There Is No Plan B

• Acts 16:9-15  • 
 
• Psalm 67  • 
 
• Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5  • 
 
• John 14:23-29

The Purpose of Discipleship

• Acts 11:1-18  • 
 
• Psalm 148  • 
 
• Revelation 21:1-6  • 
 
• John 13:31-35

We Hear What We Listen For

One day, two friends were walking down a crowded city sidewalk together.  Suddenly, one of them said, “Listen to the lovely sound of that cricket,"

His friend listened, but, try as he might he couldn’t hear the cricket.

So he asked his friend, “How can you hear a cricket when there’s so much other noise from all people and traffic?”

The friend who’d heard the cricket didn’t say anything.  Instead, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a large handful of pennies, and proceeded to toss the coin out on the sidewalk.

Instantly, a dozen people heard the coins clinking and clanking as the hit the ground, and they began scrambling around looking for them.  Even in the midst of all the other sounds they’d heard the coin.

And as the two friends watched the people looking around for the coin, the one who’d heard the cricket turned to the other and said, “We hear what we listen for.”

The last three Sundays we’ve been hearing stories about what happened with Jesus and his disciples after the Resurrection.  We saw him appear to Thomas in the upper room and eat breakfast with his disciples by the sea.  The last three Sundays have been stories confirming the fact that Christ did rise from the dead.

But now this morning we go back in time to before Jesus’ death and resurrection to be reminded of the fact that Jesus predicted all this.  He’d told people he was the Son of God.  He’d told them he would die and rise again after 3 days.  And yet still the resurrection came as a surprise to everyone.

And the reason for that is given in our lesson today: it’s because people didn’t listen; they wouldn’t hear what he told them.

Again, we hear what we’re listening for, and they weren’t listening for Christ.

In our lesson this morning the Jews ask Jesus, “How long will he keep us in suspense? If you’re the Christ, tell us plainly."

And Jesus answers them, “I have told you but you do not believe.”

Like the cricket in the story, Jesus had been speaking, but they had not heard him.

And the question we need to ask ourselves this morning is: what are we listening for?

There are a lot of voices competing for our attention: the voices of our families and friends, the voices of the media and pop culture and the internet, the voice of books and magazine, and on and on …

And in some of these voices we can hear the voice of Christ when he speaks to us through them.

While other voices don’t want us to hear the message of Christ; the message of the Resurrection; the message of hope, forgiveness, and eternal life.

These other voices want us to believe a different message, a message of fear, guilt, uncertainty, and death.

That’s certainly the message the bombers in Boston wanted us to hear this past week.  Theirs was a message of terror and hatred and despair.

Voices such as these are compete with Christ for our attention.  And when we let them fill us with fear or hatred or despair, they are victorious.

And so this morning, Jesus wants to make sure that we hear his voice and his message.

“My sheep hear my voice,” he says, “and they follow me.  I give them eternal life  and they’ll never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

This is the message his voice speaks to us this morning in his words and Sacrament; a message of encouragement and assurance and hope.

The life he’s given us in baptism is eternal.  Death cannot defeat it because the resurrected Christ is our Good Shepherd and nothing in all creation – not even death itself – can snatch us away from him.

This is Christ’s message for us today and every day.

But are we listening for it?

Are we listening for Christ’s voice and that message in the midst of all the other noisy voices competing for our attention?  Or has it gotten drowned out?

Again, we hear what we’re listening for.

And as our gospel reminds us this morning, if we’re not hearing the voice of Christ it’s not because he’s stopped speaking, it’s that we’ve stopped listening.

Christ’s voice and his message are always there for us.  He’s always calling out to us like that cricket on the busy sidewalk.  All we have to do is focus our ears on hearing him.

And so if you’ve been having trouble hearing Christ’s voice in the midst of all the other voices in your life, if you’ve found yourself overwhelmed by messages of hopelessness anger, guilt or despair, then I would encourage you to use our worship this morning to once again tune your ears into Christ; listen to his voice speak to you in his Word and in his Sacrament.  Listen to his message of hope, forgiveness and life.

“My sheep listen to my voice,” he says to us again this morning, “I know them and they follow me and I give them eternal life. They shall never perish because no one can snatch them out of my hand.”

