Reach Out and Care

Mark 10:2-16

           This week Jesus begins by teaching about divorce.  First and foremost I want to be clear that divorce in the 1^st century was much different than it is today.  It often left women and children to fend for themselves.  In those days women were at the bottom of society.  They were on the fringes.  They were on the outside.  Being served divorce papers from her husband only put her in a worse position.  So, Jesus explains that divorce is not lawful.  It is not lawful because of the effects that it has on these women, the marginalized.

            Many people today have been touched by divorce.  I would guess that a majority of us gathered here today have been affected by divorce in one way or another.  I am not excluded from this phenomenon, as my parents are divorced.  I have also witnessed the divorce of other family and friends.  I do not think it is my job as your pastor to stand before you today and condemn or condone divorce.  I think my role is to make this text relevant for us today.  To be honest, I think it is about much more than divorce. 

That is part of the reason that the lectionary continues with Jesus welcoming children, that the disciples were trying to shoo away.  Who knows why the disciples were shooing them away.  Maybe the children were sick or maybe they thought Jesus was too busy.  Remember children were at the bottom of society, too.  They were on the fringes.  They were on the outside.  Jesus, tells the disciples that the kingdom of God belongs to these children, the marginalized.

I think the lessons Jesus was sharing about divorce and children can point us to an even bigger lesson.  I think the message that can be found in our texts today is two-fold.  First, we are created, by God, to be in relationship with others.  Second, we are called to care for the marginalized in our society.

            God created us as individuals to be in relationship with others.  I don’t just mean romantic relationships like marriage.  I mean all relationships.  We were not created to be alone or lonely.  We were created to have friends and family.  We were created to be parents, to be siblings, to be friends, to be co-workers, to be partners, to be relational beings.  We were created to be in relationship with one another.  Everyone is created to be in relationship with others.  Each person was created to love and to be loved.  But it doesn’t always happen that way.  There are people who feel unloved.  There are people who feel unlovable.  Often the marginalized feel like they are unloved or unlovable.  They are the ones we are called by God to love.

Jesus was constantly looking out for the marginalized in the world around him.  As we know Jesus typically was turning the world upside down.  He would welcome the stranger.  He would make the last become first.  He would love the unlovable.  He would give the kingdom to the least of these.  Who are the marginalized in our midst?  Who is it that we, as God’s people, are called to care for?

A mother and wife is fearful of returning home.  She knows that her husband will greet her at the door with more abuse, both physical and emotional.  She is afraid of what might happen to their son.  Would her husband possibly hurt him?  God, help us to reach out and care for your children.

A father stands near the interstate bundled up as best as he can with a sign that reads “I need to pay the heat bill.”  After losing his job last month, his wife and newborn baby are at home in the cold house without the funds to keep warm.  He was hoping the cold weather would hold off until he was able to get another job.  God, help us to reach out and care for your children.

A teenage girl just found out she is pregnant.  She has no way to care for this child and knows that her parents will condemn her if they find out.  She contemplates an abortion, yet wonders if maybe taking her own life would be easier.  God, help us to reach out and care for your children.

A woman sits in a cell alone, wishing that someone would come visit her.  She has spent far too many days alone, locked in this prison cell.  She counts down the days wondering when she will die.  God, help us to reach out and care for your children.

A teen finds ways to spend a majority of time away from home, because she is afraid of the way her parents fight at home.  She participates in nearly every extra-curricular activity, just so she can get away.  God, help us to reach out and care for your children.

A man is sad, depressed, and alone as he sits in his hospice room.  He has no family to visit him.  He wishes and hopes for his own death so he can be reunited with his wife.  God, help us to reach out and care for your children.

A young boy comes home covered in bruises.  At school his so-called-friends punched him while calling him names because he befriended the new kid at school who didn’t really fit in.  God, help us to reach out and care for your children.

A family of five sits down together, knowing it is time to eat as their stomachs beg for food.  The cupboards are empty though.  They have nothing to eat.  They hope their children will make it until the next school day so they can have a warm meal.  God, help us to reach out and care for your children.

