MESSAGE FOR SUNDAY, 2025/09/07

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Reading:
Luke 14:25-33

Text:
Luke 14:26-27 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters, yes even his own life he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

Message:
Jesus is on the move again. He has left the hospitality of the Pharisee’s table and is headed once again to Jerusalem. He knows that this will be His last journey, that the price tag on this trip is high and it is not negotiable. Wow, it almost sounds as if Jesus is trying to get people to stop following him! Have you ever heard Jesus be so negative? Ten times in these few verses, he uses the word “not” – three of those are in the phrase “cannot be my disciple.” Jesus has seen the crowds growing behind him, and he knows that some of these followers are only tagging along to see another miracle, especially if that miracle includes getting a free lunch. Some of them are following only because they’ve been caught up in the mob mentality that has begun to develop around Jesus and his disciples. So he turns to the crowd and tells them, “Unless you’re serious about following me, you might as well go home!” But Jesus is not trying to get rid of followers. He just wants them – and us – to know what is involved in being a true disciple. We need to know what we’re getting into when we say we want to follow Jesus, because the cost is high.

Jesus is not asking us to do more than what He did for us. He never asks us to do anything that he was not willing to do Himself. And he not only did it: he did it for us. We are here today to be thankful. We are here because we love Jesus and we want to follow Him and learn from Him and grow what it means to be a disciple. We are here not just to hear the easy things that Jesus teaches, but the hard things too. We want to hear it all. Today is one of those hard teachings of Jesus.

When we travel with someone, we are still in control, right? We can still decide whether to take that next step, whether to go to that next destination. It is a pretty casual way of being with someone. There is not a lot of commitment there. Jesus didn’t give up his divinity and come to earth to have people travel with him. He came to die for us, and to invite us to follow him. And if we are going to follow him, it won’t always be easy. We won’t be in control anymore. Jesus will. Our priorities will have to change. And Jesus makes that very clear in this reading. Jesus is inviting the crowds to make a choice – travel with him, until they get bored or frustrated or disappointed; or, follow him, all the way to the cross and the tomb. Which will it be, travel with Jesus, or follow him?

Being a Christian, Jesus reminds us today, is not a hobby. It isn’t something we can do just when we want to, or feel like it. We are either all in, or we’re not. And so, for the crowds traveling with Jesus, it’s time to decide. Do they want to travel with him? Or do they want to follow him? And that same question comes to us today, and actually comes to us over and over again in our lives. We are here, in church today. But are we here because we want to travel with Jesus? Or are we here because we have made the choice to take up our cross and follow him? And if we are ready to follow him, then he must come first. Nothing else can be more important to us than Jesus. Not our families. Not our possessions. Not even our life.

The same is true for many today, of course. Churches throughout the world are packed with people interested in Jesus but who don’t really grasp the implications of discipleship for themselves. And it is to such as these that Jesus was speaking here. Here were people who were willing to follow Jesus and learn from him as long as the cost wasn’t too high: they were, if you like, casual followers. Too often church and faith are treated like a big buffet. We take as much of what we like and want but leave behind what we do not like, what’s too hard to swallow, what we disagree with, or what does not fit our personal opinions and beliefs. That’s not how the gospels portray Jesus or the life of discipleship. To the degree we have done that we have deceived ourselves and each other. The crowds have been gathering around Jesus since early in his ministry. Jesus was the new buffet for them. He offered healing, exorcisms, teaching, hope, life, good news, bread, freedom, and a new vision. He had what they wanted and they gathered around, surrounded, and pressed in on him. It was as if they could not get enough.

There is more to discipleship than simply travelling with Jesus. Discipleship is more than grazing at the buffet of divine life. That life cannot be bought but it will cost us everything we have. And now Jesus gives them 3 “cannots”.

“Whoever comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters cannot be my disciple.”

“Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

“If you do not give up your possessions, you cannot be my disciple.”

It doesn’t get much harder than that, does it? It seems a strange way to build a religious movement. Most would surely be attracted by the benefits rather than being confronted by the cost.

I  We must hate our families

This is pretty strong stuff in a culture where family was everything and loyalty to one’s family was the highest loyalty expected. Let us look at the word “hate ” to see what Jesus meant. Jesus tells us that to follow him we must hate our father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters. What exactly does he mean by this? The word Jesus uses for hate here, in Greek, is miseo. In Greek, this word is not describing an emotion, which is the way we typically use the word. A good way to think about what Jesus means by hate is to think about what Jesus means by love. We know, for example, that for Jesus, love is not an emotion. Jesus commands us to love one another. And you can’t command an emotion. Instead, love is an action, based on a decision to put that person first.

That is what love means to Jesus. And hate for Jesus is simply the opposite of that. To hate something is simply to refuse to put it first. When we hate something in this way, we have made a decision not to put it first in our life. That is really what it means to hate it, in the language of the New Testament. So, when Jesus tells us that we must hate our families in order to follow him, he simply means that we can’t put our families first. He must come first. It is a question of priorities. Which comes first, Jesus or our family? It can’t be both. To follow Jesus, everything else must take a back seat to this first priority.

Perhaps Jesus knew that there would always be times when people would be tempted to make family their god. When family would be put first, above everything else, even God. When that happens, the family can become toxic, unhealthy. Jesus is simply reminding us that family cannot come first if we want him to come first. But this does not mean that we shouldn’t love our families! Putting Jesus first means doing what Jesus commands. And what he commands, above all else, is to love one another. To put others before ourselves. And that obviously includes our family. To put Jesus first often means to love our family. Of course, if your family wants you to spend Sunday morning somewhere other than in worship, then putting Jesus first might mean disappointing them. It still comes down to priorities, in other words. And if we want to be a follower of Jesus, then he must come first. Not our families. But most of the time, for most of us, that means loving our families.

So Jesus is saying that we need to love him more than we love our relatives and our own lives. And this isn’t a statement about emotions – how we feel: it’s a statement about our commitment to obey. We are to put Jesus first, put our love for God above our commitment to obey. We are to put Jesus first, put our love for God above everything else in our lives. Our obedience to the person of Jesus Christ must inform all other decisions we make with regard to the rest of our lives and our relationships with other people. In all things, Jesus is our first priority. He comes before all other relationships, he comes before our personal desires. He comes before our dreams and ambitions. He comes before our own plans for the future.

So how did Jesus hate his parents? Remember the twelve year old Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem? Mary and Joseph are frantically looking for him. They think he is lost. When they find him Mary asks, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.’ He said to them, ‘Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house'” (Luke 3:41-50)? At that moment Jesus hated Mary and Joseph. He set his relationship with them below his relationship with God the Father. Jesus is not but establishing new priorities. For the disciple no one and no relationship can take precedence over the relationship with Jesus; not father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, or life itself.

II  Pick up your cross and follow me

Not only must we be willing to put Jesus ahead of all other priorities, He raises the price of discipleship even higher. “Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. To them, taking up one’s cross was a general expression of accepting the burden of great suffering, suffering that would surely end in death. It was the same responsibility a soldier would accept, going into war. If following Jesus meant taking up a cross, it meant staying loyal to him through certain suffering, to the point of death.

This saying would have been enough to make the large crowd gasp in horror. Most of them would have seen criminals carrying their crosses on the way to execution in humiliation and shame. Why would anyone choose that for themselves? There was no turning back from that. So Jesus uses this as a metaphor for saying a final ‘goodbye ‘ to all our desires and ambitions if we choose to follow him.

Thomas A Kempis, the Christian writer of ‘The imitation of Christ’ in the medieval period, commented that: “Many come following Jesus who love his heavenly kingdom but few come looking forward to suffering. Many admire His miracles but few follow Him in humiliation to the cross.” How true that is for us too: we admire Jesus, we admire his teaching, we glory in his love for us. But we are far more reticent to accept the humiliation of the cross for ourselves. But that is what is demanded of us. And so Jesus switches to an illustration about planning to build a tower and counting the cost before we do so. Or a king preparing to wage war against an enemy but first reckoning on the strength of his own troops before committing himself. In the same way, we are to reckon the cost, count the cost before committing ourselves to a life of discipleship.

Blind commitment that expects only blessings is of no use to God: he wants disciples who are committed and prepared to live sacrificially for him. Jesus wasn’t impressed by large crowds. He wasn’t impressed on this occasion. He wasn’t impressed on Palm Sunday. It is easy to join the crowd, or come to church, when things are going well. But the test of true discipleship is how we respond in times that are tough and whether we are able to obey God, even when the cost to us is high.

Jesus carried His own cross and gave precedence to His Father’s will and our salvation. Again it is about priorities. He sets aside his will and preferences in favor of love and obedience to God.

III  You cannot become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

The Greek word that Jesus uses here literally means to renounce our possessions. It doesn’t mean that we should put all our possessions in our front yard with a sign that says, “Free.” It means to renounce their power over us. To live in such a way that our possessions no longer have any control over us. It comes down, once again, to our priorities. If we want to follow Jesus, we must put him first. It is easy to get so completely focused on paying our bills, or putting our kids through college, or planning for retirement, or on just having fun, that we put Jesus second. But if any of these things come first, then we’re not really following him. We’re just travelling with him. If we want to be a follower of Jesus, then he must come first. Not our possessions. Not our families. Jesus.

What about Jesus’ possessions? The birds and animals of this world have more possessions than Jesus. “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head,” Jesus says (Luke 9;58). Again Jesus gives primacy to his relationship with God not his relationship with things. It’s a question of priorities.

IV  Counting the cost

Jesus does not encourage a hasty emotional decision. Instead Jesus urges those who follow Him to seriously “count the cost”.

Before you build or go to battle we must sit down and count the cost. Counting the cost requires some thoughtful pondering before any action can take place. In the same way, we can’t follow Jesus in any old way that suits us. We have to carefully consider the commitment we are making. Jesus focuses on outcomes. Counting the cost indicates that there is some end in mind, some goal to be reached. You don’t start building a tower unless you plan to finish it. You don’t head into battle unless you think you can overcome the enemy. You don’t follow Jesus unless you want your life to be changed. Not only do we need to count the cost, that cost is everything we hold valuable. We have to bid farewell to everything we call our own. We have to leave behind everything that matters most to us.

And when Jesus says you have to leave behind everything that matters to you, whether it is family, or good standing in the community, or the things you own, he means you have to leave it behind now, and keep leaving it behind. This isn’t a one-time-and-you’re-done thing. It’s an ongoing, day-by-day, moment-by-moment surrender to God’s grace and mercy. To be a disciple of Jesus you must know that the cost will be putting Jesus first, and everything else last. That starts the moment you say “yes” to Jesus, and it does not stop. Ever.

The cost is high, but the cost of not following Jesus is even higher. Yes, Jesus asks us to leave everything else behind, to make him our first priority, but what price do we pay if we decide to not follow Jesus? What is the cost of refusing to be a true disciple? In his book, Spirit of the Disciplines, Dallas Willard lists the things we lose if we don’t follow Jesus with our whole being. He writes:

“Non-discipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout by love, faith that sees everything in the light of God’s overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil. In short, it costs exactly that abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring.”

The question you have to ask yourself is this: Is it worth it? Is it worth giving up abiding peace to live life on your own terms? Is it worth sacrificing a life penetrated by love to settle for having things the way you like them? Is it worth cutting yourself off from faith that trusts in God’s overarching plan for your good, in order to run your life the way you want to? Is it worth giving up hope, and the power to stand in the face of evil? Is it worth it to you to say “No ” to God’s abundance, so you can skimp by on your own meager resources? Because that’s what it costs to not take up your cross.

When we say “yes” to following Jesus, when we surrender our will to his will, something amazing happens. Bit by bit, we are changed. Each time we keep saying “yes, Lord, I leave behind everything to follow you,” we are re-formed. We are transformed, becoming more and more like Christ. We experience abundant life, by God’s grace. And we discover that the cost of following Jesus, that we thought we couldn’t possibly afford, is worth it all. Because the price has already been paid out of God’s deep love for us, and when we give our all to Christ, we receive so much more!

Conclusion

In closing, this passage tells us that being a disciple of Jesus Christ is costly. It is not for the faint of heart. A lot of people will follow Jesus, for a while. A lot of people will say they are His disciples, for a while. A lot of people will be a part of Jesus’ church, for a while, until something happens or it becomes inconvenient, or it becomes too costly for them to be with Jesus. It is not the large number of people who follow Christ for a while, but the smaller, committed group who remains. Which are you? What Jesus said in this passage described complete commitment to Him. We must be totally committed to Jesus in order to be His disciples. We must love Him more than anyone else and we must surrender all, including our very lives, to Him. That is the cost of being a disciple. That is what it means to follow Christ. Are you fully committed to Jesus Christ?

MESSAGE FOR SUNDAY, 2025/08/31

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Reading:
Luke 14:1; 7-14

Text:
Luke 14:11 “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Message:

In our reading today Jesus is certainly not talking about seating arrangements or etiquette in general. But the banquet table and seating arrangements happen to be the classroom in which Jesus chooses to teach the lesson for today, namely humility. Jesus seizes this moment to teach us the lesson we find our best in humility and sacrificial service and ultimately then that so much depends upon how we treat and live with one another.