• Acts 9:36-43  • 
 
• Psalm 23  • 
 
• Revelation 7:9-17  • 
 
• John 10:22-30

Tending the Flame

Once there was a man who was the member of a certain church.  He’d been attending services regularly for quite some time, but recently he’d stopped going.

There was nothing wrong. No health issues. No family issues.  He just didn’t feel like going anymore.

So after a few weeks, a member of the church council decided he’d pay the man a visit.  It was a chilly evening and when the council member arrived at the man's home and he found him sitting alone before a blazing fire.

Guessing the reason for the council member’s visit, the man welcomed him in and led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace.  Then the man sat in his chair by the fire and waited for the councilman to speak.

But there was only silence.

The councilman settled into his chair …

            And made himself comfortable …

                        But he said nothing.

            There was only a grave silence –

The councilman contemplated the flames …

            As they danced around the burning logs –

Several minutes passed.

Then, the councilman took a pair of fire tongs …

            And carefully picked up a brightly burning ember …

                        And placed it on one side of the hearth -- all alone.

            And then settled back into his chair.

The host watched in quiet fascination.

It wasn’t long before the one lone ember flickered …

            And then with a final momentary glow –

                        Its flame went out …

                                    And it lay cold and dead on the hearth.

Still the councilman and the man said nothing –

            They just sat in silence-

Not a word had been spoken since their initial greeting.

Finally, the councilman was ready to leave –

Before standing up –

            He took hold of the tongs once again …

                        And picked up the cold, dead ember …

                                    And placed it back in the middle of the fire.

Immediately, it began to glow with the light and warmth …

            Of the burning coals around it.

At the door, the host clasped the councilman’s hand –

            And with tears pouring down his cheeks, he said:

                        “Thank you –

                                    “Thank you so much for your visit –

                        “And especially for the fiery sermon!

                                    “I will be back in church next Sunday.”    +++++

And when they had finished breakfast –

            Jesus said to Simon Peter:

                        “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

            Simon Peter replied:

                        “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”

            And Jesus said to him:

                        “Feed my sheep.”

Today's Gospel shows us that Jesus' followers …

            Didn't know what to do with the resurrection of Jesus –

Since that first Easter evening …

            They’d been having incredible experiences of the Risen Christ.

Jesus appeared to them in rooms with locked doors –

            Along a public road, and then disappeared from their sight –

But what were they supposed to do?

            What was supposed to happen next?

Well, eventually they decide it's time to go back …

            To what they’d been doing before Jesus called them into discipleship –

They go back to the sea of Galilee –

            Also known as the sea of Tiberias –

                        And take up fishing again –

But Jesus has other plans for them –

            Three times he gives Peter the direction for their future –

He says to him:

            “Feed my lambs,

                        “Tend my sheep,

                                    “Feed my sheep."

So why this emphasis on tending sheep?

            What's going on here?

Jesus is concerned about the future life of his followers.

            He knows they need tending –

And so he directs Peter –

            And the rest of the disciples –

To undertake the task of tending –

            Feeding –

                        Nurturing –

                                    And caring for Jesus' followers

And why did Jesus command this?

Because he knew that the impact of even the most incredible experience …

            Would dissipate over time unless the person who experienced it …

                        Was cared for –

Heck, as our gospel shows us –

            Even the impact of the resurrection –

                        Without a doubt the most incredible experience of all time –

            Even its effect dissipated over time –

I mean, why else would the disciples have gone back to fishing!?

Jesus knew that his followers needed to be cared for –

            He knew that our faith needed to be fed –

That’s why he sent Ananias to find Paul in our first lesson this morning –

            Jesus used Ananias to strengthen Paul’s faith –

                        Just like he wanted Peter to strengthen the other disciples’ faith –

Jesus knew that if the church was going to survive down through the centuries …

            The impact of the resurrection …

                        And the fire of faith …

                                    Must not be allowed to go out –

            It must be tended and stoked –

                        Just like the ember in the story I told a moment ago –

As that story reminds us –

            Without the proper care …

                        Anyone's spiritual life can fade away –

In fact, it’s not at all uncommon …

            For someone to have a deeply moving spiritual experience …

And then, in a matter of weeks –

            Or perhaps months –

                        Or maybe even years –

The impact of that experience diminishes –

            Till it becomes just a distant memory –

The desire for God lessens –

            And the fire of faith goes out –

The un-tended Christian life …

            Is bound for extinction –

That’s why God sent Ananias to Paul in our second lesson this morning –

            And it’s why Paul spent several days with the disciples …

                        After his conversion –

            God used that time to strengthen his faith –

That's why Jesus tells Peter to:

             “Feed my sheep.”