Lest you think these are fictional stories that could never happen here – think again.  These people exist here in Rapid City, in our state, and in our world.  If it was unlawful in the 1^st century for a husband to divorce his wife because it left her on the margins, then it is also unlawful to let these children of God suffer on the margins.  These are the marginalized in our midst.  These are the powerless.  These are God’s children.  These are who we are called to be in relationship with.  These are the ones to whom the kingdom of God belongs.  These people deserve to love and to be loved.  These are the ones who we are called to care for on behalf of Jesus, the one who first cared for us, by giving his life for the life of the world.  Amen. 

           

Sinful Appendages

Mark 9:38-50

Today I have a confession to make.  I am a sinner.  I have been a sinner my whole life.  I probably should have already cut off my hand or tied a millstone to my neck and been thrown into the sea.  I am a sinner.  You are a sinner, too.  Each and every one of us are sinners.  We live in a world full of sinners.

            Ever since Adam and Eve ate of the fruit from the tree in the garden, which they were told not to eat, humanity has been sinful.  This sinful nature is present in all of humanity.  It is known as original sin.  Sin is that which separates us from God.  The things we think, say, and do that are not in line with God commandments.  Sin is the things that cause us to stumble or cause others to stumble.

            Jesus says, “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone tied around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.”  The huge millstone refers to a large millstone that could be found in the middle of a village and would serve the whole village.  A donkey would turn that giant millstone and grind the grain, olives, and other foods for people of the village.  So, those who cause others, especially children and other vulnerable people in society, to sin should tie the millstone around their neck and be thrown into the sea.  Not thrown into a wading pool or a pond, where one could get back out.  Jesus says these people should be thrown into the sea with a very heavy object tied around their neck.  This would mean death for these people.  They could not be rescued, found, or saved by a lifeguard or a search party.  Jesus’ words are harsh.  Sin is offensive to God and to other people.  Therefore, it requires harsh punishment.

            Not only is it a violation of God’s law to cause a little one to sin, it is also an offense to sin in any way.  No matter what type of sin it is it is still offensive in God’s eyes.  So in this text Jesus convicts us, each one of us.  “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off!”  “If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off!”  “If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out!”  In saying this Jesus helps us recognize our sin.  Not only does Jesus point out our sin, he goes as far as to tell us how to get rid of our sinful appendages.  This can seem very brutal.  Cut off my hand or my foot, pluck out my eye.  Really, Jesus?  You want me to do what?!

            Hands cause sin.  Hands are used in stealing.  Hands are used in killing.  Hands are used in anger.  Hands are used in abuse.  Hands are used in pointing.  Hands are used in insulting.  Feet cause sin.  Feet are used in trespassing.  Feet are used in kicking.  Feet are used in speeding, breaking civil law.  Eyes cause sin.  Eyes are used in coveting someone else’s possessions.  Eyes are used in lustfully looking at a person’s body.  Eyes are used in cheating.  I could go on, but I think you get the idea.  I am sinful.  You are sinful.  We are sinful.

            No matter what appendage commits the sin, all of our sins originate in the mind.  They originate with our thoughts.  Sin comes from within us, and is often made manifest by our appendages.  In calling us to remove our sinful appendages, Jesus is calling us to repentance.  He is calling us to turn from our ways and cut off the thoughts, words, and actions that make us sin.  Jesus is calling for radical measures. 

            In this text Jesus uses a hyperbole or exaggeration in explaining that we must cut off those parts of us that are sinful.  Jesus’ words about sin in this text show us the seriousness of sin.  If Jesus were to say, “If your eye causes you to sin you should be sorry,” his approach would not seem so drastic and he might not be taken very seriously.  Instead, Jesus is radical in his approach.  Jesus convicts us of our sinful nature and tells us to remove our sinful parts.  If we really stop and think about it every part of our human body has the potential to be sinful.  If we actually cut off our sinful appendages there is the possibility that we may do away with our whole body.  Then, we would die.  Jesus demands that we remove our sinful appendages and die to our sin.