In Luke 14:11 Jesus sets forth a powerful principle of life, “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled (literally put down), and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” If I push myself up, God will push me down. If I humble myself, God will lift me up. 1 Peter 5:6 “Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.”

First question we must ask ourselves (especially when in a conflict with someone else): Do I really believe what Jesus said? Do I really believe that if I humble myself, God will in due time exalt me? Or secretly in my heart, do I believe like the world believes – that those who exalt themselves will be exalted?

Second question we must ask ourselves has to do with the phrase in 1 Peter 5:6 “In due time.” The challenge I have wrestled with on this subject is how long the “in due time ” can be. I typically want the need to be defended and vindicated right here, right now. Most of the time, God wants to use the circumstances as an opportunity to work deeper humility in me – and then He exalts me on His time table. So will I trust Him to make that call on my behalf? If there are delays do I still believe He is working in my best interest?

Let’s take a moment and see how we think of ourselves in relation to humility:

1. Do you spend more time thinking about yourself than God or about other people?
2. Do you make yourself the center of most conversations?
3. Do you compare yourself with others often, judging yourself favorably?
4. Do you take credit for your own looks, intelligence or ability?
5. Do you think you deserve more of this world’s good things than other people do?
6. Do you think God must be pleased with you because of how ethical or religious you are?

How do we humble ourselves?

Humility begins with a sense of subordination to God. Subordination – the act of placing in a lower rank or position. We are in subordination to God. Subordination includes submission. In humility we submit to the will of our heavenly Commander in Chief, the King of kings and Lord of lords!

This is in direct opposition to the path of the world.

The world we live in says, “I’ll go where I want to go. I’ll do what I want to do, I’ll think what I want to think. I’ll be what I want to be. It’s my life and I’ll live it however I want to live it!”

Matthew 10:24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.”

For those of us who love Jesus with an all-consuming love it would be unthinkable to question His teachings found in Scripture and His teachings found in Scripture demand humility as demonstrated by Jesus Himself.

1 Peter 5:5b-6a: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God.”

Humility does not feel a right to better treatment than Jesus got. Humility does not return evil for evil. Humility is not life based on its perceived rights.

1 Peter 2:21-23 “This is, in fact, what you were called to do, because: The Messiah also suffered for you and left an example for you to follow in His steps. “He never sinned, and He never told a lie. When He was insulted, He did not retaliate. When he suffered, He did not threaten. It was His habit to commit the matter to the One who judges fairly.”

Humility asserts the truth not to bolster ego with control or triumphs in debate but as service to Christ and love to the adversary. We don’t study the Word of God to win arguments with unbelievers or other believers! If we do, we both lose. If we ever leave a “conversation” with someone about the things of the Lord feeling like, “I guess I told them” we have failed at the humility that God desires. We assert the truth of the Gospel in order to love the other person as God loves them and out of love for God Himself. No one ever came to faith in Christ by being figuratively “hit over the head” with the Gospel. Speak the truth in love.

1 Corinthians 13:6 “Love rejoices in the truth”.

Humility knows it is fallible, and so considers criticism and learns from it. But humility also knows that God has made provision for human conviction and that he calls us to persuade others. If you think you are infallible then you are not humble but prideful and not teachable because you think you already know it all. The humble person listens to criticism. Criticism can come as a personal attack or anywhere in between. How do you receive criticism?

Have you been falsely criticized? Take it to the Lord.
Have you been rightly criticized? Take it to the Lord.
Rightly or wrongly criticized the Lord will let you know if you come to Him with a humble heart.

Proverbs 12:15b: “A Wiseman listens to advice.” When we speak as a witness for the Lord with a humble spirit He can use us. He can use us not because of our abilities but because in humility we allow God’s grace to flow through us.

Conflict is always an opportunity to humble ourselves. Most conflicts are perpetuated because we are not willing to humble ourselves.

Choosing to trust God to defend me rather than defending myself. Time may prove that I wasn’t as right as I thought I was. Time may prove that I was right on the issue but not on the attitude. But the bottom line is this: will I give up the need to win the argument? Will I give up the need to be right? Will I give up the need to have the last word? Will I recognize that my irresistible urge to defend myself is probably rooted in my own pride.

Ask forgiveness and give forgiveness. It’s humbling to ask for forgiveness. To do that right, you have to acknowledge what you did wrong. It’s humbling to give forgiveness because you have to relinquish the right to hold it over the other person’s head. The truth is: any time two people are in a conflict, two people have the opportunity to humble themselves.

Humility knows it is dependent on grace for all knowing and believing. Here we run into that amazing gift called Grace once again. Grace is defined as unmerited favor. We have done and can do nothing to earn or deserve the favor of God. Period! But in grace God extends His favor to us.

How does that favor work out?

God’s grace calls us to salvation. God’s grace enables us to say “Yes” to His saving grace. God’s grace sustains us in faith and helps us to grow in our faith. And, God’s grace enables us to understand the truths of God found in the Bible. You could have the entire Bible memorized but unless you yield to God’s saving grace it will do you no good.

James 1:21b “Humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.”

Philippians 2 gives us the ultimate example of how to move into spiritual authority by humbling ourselves. Phil. 2:5 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Who being in the form of God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. As God the Son He had every right to hold onto that place of grandeur – but love drew Him to you and me. He took a lower place for our sake”.

In Luke 14 Jesus illustrated a practical way we humble ourselves. He said that when you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t take the best place or you might run the risk of them telling you in front of everyone to take a lower seat. Take the lower seat and wait to be invited to the higher place. That runs contrary to the way the world thinks. The world’s advice is climb the ladder anyway you can. Take care of I. Jesus was making a radical statement about the way His Kingdom works when he gave the beatitudes. The first one says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit (that’s talking about humility) for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” That’s the opposite of what the world really thinks. The world values prideful self-promotion. Yes, do it with the veneer of a fiancé. But climb to the top.

When the church operates on the same principles that the world uses, the result is powerlessness – no real spiritual authority – a lot of hype and self-promotion – and usually using the same standards the world uses to define success. We must be careful of false humility. For example I may allow someone in another car to go before me and when they do, I get cross because they did not say thank you. This shows that my humility was false, I did it so that they could say thank you and acknowledge me.

God highly exalted Jesus as He took the route of humbling himself and submission to the Father. He made of Himself no reputation – he was not living to promote himself; He was living to do the will of the Father. After stating all that, Phil. 2:9 begins with the word “Therefore “- because Jesus was willing to humble Himself to that extent, the Father has exalted Him above all others. That is the pattern we are to follow. He who humbles Himself will be exalted.

Benefits of increasing humility

1. Relief from Stress of Impressing others (nothing to prove)
2. Brings Contentment to the soul – less striving for things and position
3. Increases Confidence in God – resting from our own works, now God can work on our behalf
4. Opens the flow of God’s grace in our lives. “God resists the proud but gives grace, favor, empowerment to the humble.”
5. Brings promotion in the right way “… he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
How have you learned to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God?

Ah, the beautiful part of this scripture and of the Christian experience is that we are called by Almighty God to live lives of humility and sacrificial service. But the difficult part is that we are called to live those lives right now, today, among the broken and damaged people whom we meet every day. That is the difficult part.

MESSAGE FOR SUNDAY, 2025/08/24

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Reading:
Luke 13:10-17

Text:
Luke 13:12-13 “When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, ‘Women you are set free from your infirmity’. Then he put his hands on her and immediately she straightened up and praised God.”

Message:

In Luke’s gospel today we read about a woman who had been crippled for 18 years. We do not know much about her story. We know that she did not come to Jesus asking to be healed. For all we know, she did not even know Jesus was going to be teaching in the synagogue that day. She came in only after Jesus had already begun to speak. She slipped in late because then she avoided the glares of the people seeing her crippled body. She was completely bent over. She is a symbolic way to represent us all. What do you see when you look at her? What do you imagine she’s feeling and thinking? What feelings does she bring up in you? What is she looking for? Do you recognize yourself in her? Where have you seen her? What does she represent for you? Maybe she represents the way we can be weighed down by circumstances and the heaviness of life. Maybe she represents how social, political, economic, justice, or religious systems can be crooked, bent, or crippled, and oppress others.

We are all bent over with a heavy burden or sin. None of us are truly able to stand up straight to praise God on our own. We all need help. In need of a Saviour. This is precisely what Jesus longs to be. The world’s Saviour. Our Saviour who frees us from the heavy burden of sin. That is what Jesus came to do, to set us free to help us stand up straight and praise our loving God.

When Jesus saw the woman, he could have left her in peace. He could have simply counted her as one of the crowd and let her go on living the way she’d come to consider as normal. At least, it was normal for her. She wasn’t asking for anything. She wasn’t even hoping for anything, as far as we know.

Jesus could have asked her if she even wanted to be healed. He could have asked if she had faith to be healed. But he didn’t do any of those things. He called her over – and keep in mind this would have been difficult for her on at least two counts.

Women did not enter the part of the synagogue where the men listened to teaching. So she would not only have had to make the effort to find her way over unfamiliar ground without being able to look up to see where she was going, she also would have been walking into an area previously forbidden for her. She would be breaking some well-established rules. Yet, Jesus calls her over to where he is sitting, and says, “You are set free from your ailment.” Not ‘forgiven of your sins’ or ?’healed of your infirmity,’ but “set free.”

Satan binds us with rules and meaningless rituals, but Jesus releases us into new life. Jesus overcomes our crippling bondage to sin by releasing us into God’s grace. Whether or not we can look up and see beyond the ground at our feet, Jesus sees us, calls us, and proclaims freedom from whatever is binding our spirits and bending us into brokenness.

When Jesus spoke to the woman, she immediately felt the pain go away. She felt her back loosen up. Then he reached out and put his healing hands on her. Her back straightened for the first time in eighteen years, and she stood straight up! There was nothing else she could do but stand straight and tall, and praise God. She didn’t ask him to do it. She wasn’t even hoping for healing. But he called to her, right where she was, and put his hands on her, and she stood up straight. He touched her – something no one had done for a very long time. They were all afraid that physical contact with her would make them unclean, so – for eighteen years – people had been careful to stay away from this woman. No one wanted to risk uncleanness.

But when Jesus touched her, he welcomed her back into life. He made it okay for others to touch her, too. He made her clean again, after eighteen years. Like a mustard plant stretching toward the sun, she lifted up her hands and her voice to praise God. Luke doesn’t tell us her exact words, but her gratitude and praise were contagious. The crowds started rejoicing and praising God with her.

As we now look at the after picture we see her standing up straight, restored upright and in alignment with life. What do you see when you look at her? Imagine the possibilities that now lay before her and how her life might be different. Where have you seen this picture in your life and our world? What feelings does she bring up in you? Hope, courage, desire, inspiration, joy, gratitude? Isn’t it a picture of what you want for yourself, others, our country? What would it be like for us, to stand up straight, restored, and aligned with the life and values of God? It is a pattern we see again and again in the gospels. Jesus sees and touches another and the picture of life changes.

The Ruler of the Synagogue

There is another person in the story who is important to look at and who has much to teach us. And that is the leader of the synagogue. He too is in need of healing in need of a Saviour but sadly he does not know it. Meanwhile, the ruler of the synagogue wasn’t too happy. He started yelling at the crowd. “There are six days in the week for work, come get healed on those days!” He almost makes it sound like the miracle of healing isn’t such a miracle after all – it’s just a normal workday occurrence. And notice that the synagogue leader didn’t yell at Jesus – even though it was Jesus who had initiated contact with the woman, and had done the work of healing. But Jesus knew his heart. Even though the rabbi would not talk directly to Jesus, Jesus spoke directly to him. “You hypocrite!” he said. “Don’t you untie your donkey and lead it to water on the Sabbath? ?Isn’t this woman worth more than a donkey? Shouldn’t this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”

The root of the word we translate as ‘hypocrite’ also means “actor”. The rabbi was busy acting the part of a devout Jew. He was concerned about sticking to the letter of the law, but he really wasn’t concerned with fulfilling the spirit of the law. A woman is miraculously healed by God’s Son and all he can think is that it’s the Sabbath. It’s? hard to comprehend how anyone could be so cruel. The woman who was healed by Jesus had been crippled for 18 long years.

So, imagine how heartless and cruel you would have to be to do what the leader of that synagogue did that day. Not to celebrate or give thanks for this miracle. But simply to focus on the fact that this was done on the wrong day, the Sabbath. Imagine getting angry at Jesus for healing this crippled woman on the wrong day. This could be her one and only chance to even see Jesus. And this synagogue leader is upset. God provided the Sabbath to give us rest and refreshment, to renew life after a hard week of work. Healing a poor old woman’s bent back certainly does that. But the religious leader was bound up in his own idea of religious rules. He was crippled by his own interpretation of the Law’s restrictions.

