and gone will one day be a nation again.  They will return to Judah and rebuild its walls.  They will rebuild the temple and worship their once again.  Although things look bleak to them in the land of Babylon God sends Ezekiel to tell them that all hope is not lost.  God has a plan to bring God’s people back to their land and restore their nation.

What does God have in store for us?  I do not know what the future holds, but I do know that God has a plan for God’s people.  This nation might get back to normal, or perhaps it won’t, but we have an eternal kingdom waiting for us where we will never again experience economic hardships, global pandemic, and death.  God has promised us a place in that kingdom by faith.  Those who place their hope in an earthly kingdom will be disappointed.  We know that Jesus will return one day, and the things of this world will be no more.  The things of this world are temporary.  The things of Heaven, however, are eternal.  Those who trust in Christ place their ultimate hope in the Kingdom of God.  One day we will live in that eternal kingdom, and the things that trouble us now will be no more.  

Erin M Diericx says…

And so, it will be with us. God has a plan, and he directing us even now, preparing us for what lies ahead. We must keep our’ hearts and minds fixed on heavenly things, on the promise of eternal life, on something beyond this world. This is where our hope lies; in a God who can make the impossible; possible. 

Pastor Brian Krause says…

May Almighty God bring us to the kingdom where we will no more fear viruses and death but know life forevermore.

By: Pastor Brian Krause and Erin M Diericx

Text: John 9:2-41

https://www.facebook.com/emdeerx/videos/10103315593152233/?t=29

Pastor Brian Krause says…

Why? When? How?  There are lots of questions on everyone’s mind right now.  If you have kids you are probably getting a lot of questions: “Why can’t we go to the park?”, “Why do we have to stay home?”, “How long will this last?”, and “Why is everyone so scared?”  Adults have many “Why” questions as well.  We too want to know: “How long will we be quarantined in our own homes?”, “Will things ever return to normal?”, “How will I continue to buy food and the necessities if I cannot work?”, and  of course, “Why is this happening?”

There are lots of questions floating around right now.  Everyone is scared and anxious.  We seem to be living in a nightmare from which we can’t seem to wake up.  There are moments that I even try to forgot what is going on and pretend like life is normal.  I watch a movie, or some video on Youtube that had nothing to do with the global pandemic and for a brief moment I forget the reality of our time.  Then, when the movie or video is over I am brought back to reality.  I am still in the same house that I have been in all week, and I haven’t left.  Is this our new normal?  

Erin M Diericx says…

I think that is the key question for everyone:  is this the new normal? We are so accustomed to just going out and getting what we need or just going to visit friends. Now we are facing a real threat by just leaving our home, our bubble; or inviting someone into our home.

Pastor Brian Krause says…

The gospel lesson appointed for the fourth Sunday in Lent this year is filled with questions as well.  A man who had formerly been blind is now able to see and everyone wants to know how it happened and who did it.  The story begins, however, with a question that has at it’s core a false assumption about God and God’s work in the world.  It is a question that we too find ourselves asking in various forms that also expose our own false assumptions about God and how God is working in our lives.  The disciples, upon seeing a blind beggar, ask Jesus, “Who sinned that this man was born blind; him or his parents?”  The question assumes that God is a god of wrath whose primary work in the world is to punish sinners.  We often fall back on this same basic assumption when times are bad.  Who has not at some point in their life asked the similar question, “What did I do to deserve this?”  The assumption is that somehow our suffering is brought on by our own sinfulness and God’s anger towards us.  When things are good we confess that God is loving and gracious.  When times are tough, however, our true beliefs about God often bubble to the surface.  We want to believe that God is loving and forgiving, but when times are tough we just can’t seem to get over our basic assumption that God really is angry at us and out to get us.

Erin M Diericx says…

This is what drove me to write my thesis on John 9, because so many people have this notion of God being angry or the individual has a lack of faith. The truth is as Christians we are battling the devil who is always desperately trying to take us away from God.

Pastor Brian Krause says…

How many of you have been thinking these thoughts in the past few weeks as this pandemic has exploded before our eyes?  How many of you have thought, “What did we do?”  “How have we as a world so angered god that god now sees fit to make us all sick and kill us?”  Things are nuts right now and completely out of our control.  When things are out of control we often look to the one whom we believe is in control, God.  If this is happening and God is ultimately in control, then God at the very least had to allow it to happen and at the worst we might even say that God caused this to happen.  