            The good news is that through our baptisms we die to our sin and are given new life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Each week in worship we also die to our sins through corporate confession, “we confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves.”  The law convicts us of our sin.  Our appendages are metaphorically cut off, as we recognize our sin.  However, it does not end there.  In the same part of our liturgy, the gospel heals us from our sins and we are redeemed.  We are forgiven and freed from the weight of our sin, because of Jesus Christ.  Jesus, God’s only Son, who became human and dwelled among us.  Jesus, whose ministry touched a variety of people.  Jesus, who bore the sins of the entire world on the cross and endured death.  Jesus, who gave his appendages, his entire life, for our salvation and our forgiveness.  Jesus, who rose again and in so doing, conquered death once and for all that we may have everlasting life.  This is the good news of the gospel.  Amen.

Deny, Take, Follow

Mark 8:27-38

Today’s text begins with Jesus and his disciples.  The disciples were his main groupies.  Jesus was the leader of their group and they were the followers.  He taught them many things as they journeyed together.  Today there would be yet another lesson.  Jesus was predicting his death and resurrection.  Peter, specifically, did not like this prediction that his leader was giving.  So, he rebuked Jesus.  And what does Jesus do, he rebukes Peter, saying, “Get behind me, Satan.”  Jesus explains that Peter is not setting his mind on God’s interests, but on that of humanity’s interests.  In fact, the role of a disciple was not to guide or protect, but to follow.  Regardless of the fact that Peter is rebuked he is still a disciple.  Jesus does not revoke his disciple status.  Instead, Jesus uses this as a teachable moment.  He explains to the disciples and the crowd what a follower of Jesus is called to do.

            Jesus says, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”  This is a call to Christian life and discipleship.  However, the way in which we understand this summon from Jesus is much different than the way the disciples and the crowd understood it.  Taking up one’s cross would not have been seen as metaphorical, like it is today.  Taking up one’s cross would have meant carrying one’s cross.  It would have meant crucifixion.  It would have meant spike wounds and pain.  It would likely have meant eventual suffocation.  It would have been a very public event, often taking place near major roads, where many people would see the event.  So as Jesus tells the crowd and the disciples that in order to follow him they need to take up their cross, the people would have been shocked and terrified.  Today, in a country where we do not crucify people, we can barely understand the sting that those words would have had for the  followers of Jesus at the time. 

            Imagine this situation with me.  There are 100 middle school youth walking in silence throughout bible camp while watching a reenactment of Jesus’ life.  As their counselor, I walk along with them.  Jesus is baptized.  He calls the disciples.  He ministers to a variety of people.  Jesus and the disciples celebrate the Last Supper.  Jesus prays in the garden.  Jesus is arrested.  Peter denies Jesus.  Jesus is handed over to Pilate.  Barabbas is released.  Jesus carries his cross to the place where he will be crucified.  As Jesus carries this heavy cross he falls to the ground.  The soldiers that walk with him point to me and tell me to take his cross and carry it for him.  It was at this moment when I began to realize how difficult it was to carry that cross.  It was physically difficult.  It was also emotionally, psychologically, and socially difficult.  I wondered how much larger and heavier the cross actually was that Jesus was crucified upon.  As I carried that cross and the middle school youth followed me to the place where Jesus’ crucifixion would be reenacted they stared at me, watching my every move.  I could only imagine what Jesus felt like.  Today, as I reflect on that moment, I wonder what it would be like to literally take up my own cross.

            Jesus says deny yourself.  Take up your cross.  Follow me.  Jesus summarizes this process of being his follower in three important actions or steps, all of which are not easy.  Deny yourself.  In this action we are called to stop striving for what we think is right in our lives, those things that might hinder us from doing God’s will.  We are called to entrust God with this control over our lives.  Not easy.  Take up your cross.  This is not just about bearing burdens.  It is also about dedicating our whole lives to Christ.  Also, not easy.  Follow me.  This signifies that Jesus will be with us.  Jesus is leading us.  We are not alone, because Jesus is our leader and we are the followers.  Jesus, our leader, has already taken each step that he calls us, his followers, to take.  Up to this point in Jesus’ life we have seen his ministry, healing, and compassion.  Now we are called to follow him into his suffering, the suffering of death on a the cross.  Once again, not easy.

            As Jesus continues to explain what this life of discipleship looks like he says, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it.”  This is not the road toward personal gain.  It is a way of service and love.  It is also a way of sacrifice and suffering.  With Jesus as our leader he calls us to follow this road.  Along this road there is not necessarily a destination, but there is a journey, a way of living into discipleship and cross bearing. 