Like a fig tree that won’t bear figs, this religious leader has all the appearances of righteousness, but none of the fruit. And Jesus calls him out on it. You untie a donkey and lead it to water on the Sabbath, don’t you? Shouldn’t this daughter of Abraham be released from bondage on the Sabbath, then? Isn’t the Sabbath the very best day to heal and restore to wholeness?

Now she is standing, giving thanks to God in a posture of praise. We stand stiff, rigid, and indignant like the religious leader in today’s gospel. “There are six days on which work ought to be done,” he says: “Come on those days and be cured, and not on the Sabbath day.” Every time we make the rules or policies more important than people our lives are out of shape. You see, this story is not just about the healing of the crippled woman. It is about the healing that we all need. In the case of the synagogue leader, he is in need of healing, but not physical healing. He needs to be able to see the world in a new way. He needs a softer, kinder heart. He needs to be made to see that love is sometimes more important than rules.

I don’t think the woman is the only crippled and bent over person in today’s gospel. The leader is just as crippled and bent over. The difference is the woman knows she is but the leader doesn’t know he is. He has chosen law, rules, and “the way we’ve always done it,” over another human being and it has distorted and crippled his life. I wonder if that sometimes happens to us. In what ways might this picture of the leader describe our lives today? Jesus never did that. He always put people first even when it meant upsetting the authorities, breaking the rules, and changing “the way we’ve always done it.” He saw them and he laid hands on them regardless of who they were, what had happened to them, or what they had done. People came first.

There are so many things we let cripple us. So many ways we bend to fit into some self-created box of what we think is normal, what we think we should do, what we think we must do, until we can’t see straight ahead anymore. We can’t look each other in the eye, or lift our eyes to the hills to see our help coming toward us. (Ps 121:1). What cripples you, and keeps you stuck? How have you resigned yourself to suffering, not expecting anything to change? What miracle have you given up asking God to work in your life? Maybe you’ve been asking so long and it seems like God has been ignoring you, so you think this must be what God wants for you: this suffering, this pain, this crippling posture that forces you to always look at the ground and never see the sky.

No matter what is binding you, trapping your soul in a box of ‘shoulds’ and ‘musts’, Jesus came to release you from that prison. Jesus is calling you to himself, so he can put his hands on you and raise you up to new life in him. Let your life be filled with gratitude and praise, and offer others the same release from bondage that Christ has given to you. What is Jesus calling out to you to do? How is Jesus calling you to stand up straight, to be released from your bound up spirit? And what is your response to such grace? Jesus invites you into his presence, and into his grace. Jesus is reaching out to touch each one here, to heal you and to include you in his love, to release you from whatever is crippling your spirit.

How will you respond? Will you keep acting out your traditions and rules, like the synagogue leader? Or will you stand up and join the woman in heartfelt praise? Are you ready to live a life that makes others say, ‘That one is a child of God’? Jesus is calling you, reaching out to touch you, ready to heal you and your brokenness, to restore you to wholeness, to claim you as his own. It’s time to stand up.

Conclusion

We have come to this place today, not because we get it all right, but because we too often get it all wrong. We have come to this place today, not because we are strong, but because we are weak and in need of saving. We have come to this place today, not because we have no burdens in our lives, but because our burden is so great. We have come to this place today, not to be like the leader of the synagogue, and stand proudly before the Lord today; but to be like the woman bent over, in need of help and healing from the Lord today. We have come to this place today, to be strengthened by God’s word, to be nourished? by God’s meal, and to find in the Lord rest for our weary souls.

MESSAGE FOR SUNDAY, 2025/08/17

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Reading:
Hebrews 11:29-12:2

Text:

Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Message:

The Christian life is often compared to running a race. But how are we to run that race in order to claim the prize that God offers to all who finish? Indeed, in our reading today, the writer to Hebrews uses the image of running and racing to make this point. He says: “Let us run the race…” This image shows us that to be a Christian is not a passive thing, it is active and dynamic. It’s not about buying the t-shirt and watching from the stands, but being in the race and running on the track. We’re not to be couch potatoes, but busy bees. Our faith shouldn’t just be a vague afterthought, but the driving force of every aspect of our lives.

The writer makes this point after chapter 11, where he has reminded us of some of the heroes of the Christian faith. People who has worked through great struggles in life, in order to pursue the greater prize that God had promised them. They are the kind of Christians that we are called to be.

A young soccer player tells about how they had to run a long distance to get fit before they practiced their soccer. He said that he is not really a runner and it got to him. When someone one day said to him, instead of looking down the looong stretch of road we had to cover, to just look a few feet in front of me at a time. Then, to look at the light poles, and focus on running just to the next pole. One foot in front of the other, one step at a time, one light pole to the next. That’s what it takes to finish the race set before you; knowing where to look.

When we read Hebrews 11 the writer takes us through the “Hall of Faith”. We see portraits of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Samson. We learn about the heroes of the faith and the extraordinary things they did for God. As I take in this inspiring tour, it’s as if these heroes are calling out to us, “Carpe Diem! Seize the day. Make your life extraordinary for God!” One can’t help but be inspired by this text. It is a clarion call for the church to continue to fight the good fight of the gospel. The winning witness of our heroes stirs us to persevere. Their stories remind us that we are not the first ones to run the race of faith. Faithful saints before us have run the same race, fought fatigue, battled discouragement and won!

This teaches us to run the race to win. Along the way, there is also the cloud of witnesses for us in faith; this listing is one high five after another from those who have walked the road of life before us in faith, giving us confidence to do the same. To those new to the faith, the writer points out “hey, look! Here’s a whole host of people who have come before you, who have had tremendous obstacles and challenges, too, and by faith, have made it through. If they can do it, so can you!”

What has helped God’s people deal with discouragement since the beginning is the knowledge that we are not alone. We follow in the footsteps of people from the earliest biblical times who were unsure of what the future held for them. We follow in the footsteps of saints who along the way chose to trust God anyway. We follow God who does not abandon us in times of trouble.

I  Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles

Throw off the sin that so easily entangles. There was once a man who was stranded on a deserted island in the Pacific. A ship was passing that was prepared to pick him up but he refused because on the island he found a monkey that became his pet and he did not want to leave the monkey behind and he was not allowed to take the monkey on the boat. How many of us have not become entangled with sin. We’ve picked up bad habits and sins along the way. We know they weigh us down. We know they are bad for us. We know they complicate things. We know they keep us from running the race of faith swiftly, but we still hang on to them. And it is causing many of us to lose the race of faith. If we would throw it aside, we would run much faster. But too often, we do not take the weight of sin seriously enough to do anything about it, and we continue to run at a loser’s pace.

Notice when athletes run they do not wear too much, just their running shorts and vests. When the runners ran when the book of Hebrews was written they ran naked. When it comes to running the Christian life, it is not too many clothes that are the problem, but sin. That is the attitude, speech and behaviours that go against God’s will for our lives, that act more out of our selfish and warped desires than out of love for others or God. If we want to run the Christian life, so as to win the prize we need to throw off our sin or else it will trip us up and we will come crashing down. “By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.” (11:24-26)

He knew that to run the race of faith, he had to throw off the sin that so easily entangles. We need to do the same thing, if we are to run the Christian race.

Many may start the Christian race, but they find themselves caught up in sin that pulls them away from faith. Drink and drug addictions, sexual flings, anger issues, jealousy, laziness or just become too proud of their own achievements to humbly accept their need for God.

It is not very popular to preach about sin anymore. Several years ago, Karl Meninger wrote a book entitled, “Whatever became of Sin?” Right, whatever did become of it? Sin is hardly ever mentioned anymore, but it remains the most dangerous threat to our spiritual lives. We can’t win the race of discipleship if we are spiritually dead!

II  Run with Perseverance

The writer of Hebrews says we must run with perseverance. Perseverance – it’s what separates followers of Jesus from admirers of Jesus. The first essential lesson to winning a race is that you have to finish the race. It is easy to start the race of discipleship, but the real question is, “Can we finish it?” Remember, it was the tortoise and not the hare that won the race!

Now churches are filled with starters, but in every church there is always a small percentage of finishers – those who get the work done, those who give and serve consistently, those who tithe on a regular basis. And it is the finishers who make the church go, that make the church run. So, as we reflect on the race we are running, the question we must ask ourselves is, “Am I a starter or am I a finisher?”

The writer of Hebrews does an inspiring job motivating us to persevere, to finish the race of discipleship. Hebrews 12:1 ways, “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.” The image here is that of a big stadium filled with saints cheering us on as we race. Imagine being at the center of a huge stadium, running feverishly around the track and the whole crowd are saints – thousands of them, and they are all screaming your name. You see Paul holding up a banner with your name on it. You see Abraham and Moses high fiving, chanting your name. I don’t know about you, but that motivates me. Let’s be finishers!

III  Focus on the Promised Prize

“Let us run the race mark out for us” – this is what the writer says to us. So firstly let us focus on the prize. We are not to just focus on the next step, but to consider the whole race and particularly the end of the race!

The writer began chapter 11, where he reminds us of the great heroes of faith by saying: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”(11:1)

Faith is about hope, it is about confidence that God will give us what he has promised. Unlike a sporting event, the Christian life is not a competition, where only one or two win, because as the writer has already made abundantly clear, Jesus has already won the prize for us and God has promised us that there is an amazing future waiting for us. The example of faith in chapter 11, includes mention of those who were heading for the Promised Land. The Israelites who had been slaves in Egypt were promised by God, their own amazing land to live in. So, they set off on a journey. It was not an aimless wandering, but one with a goal in mind, the land that God had promised. Their faith drove them on towards the prize, with amazing miracles as they crossed the Red Sea on dry land and defeated the stronghold at Jericho, with just a shout!

In the same way, as Christians we are to live our lives, with an aim to reach the promises that God has ready for us. To receive the gift of eternal life and a place in his eternal home knowing him fully and ruling with him forever. Sometimes we get to the starting line and sit down. There is no concern to complete the race, no desire to gain the prize. If that is you then you need to get up and run the race set before you.

IV  Perseverance

We don’t just need to start the race, we need to keep going. And sometimes that can be hard and tough. The Christian life is not a sprint, it is more of a marathon. That’s why the writer of Hebrews say “let us run with endurance”. He is writing to Christians who have started the race well, but as the race goes on the pain seems to be setting in and the temptation is to give up to stop racing and forget the prize. But he wants to encourage them to keep going, to continue the race so that they do reach the prize.

At the end of chapter 10 he says: “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (10:36)

In his list of great heroes of faith in chapter 11, he reminds us of the kind of things that the heroes of faith had to endure. It is a reminder to the Christians he was writing to, that their pain and suffering is nothing new or unique to them. We see that some of them faced jeers, flogging while others were chained and put in prison, they were stoned and destitute (11:36-38)

Just as in long distance running, if you want to win the prize, you need to go through the pain. There will be suffering on the way to the goal. We need to run with endurance, we need to keep going through the pain.

There are sadly many who start off as Christians and run the race well, but when the going gets tough, they give up, they forget the prize and withdraw from the race.

Perhaps you know that is you. Maybe you have been a keen Christian in the past, but you gave up because it felt too much of a sacrifice or there was too much pressure or ridicule from non-Christian friends or family or perhaps you just grew weary or bored of it. Perhaps you are in a place where you are about to give up for one or all of those reasons.

Don’t give up. Yes, it can be painful to be a Christian at times, but this race is worth completing, the promised prize is worth more than anything else and so many others have faced the same pressures and difficulties as you – and probably far worse, but have kept going through the pain to win the prize.

V  Look to Jesus

The last thing the writer of Hebrews says is we must look to Jesus.

So, to be a Christian, to live by faith, means to look to the prize, endure the pain and throw off our sin. There are many examples in the Bible to show us how to do this, but there is of course one great example: Jesus. The writer says, if you want to run the race, to gain the promised prize, fix your eyes on him! Not only must we finish the race, but we must also cross the right finish line. Now, there are all kinds of people in the world running all kinds of races. Some are running the race of greed, trying to earn as much money as they can. Some are running the race of lust, trying to have as many pleasurable escapades as they can. Some are running the race of power, trying to get the most powerful and prestigious job they can. But at the finish line of these races is death and emptiness. The only race that counts in eternity, the only race that matters after all is said and done, is the race of Christian discipleship.

So what are we as Christians racing towards? What is our goal? What is our finish line? It is Jesus. Jesus. Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus, the Prince of peace. Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. Jesus, the great shepherd. Jesus, the rock of all ages. Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Jesus! You see, Jesus is not only our companion and strength as we race. He is our goal. Our goal is to be like Jesus.

Just think about it, you are running the race in a big stadium and you hear all the saints cheering you on and that fills you era energy. But you are not prepared for what you see as you turn the corner. There is Jesus at the finish line with a look of encouragement and intensity. He is motioning you forward, “Come on child, don’t stop. You can do it!” You finally stretch across the finish line and you feel a sense of relief and release. Jesus embraces you, says in your ear, “Child, well done, I am so proud of you!” Is there anything else worth living for?