Because that’s how we remain strong in our faith as Christians –

            By strengthening one another –

                        By nurturing each other –

            By tending one another’s faith –

+++++

And so Jesus gives us the same directive today –

            “Do you love me?” he asks us –

                        Of course we do, we tell him –

            “Then feed my sheep,” he says –

                        “Tend the fire of faith in them –

                                    “Nurture their belief –

                        “Encourage them to remain rooted in me.”

Is there someone you haven’t seen at church in a while?

            Do you have a friend or relative who needs their faith rekindled?

Then reach out to them …

            As the councilman reached out to the man in the story –

Go to them …

            Just like Ananias went to Paul in our second lesson this morning –

You can invite them to church –

            But sometimes that can be scary for them –

So maybe start by telling them how Jesus is working in your life –

            Or ask them to tell you how Jesus has been active in their life –

Or maybe you can invite them to pray with you –

            Or, if they’re too shy to pray –

                        Ask them if you can pray for them –

The point is –

            Find a way to stoke the fire of their faith –

                        Rekindle their heart for God –

                                    Fan the flames –  

Peace Be With You

“Peace be with you”.  Jesus calms his disciples with these words three different times in this story.

Most of us come to worship this morning needing God’s peace in our lives in some measure.

Perhaps we’re uncertain about our future; wondering about our jobs or marriages; wondering about the meaning of life, and why we’re here, and what I am supposed to be doing?

Perhaps we’re going through turbulent times; struggling with a diagnosis concerning our health, or with a loss that has deeply impacted our life.

Whatever the situation is, we all know what it’s like to be in turmoil and to long for peace.  And the risen Jesus brings us that peace with his presence and with his words.

That doesn’t mean we won’t have problems and difficulties in this life.  We will.  But the Christian message is that in the midst of struggle and grief and pain we can still experience the peace of God; the peace that passes all understanding; the peace that allows us to experience serenity and hope even in the midst of struggles and pain.

It’s important to remember that unlike our wonderful celebration last week. The first Easter was a scary time for the disciples.

And we see that in our gospel today, as the disciples are gathered behind locked doors on that first Easter, they’re worn out from the emotional rollercoaster they’d been on all week.  They were tired, uncertain and afraid.  They thought the authorities may come for them like they’d come for Jesus.

And suddenly, into this tense scene comes Jesus. "Peace be with you!” he says.  And then he shows them his hands and feet and his punctured side and instantly they’re overwhelmed with joy.  They’ve seen the risen Jesus and they believe.

There’s one disciple who’s not there, though. The bible doesn’t tell us where Thomas was.  We just know that he wasn’t there.  And so when the disciples told him that they’d seen Jesus, Thomas refuses to believe.

“Unless I see the holes in his hands,” he says, “and put my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

And because of this, history remembers Thomas as “doubting” Thomas.  But, really, he’s not asking for anything more than the other disciples had already been given.

He wants to see the risen Christ just like Mary Magdalene had seen him in the garden, and how Peter, James and John and the other disciples had seen him in the locked room.

None of them believed until they saw the risen Christ and that’s all Thomas wants, too.  He wanted to see Jesus alive and well.

And so now in verse 24, it’s a week later.  A week after the other disciples had seen Christ.

And again, they’re gathered in the locked room.  And this time Thomas is with them.

Again, Jesus enters the room just as before.  And again he says, “Peace be with you”

This time it appears that his appearance and his words of peace are specifically intended for Thomas.  He comes to Thomas right at the point of his need.  He doesn’t judge Thomas for his doubting.  Instead he encourages him to believe by giving him the proofs he needs.

“Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”

Jesus generously gives Thomas what he needs.  And Thomas’ doubts disappear; “My Lord and my God,” he cries

At different times in our lives, you and I find ourselves in Thomas’ shoes.  We need something from Jesus, some assurance that he’s really there in the midst of our struggles.  Some proof that he has a purpose for us and that life makes sense.

And just as Jesus came to Thomas in his moment of doubt so, too, does he come to us.  Like Thomas, when we acknowledge our doubts and tell Jesus what we need, and how we need his peace; when we pray the prayer from scripture that says, “I believe, help my unbelief” …  Christ will come. He will help us.  Just as he came to help Thomas.

No matter how many doors may be locked, or how strong our doubts and unbelief may be.  If we ask Jesus to help us believe, he will.

And that’s what Jesus is referring to in the words of blessing he speaks at the end of our lesson today.

He says to his disciples, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

He’s talking about us there, and all the Christians who’ve lived since that first generation of disciples.  Because unlike Peter, James and John and Mary and Thomas, we’re not able to see the risen Christ the way they did.

And so for us, and for the billions of other Christians who’ve believed in the risen Christ down through the centuries, we must rely on something else.

And that “something else” can take several forms.  We have the Word of God; the bible.  And we have the particular words and testimony of the early disciples like Peter and John who saw the risen Christ.

And we also have the words and testimony of the Christians we’ve known who’ve shared their faith with us personally: our parents, a Sunday school teacher, a spouse, child, or friend.  Through the faith and testimony of these saints, Christ comes to us to strengthen and restore our own faith.

And what’s more, Christ also comes to us in his sacraments; in the waters of our baptism and the bread and wine of Holy Communion.

And so in the same way the risen Christ invited Thomas to reach out and touch him, so too can we reach out and touch him each time we receive communion.

And each time we dip our fingers in the baptismal waters and mark ourselves with his cross.

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”  This is Christ’s pledge and promise to us.

His promise that through all these things we will know that the risen Christ is present with us; that he has come to us just as he came to Thomas; and that he comes to bring us peace –

“Peace,” he says to us through his holy Word.

“Peace,” he says to us through the faith and testimony of others.

“Peace,” he says to us each time we kneel to receive him in Holy Communion.

“My peace I give you.”

And so may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus forever.

Christ Is Risen! Alleluia!

When you think about it, the whole reason we’re here this morning is because of three little words.  Three little words that were spoken some 2000 years ago. 

In fact, the whole reason the church exists, and the bible was written, and the whole reason Christians have been getting together every Sunday morning for the last 2000 years is because of these three little words.

 

Three little words spoken by a handful of obscure men & women some 2000 years ago which have acted like a pebble cast into a pond.

From the first time these words were spoken they have rippled further and further out echoing across the centuries and around the world, until once again they fill our ears this morning.

And of course, those three little words are, “Christ is risen!”

The grave couldn’t hold him.  Christ is risen from the dead!

And on that first Easter morning 2000 years ago, as soon as the women had heard the angel speak these words and seen the empty tomb, they raced back to tell the other disciples.

And the rippling-effect began.  “Christ is risen!” they told them.

And at first, the disciples didn’t believe them.  They thought the women were telling idle tales.

But then Peter decides to go check it out And once he’d run to the tomb and seen that it was true.  Then he started to echo those words,   “Christ is risen!”

And over the course of the next few days, more disciples met the risen Christ; at the seaside, inside the locked room and on the road to Emmaus.

And each time they saw him, they repeated these 3 little words to their friends, “Christ is risen!”

And then their friends told their friends, and their friends told their friends, and on and on it went down through the centuries until finally their friends told your friends and your friends told you.

And now here we are today echoing these same three words the angel said to Mary some 2000 years ago, Christ is risen!

And once we get past the sheer surprise of the whole thing the whole idea that someone who was dead isn’t dead anymore, the question is, What does it have to do with you and me?

Well, I think the best way to answer that question is to ask a different question first.  What did it mean to the first disciples?

What did those 3 words mean to Peter and James and John and all the rest?