            So, what does this life of discipleship and cross bearing look like today?  It is about being a Christian in our church lives and our public lives, in our whole lives.  When we are at work we must not allow the pressures of our co-workers to lead us to deny our faith.  We must not allow the coaches at our schools to punish young people for not attending practice on Sunday morning or Wednesday evenings because they are at church.  Cross bearing discipleship is about living the Christian life even when it may be difficult, discouraging, or unpopular.  It is about bearing our Christian identity no matter what the rest of the world thinks.  With that in mind we understand that this life of discipleship is not easy and it is certainly not a one-time deal.  Christ calls us to deny ourselves, bear our cross, and follow him each moment of every day and each and every day of our lives.

            So Jesus says to each of us, “Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?  Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?  Will you let my love be shown, will you let my name be known, will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?”  Amen.

Manna vs. Bread

John 6:51-58

Bread, Bread, everywhere! I don’t know about you but I often get overwhelmed in the bread section of the grocery store.  There are so many different brands and so many different types of bread.  Then there are those fresh bakery breads, too.  And after I peruse the whole section, I usually just end up buying the same kind of bread I always buy.  It is usually the cheapest wheat sliced bread that I can find. 

Today we find ourselves reading about bread again.  Now we are invited to eat the bread.  This bread is not found in the local Safeway or Family Thrift.  It is not white or wheat.  It is not a croissant, a bagel, or ciabatta.  It is not spread with butter or peanut butter.  It is the bread of life that came down from heaven.

Last week we were drawn into relationship with Jesus and this week we are invited to eat and drink, to participate in the life giving power of Jesus.  To an outsider this may seem crazy, but to us on the inside we understand this to be part of our tradition.

This text reminds us of communion, eating and drinking, one of the sacraments of our church.  But, for a moment just imagine what kind of thoughts might go through an outsiders mind.  One of my professors in seminary used to say “imagine if an alien was dropped from outer space into our worship space, what would the alien think.”  What would an alien think if she entered into our worship space and heard this lesson about eating the flesh of the Son of Man and drinking his blood and then witnessed us participating in the sacrament of holy communion?  I imagine the alien would be a bit confused, surprised, and filled with many questions about this faith practice.

How then would we explain the reason for eating and drinking to the alien?  The text explains some benefits of this eating and drinking.  Through eating and drinking we will have life in ourselves, we will have eternal life, we will be raised on the last day, we will abide in Jesus and he in us, we will live through Jesus, and we will live forever.  Those are some big results.  Results only Jesus can give.

Who are these benefits given for?  The text says “the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”  Jesus gives his life for the whole world.  His body and blood poured out for all.  Not just for us.  Not just for Lutherans.  Not just for Americans.  For everyone.  It is the same Greek word that is used in the familiar John 3:16.  For God so loved the whole world.  For the life of the entire cosmos Jesus gives his life.

Now, it would be easy to write this text off as completely being about communion, but remember we are in John chapter 6 and Jesus has not celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples.  In fact, in the gospel of John we don’t even get that well known story.  In its place, the story that John brings us is of Jesus washing the disciples feet.  That is the story we hear on Maundy Thursday each year.

So, while I think we can read into this text and say that it is in some aspects related to our practice of communion, I think it is also saying something more.  Jesus is saying that he is the main course.  He is the meat and potatoes.  He is not the soup and salad appetizer.  He isn’t dessert either.  Jesus is telling us that he has something we want—the main course.  He invites us to participate in the hearty meal of himself, flesh and blood that will give us life eternal.

Manna, the bread-like substance, which the previous generation ate was only an appetizer.  It was not like the hearty main course that Jesus provides.  What things in our lives are just manna?  I think the biggest culprit here is stuff, those materialistic things that we think we need.  We, myself included, want the biggest and best toys.  We want new cars, new cell phones, new houses, new furniture, and designer brand clothes.  I think this becomes even more prevalent as children get ready to head back to school.  If they are not up on the latest fashions and newest school supplies they don’t feel like they fit in.  They may even get teased for being out of style.  The plain notebooks and folders often don’t cut it anymore, we need the more expensive supplies that reflect our favorite movie characters, sports teams, and hip music groups.  We can’t just buy the cheapest clothes, we want to shop at the Gap, the Buckle, and other designer stores.  Each day our society seems to care more and more about what we look like and the image that our stuff reflects to others.