MESSAGE FOR SUNDAY, 2025/08/10

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Reading:
Hebrews 11:1-3; 8-16

Text:
Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see!!

Message:

Today’s readings seem like they are all about not being afraid, which is an important message for our fear-filled world these days. But these readings are not really about not being afraid, they are about having faith. It is our faith and trust in God that keep us from being afraid.

How is your faith these days? I ask that question because there are events, times, and seasons in each of our lives when everything we thought we knew or believed is called into question. The narrative of our life has been ruptured. We no longer know what we believe about God, life, or the world. We’re not sure where to place our trust or in what to hope. Some events leave us wondering, “If this kind of thing can happen to us, then how do we live now? How do we move forward?”

People may come to you and say to you, “Just have faith or get more faith or you need stronger faith. That is not very helpful. What does it even mean after tragedy strikes, our heart has been broken, our world shattered? I wish it were as simple as ordering up some faith but I don’t think it is. I think we are always working out our faith. So I want to rethink with you what faith might mean and look like for us today.

Life is unpredictable. Life is filled with uncertainties. While preparing for the message today I read two stories of how trouble comes to us in unexpected ways.

They threw a retirement party for him. They roasted him and presented him with all these awards. He had been with the company for a long time. His proud wife was there by his side. They asked what he was going to do in his retirement. “Travel”, he said. The couple went on to tell about all the trips they had planned. They went home a proud and happy couple. The next day his wife collapsed and died.

They were a good family. They planned well. Invested their money. Their adorable kids would be taken care of. Well, dad was at work. He got a call from his wife. She said, “Have you seen the news? We’ve lost it all.” You see, they invested with a guy named Madoff.

We see trouble rarely announces itself before it comes. Trouble hardly says, “Here I come! Get ready.” If it did at least we could prepare for it or better we could avoid it altogether. But that is not the way life works. It is because of this truth that our lives are defined by how we respond to trouble. Scott Peck in his book, “Road less traveled” said the reason for so much human dysfunction is the inability to face trouble. At the bottom of all unhealthy responses to trouble is one bad word. This word is the enemy to all that brings life and joy and peace and hope. The word is “panic”. Panic is the feeling of being out of control. Panic is grabbing anything that makes you feel like you are in control, even if it’s unhealthy.

Maybe your life is coming apart, financial, healthy relationship issues and this sends you into panic. You want to know something. There is another choice besides panic. You can find peace in the midst of your storm. You can calm the raging tempest inside you. You can find help and hope. All that is needed is one thing.

It is faith. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things not seen.” As we read this scripture for today it calls us to remember the faithfulness of God to our ancestors and practice the faith that sustained them. So this ancient story calls us to do the same – put our faith and trust in God, the One who was and is and will always be faithful. The story of Abraham and Sarah starts with a decision of Abraham and Sarah. To obey and go or to stay where they are. To trust or not to trust. To be ruled by fear or to live by faith.

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place he was to receive as an inheritance, and he set out, not knowing where he was going.” Faith in God that starts us on the journey of the Christian. Faith that God loves us. Trusting Jesus. This is what gives us the courage to live our lives for God. This is the faith that gets us out the door, and gives us the courage to live our lives for God and for God’s creation. This is the faith that led Abraham and Sarah to go, as Genesis teaches us. The faith that started it all.

But there is also another matter that not only was it Abraham’s faith and belief in God but also by God’s faith in Abraham that he set out for a new homeland even if he did not know where it was or how he would get there. Haven’t there been times in your life when someone emboldened and encouraged you, comforted you, stood by you, believed in you, had faith in you, and it made a difference? You did more than you thought you could, you overcame what you thought was impossible, you got through a situation you never thought you would. So what is God’s desire for you today? In what ways is God calling you? What a difference does God’s belief in you make.

Faith also sometimes means staying at home. We can’t all be Abraham and Sarah, packing our bags and heading out on a great adventure. Faith, and obeying God’s call, can also mean to stay, if that is God’s desire for us. And so, in Hebrews 11:9, the author reminds us that:

“By faith Abraham and Sarah also stayed for a time in the land they had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents.”

It wasn’t easy for them, I am sure, but they stayed. Sometimes faith can lead to something much less dramatic and exciting than going to a strange, new land. In Mother Teresa’s book, “A simple path,” she says:
“I always say that love starts at home: family first, and then your own town or city. It is easy to love people who are far away but it is not always so easy to love those who live with us or right next to us. I do not agree with the big way of doing things – love needs to start with an individual.”

We can love the poor that are all around us. We can begin at home and in our own community. This too is what being faithful can look like: staying where we are and loving those we are with, in the way Jesus loves us.

Faith means looking forward with hope. Hebrews 11:10 “Looked forward to the city that has foundations whose architect and builder is God.” We see faith calls us to look forward, faith teaches us hope. When we look ahead in faith we look ahead with hope. Hope is essential to our Christian life. Hope is not an escape from this world, a distracted desire for heaven to hurry up and get here. Hope is what gives us the patience to live through the trials of this life. It gives us the confidence that better days await. And that can give us the courage to make needed changes in our life. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. When we have this blessed assurance, there is nothing that we cannot face with faith and trust in God.

As Christians we are those who have learned, like Abraham, that God can be trusted. God can be trusted to give peace in the midst of the storm. God can be trusted to take what is evil and transform it into something good. God can be trusted to empower you in the midst of trouble. God can be trusted to receive you when you die. God can be trusted!

Abraham and Sarah have much to teach us about faith about trusting God even when it is hard to trust God. Hebrews 11:11 Sarah was far beyond the age of child bearing still trusted in God. We often think that it is harder to trust in God these days, simply because it is harder to trust in anything these days. And there is some truth in that. But if the Bible teaches us anything, it teaches us that we are not alone when we struggle to trust. There are people of little faith scattered throughout Scripture. We are not alone when our faith seems small.

But the Bible does not teach us only about our small faith, but also about our great God. And even faith the size of a mustard seed is big enough, when it is faith that is placed in God. God can work wonders even with mustard seed-sized faith. Abraham and Sarah had enough faith to trust in God, even in the midst of their doubt. And God had enough faith in Abraham and Sarah to entrust them with a child, to fulfill God’s promise.

We saw in our reading today what faith looks like in the Old Testament then it concludes with these words.
“All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them.”

Isn’t that a poignant thing to say about faith, and about what it looks like in our world? The promise of God that faith clings to, the ultimate promise, lies beyond the grave. None of us will see it in this life, unless Jesus returns in our lifetime. If that doesn’t happen, we will “die in faith without having received the promises,” as Hebrews reminds us. But we see this promise from a distance. We see it and greet it. We trust God. And we do so, on this journey called life, toward the place that is promised us all. We believe the lord, and we go. Just like Abraham and Sarah.

Faith is important. Where we place our faith is important. As David E. Graves writes, “Faith matters. Our faith gives assurance that God has our best interest at heart, knows what we hope for, and holds our future” (Bartlett, 2015). Let’s be honest though, having faith is not always easy. It can be hard to have that confident assurance that God can be trusted, especially when things are not going the way we want them to or when we cannot see the end of the story. That is why this passage is so important for our people. In a world like ours, a world where faith is on the decline, this passage is a call to remembrance. It is a call to remember the never-ending faithfulness of God. It is a call to remember that the God who was faithful to Abraham and Sarah, is the same God that was faithful to Isaac and Jacob, Rahab and Ruth, Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph. This God is the same God that was faithful to the disciples and the early church. And this God will never cease to be faithful. This God will be faithful to you, to me, to God’s church today.

We need this call to remembrance. We need the hope that comes from faith in Christ. We need to be reminded that faith in God is never misplaced! Faith in God is the foundation we can build our lives on and when we do, when we build our lives on this confident assurance, this conviction of truth, then we can wait with joy and confidence, knowing that God is at work – even when our eyes cannot see.

I want today to conclude with a beautiful story of Henry Nouwen who went to a circus to see the German trapeze group “The Flying Rodleighs”. He was mesmerized by their breath-taking performance as they flew gracefully through the air. At the end of the show, he spoke with the leader of the troupe, Rodleigh himself.. Nouwen asked him how he was able to perform with such grace and ease so high in the air. Rodleigh responded, “The public might think that I am the great star of the trapeze, but the real star is Joe, my catcher – The secret is that the flyer does nothing and the catcher does everything. When I fly to Joe, I have to simply stretch out my arms and hands and wait for him to catch me. The worst thing the flyer can do is try to catch the catcher. I’m not supposed to catch Joe. It’s Joe’s task to catch me.”

When trouble comes, so often we try to grab on to God. We think if we do enough mental gymnastics or enough fanciful praying, we can somehow catch God. It’s not our job to catch God. God catches us.

MESSAGE FOR SUNDAY, 2025/08/03

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Reading:
Luke 12:13-21

Text:
Luke 12:21 “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”

Message:

This passage from Luke is going to force us to look at our lives and ask ourselves: “what is really important in life?” Our scripture tells the story of a man who has plenty more than plenty and what he does with his bounteous blessings. In Dr. Philip Ryken’s commentary on Luke gives an illustration from John Grisham’s novel The Testament.

Then Ryken comments, “Whether rich or poor, this is how life always ends: with the dead leaving it all behind, and the living dividing whatever is left. Yet the living are not always satisfied with the way things get divided.” That was true of the man who approached Jesus to adjudicate an inheritance dispute in Luke 12:13-21. Jesus used this opportunity to address the sin of greed.

In the passage we read today, we find Jesus sitting and teaching his disciples, but also sitting with them where many just listen to him teach. He was trying to teach his disciples to fear God alone, when he was suddenly interrupted by a man who was not trying to learn what Jesus was teaching, but he was adamant about his own problem. He blurts out and asks Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” I’m sure Jesus stopped what he was teaching and looked over at this man then said, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” Jesus refused to be sidetracked from his mission of seeking and saving the lost. He looked at that man and saw that the problem wasn’t the fair division of the inheritance, but one of ‘greed’. Jesus saw that not only did this man have a problem with greed, but also the man’s brother.

What Jesus saw coming out of this man was “greed”, and so he begins to teach about the sin of greed in the parable of the “rich man”. After all my reading, I don’t believe that Jesus had a problem with a man having possessions or even being wealthy. Jesus was concerned with man’s heart … where is your heart? Is your heart turned toward getting more and more of what you already have … or is your heart bent on loving and giving to where it is needed.

Proverbs 21:26 speaks to this very point… “they are always greedy for more, while the godly love to give.”

Jesus warns us against the sin of greed, a strong desire to acquire more and more material possessions or to possess more things than other people have, all irrespective of need. This desire applies to all people, rich and poor alike. The rich are tempted to want even more of what they already have, while the poor are tempted to want things they do not have.

We read in Ecclesiastes 5:10 “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income.” The reason Jesus warned against covetousness and greed is because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. The word abundance (perisseuein) in this sense means “surplus”, a superfluity of stuff. Jesus is teaching that having more does not add anything to our lives. He wants us to be content with what we have, rather than have an inordinate desire to have more. T.W. Mason said, “It is true that a certain minimum of material goods is necessary for life; but it is not true that greater abundance of goods means greater abundance of life.”

If it is a lie that life does consist in the abundance of possessions, what is the truth? The truth is true life is to know Jesus Christ and to live for him. The Bible says that Jesus is the life (John 14:6). The Bible says that true life is to know the only true God and his Son Jesus Christ (John 17:3). The Bible says that to live is Christ (Philippians 1:21). A heart bent on acquiring more and more of any earthly possession is dead end. Jesus said that one’s life does not consist in the abundance of His possessions … and yet greed tries to convince us of just the opposite.

As we reflect on the story that Jesus told, what is Jesus teaching us?

I  We focus on ourselves

And we do not give God credit for the things He has done. Has the grammar of our lives been predominantly in the first person singular. I? I want, I need, I hope I achieved, I accomplished, I will. I I I “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed.”

Jesus told a parable say “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentiful.” Jesus spoke of a man who was rich, a man who had honestly earned what he possessed … Jesus didn’t have a problem with that … Jesus was speaking of a man who was leaving God out of the picture … he was speaking of a man who was saying to himself … look what I have done … look what my fields have yielded … look at me and my wonderful problem. Where was God in this picture .. the fact that he was a steward over all that God had given him … the fact that God had blessed him with a good crop free of blight and disease … the fact that God had blessed him with such an abundance that ‘his cup overfloweth’… that his barns could no longer hold all that God had given him … this man was not giving God any credit for these things that he had done.

When we focus on ourselves, we make plans but leave God out. “And he thought within himself, saying, ‘what shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops? So he said, I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater ones, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.” There is nothing wrong with the man’s desire to build more barns; it was probably a good and prudent idea. The problem lays in the fact that there is not any thought of sharing his abundance with others. It is interesting to note that in the parable the personal pronoun ‘My’ occurs four times and ‘I’ occurs five times. The rich man says … my crops … my barns… my goods. There is no thought to putting God into his life. In all his plans, he has left God out.