All of this, however, continues to expose our basic assumption that God is angry and out to get us.  The disciples assumed that the blind beggar’s blindness was God’s wrath for sin either in his own life or in the life of his parents.  How does Jesus confront their question and their assumption?  Jesus says, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.”  Jesus does not look at the blind beggar and automatically assume that the man is a horrible sinner being punished.  Jesus sees this man and looks at what God might do in and through him.

Erin M Diericx says…

The reason why Jesus heals the previously blind man is to bring God the Father glory. The parents did not sin. The previously blind man did not sin. The blind man was healed to bring glory to God.

Pastor Brian Krause says…

At this point it is really tempting to say, “God healed the man of his blindness, so why doesn’t God come and reveal God’s glory now by removing the Coronavirus?”  To focus on the healing alone, however, misses the wider work of God as seen in this narrative.  The man receives his sight in verse seven, but the story continues for another thirty-four verses.  What is God doing in that part of the story?

The healing of the blind man begins a conversation, first in the community and then in the synagogue with the religious leaders.  The conversation revolves around the events of the man’s healing, but ultimately at their core the conversations are about the one who has performed the healing, namely Jesus.  When the people ask questions about the man’s healing they are trying to figure out who this one is who could perform such a sign.  Through his answers we can see the former blind man himself evolving in his understanding of who Jesus is.  

When his neighbors in the community ask him how he received his sight the formerly blind man says, “The man called Jesus…”  A little later the religious leaders ask the man what he himself thinks of Jesus and he replies, “He is a prophet.”  Later when the Pharisees accuse Jesus of being a sinner.  They accuse the formerly blind man of being a disciple of Jesus and they say that they are disciples of Moses.  The Pharisees say to the man who had been blind, “We know that God spoke through Moses, but as for this man we do not know where he comes from.”  In reply the formerly blind man tells the Pharisees that from the foundation of the world we have never heard of anyone giving sight to a blind man and that, “If he were not from God he could do nothing.”  So we see the former blind man’s faith progress through this passage from saying calling Jesus, “the man called Jesus,” to, “a prophet” to finally, “from God.”  

Erin M Diericx says…

It is so important to highlight that through the conversations with the community and the Pharisees that the previously blind man experiences a spiritual healing. He meets the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

Pastor Brian Krause says…

The work of God in this passage begins with the healing of the blind man, but God’s work does not end there.  The story continues and as it continues we see this former blind man grow in faith and become a bold witness to Jesus.  John’s gospel follows a similar structure in story after story.  Jesus performs a sign that leads to a conversation that then later leads people to faith.  

So what does all of this mean for us in the age of Coronavirus and social isolation?  First, God did not send this virus on the human race to punish us or to take out God’s wrath on us.  The God we know in Jesus Christ is the God of mercy and love.  God came to us in Jesus to share in our sufferings.  Jesus bore our sin, suffering, fear, and our sickness in his body on the cross.  Jesus experienced the whole human condition.  Jesus lived among us and was truly one of us even dying just as all humans eventually die.  Two weeks ago we heard Jesus tell us himself, “For God did not send his son in to the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”  (John 3:17)  God is not working in the world to bring God’s wrath down upon us.

Erin M Diericx says…

I love how you quote John 3:17. So many people forget this verse. People know John 3:16 by heart, “God so loved the world that he gave up his son…” John 3:17 reminds us that God does not condemn his child but loves us, his beloved child, and that is what gives us hope in this time of uncertainty.

Pastor Brian Krause says…

At the same time God is not a magic genie who grants wishes or a fairy who fixes everything that is wrong in our lives.  If you hope that one day you will wake up and the coronavirus will all be gone, then I have bad news for you; that is not likely to happen.  If, however, you are willing to ask deep questions, pray, read the word, and meditate on it then you just might see God’s greatest work accomplished in you.  As we struggle, question, ponder and pray we might just find that God is renewing our faith.  We might even hear God calling us to be witnesses to God’s mercy and grace whether it be in word or in deed.  

Erin M Diericx says…

So when you are watching the news or talking with family and friends: pray! Pray without creasing. My favorite prayer is the Jesus Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner,” and repeated it over and over again, silently or aloud. So when I am watching the news or talking with family and friends, I am praying the Jesus Prayer silently. It truly helps my anxiety as well as inviting Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit into that situation. 

Pastor Brian Krause says…

This is indeed a difficult time in our world, but we believe in the one who shares in our sufferings.  Jesus came into our world not to take away everything that is broken and scary, but instead to show us that the way to a better and fuller life leads though death.  Through his death and resurrection Jesus opens up for all the way to eternal life with God.  It is through our death and subsequent resurrection that we too shall enter into a life that has no more pain, no more viruses, no pandemics, no fear and ultimately no more death.  This ultimately is God’s work, not to fix the problem of the moment, but to give us a fuller richer life in God’s presence forever. Amen   

Peace be with you!