Well, think about where the disciples were when Jesus died.  They were as far away as they could possible get!  They’d all abandoned him.  Judas had betrayed him. Peter denied him.  And everyone else had fled.  They’d left Jesus to die alone.

And so of course it would be good news to them; to hear that he is risen!

They wouldn’t have to live with the bitter taste of shame in their mouths.  They could beg his forgiveness and be reconciled with him.

And then who were the first people the disciples told about the resurrection?  Of course, all the people who were in Jerusalem.  The same people who’d demanded his blood who’d shouted, “Crucify him!”

And so it would’ve been good news for them, too to hear the Christ is risen!  Because they could be reconciled with him, too.

And so what we begin to see is that the first people who heard these words were the very people who’d had a hand in Jesus’ death in the first place.  And so the words had a personal connection for them.

They were words of hope. But more importantly, they were words of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Because again only a risen Christ could offer these folks the one thing they could never have found on their own; his forgiveness.

In fact, his very first word to the disciples after the resurrection was, “Peace.  My peace I give to you,” he said

And again, like that stone splashing into the sea those words of peace and forgiveness also began to spread.

And folks began to realize that the forgiveness offered wasn’t just for the sins of those who’d been in Jerusalem when Jesus was killed.  No, the peace and forgiveness he was offering were for the sins of the whole world.

“Everyone,” Peter tells us in our first lesson this morning, “Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”  That’s the good news contained in these 3 little words.

And there’s even more good news.  Not only do these three words mean the forgiveness of our sins, they also guarantee our resurrection, too.

Christ’s resurrection is our resurrection.  Because as Paul says in our second less this morning, “All will be made alive in Christ.”

And in fact, those of us who have been baptized are called to live in newness of life now.  We’re called to live a new life in which all our words and deeds declare these same three words: Christ is risen! Sin is forgiven. Death is destroyed.

And so now, 2000 years after that first Easter we gather here to celebrate the forgiveness of our sins and the promise of our eternal life.  And to be reminded of the fact that it’s now our turn to share these 3 little words with others.

Our "Soles" in His Hands

I’d like to begin tonight by defining the word “Maundy” because it’s an old word that we don’t use anymore.  Knowing what the word Maundy means helps us have a better sense of what this night is all about.

The word Maundy comes from a Latin word that means “commandment” or “to command”. We can still see the remnants of the word in some modern words like Mandate and Mandatory.

And the reason today is called Maundy Thursday or Commandment Thursday, is because it was on this night that Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment “I give you a new commandment as I have loved you so you should love one another.”

That’s the commandment of Maundy Thursday Christ’s new commandment to love one another as he first loved us.

And so we’re here tonight as Christ’s disciples to receive that commandment again.

And in order to for us to love one another as Christ loved us we have to first understand how Christ loves us.  And so Jesus provides the disciples and us with the perfect visual metaphor to define his love; he washes the disciples’ feet.

He asks them to put their soles into his hands so that he can wash them clean.

And in doing so, he teaches us about his love for us a love that the bible describes this way:

As the bible says:

            “Even though he was in the form of God –

              “And equal with God –

             Jesus “emptied himself …

                 “And took on the form of a servant” –

            “He humbled himself,” the bible says –

                 “And became obedient to the point of death …

                        “Even death on a cross.”

And so, Jesus showed his love to the disciples by serving them by washing their soles. And in doing so, he shows us the true nature of his love which is shown in his act of becoming our servant in order to cleanse our souls through his death and resurrection.

And so just as he asked the disciples to put their soles into his hands.  So he asks us to put our souls into his hands so that he can wash us clean from sin.

And so here is the extent of the love Christ commanded ,“Love one another as I have loved you,” he tells us.”

And how does Jesus love us? By giving up everything he has, up to and including his life, in order to serve us and to save us and wash us clean.

We see his love displayed in this humble act of holding out his hands and asking us to bare our souls to him Both our soles and souls.

And just as Jesus’ foot washing is a perfect metaphor for his washing away our sin, so is Peter’s reaction a perfect metaphor for our reluctance to bare our souls to Jesus.

Admitting our deepest, darkest secrets is not something we readily do.  And so bearing out sinful souls to someone, even to Christ, requires a tremendous amount of courage and trust.