            Manna is not the main course though.  It doesn’t feed our souls.  It only feeds our self-interest.  No, the appetizer of manna is not necessary.  God promises to give us everything we need.  In the Lord’s Prayer we pray, “give us today our daily bread.”  In doing so we ask God to provide us with the things we need like food, shelter, clothing.  These basic necessities are daily bread.  The manna that we ask for through our materialistic wants is just that—a want. 

What we need is Jesus, the rest is just empty calories.  We need life giving bread.  We feast on the main course of Jesus through worship, prayer, study, and service.  We participate in this eating and drinking when can look past our wants and be thankful that our needs have been provided for.  We get the main course that Jesus offers through forgiveness and grace, which is freely given to each of us, because of the way in which Jesus gave his life for us.

            So, today receive Jesus.  The one who poured out his life for everyone.  The one who gave his flesh and blood for the life of the whole world.  The one who continues to feed us with himself, the life giving main course.  Eat, drink, and be filled with the sustaining bread of life.  Amen.

Fast Food vs. Fine Dining

John 6:35, 41-51

Today I want to test your fast food knowledge.  I am going to begin with a few interactive questions.  Yes, that means you have to respond.

What do the golden arches represent? – McDonalds

Where can you buy a blizzard? – Dairy Queen

Which chain restaurant claims to serve the better butter burger? – Culvers

Which restaurant was founded by Colonel Sanders? – Kentucky Fried Chicken

Our world is filled with fast food.  If there is one thing we are good at identifying it is fast food.  The book Fast Food Nation claimed that 88 percent of people could identify the golden arches.  We can recognize the signs and know which fast food joint is ahead.  We can find fast food just about anywhere and we expect that when we pull up to the drive thru at Taco John’s on our road trip that they will serve the same signature items, like our dearly loved potato oles, as the one down the street.  This type of food, while usually un-healthy, is quick.  It provides nourishment in an instant, no waiting required.  It is fast and convenient, but does it really nourish us?

So if that is fast food, then what is fine dining?  I think we get a glimpse of it today in our gospel text.  We hear about another type of food and it isn’t fast.  This is the bread of life.  If we feast on this food, the bread of life, we live forever.  We will be nourished eternally.  This is food that is founded on relationship.  Dare I suggest that I don’t think we can live without this fine dining?  In fact if there is one diet that I don’t think Jesus would recommend it is the Atkins diet.  He wouldn’t want us to ditch those carbohydrates.  He wouldn’t want us to miss out on the bread of life.

Just in case there is any confusion I want to make it clear that Jesus isn’t talking about literal bread here.  Jesus is using a metaphor to make the point that just like one cannot survive without the staple food of bread, one also cannot survive without a relationship with him.  Jesus is the staple of our spiritual diet.

            Bread, although a staple food, is pretty ordinary.  It really doesn’t seem that special.  If the metaphor used filet mignon or lobster, then it might seem more special.  I think that is part of Jesus’ point here though.  He is comparing himself to something ordinary.  In doing so he helps us to recognize that God is present in the ordinary, mundane, and unremarkable things in our life.  I also think this plain Jane metaphor is used to emphasize the ordinary part of Jesus.  Jesus, human flesh, born of a young ordinary woman.  However, some people cannot get over how ordinary Jesus was.  That seems to be the problem that the Jews are having in our text today.  They don’t understand how Jesus can claim that he came down from heaven, when they know that he was the son of Mary and Joseph.  They don’t seem to comprehend that Jesus is out of the ordinary, too.  In fact, Jesus is extraordinary, born from above, as living bread from heaven. 

            In order to be in relationship with Jesus, the bread of life, we must be drawn by the God.  We must be pulled, beckoned, even dragged by God.  In this we do not make the first move.  It is not our decision.  God makes the first move, drawing us in closer.  I think this is where the Holy Spirit comes into play.  What brought us to church today?  Sure maybe it is part of your routine.  You enjoy the fellowship.  Maybe your just can’t survive without donut holes and coffee.  Whatever your reason may be I think there is an even bigger reason.  I think the reason is relational.  There is a spiritual need to come to worship to be refreshed, renewed, and revitalized.  I think there is a God sized hole in our bodies that needs to be filled.  For most of us that God sized hole was discovered before we even walked or talked.  In Holy Baptism our parents and sponsors brought us to the font to have that God sized hole filled.  They promised that they would nourish us with more than fast food.  They promised us relational nourishment with the bread of life.  Like children, we are all in need of nourishment and sometimes we can’t even describe what it might look like.