I have a handful of letters scattered around my house waiting for me to rediscover them occasionally as I go about my activities. Somewhere in my office is a tattered postcard that my mom sent me when I first went to college in 2002. She writes about her first Christian booksellers trade show in California and about how her sister was enjoying people watching at the beach. Then she writes how proud she is of me for going to college. Through my numerous moves, I have managed to keep that postcard. It is a reminder of how far I have comes over the last fourteen years.

[box type=”note” border=”full”] Reflection Questions: Do you have a letter that you reread? Why is it special to you?[/box]

[box type=”info” border=”full”] Read:  Luke 15:1-10[/box]

The role of a Christian in the world is a difficult one. You stand against obviously anti-Christian groups, such as ISIS and KKK. At the same time, you are also working with and against the morals and attitudes of society, which may or may not agree with the Christian morals and attitudes. For instance, the army will put a few soldiers in mortal danger in a military campaign, so hundreds of other soldiers can survive and get home. The mentality is to sacrifice a few for the greater whole. As Christians, we do not believe anyone is expendable. In Luke 15:1-10, we read about the good shepherd leaving the ninety-nine and going after one lost sheep. As Father George Conger said on Sunday, society would not leave the ninety-nine for one, but for Jesus Christ the one is just as important as the ninety-nine. Each person has an infinite value to God, and one lost soul is irreplaceable. God has a call for each and every one of us. Therefore, when one of us loses our way, God the Father says to Jesus Christ, “Go and find my lost child,” because he loves each one of us and he needs each one of us to do our part in his greater plan.

[box type=”note” border=”full”] Reflection Questions: Have you ever felt expendable? Have you ever felt irreplaceable? [/box]

[box type=”info” border=”full”] Read: 1 Timothy 1:1-11 [/box]

We do not know exactly what is going on, but we know the apostle Paul has felt an urgency to lift Timothy up as he ministers to the people in Ephesus. First Timothy is a letter from a mentor to a mentee and is unlike other letters written by Paul to whole communities. Also, here Paul introduces himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ—as one in authority. Even though the letter is addressed to Timothy, it was probably still read aloud to the community in Ephesus. Therefore, Paul is asserting his authority to the community and emphasizing Timothy as his loyal child of faith. We still do this in society: I am [blank], and this is [blank] who is my [blank]. We define and validate each other’s roles within the community to assert someone with authority or a role.

[box type=”note” border=”full”] Reflection Questions: Take a moment to introduce someone in the group. Define and validate their role within the community. How did it feel to be validated by someone else? [/box]

Paul begins his letter by warning against false teachings—those ideas and practices that make people stray from the good news of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We have all fallen prey to ideas and practices, which convince us that [whatever “it” is] is okay, even when it is contrary to the good news. This is true even in the practice of other religions. For example, thirty thousand Muslims within the Ahmadiyya Islamic movement in the United Kingdom met in August 2016. The group vowed to promote peace and to reject ISIS and other terrorist groups.

“The only thing the terrorists are achieving is to completely violate the teachings of the Holy Quran and of the Holy Prophet Muhammad,” said Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Ahmadiyya’s global caliph, at the conference. “Let it be clear that they are not practicing Islam, rather it seems as though they have invented their own hate-filled and poisonous religion.”[i]

Within Christianity, we have seen so-called Christian groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, work against the teachings in the Bible in order to further their agenda. Though the Ku Klux Klan swears it upholds Christian morals, almost all Christian denominations have denounced the group for spreading hatred and violence to specific groups, such as African-Americans, LGBT individuals, and Jews.

Paul is writing to Timothy to denounce groups that go against the good news of Jesus Christ. Most of us are not associated with the Ku Klux Klan or terrorist organizations. We do not actively go around spreading hatred and violence against anyone. Yet most of us fall into treating others with disregard at one time or another.

Last week at the gym, I was intimated by a male member for being in the “guy” area. Without saying a word to me, the guy made it clear I should not be in the free weight area. I wrote an email to the manager, explaining what had happened in order to provide background for any future occurrences. I concluded my email by saying, “I hope the guy and I can somehow coexist.” At the end of the day, I, as a Christian, am called to love my neighbor. This does not mean I have to enjoy everyone’s company or tolerate discrimination against me, but I have to acknowledge everyone as a child of God.