God had blessed him, although he did not recognize it. God had sent just the right amount of rain and sunshine, and kept the pests off his farm, so that the farmer had a massive crop. The farmer did not cheat anyone nor abuse his employees. He was wonderfully successful. But the man did not recognize God’s provision, and, falling prey to a false sense of security, he thought to himself, “what shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?” And he said, “I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods”(12:17 – 18). Building new, larger barns was logical and prudent. It was a good idea. However, the danger lay in what was missing. There was no thought of stewardship. There was no understanding that he was a steward of God’s possessions, and that he was to share God’s blessings with others.

The problem with this man is that he was selfish and self-absorbed. All he could think of was himself. He had no thought for God or for other people. In fact, Dan Doriani notes that of the fifty-four words in the parable in the original Greek, fully eighteen of them are first-person words like “I “, “Me,” and “my.”

A minister tells a story of how he went to visit a mentor and teacher of his who said he could take some of the books he no longer needed or used. He said he was so excited because he had some great books. He then showed his wife that he took six large boxes of books. He said he was thrilled but his wife was not. She said where will you put them all? He said he was going to put up extra shelves. Then she said there was another option, get rid of some of the books. He said, no he wanted to get rich of his books “Take care. Be on your guard against all kinds of greed.” As Jesus warns, there are all kinds of greed. It might be books, shoes, or any other tangible thing. It might be amassing money, land, or other wealth. But greed can also be about time, attention, approval, love, knowledge, power, control, being right, being in charge, or a thousand other things. Ultimately, though, greed is not about any of these things. They are just the symptoms or pointers to the deeper issue. The issue is not about quantity but a condition of the heart. Greed is really just a way of dealing with our own feelings of deficit and emptiness. It’s not so much about having enough but about being enough. When we believe ourselves to be deficient, when we lose belief in ourselves, when we feel we are not enough, then we get greedy. We use things and other people to fill the hole inside us.

When we focus on ourselves we consider spending our resources only on ourselves. “And I say to my soul … soul, you have many goods laid up for many years: take your ease; eat, drink and be merry.” In this verse, the rich man is talking to himself and assessing his future physical well-being. This man thought that when he put his plan into action that he would have it made for years to come. He was convinced that his future would continually expand under his control. Nothing could be further from the truth. He was beginning to show traits of being a ‘fool’. In the book of James, it speaks about this rich man’s attitude in Chapter 4 verses 13-16 when it says, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit, whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”

One of the most dangerous words in our language is the word, “tomorrow”. When we speak of the future, we should say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” The Bible does not discourage us from looking into the future, however, as we make our plans, whether it be in business, in relationships, or in our personal lives, we are to do so from the perspective that ultimately God is in charge. With this in mind, we should plan with a humble heart, knowing that God is with us … to help us and to strengthen us in all we do.

That means we invest in ourselves, each other, and the world in the same ways in which Jesus invested himself; through love, mercy, compassion, justice, hope, courage, acceptance, truth, beauty, generosity. This is the wealth of God. This is the life God shares and invests in us through Jesus Christ. So to be rich toward God begins with knowing that we already are God’s beloved treasure. There is freedom in that. It is the freedom to live rich toward others and the world. It reveals that there is enough. It declares my life to be as important and valuable as yours. It eliminates the need for comparison with and judgment of myself and others. Being takes precedence over having.

Greed deceives us and convinces us that if we just have enough then we will be happy. Greed uses external things to deal with internal matters and it rarely works. It leaves us wanting more, always seeking the next dollar, the next book, the next word of approval. The thing is that greed steals and deprives us of what we most want. Greed thieves us of our lives. That doesn’t mean that possessions are inherently bad or wrong. The antidote to greed is not necessarily in cleaning out the closet, throwing away my books, or giving away my belongings, though in some cases that might be a necessary beginning point. The real work is interior work. Greed shows me to be living in poverty toward God. The antidote to greed then is to be rich toward God.

Greed thieves us of God’s wealth. The boxes, shelves and closets of our lives are already full. We have no need, no desire, no room for God. It isolates us from self, others, and God. Greed works its deception and turns us back on ourselves and the grammar of our life soon becomes first person singular.

I know what I will do.
I will pull down my barns.
I will build larger barns.
I will store my stuff in my new barns.
I will relax.
I will eat.
I will drink.
I will be merry.

When that happens greed has thieved me of you and the possibility of us. There is no second or third person. There is only me, a “fool” Jesus says in the parable, a fool who closes the barn door after the thief has escaped with my life. “Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions”, Jesus said. Somewhere deep within we already know this. Jesus does not have a problem with us owning possessions – that is one way God blesses our lives. It is the problem of how we think about our possessions that makes the difference.

As we packed up our stuff to move to Stilbaai we had got rid of a whole lot of things. I realized then and there, that “you can’t take it with you”… that God blesses you with many things, but they are only on loan for you to use… that you are only a steward of the things of this life. All our earthly riches will do us no good once all we own is a small six foot plot of ground, unless our riches are used to help others … unless we use our abundance to bring others to the belief that giving is better than getting … that God blesses the giver and places treasures in his house for the righteous person.

Conclusion

Here is a closing thought. Kent Hughes notes that “this is the only place in the Bible where retirement is spoken of, and here it is in the context of disapproval. Of course, the Bible recognizes aging and slowing down. But retiring to a life of self-indulgence finds no favor with God. A retirement that lives for self is unbiblical and immoral.” I realize that there are many retirees in our congregation. You need to hear what Jesus is saying. The problem is not with retirement, the problem is with retirement that lives for self.

May the words of the Gospel speak into our lives today and let us begin to experience what it means to be “rich toward God,” for to be truly “rich to God” requires a real change of attitude which considers everything we have as a blessing from above and to treasure those blessings by sharing them generously. True Christian charity begins in the heart and then translates into heart-felt actions. As the great American comedian Bob Hope once said, “If you haven’t got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.” And indeed, perhaps that is what we may be suffering from – “heart trouble”, the kind of heart trouble that makes us unable to fully experience the loving great generosity of God, furthermore, our inability to plainly see God’s bountiful providence in our lives. When we come to terms with the fact that God’s generosity is great, we begin to realize how much more generous we must be, we who are created in God’s image and likeness.

MESSAGE FOR SUNDAY, 2025/07/27

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Reading:
Luke 11:1-13

Text:
Luke 11:1 “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished one of his disciples said to Him, “Lord teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples”.

Message:

One of his disciples said to Jesus, “Teach us to pray”. It is a simple request. It is this text that becomes the cornerstone for the church position and view of prayer. The passage begins with the disciples asking Jesus to teach them how to pray and this is one of the very few things that they specifically asked Jesus to teach them. This reveals the importance and power of prayer. This passage clearly describes Jesus as a man of prayer and He was devoted to the discipline of seeking the heart of God. He is the one who provides the example and teaches both with His own lifestyle and with the examples that He presented. It is this fact that shows the full and total impact of the teaching. The disciples were so interested in prayer because they had seen how prayer had been a vital part of the ministry of John the Baptizer.

Perhaps you are perfectly comfortable praying, but many church people are not. A Presbyterian theologian Robert McAfee Brown wrote: “Prayer for many is like a foreign land. When we go there, we go as tourists. Like most tourists, we feel uncomfortable and out of place. Like most tourists, we therefore move on before too long and go somewhere else.”

So, in today’s sermon we would like to look at what prayer is and how to go about it so that we may find the true meaning and purpose of prayer. How often we feel guilty about prayer. Many of us probably think that we know how to pray. Many of us may not know how to talk to God. Jesus is going to challenge our prayer life as he teaches how true disciples talk to God. I love the story I read while preparing for today’s sermon. When a minister went to see his dentist, the hygienist asked him how he was doing with his flossing. He replied, “Well, I feel about flossing much the same way I feel about prayer. I know it is good for me, and that I should do more of it.”

Many people see prayer as a chore or a religious work required by our faith or we feel we do not have the proper words or forms of prayer. We must keep our prayers simple. Jesus answers the question how to pray by saying “Ask, search and knock”. We have got to keep at it and be persistent. The Lord’s prayer is a simple guide that we have said so often we take it for granted. Let us now learn from this the Lord’s prayer as a simple guide to pray.

I  Our Father in Heaven hallowed be your Name

Jesus begins by calling God, ‘Father’. Jesus teaches his disciples that prayers do not need to begin with long flowing descriptions. We are instructed to speak intimately with God, speaking with him as our Father. Jesus does not say that only he can call God, ‘Father’, but we are also to God, ‘Father’. Talking to God does not require formalism. My children do not talk to me in Shakespearean English. We come to go as a Father who cares for his children who invites us to come to Him. How I appreciate it when my sons call me. It’s hard for us to remember just how radical this is, that Jesus teaches us to address God as ‘Father.’ Before Jesus taught this, it would have been unthinkable for anyone to address God so intimately. It makes sense, of course, for Jesus to address God as ‘Father’. After all, Jesus is God’s Son. That would be the most natural way for Jesus to pray. But when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, the first thing he taught them was that they should also address God as ‘Father’. And with this one word, Jesus redefined the disciples’ relationship with God forever. And ours, too.

We are no longer God’s servants. We are now God’s children. Because Jesus declared it so. Jesus came to be our brother, and to help us learn that we are all now God’s children. And that changes how we talk to God, how we pray to God. We don’t need a fancy formula to talk to God. Children of loving parents don’t need fancy formulas to talk to their parents. Nor do we need to have our life figured out before we can talk to God. Loving parents want their children to talk to them, even when they are in trouble. Perhaps especially then! We don’t have to be a perfect person in order to talk to God. What loving parent rejects their child because they are not perfect?

Jesus teaches us that when we pray, we can turn to God as any child would to a loving parent. God wants to hear from us, wants to be in a relationship with us, wants to help us live our lives. But God also does not want to interfere without our wanting Him to. He loves us too much to help us against our will. So he waits for us to ask. And the way that we ask is through prayer. Approaching our heavenly Father in prayer.

Jesus then continues teaching us to pray for the name of God to be kept holy. The new living translation puts this verse in a good way, “Father may your name be kept holy.” We are praying for the holiness of God to always be revealed. Further, we are reminding ourselves that we keep the name of God holy through our words and through our actions. We cannot exalt the holiness of God in prayer if our daily words and actions do not reveal God’s holiness. Disciples uphold the holiness of God through speech and action. We do not use God’s name as a curse word. We do not throw the name of God around as if it were a common exclamation. Our words uphold the high holiness of God. Our lives reveal God’s holiness not discredit the name of God to the world.

We can sometimes feel intimidated when we approach God. We can feel nervous about talking to God, unsure of whether we are doing it correctly. And I think that is why Jesus went on to teach the rest of this prayer – for it to serve as a guide to how to approach our Heavenly Father in prayer. The Lord’s prayer isn’t a formula, but it does teach us a pattern for praying that serves as a guide to how to pray. So, think about the pattern we are taught in this prayer, after we are taught to address God as “Father”. Jesus teaches us to pray, “hallowed be your name.” It begins, in other words, by praising God’s holy name. Jesus teaches us to begin our prayers in this way, by praising God, blessing his holy name. Sometimes we can fall into a pattern of always beginning our prayers with a plea for help. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking God for help, but Jesus is reminding us here that our prayers, like our very lives, should be about bringing God glory. So, when we have fallen into a pattern of beginning all our prayers with a plea for help, this can be a reminder to begin our prayers with praise. And in my experience, something important happens when we do that – it tends to change the rest of our prayer. Nothing looks quite as awful when we begin by praising our God. We don’t stop there, but Jesus teaches us to begin there. The prayer continues with another petition that often doesn’t begin our prayers: “Your kingdom come.” Before we pray for our daily needs, or ask for forgiveness, or pray for help in times of trial, we are taught to pray for God’s kingdom to come. And, again, it seems that Jesus is reminding us in this prayer that it is not all about us. An important part of our lives is bringing God glory and doing God’s will. And that should be an important part of our prayer-lives, too

Your Kingdom come

Jesus is teaching to pray for the rule of the kingdom to come into the world and into the heart of every person. We are praying for all powers and authorities to be subjected to Christ. We are praying for every person to be subjected to Christ. The kingdom has come and the kingdom continues its reign until every enemy of Christ has been subjugated. When we pray for God’s kingdom to come we declare that we do not believe that the kingdom of this world is ultimate. We as the church pins our hopes on Jesus Christ who makes all things new. The one who prays for God’s kingdom to come works for the transformation of the world even as we wait for God’s kingdom, which will never be identical with our hopes and dreams. We pray for the fullness of God’s kingdom here on earth. And, finally, he teaches us to ask God not to bring us to the time of trial. Every life faces trials and challenges, to be sure. Jesus knew that. He obviously faced some incredible trials himself. But here, Jesus is teaching us to bring our trials to God, so that we do not have to face them alone. God wants to help us through our trials. To be involved in the challenges we face in life. And prayer is the way in which we invite God to do so.