I remember a story, told as a sermon illustration about a minister who was discouraged to learn that his parishioners were hard pressed to recall any of the sermons he had delivered over all the years he had served in their church.  He lamented to his wife that he felt his work was useless if he had made such a little impression on the people he served.  Fifty two sermons a year for so many years, and hardly anyone could specifically recall more than one or two.  After allowing her husband to feel sorry for himself for a while, his wife asked him to describe in detail all the meals she had prepared and served him over the many years of their marriage.  He was hard pressed to specifically remember more than a few. She said to him, “You don’t remember the food I’ve prepared and served this family with love, and yet it has nourished you and sustained you day in and day out for all our lives.”  Then she added, “So it is with the work you do in the church.  The love and care you put into delivering God’s message, both in sermon and in deed, has nourished and sustained the people you serve, whether they can describe it or not.”

Indeed, here we are nourished and sustained.  From this place where we are fed in communion and washed in the waters of baptism we are sent out into the world.  We are sent to be bread for others, nourishment for their lives.  And we are sent to point others towards the bread of life, Jesus, who provides eternal life.  In doing so we show the world that there is something much better than the convenience of fast food, there is fine dining that will fill the God sized hole within us.  Our nourishment can be found in Jesus, the bread that came down from heaven.  Amen.

Citizens with the Saints

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Now, the Star-Bell Sneetches had bellies with stars.
The Plain-Belly Sneetches had none upon thars.
Those stars weren’t so big. They were really so small.
You might think such a thing wouldn’t matter at all.
But, because they had stars, all the Star-Belly Sneetches
Would brag, “We’re the best kind of Sneetch on the beaches.”
With their snoots in the air, they would sniff and they’d snort
“We’ll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!”
And, whenever they met some, when they were out walking,
They’d hike right on past them without even talking.

            In case you are unfamiliar, that is an excerpt from “The Sneetches” by Dr. Seuss.  If you have read it before you know how the story goes.  There are Sneetches with stars on their bellies and other Sneetches without.  These two groups are very divided.  They will not play together, because they are different from one another.  They are not welcomed by each other.  Throughout the story they learn a lesson, as the dividing wall is torn down between them.

            Have you ever felt like a Sneetch?  Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in?  Like you weren’t welcome?  Maybe you have been told you are too big or too tall.  Maybe you hair is too curly or too straight.  Maybe you sing off key or don’t make enough money.  I think it is safe to say that we each have encountered moments when we haven’t fit in, when we have felt like sneetches without stars on our bellies.

            Then there are larger dividing walls in our world today, and I am not talking about the orange cones that separate us from the oncoming traffic in constructions zones.  There are the haves and the have nots.  The democrats and the republicans.  Those who are non-Christians and those who are Christians.  The Americans and the non-Americans.  Those who are east river and those who are west river.  The young and the old.  Those who shop at Target and those who shop at Goodwill.  The people who support war and the people who don’t.  Those who are un-educated and those who are educated.  The rich and the poor.  I know I could go on and on, but you get the idea.  And I would venture to say that most of us probably know what it feels like to be on the inside and on the outside of these dividing walls.  Neither place is enjoyable or peaceful.  And if I may be blunt, this is not what God intended.  No, God intended a world of peace and welcome.

On Tuesday I took a bit of an adventure to a new place.  Well almost every day that I have been here has included an adventure to a new place, but on this particular day I went to Outlaw Ranch.  One thing you should know about me is that I LOVE CAMP.  I spent several summers attending camp as a camper and then working for Lutherans Outdoors at camp.  Yet, I had never been to Outlaw.  So, I hopped in my car on Tuesday and headed to camp.  One of my favorite parts of camp is that everyone is welcome.  It doesn’t matter who you are, what you look like, or where you have been.  It is always a place of welcome.  A place where all are welcome...no exceptions.