[box type=”note” border=”full”] Reflection Questions: How can you love your neighbor when they just get under your skin? [/box]

[box type=”info” border=”full”] Read: 1 Timothy 1:12-20 [/box]

Once Paul has acknowledged Timothy is working against false prophets, he lifts him up by giving him encouragement to keep on doing his ministry in Ephesus. The false prophet must have worn down and depleted Timothy’s will to keep working. Everyone has been there—worn out, ready to toss in the towel, and say, “I am done,” as you walk away—those times when you just don’t have anything left to give. Then God seems to send someone to boost your spirits, to reenergize you, so you can keep on doing your important work for God and your community.

Paul continues by encouraging Timothy to find strength in Jesus Christ as Paul has. He admits his past transgressions against the Lord: he has been a blasphemer, persecutor of Christians, and a violent man, yet through God’s infinite wisdom, he is forgiven and is given mercy and grace (1 Timothy 1:13-14). Paul is an example of how someone can live in and be ruled by darkness and by doing the devil’s work, but also of how Jesus’s light finds him or her and brings them into communion with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

God’s grace is also given to us when we feel drained: the Holy Spirit comes in and gives us a double serving of God’s forgiveness, love, mercy, and grace. Then we are off and running again, because we have been redirected back in the light and reminded that the good fight is still worth fighting.

[box type=”note” border=”full”] Reflection Questions: When have you felt depleted? Who has lifted you up and given you a boost? [/box]

Paul reminds Timothy that the good fight is still worth fighting for. There will always be a zillion forces fighting against the good news. A few of these forces we outright reject without much thought. These forces are utterly ridiculous and contrary to the good news. Others we debate at some length and then reject, because they just do not uphold the standards of the good news no matter how we slice them. However, there are other dark forces that we convince ourselves actually uphold the standards of the good news and they are the easiest to be trapped by. We twist the words and objectives of the dark forces to fit with the good news. Paul warns us not to fall prey to these dark forces. We can stay safe by keeping the faith and a good conscience. Personally, I check any big decisions against my core value to love and serve the Lord. Will [whatever “it” is] uphold my faith? When I am unsure, I discuss [whatever “it” is] with my mom and/or other mentors to get their insight and opinions. Paul calls us to live out our faith with a good conscience in order to not fall for the darkness.

[box type=”note” border=”full”] Reflection Questions: How do you find strength to continue the good fight? Where do you find hope in the darkness? [/box]

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus Christ to go find us when we are lost in the darkness. Help us to continue to fight against the dark forces in the world. Shine your light upon us as we do your work in the world. Thank you for your forgiveness, grace, mercy, and love. Amen.

[i] Michael Doherty, “Muslim Group Rejects Terrorists,” Opposing Views, 12 September 2016, http://www.opposingviews.com/i/religion/more-30000-muslims-across-world-meet-uk-reject-isis-and-islamic-extremism.

Fourth Sunday of Pentecost: Galatians 2:1 5-21 and Luke 7:36-50

Peace be with you!

In the musical Les Miserables, Jean Valjean is an ex-convict whose crime was stealing a piece of bread for a starving relative. Upon coming out of prison, Valjean is determined to turn away from the harsh life of prison and help those in need no matter the consequences. However, Valjean’s old ways die hard; he breaks parole and changes his name to hide from the authorities. Over time, he becomes owner of a factory where he gives women jobs to support their families. Javert is the police inspector who released Valjean after warning him what would happen if he broke the law again. Javert believes the law comes before anything else in life. When he finds Valjean after years of thinking he was dead, Javert is determined to bring him back into custody.

Reflection Questions: Is it ever okay to break the law or social standards? Should the law be upheld no matter what?

Paul is writing to the Galatians because the Jewish Christians are telling them they have to earn their way into heaven by doing good works. The Jewish Christians believe that they have to be justified by their works. They have to keep the laws handed down to them by Moses and their ancestors. Paul points out that if we believe keeping the law can justify us, then Jesus died for nothing (Galatians 2:21). The truth is that we cannot uphold the law on our own. Our sinful nature has been crucified through Jesus, and now we can have new life and know God the Father.

Reflection Questions: Why is it difficult to accept our brokenness and need for Jesus?