Give us our daily bread

This prayer reminds us that we are creatures and must rely on God’s provision for our bodily needs. Daily bread is the bread which God must supply each day. Like the manna in the wilderness we cannot store it to provide for ourselves. Praying for our daily bread reveals our dependence on God to provide our physical needs. We are recognizing that God is the giver of every good and perfect gift. We are acknowledging that our physical blessings are given to us by God. When Jesus speaks of the daily bread, we are too often convinced that we are or must be independent and self-sufficient. Prayer reminds us that we are “un self-sufficient.” We ask each day for our daily bread. That does not mean we are deficient but that our sufficiency comes not from ourselves but from God. It means that God sustains and nourishes our life.

Forgive us our sins

We also rely on God for our spiritual protection. Every prayer rightly asks for forgiveness from our sins. But our forgiveness is contingent on forgiving others. A disciple readily forgives, not holding grudges or using offenses for selfish manipulation, because God has forgiven us. When we are not readily forgiving those who seek our forgiveness, then we are no longer Christians because God will not forgive us. We are lost in our sins when we do not forgive others when they offend us and seek repentance. Prayer is the way we express our dependence on God. Prayer humbles us so that we accept in our hearts that we need God and understand that we cannot live without him. If we are not able to offer this forgiveness, how will we ever understand the forgiveness that God offers to us, free of charge in Jesus Christ?

And lead us not into temptation

This prayer reminds of the perilous spiritual situation in which we stand. God himself tempts no one. But the prayer asks God to spare us from the testing of our faith. And finally, he teaches us to ask God not to bring us to the time of trial. Every life faces trials and challenges, to be sure. Jesus knew that. He obviously faced some incredible trials himself. But here, Jesus is teaching us to bring our trials to God, so that we do not have to face them alone. God wants to help us through our trials. To be involved in the challenges we face in life. And prayer is the way in which we invite God to do so.

Jesus teaches to pray with boldness

Jesus then tells the disciples a parable to show us the need for persistence and dedication to the calling of prayer. It is a simple and profound privilege that we can go before God and present our needs whenever we have them, day or night. There is a man who has a friend who arrived on a journey and he has no food to give him and then he goes to friends’ house at midnight and asks him to lend him three loaves of bread. Then the friend answers from inside and says the door is already locked and my children are already in bed. I can’t get up to give you anything. But Jesus says because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. Jesus brings us a clear picture of the means that we can have and build a right relationship with God. We must be in direct and consistent contact with the throne of God and it is from this point that we can see how God loves and cares for every person. Do you see that this is the point of the story? It is not the man’s persistence of the request. It is the timing of the request along with the persistence. This man had the boldness and gall to make this request at such an hour. The friend in the house gives him the bread because he is such an irritant. Jesus’ point is that disciples pray boldly with shameless nerve. Prayer is the audaciously bold request for God to do what he has promised. This shameless boldness is not for selfish requests. We are not praying for things to fulfill our selfish desires. (James 4:3) To encourage another brother or sister in Christ? God says you should pray boldly for them. Are you trying to teach your friends the gospel? Shameless pray for their souls. The model prayer does not have room for selfish requests. Rather, we are revealing our complete dependence on God. We are telling God what is happening in our lives and the things that we need spiritually or physically. Go to God in prayer boldly. Ask for great things to happen in your life. You are given the offer to make bold, audacious requests to your Lord. What have you been afraid to ask God to do in your life? Are you struggling with daily food because of economic conditions or physical hardships? God said to pray for that and pray boldly for it. Are you struggling in your faith? God tells you to make audacious prayers for your spiritual life. Are you trying to encourage another brother or sister in Christ? God says you should pray boldly for them. Are you trying to teach your friends the gospel? Shameless pray for their souls.

Ask, seek and knock

The manner that we are to approach is one of both humility and boldness of spirit. We are to go to God with confidence because He knows our needs even before they leave our mouths. We must be willing to ask for what we need, seek out the will and way of God and knock at God’s door. He will answer when we call and everyone who asks will receive, any who seek will find and all who knock will have the door opened for them. God is available 24/7. So I tell you, ask, and God will give it to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.

Jesus says keep on asking, this is an invitation to prayer and He says keep seeking, this means to pursue God and His will seeking the goals and purposes of the Kingdom. Then keep on knocking we are entering through the door into God’s presence to receive blessings. Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. God answers our bold requests in his name. Notice verse 10. “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” God provides for his children. This is the illustration that Jesus uses to explain why God answers prayers.

But there is one final thing that Jesus teaches us about prayer in this gospel reading. And that is, to put it simply: keep praying. Don’t give up on prayer, don’t give up on God. Keep asking. Keep searching. Keep knocking. If God doesn’t seem to be answering your prayer, don’t give up on God. Persist in prayer, and your prayers will be answered. Why? Because, again, God wants to get involved in our world. God wants to hear from us, and is waiting for us to knock before opening the door. Ask, Jesus teaches us in this gospel reading, and it will be given us; search, and we will find; knock, and the door will be opened for us. That certainly sounds like a God who wants to interfere in our world, doesn’t it? So, let’s keep turning to our heavenly Father in prayer. Let’s keep inviting God into our lives and with our world. And then, let’s keep our eyes of faith open, to see all the amazing ways that God is answering our prayers. Thanks be to God.

What Father would give a snake to the son who asks for a fish, or a scorpion when he asks for an egg. Here is the son who is in physical need. What father is going to give his child something that he does not need? Even more, what Father is going to give his child something harmful? No father would do that. The father gives what the child needs and does not give what is harmful to them. Now watch the point in verse 13. If we are evil people and yet we know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will our heavenly Father give us the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! If we know how to give our children what they need when they ask, and we are evil and sinful, then how much more does our Father in heaven know what to give us? How much more will our heavenly Father do for us? We are given a blank check request for the necessities of the spiritual life. God is going to give you everything you need to get through this life. Ask him boldly for the things you need as you depend on him. God is going to provide for his children. God is going to give you his blessings when you ask. What do you truly need right now? Ask God. Shamelessly be persistent in your request to the God who gives you every good gift and perfect blessing for your life.

Conclusion

The main thing Jesus teaches his disciples about prayer is to be persistent, the old word was importunate: “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Finally, Jesus assures the disciples that their loving Father in heaven will give them what they need. “Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

How much more, indeed! Jesus himself embodies the love and concern that he promises the heavenly Father will have for his children. And when I am reluctant to approach the high and holy God, I try to remember that this same God, so far removed from us, reached out in love to be “God with us” in the humanity of Jesus Christ. That is why so many of our prayers conclude with “through Jesus Christ our Lord” or “In Jesus’ name we pray.” Because Jesus himself is the mediator between heaven and earth. He is the bridge between frail human flesh and the majesty of the Divine. So you can pray to him and through him anytime you want with any words you want.

Prayer is one of the strongest and most fundamental aspects of the Christian life and we cannot expect for growth in grace without time in prayer. This is our highest calling to separate a special time to be alone with God on a daily basis and to turn our burdens, needs and cares over to Him. It is not enough for us to talk about God; we must begin to talk to God. This aspect of the Christian life is one of the most fundamental and one of the most forgotten. It is time to make a dedication to daily spiritual exercise that builds our Spiritual life with Christ.

MESSAGE FOR SUNDAY, 2025/07/20

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Reading:
Luke 10:38-42

Text:
Luke 10:41-42 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.

Message:

As we begin with our text we first of all note that Martha welcomes Jesus into her home. The frame for the story is hospitality. We see from our Old Testament reading how Abraham welcomes three strangers into his house. So we see how hospitality is important then and now. We see how Jesus depended on the hospitality of Mary and Martha. As Jesus comes into Martha’s home and she starts busying herself with providing appropriate food and drink to her guest. But she notices that her sister Mary just sits down on the floor at Jesus’ feet and listens to what Jesus had to say. Now the scene becomes interesting. Martha is running around the house trying to get everything ready. One can imagine the smoke rising in the kitchen as she is preparing things at a frenzied pace. But where is Mary? Mary is sitting at the feet of the Lord, listening to his teaching. I can see Martha peeking around the corner and resenting the fact that Mary is just sitting there while she is killing herself trying to pull off this meal. You can almost hear the thoughts running through her head. “It would sure be nice to have a little help in here.” ” “Why isn’t my lazy sister in here helping me?”

This annoys Martha that Mary isn’t helping her in the kitchen, and we can imagine her seething and banging pots and pans a little too enthusiastically to get her sister’s attention and express her annoyance. And here is where I think we get to the real heart of this passage. Martha never asks Mary to help her. Instead she asks Jesus to intercede for her, saying, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.”

A minister shared this story. He said it took him a long time to figure out then someone would come to him and say, “I was speaking to someone and they are really bothered by something you said or did.” Then the one who brought him the message would say, “I don’t feel that way myself but I thought you would like to know. He said eventually he would ask, “Who is it?” Often they would not tell him. He then said whether he did or not, he learned to say, “Have them come and talk to me directly about it.” Here Martha comes to Jesus to talk to her sister and also notice Martha’s complaint to Jesus she refers to herself several times. “My sister has left me to do all the work myself, tell her to help me. Martha’s generous hospitality has become more about her than the guest.

Can you imagine saying to Jesus that you do not care about me? Martha is claiming an injustice and sees Jesus as not caring about how she is being mistreated at this moment “Tell my sister to help me out then!” Martha thinks that Jesus will set Mary straight. Send Mary in here to help me out. There are things that need to be done if we are going to eat.

Jesus gives Martha an unexpected response. You know that Martha expected Jesus to say, “Mary, please be a good servant and go help your sister.” Instead, Jesus tells Martha that she is wrong and that Mary has made the better choice. So Jesus gets to the heart of the problem and answers her: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things.” As one commentator wrote: “Jesus is not going after Busy Martha, but Worried and Distracted Martha”. At a different time Jesus might well have commended Martha’s hospitality. As I said in last week’s sermon Jesus doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all template, but deals with each person differently. Last week he told the lawyer to “go and do” while today he tells Martha “sit and listen.” So, it wasn’t Martha’s busyness that Jesus called to account, but her distractedness, her worry, and her lack of focus.

There is a wonderful Greek word that Luke uses in this gospel reading to describe Martha’s distractions. The word is : Perispaoumai. And this word literally means “to be pulled away or to be pulled apart.” That’s what distractions do, don’t they? They pull us apart. And they pull us away from what really matters.

What really mattered for Martha was the presence of Jesus in her home. How many have that privilege? But her worries and distractions pulled her away from that amazing experience. Distractions pull us away from what really matters, from what is truly important. And it happens to us all. There is another word, on the other hand, that means almost the exact opposite. It means to be re-attached. And that word is: Religion. From the Latin, re-ligare, which literally means to be re-attached. Re-ligare. Re-attached. That is what religion does, at its best. It re-attaches us to what truly matters. So, while distractions pull us away from the things that matter, religion re-attaches us to what is truly important. And, in particular, it re-attaches us to Jesus.

Paul in his letter to the Colossians 1:17 “He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.” What a wonderful reminder that it’s Jesus that holds all things together. He is the One who holds us to what truly matters. He is the glue we need in times of worries and distractions. But for Jesus to do this, we need to give him our time and attention. When the distractions of life threaten to pull us apart, we need to re-attach ourselves to Jesus, by spending time with him in daily prayer, and weekly worship. We need to re-attach ourselves to Jesus to be re-attached to what truly matters in life.

That’s what Mary was doing in this reading – re-attaching herself to Jesus. She was sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning from him. Jesus tells Martha that Mary chose the better part. But we can’t end there. Because Martha was doing something important, after all. If everyone just sat at Jesus’ feet, everyone would have gone hungry. There is a balance that is important. Last Sunday we focused on the Good Samaritan who helped a neighbor in need.

And in that story, Jesus told the lawyer who initiated the conversation that he should go and do as the Samaritan did, that he should always be ready to help his neighbor in need. So, think about that: One week, Jesus tells someone to be like the Samaritan and “go and do,” and the next week, he tells Martha to be like Mary and “come and sit.” Sometimes, in other words, Jesus calls us to be like the Samaritan. And sometimes, he calls us to be like Mary.

So, which is more important? I like how the great preacher Fred Craddock put it. He says: “There is a time to go and do; there is a time to listen and reflect. Knowing which is a matter of spiritual discernment. If we were to ask Jesus which example applies to us, the Samaritan or Mary, his answer would probably be “Yes.”

Sometimes it is important for us to go and do – to serve others, to love others, to share our faith, to do all those things that Jesus instructs us to do. But after we do these things, it is equally important to spend some quality time with Jesus – to come to worship, to spend time in daily prayer, and Bible study, to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn from him.