In our text from Ephesians today we hear the same welcome.  We hear that Christ has broken down the dividing wall.  He has purged us of our hostility.  He has created a place of peace.  He has brought reconciliation to all.  And then the text says “You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints.”  We, too, are citizens with the saints.  We are individuals created by a God who loves us very much and desires for us to be in healthy relationship with each other.  Our differences make us unique, but they do not divide or separate us from others.  Just as we are loved by God just as we are, God calls us to welcome and love everyone just as they are…with no exceptions.  In doing so, we recognize that we are no better and no worse than anyone else.  We are all citizens with the saints, created, claimed, and called by the same God and Lord of all.  Through the death and resurrection of Jesus the walls of hostility have been torn down and we have been reconciled to one another.  We have been made citizens with the saints.

That is the theme of the youth gathering in New Orleans—Citizens with the Saints.  Shortly after the last youth gathering in 2009, which was also in New Orleans, people talked about how that year Lutherans had entered through the front doors into the homes and lives of the people of New Orleans.  They said we were going back to New Orleans in 2012 because then we would be entering through the back door as friends, no longer as strangers.  From what I have heard so far, the gathering has been a great learning experience and an important piece of the faith journeys of our young people.  There are about 37,000 people attending the gathering this year.  They all come from a variety of backgrounds, places, and life situations.  One youth from Oregon said this in her reflection after the first day of the gathering, “New Orleans is a safe zone for this week, I don’t have to justify or prove myself to anyone because people here just get it.”  I would guess that others would say the same.  Not only is the gathering a place to have fun in an awesome city, it is a place where faith is experienced and all are welcome.  I hope when our youth return from New Orleans you will listen to their stories and share in their experiences. 

My even bigger hope and prayer is that together we can make South Canyon become a place of peace, a place where no one has to justify or prove themselves.  A place where all are welcome.  I know I haven’t been here very long, but I think that hospitality can always be improved.  Eventually I hope that our sense of welcome spills over beyond this place, into our daily lives, and we become beacons of peace in our city and our world.  May we truly live as citizens with the saints.  That we can throw aside our differences and live in peace.  That we can learn the same lesson that the Sneetches learned.  Here’s how it ends.

But McBean was quite wrong. I’m quite happy to say.
That the Sneetches got really quite smart on that day.
The day they decided that Sneetches are Sneetches.
And no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beaches.
That day, all the Sneetches forgot about stars and whether
They had one, or not, upon thars.

Amen.

Love God, Love People

Matthew 22:34-46

An old rabbi was teaching two of his brightest students. The students ask, "How do we know that the night is over and the dawn is coming?' The rabbi replies, "What do you think?" The first student says, "When it is light enough to tell the difference between a dog and a sheep." The old rabbi shakes his head, 'No." The second student says, "When you can distinguish between a grape vine and a sycamore tree?” The old man shakes his head again. Finally, after they petition him again and again, he says, "It is when you can look into the face of a stranger and see a member of your own family. At that moment it is the dawn that is coming." In our text today Jesus reminds us that love of God and love of neighbor are intimately related. Jesus even goes so far as to command this love of God and love of neighbor.

The expert in the law comes to Jesus and asks, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus doesn’t even need time to think about it. He replies with the greatest commandment, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” But Jesus, does not stop there he continues, “The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” These commandments may seem familiar to us or they may not. However, they are also found in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy and Leviticus. The Old Testament includes 613 laws. Yet, Jesus picks these two commandments and pairs them together in order to form the greatest commandment.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” So what does it mean to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind? It means that we love God with our entire being. It means making no division in our lives between what is sacred and what is secular. It means loving God everyday of the week, not just on Sunday mornings. In all that we do and with all that we have we are commanded to love God. Love God with all your heart, which is the center of your feelings. Love God with all your soul, which is your spirit. Love God with all your mind, which is your thought, understanding, and imagination. Love God with every ounce of your being.