In Luke 7:36-50, Simon is outraged by Jesus allowing a sinful woman to be at his feet. As a Pharisee, Simon keeps sinners, the unclean, at a distance. Simon projects a negative identity and value to individuals who he perceives to be sinners. To Simon, the woman adds no value to society, and it would have been better if she stayed away. In today’s world, we do not always go around calling others sinners, though we do still pass judgments on others based on race, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, economic standing, and [whatever “it” is] that creates a divide. We project an identity and a value on others based on our own narrow thoughts and opinions. For instance, many people upon meeting me think I have a cognitive disability based on my spastic movements and my unfamiliar speech pattern. These people project an image onto me based on their own opinions.

Reflection Questions: How have you been judged by others?

In Luke 7:40-50, Jesus calls Simon out on his judgment against the woman, the sinner. Jesus asks Simon, “If a creditor canceled the debts of two debtors, which one loves him more?” (see Luke 7:41-42). Simon answers, “The one who owes more,” and Jesus says, “You are correct” (see Luke 7:43). Jesus points out that the woman has bathed and anointed his feet, while Simon has done nothing to welcome him (Luke 7:44-46). Jesus says the woman is forgiven of her many sins, and therefore she expresses great love for the Lord (Luke 7:47-48, 50). We all fall short and sin against the Lord. We have all been the woman in the story who was judged. We have all needed to apologize for something we have done. We have all felt unworthy of someone’s forgiveness, yet we took a chance and asked someone to forgive us.

Reflection Questions: Why is it difficult to seek forgiveness? How do you seek forgiveness from someone else?

We have also been Simon and the others at the table who questions how someone could forgive someone who has hurt another person. We have all felt the sting of betrayal, the bitterness of being crossed, and [whatever “it” is] that hurt us. Sometimes it seems inconceivable to forgive a person.

Reflection Questions: Why is it so difficult to forgive a person? What makes some betrayals harder to forgive than others?

However, Jesus forgives even the inconceivable sins when we humbly repent. Jesus understands we are broken—unable to live according to God’s will without an intervention. Jesus understands he has to provide a way for us to be right and in a relationship with God the Father. Jesus willingly dies on the cross for the redemption of our sins. Jesus gives us a chance to have a personal relationship with God the Father through his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Therefore, despite our inconceivable sins, we can join Jesus at the table to share a meal with him. We are able to be know God’s love and to call upon him at any time. We are able to express God’s love to others, because we know the power of forgiveness.

Paul writes that the Galatians are justified by their faith in Jesus Christ who died for their sins on the cross. There is no way anyone can earn their way into heaven on their own merit (Galatians 2:16). If we live according to the law, we are dead (Galatians 2:19) because we cannot fulfill the law on our own. In Luke 7:36-39, Simon treats the woman as though she is dead and has no right to be in contact with Jesus (making him unclean), and yet Jesus forgives her; her current actions speak to her repentance. Like the woman, we have skeletons in our closets too. We have broken our relationship with God the Father, yet we are able to be forgiven through Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection.

Reflection Questions: When have you had to seek forgiveness from Jesus? How did it feel to need forgiveness? Did anyone say you did not deserve forgiveness?

Paul calls the Galatians to live by faith in Jesus Christ who gave up his life out of love for them (Galatians 2:20). God did not have to send Jesus to die for our sins, but he loves us so deeply he gives us eternal life in him. There is nothing we can do to undo his love for us. By living in faith, we receive the gift of life given to us through Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection. In Luke 7:44-46, the woman lives out her faith through a selfless act of washing and anointing Jesus’s feet. She humbly seeks forgiveness, even when she has no right to. Jesus tells the woman, “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:48, 50 NRSV). Jesus sends the woman out into the world with his peace—the love and mercy of God.

Reflection Questions: How do you live out your faith? How have you felt Jesus’s peace in the world?

In Les Miserables, Valjean and Javert meet in different situations over the years. Somehow Valjean always escapes and goes into hiding until Javert finds him again. At one point Valjean has an opportunity to kill Javert, but he lets him go. Javert realizes Valjean lives by a different moral code than the strict law. Valjean strives to help those who cannot help themselves, even if it means breaking the law. This is what Paul is telling the Galatians. It is better to love each other than to judge one another. Forgiveness frees us from our past mistakes. Forgiveness grants us a second chance. Forgiveness moves us pass raw emotions in order to repair relationships with one another. When we forgive and love each other, we are living out our faith in Jesus Christ.

Reflection Questions: When have you challenged a law or social standard to help someone else?

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for having Jesus Christ die for our sins so we can have life. Help us to live according to your word, even if it means going against man-made laws. Accept our pleas for forgiveness as we forgive those who have sinned against us. Grant us your love, mercy, and peace through your son Jesus Christ. Amen.