Martha’s distractedness

Martha’s problem was distractedness, her worry and her lack of focus. We all have focus and attention. Notice an important word in verse 40. The word is “distracted”. “But Martha was distracted with much serving.” Her attention was drawn away from the Lord by the burden of her duties. She had things that had to be done and no one is disputing that at some point the things that Martha was doing would need to be done. But these things were not important. These things are not more important than sitting at the feet of Jesus like Mary was doing. How often we neglect our Lord Jesus for the urgent things in life. Bible reading is neglected because we have urgent things to do.. prayer is non-existent because we are simply too busy to pray. We neglect the assembling of the Christians together because we have so much to do. Teaching is neglected because we do not have time to spend with our friends and neighbors. It is amazing to me that the fact we have not checked our email can scream louder in our ear than the fact that we have not checked in to the Lord in prayer. It has been hours since we looked at Facebook and we think we are missing out, but we let hours go by without looking at our Bibles and do not even notice.

Many things have left Martha feeling troubled, anxious, and disturbed. She’s being pulled in different directions. Her life is in pieces, divided into parts. It’s as if there are a thousand different things in her heart and on her mind and she’s not able to give time, energy, and attention to the “one thing” needed. Maybe she doesn’t even know what that “one thing” is. I wonder how many of us here today feel like Martha, “worried and distracted by many things.” I do and I wouldn’t be surprised if you do too. Chances are most of us are living a Martha kind of life. It’s often what happens when we feel overwhelmed and the plumb line of our life is swinging wildly. What are the many things about which you are worried and distracted today? What is dividing your life into parts and pulling you in different directions? And what are those things doing to you and your relationships? When Jesus says to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things,” I don’t think he’s making an accusation, he’s making an observation. He’s making a diagnosis not a judgment. And when he says, “Mary has chosen the better part” I don’t think he is opposing Mary, who sits at his feet and listens to Martha, who is busy with many tasks. I don’t think he is saying that Mary is right and Martha is wrong, or that it’s better to sit at his feet and listen than it is to prepare the house and table to welcome a guest.

Look at the life of Jesus. He lives on a Mary-Martha spectrum, as do we all. Sometimes Jesus went off by himself to be alone, silent, and still; to sit, pray and listen; to be present to his Father. Other times Jesus was active, on the move, in the midst of people, and busy teaching, healing, feeding 5000. One is not better or more important than the other. We need both.

Another problem is that of multi-tasking. For example, how many accidents are caused by texting on the phone while we are driving. We see in restaurants how people sit around a table each on their mobile phones unaware of those around them. Oftenful about how busyness distracts us. When we ask how they are, they say “Oh I am so busy right now” Often we are so busy that it keeps us from being fully alive.

It is easy to make fun of Martha and Mary. But Martha is a woman who knows how to serve and by what methods to get things done. Mary is a person who takes time to reflect. Mary got it right this time, but another time, it will be Martha, and Mary sorely needs to learn how to get into the work around her and be of help. Jesus is telling something to us through Martha. We are busy, worried and distracted people. We race ahead in our busyness, but we forget to pay attention to what really matters all around us.

The One thing

The thing that we are taught here is the need to redefine what is important. What are the things which are truly important and what are the things that are simply urgent. If we do not predetermine that these things are not important, then we will continue to neglect the important things. How do we determine which things in life are important and which things in life are urgent? Jesus teaches us how to sort this out in verse 41-42. “One thing is necessary”. Do we live our lives with this kind of perspective? Martha is anxious and troubled by many things, according to Jesus’ divine observation. But only one thing is necessary. There is only one important thing. Mary had chosen that necessary thing. She had chosen to sit at the feet of Jesus. She chose to listen to Jesus and Jesus was not going to take that away from her so that she can make a meal or do the dishes. The one necessary thing was to sit at the feet of Jesus. How often we act like this is not a necessary thing. One writer made the point like this:

“Amid all life’s duties and necessities there is one supreme necessity which must always be given priority, and which, if circumstances compel us to choose, must be chosen to the exclusion of all others. That supreme necessity is to sit at the Lord’s feet and listen to his word. It must be so. If there is a Creator at all, and that Creator is prepared to visit us and speak to us as in his incarnation he visited and spoke to Martha and Mary, then obviously it is our first duty as his creatures, as it ought to be our highest pleasure, to sit at the feet and listen to what he says.” (Luke 21:2)

Unfortunately, it seems when circumstances compel us to choose, we choose the urgent to the exclusion of Jesus. We come to services only when there is nothing else. We pray only in circumstances of need. We read only when there is nothing on Television. We choose God only if there is no other pressing need. And we think we have proper excuses. “Well, I had to work.” “I had to do such and such” I had people I had to be with.” There is only one thing that is necessary. This must be a life changing teaching. True disciples of Jesus are moved by the one necessary thing to sit at the feet of Jesus. Sitting at the feet of Jesus is the only pressing need! Disciples of Jesus do not let the urgent things of life squeeze out the one important thing.

Choosing “the better part” doesn’t mean the other parts are inferior or wrong. It simply means that at this time, in this place, and under these circumstances there is a better part to be chosen. What if Martha could have chosen hospitality with the same wholeheartedness with which Mary chose sitting and listening? That just might have been the “one thing” for her, “the better part.” We don’t all have to choose the same “one thing.” What if there is a “better part” for you and a “better part” for me just like there is for Mary and Martha? And what if in wholeheartedly choosing the “one thing” our lives are enlarged and together we begin responding to the needs of one another and the world?

We certainly do live in a time when the worries and distractions are all around us. It is all too easy to become bitter and resentful in our world today, and to let fear and worry crowd out love and forgiveness. It is all too easy to find ourselves being dragged down by what is around us, being pulled apart from all of these things.

Today’s gospel reading is a timely reminder to us to take time each day to re-attach ourselves to what truly matters. To spend time with God in prayer, to sit at Jesus’ feet. And take time each week to be re-attached to God through our Sunday worship. These are the things that will keep us from being worried and distracted by so many things. But then, after we are re-attached to what matters, we are called to go and serve our neighbor in need, to go and show God’s love and mercy and grace and kindness to everyone we encounter. We can help the world stay connected to what truly matters, by bringing Jesus’ love to all those around us. We can choose the better part, which will not be taken away from us. And we can do this for the glory of God.

 

MESSAGE FOR SUNDAY, 2025/07/13

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Reading:
Luke 10:25-37

Text:
Luke 10:29 “But he wanted to justify himself so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor.”

Message:

The Scripture opens with a lawyer who stood up to test Jesus. At the time Jesus lived there were hundreds of laws governing most every aspect of life. The question posed to Jesus by the lawyer was one many have wondered about: “What must I do to win the prize of eternal life?” Typical of Jesus, he turns the question back on the lawyer. “What is written in the law?’ The lawyer knew in theory the foundation of all laws could be traced to the Ten Commandments. In response the lawyer recited the summary of the Law. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” The lawyer was in the position of most of us; he could recite what the law said. He decided to take his question one step further: “And who is my neighbor?” “Who is my neighbor?” This is a central question in the church today and one that is even discussed in the life of our nation.

The lawyer knew exactly what the law said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said, “That is right. Do this and you will live.” And then the man asked, “Just who is my neighbor??” Jesus then told him the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus did not lecture the lawyer about neighborliness, instead he told him a story. It is a story that answered the lawyer’s initial question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The story Jesus told is about putting words into action. While the lawyer wondered about attaining the reward, Jesus talked about eternal life now. In essence, Jesus told the lawyer eternal life is in the doing.

Jesus doesn’t directly answer the question, and he doesn’t quote the Greek to try to explain how the word “neighbor” is used in the Old Testament. He doesn’t offer a dissertation on its derivation from ancient languages. He simply tells a story. But what a story he tells. It is a little masterpiece called the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

The Parable

In reply Jesus said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away leaving him half dead.

(a) Then a certain priest came down that way after having fulfill?e?d his duties at the temple in Jerusalem. He sees the beaten man lying on the side of the road looking more dead than alive and seeing him, he deliberately passes by on the other side of the road. His highest duty was to offer sacrifices in the temple. According to the law in Lev. 21:1?-3, he was to keep himself ceremonially clean and not to defile himself. Even though he had certain rules and regulations, there was no reason he could not show mercy to someone in need. The Levites assisted the priests in the temple services and also was a person set apart and trained for religious work. It is said that Jericho was a city of priests and Levites and thousands of them lived there. The Samaritan was – in contrast – a Gentile who was low on the totem pole as far as status or respect. No one wanted to help a Samaritan and probably didn’t want to receive help from one either. A man was going down to Jericho from Jerusalem on this dangerous road and some robbers beat him up and left him for dead. We don’t know the details of this story. The priest happened to come by and looked over and saw the hurting man. We don’t have much information about what he saw or felt as he happened to come along. He may have said, “I feel sorry for the guy. He’s probably about dead anyway. Maybe he’s already dead. Anyway, what can I do to help? I’m not a paramedic. I better get out of here or that will be me lying in the ditch next time.” When have we reacted just like the priest did, avoiding “getting involved.” If I don’t see the need, I can’t be expected to stop. If we can justify our lack of involvement because we might be in danger or at risk, we can often scoot to the other side of the road and go on our way with ease. If we tell ourselves that we can’t do anything about it anyway, it often gets us off the hook, and we feel OK about it. Even though the priest performed the highest of ceremonial sacrifices, he was not really keeping the law. Mark 12:28?-31 talks about loving God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself also, but this scripture adds this thought: that this is “more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” The priest who considered himself very religious was missing the point. We often do, too, at times when we fail to have concern for others in need.

(b) The second person who came past that way was a Levite. He was a member of the tribe of Levi. Levites were like lay priests who helped in the temple service. When he saw this poor fellow lying by the road beaten half dead he went over to have a closer look. That was the better part. Perhaps he decided there was nothing he could do. So he went to the other side of the road and continued on his way. That was the worst part. The Levite also saw the need and quickly passed by on the other side. We don’t know how much time had passed by between the two people seeing but not doing anything about the need. He didn’t call 911 or make contact with anyone else who could help – not even a referral. The need was passed by, unmet by people who probably could have done something. How many times do we see the need but pass by on the other side of the road? Probably more times than we would like to admit and for a number of reasons. I think this scripture shows us how many times we, too, as Christians have walked on the other side of the road. We may feel condemned about it and say, “but I’m just not a people person.” A preacher who wouldn’t talk to people. Walk by them and not even say, “Hi, how was your day?” People would say, “Oh, he’s very business-like – he’s not a people person.” Maybe the priest and the Levite were trying to act like that. We may feel, “I’m not a very Good Samaritan either. When we were meeting in the parable groups to study this scripture I thought, “I’m not a very Good Samaritan.” Jesus did not tell this parable to beat us over the head with condemnation because of what we are or are not. He told this parable that we might learn and improve from it. As the lawyer’s eyes were opened to who his neighbor was, Jesus said, “go and do likewise. Start being a good Samaritan.” The priests and Levites were highly respected men. Because of their education, they knew the Law of God and were able to teach it to the people. They were the true religious leaders of their day. And yet they both passed by. The story doesn’t tell us why they didn’t stop and help this man. Perhaps it doesn’t matter. After all, we all have our excuses when we don’t want to do something. Here is the irony of the story. Both men are truly and deeply religious. If you asked them, “Do you love God?” they would answer, “Of course we do.” And they would have meant it, and on one level at least, it would have been true. They were men who spent their days worshipping God and leading others to worship God. It is against that background that their failure seems so great. They both have come from God’s presence but somehow God’s presence never got through to them.