We are also commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves. In first-century Jewish thought, “as yourself,” means “as though he or she were yourself” or as if you were in the same situation as your neighbor. This is a variation of Jesus’ Golden Rule, “Do to others as you would have them do to you,” which is similar to a saying of first century Rabbi Hillel, “What is hateful to yourself, do not do to your neighbor; this is the whole law, the rest is commentary.” In Leviticus the neighbor is primarily another Israelite, by the time of Jesus it included non-Jews. Today the neighbor may be as near as one’s spouse or family, or as distant as a homeless person huddled around a heating vent in the depth of winter, or someone on the other side of the world. Regardless of the other person’s location or situation in life we are commanded to love our neighbors. Love your neighbors as you would have them love you.

This makes me wonder who our neighbors are. I remember when I was growing up I never really thought I had any neighbors, except my Grandma, who lived next-door, literally steps away. She was the only person who lived really close to me, because I lived on a farm. My friends from school that lived in town had lots of neighbors, next-door neighbors on all sides of their houses. My next closest neighbors, the Ness family, lived about a quarter mile down the road, down one hill and up the other. They had three daughters, whom my brother and I often played with growing up, but that was about all I had for neighbors. Everyone else lived at least a mile away and to me that was not a neighbor. As I grew older I began to understand the concept of neighbors differently. Today I would like to introduce some of my neighbors to you.

I want you to meet my neighbor. His name is Gene. He lives in poverty near New Orleans. Before Hurricane Katrina he had very little and after the hurricane he had even less. He lost all his photos and personal mementos in the hurricane. When I along with some other college students helped him with his house (a house none of us would ever find livable), he gave us each a rose from his rose bush. It was the only thing he had to give. Gene is my neighbor. Who is your neighbor?

I want you to meet my neighbor. Her name is Sandra. She lives in a township in South Africa. She lives with her father, mother, and two brothers in a house that is the size of most master bedrooms in our country. She is in high school. Someday she would like to go to college and become a doctor so she could help others, but her family cannot afford a college education for her. Sandra is my neighbor. Who is your neighbor?

I want you to meet my neighbor. His name is Eduardo. He lives with his family at the bottom of a canyon in Guadalajara, Mexico. Everyday he walks up the canyon to go to school and then back down the canyon to go home. It is a very long walk. He speaks Spanish and I speak English, but we can still communicate. A smile is universal. Eduardo is my neighbor. Who is your neighbor?

I want you to meet my neighbor. Her name is Melinda. She is in her mid-thirties. She is a schoolteacher in Finland. Melinda visited the United States for three months as an exchange counselor. She and I spent a summer working together at a Bible Camp. I taught her about America and she taught me about Finland. Melinda is my neighbor. Who is your neighbor?

I have neighbors from all over the world, of every age, ethnicity, gender, economic class, and thought. Some of these neighbors I know well and others I do not know. When we, as Christians, reach out to such neighbors we become well-rounded people with a global mindset and a deeper understanding of the human condition. If we are always surrounded with people that look, speak, and think like us, when will we ever be challenged? So, Jesus challenges us with this text. Jesus commands us to love our neighbors. Not just the neighbors that live in our neighborhood. Not just the neighbors that we know. The point is that we love our neighbors, but the point is not that we choose our own neighborhood. The point that Jesus makes here is that we love our neighbors, regardless of what neighborhood they are in.

Jesus commands, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.” Though this command is comprised of two commands, they cannot be separated. One commentary states, “Love of God cannot exist without love for all fellow human beings as its content. Love of humanity cannot exist without love of God as its basis.” If we really love God with our entire being we will love our neighbors. If we really love our neighbors we will love God.

Yet, this still seems like such a big task. It makes me wonder how we are supposed to love God and all of our neighbors. Unlike the English language, in the Greek language there is more than one word for love. The word that is used in this text is agape. One author explains agape love as “acting for the sake of the beloved, as doing good, as self-giving, and as selfless altruism.” Agape love does not involve a “personal fulfillment and a sense that the other has value worth appreciating.” Agape is the kind of love God has for humanity and all of creation. Agape is the love we are commanded to have for God and for our neighbors. This is a love that sees beyond the color of skin, the amount of money in the bank, and the neighborhood in which one lives. This is the love that Jesus commands: agape love of God and agape love of neighbor. Are we able to love God with all of our being and to love our neighbors—all of our neighbors, too? The ultimate test comes when we can look, with hearts and eyes of love, into the face of a stranger and see a member of our own family-God’s own family. Amen.