We have to trust that the person we tell will not think less of us or judge us or stop loving us.

And so tonight, as Christ once again invites us to bare our sinful souls to him, I would remind you that you can trust him as he tells us in John chapter 3:

            “I didn’t come to judge the world –

                        “I came to save it.”

And so there’s no amount of dirt on our souls or sin in our hearts that will ever change his love for us, or his intention to save us from it.

So let us let Christ love us by putting our souls into his hands, and let him wash us clean.

It's About Hope...

As we begin this Holy Week journey, I want to add one more bible verse to all that we’ve just heard.  And it’s from Paul’s letter to the Romans in chapter 8.  He tells them:

Hope that is seen is not hope at all.

            For who hopes for what is seen? 

But if we hope for what we do not see –

            We wait for it with patience.

There was once a little boy who lived in the city.  He and his family lived on the third floor of an apartment building.  And the thing this boy enjoyed more than anything else was sitting by the window and looking down on all the people passing by.

One day, some men came along and dug up the sidewalk underneath the window.  They were going to put in a new one.  But the little boy didn’t know that.  He just saw the fresh dirt.  And after the workmen went home that afternoon, the little boy ran down the stairs and started digging in the dirt.

Just across the street from where the little boy was digging there was an old man sitting on a park bench.  The old man came and sat on that bench every day because like the little boy he loved to watch the world go by.

When the old man called saw the little boy digging, he asked, “What you doing?”

The little boy looked up with a great big smile and called back, “Planting seeds.”

The old man laughed to himself and then said, “You know tomorrow they’re going to come pour concrete for the new sidewalk.  Those seeds’ll never grow.”

But the little boy didn’t listen. He just kept digging.

So the man called louder, “Hey, those seeds’ll never grow!”

And the boy looked up at the man, and with the assurance that only a child possesses, he said, “They might.”

Well, sure enough the next day the workmen came back and poured the new sidewalk.  And a few days later it was dry, and the world began passing by under the boy’s window again.

And each day the little boy would come down to the sidewalk and he’d bend over and look.  And every day the old man across the street on the park bench would watch him and wonder.

Finally, one day, the old man’s curiosity got the better of him and so he called to the boy, “What are you doing?”

And again, the boy looked up with confident smile, and said, “I’m checking to see if my seeds have sprouted!”

And this time, the old man didn’t laugh because he suddenly realized was that he was witnessing something he’d lost long ago. He was witnessing hope.

Again, the bible tells us:

            Hope that is seen is not hope at all –

                        For who hopes for what is seen? 

            But if we hope for what we do not see -
                        We wait for it with patience.

And the next verse after that goes on to say: And the sufferings of this present age are nothing compared to the glory that’s about to be revealed to us.

As we make our way through this Holy Week, we are going to witness what many would consider a hopeless situation.

Those of you who are able to join us for our Seder supper and worship on Thursday night will notice a very different tone.  We will join with the other disciples in witnessing Jesus’ final hours before his arrest and crucifixion.

And if you come on Friday, it will be an even darker tone still as we witness Christ’s trial, crucifixion and burial.

By the end of the week all the hope and joy of Palm Sunday will be overwhelmed by the doom and gloom of the cross.  The crowd’s shout will change from, “Hosanna!” to, “Crucify Him!”

And the Christ who is celebrated and honored today will be beaten, ridiculed, spat on and finally killed, buried in a tomb and sealed beneath a stone like those seeds beneath the sidewalk.

And yet we, who believe, like the little boy in the story I just told, we who believe will witness all this and yet still believe that Christ will rise from the dead.

That’s what being a Christian is all about it’s about hope, and trusting that God can accomplish what the world claims is impossible.

He will raise his Son from the dead. And more than that, he will raise us from the dead, too.

And like the little boy in the story who went out each morning expecting to see his seeds sprouting through the sidewalk.  A week from now, you and I will come back here expecting to see Christ risen from the dead. 

Because, as we proclaim each Sunday we believe in the resurrection of the body and the life of the world to come.

And so may this Holy Week remind us of our hope and give us confidence in God’s ability to do the impossible.