(c) And now comes the hero of the story – the Samaritan. It is a simple historical fact that the Jews and Samaritans hated each other. The Jews thought the Samaritans were racial and religious half-breed heretics. The Samaritans thought the Jews were arrogant know-it-alls. To say the two groups didn’t like each other would be putting it mildly. If the poor man by the side of the road had been a Samaritan, the priest and Levite would have said, “He got what he deserved.” Then came the third man probably the most unqualified of all responded in 9 additional ways. He also saw the need, but then what? He didn’t walk to the other side of the road and kept on walking. We don’t know if he argued with himself about making the decision whether or not to stop. He could have said, “I don’t want to be on this road after dark.” Anyway, I’ve got a million things on my schedule today. I can’t take time. I’ve got everything prioritized and this is not one of them. Scripture says, “He saw the need and he took pity on – had compassion for – the Message Bible says, “When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him.” (verse 33). As we desire to be used by the Lord, He will give us a greater sensitivity to people’s needs. This can be both good and bad. It moves us toward the need on one hand, but it also moves us away from our secure comfort zone. It disrupts our predictable routine and a lot of times we just don’t want that to happen. We say, “If I can be a Good Samaritan on my time schedule, I’ll be one. But if I am expected to be a Good Samaritan at an inconvenient time, count me out. I’m not available today, Lord. See if you can get George to do it this time. OK? Catch you later.” We sometimes say to ourselves when faced with a situation like this. “What am I going to do once I get there? And we feel fearful because we think “How am I going to manage it when I get there? I do not know what to do and I am not qualified for this situation. The Good Samaritan had some oil and wine – he poured on the wine to disinfect the wounds – he poured in some oil to soothe, he bandaged his wounds. He applied some first aid. We think if we can’t do some major surgery on the road we’re not doing anything. This little bit of first aid meant a whole lot to that hurting man. Let’s apply some first aid when God shows us a need. What could you do to help a person back on his feet again? The Samaritan didn’t leave him by the side of the road in the condition he found him. Sometimes we casually say, “Well, good luck. Hope you get better. See you later.” There is often more we can do if we are willing to give of ourselves, of our time and our money – to put ourselves out for others. And this is not always easy. The Good Samaritan went beyond the first aid. He put the man on his own donkey, took him to the hotel, cared for him – paid for the room and food and said if it costs more, put it on my bill. You say, “I don’t want to do all that. I don’t have time or money to spend on being a Good Samaritan. Don’t even know this person. Scripture says, “and love your neighbor as yourself.” Who is my neighbor? Who was the neighbor in this parable? The lawyer couldn’t bring himself to say, “the Samaritan.” Rather he answered, “the one who had mercy on him.” Jesus said, “Go and do likewise.” One translation says the Samaritan had compassion on the man by the road. Years ago I heard a definition of compassion that I’ve never forgotten. Compassion is “your hurt in my heart.” It is emotion plus motion! We remember this nameless Samaritan for one reason: He did something! The others passed on by, but he stopped and helped the man. Jesus doesn’t say that the others didn’t feel compassion. Maybe they did, but they didn’t do anything about it. Compassion means nothing unless it moves us to action. We can summarize what he did this way. His help was prompt, thorough, generous, prudent, self-denying, to his own discomfort and at his own expense. In him we see the attentive look, the compassionate heart, the helpful hand, the willing foot, and the open purse. Here is the kicker: The two men who should have shown compassion – didn’t! And the one who wouldn’t have been expected to – did! The religious leaders knew the truth and did nothing about it. The Samaritan was an outcast, but he knew the truth and his compassion moved him to action. Thus does Jesus turn the tables upside down.

Conclusion

OK, who is my neighbor? Jesus is asking to whom are you acting like a neighbor? Loving your neighbor as yourself is not about defining who your neighbor is. Loving your neighbor as yourself is about being a neighbor to everyone, even people you would avoid. Who will you love as yourself? Who will you show the love of Christ toward? The parable shows the breaking down of “neighbor boundaries”. It is the Samaritan who helps the Jew in the story, not the priest or the Levite. Being a neighbor breaks through ethnic and racial lines. That is what this parable is teaching. There are two different races. Jews and Samaritans. They hate each other. But being a neighbor breaks through racial lines. Being a neighbor breaks through religious lines. Being a neighbor breaks through economic lines. The parable is teaching us that there are no boundaries to whom we are to act as a neighbor. There are no limits to who we are to love as ourselves. We are to be the neighbor to everyone.

What makes a Good Samaritan really good? It means to be willing to be a Good Samaritan when we see the need and being willing to go when God directs us to certain needs and certain people along the way. We can do this by being sensitive to His leading in our lives each day. When God prompts us to do something, be willing to act quickly at the time and go do it. Be obedient to His direction as it is pointed out to you. Respond quickly as the Good Samaritan did. Be willing to inconvenience yourself if that is what will help someone. Be willing to give of your resources when needed. He may only ask you to do certain things or help certain people but as we do this, I believe that we will become more useful in the world today. God will know that He can count on you because you are available. What makes a Good Samaritan a really Good Samaritan is our willingness and obedience to do whatever God asks us to do. Will you be a really Good Samaritan this week whenever God asks you to be?

MESSAGE FOR SUNDAY, 2025/07/06

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Reading:
Galatians 6:1-16

Text:
Galatians 6:1-2 “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Message:

In many of his letters, Paul concludes with a list of commands. In the first part of chapter six, Paul continues describing what life in community looks like when we live in the freedom Christ gives and use that freedom to serve one another. He wants his readers to be guided by the Spirit, not a list of laws, so he gives them principles that require some thought. Being justified by faith in Christ provides wonderful blessings. We enjoy true liberty from the yoke of bondage Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery.” We now live by the Spirit producing the fruit of the Spirit as we walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16-26

But such blessings do not come without responsibilities. Firstly there are burdens to bear and there is good to be done. The Bible is clear that God expects Christians to love and care for one another. And those what we find : verses 1-5

I  Restore those caught in sin with gentleness

Paul offers us the example of dealing with a member of the community who is caught in sin 6:1 “You who are spiritual should restore him gently.” To be caught in sin means we allow a certain sin to gain a foothold in our life and we are eventually overtaken by that sin. Instead of controlling the sin, the sin gradually and inevitably ends up controlling us. This can happen to anybody no matter how strong or spiritually mature you think you are playing around with sin is playing around with fire. It can happen to anyone.

You who are spiritual means those who walk by the Spirit, those who are led by the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit, who live by the Spirit. We are freed by Jesus Christ and now we live in the Spirit. It is our responsibility to restore those of our community who are caught in sin. Gentleness is one of the fruit of the Spirit. We who are spiritual should manifest the fruit of the Spirit. The goal of dealing with the person caught in sin is not punishment but restoration and healing. The verb katartizo is often used as a medical term, to refer to setting a bone or joint right so that healing can occur. This can be quite painful.

Similarly, restoring someone who’s become entangled in sin can, at times, be painful. It often involves some rather difficult conversations. Because, in order to be restored to spiritual wholeness, the person has to be made aware of their sin and of the serious nature of their sin. So, quite often, the first step on the path toward restoration is confrontation. We have to bring the sin to the person’s attention and encourage them to admit that what they’re doing is sinful. Only then will it be possible to help them along in the process of confession and repentance and ultimately restoration.

There is a big difference between confronting someone in a spirit of gentleness and humility and condemning someone in a spirit of harshness and self-righteousness. It’s also worth mentioning that if we personally have been affected by someone else’s sin we may find it to be quite difficult to approach them in a spirit of gentleness at first. The ultimate goal is to restore the person to close fellowship with God and other Christians. Paul is more concerned about the person that he is the sin: “If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”

What kind of sin is Paul talking about – a moment of weakness, or a persistent problem? It’s not clear, but it alienated the person from the community, and restoration was needed. This must be done gently by Spirit-led people, who know their own tendency to sin in other, perhaps less public ways. We should treat others the way that we want to be treated, with compassion and patience.

II  Watch yourself (verse 1)

Paul says “watch yourself or you also might be tempted too.”

Paul told us earlier we should also have humility recognizing that even as we seek to help others in their sin we too can be tempted to sin. We might be tempted to sin in the same way as the person we are seeking to help or we might be tempted to sin by being prideful or self-righteous as we address the sin in the other person’s life. While seeking to restore the transgressor, community members are to take care that they themselves are not tempted.

In verse 3 Paul means being tempted to a false evaluation of self in comparison to the fallen brother or sister. The temptation here is the sin of pride when we compare ourselves to another. As we see a fellow Christian struggling with temptation is to think that compared to them we are doing much better. Paul’s next proverb is a truism: “If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves” This seems to be a warning for people who think they are spiritual giants and never likely to be caught in a sin. If you think you can stand on your own, he says elsewhere, watch out, for you could fall, too. (1 Cor 10:12)

III  Carry each other’s burdens

“Bear each other’s burdens”, Paul says: “and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (6:2) Paul has a radical understanding of the responsibility believers have for one another. They are to share all burdens, even the burdens of guilt and shame when one of them goes astray. This is another way of fulfilling the “law of Christ,” the command to love neighbor as self(5;14) As brothers and sisters in the faith, we are to help one another: “Carry each other’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” If you want a law, he seems to say, start with the law of helping others. Jesus served others rather than himself, and so should we. When someone is caught in a sin, we need to help the person – not make the burden heavier. This is love, which fulfills the purpose of God’s law (5:14). We help to bear each other’s burdens. Instead of one person trying to bear a heavy load alone both of us ought to bear the heavy load together. So spiritually we can help each other overcome a sin we are struggling with personally. So we fulfill the law of Christ – “a new commandment I give you that you must love one another as I loved you “. One key way we fulfill this command is by carrying one another’s burdens.

Loving the neighbor this way means resisting self-deception (6:3), recognizing that I am every bit as vulnerable to temptation as my neighbor, every bit as dependent upon the grace of God. It means that rather than comparing myself to my neighbor, I engage in self-examination: “All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become a cause for pride. For all must carry their own loads.” (6:4-5)

Here Paul seems to contradict himself. Though we are to bear one another’s burdens, we each carry our own load. Though we bear responsibility for one another, judgment belongs to God alone. We need to examine our lives, not in comparison to our neighbor, but only to see whether we are walking according to the Spirit. In the final judgment, we each will answer for our own lives. “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow,” Paul says (6:7). Our way of life will have its natural consequences. If we “sow to the flesh,” led by self-seeking desires, we will reap the only thing the flesh can produce – corruption. If we “sow to the Spirit”, led by the Spirit and investing in what is eternal, we will reap eternal life from the Spirit (6:8).

Paul applies the proverb to spiritual matters: “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” A self-centered life produces only material things that eventually waste away. A life curved in on itself doesn’t even want the kind of life that God offers. But if we are attentive to spiritual priorities, the result will be more blessings from the Spirit. This is not a matter of earning eternal life through good works – it is simply an acknowledgment that spiritual choices have results. If we focus on ourselves, our life will produce nothing of value. But if we make decisions in life following the Spirit, we will be participating in the kind of life we will enjoy forever. The Spirit leads us and empowers us, but we still have the choice of how to live, and our decisions do have consequences.

Paul makes it clear that the works of the law cannot save us, but he has nothing against good works: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Why do we get tired of doing good? Because it doesn’t always have immediate rewards. But it will eventually have good results. Paul concludes: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Since doing good is the right way to live, we should do good not just to our friends, but to all people – and yet Paul notes that we have a special responsibility to others in the church.

We have a duty to do good to all people (verse 10) to those in need even our enemies as we have opportunity all around us. Especially to our fellow Christians for they are our family and kindness to them is kindness towards Christ as we have opportunities that come our way. Living together as Christians means doing good to all. Paul knows it is hard to do this, that’s why he says “a man reaps what he sows”. What one sows in his sinful nature from that nature will reap destruction. The one who sows to please the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Now doing good is an example of sowing to please your Spirit but Paul knows it is hard and wearisome to keep going. He knows the temptation for us is to give up and become more selfish and inward focused, rather than thinking about others. But Paul warns us that doing this, focusing on ourselves falling foul of selfish ambition is sowing to our old sinful nature. And Paul warns us where that leads: we will reap destruction.

But with the warning comes a wonderful promise, which encourages us to keep going! Doing good is one way we can sow to please the Spirit, one way as a church you can keep in step with the Spirit. And Paul reminds us this morning, that although it can be hard to put others above ourselves, to think of others more important than ourselves, look out for other people’s needs, we keep going because in the end, we will reap eternal life. Do Paul’s expectations of church match your own? Paul shows us that a church walking in step with the Spirit, a church that is looking to live together will be taking sin seriously, in other people’s lives and our own, and will be seeking to do good to all, especially those who are part of the church family.

Too often, it seems, interpersonal dynamics in the church simply mirror those of the world. There is no shortage of finger-pointing for whatever is perceived to be wrong, and no shortage of judgment for those perceived to have messed up. Too often those experiencing crisis in their lives avoid the church for fear of judgment or being smothered by condescending care givers. The person or family in crisis grows more isolated, and the community of faith is not the place of healing and restoration it is intended to be.

In stark contrast is Paul’s understanding of the responsibility we bear for one another. This responsibility extends to restoring one who has transgressed, but doing so in a spirit of gentleness, without judgment, without an air of condescension. It means “bearing one another’s burdens,” recognizing our own vulnerability and sharing in the guilt and pain of the transgression as well as the responsibility for healing and restoration.

Bearing one another’s burdens in this way is a tall order, a fine line to walk. The temptations of excessive meddling, self-deception and judging the neighbor are ever present. Yet we are called to be an alternative community of God’s grace, mercy, healing, and restoration in an unforgiving world. This is possible only by the power of the Spirit, only by God remaking us a new creation in Christ.

IV  We must boast in the cross

Paul here is closing with the problem in Galatia that some of the Jewish Christians want the Gentile Christian to be circumcised. So they boast in the flesh (v.13) but Paul says we must boast in the cross of Christ. But there is an irony here: “Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh” As a former Pharisee, Paul knew the rigor involved in keeping all the laws – and these people don’t have that kind of zeal, he says. They just want to brag about bringing proselytes into the Jewish fold.

Boasting about achievements is hazardous to our spiritual health. “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” When we boast in the cross, we are “boasting” in our weakness, admitting that human effort ends only in death. We are proclaiming the gospel of what Christ has done. Because of the cross, our old self is irrelevant. The new spiritual reality is that it doesn’t matter whether a person is Jewish or Gentile. “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.” In the cross, we died, and in the resurrection, we were made new. Our relationship with God is based on our connection with Christ, not on our flesh.

Those who boast in the flesh their commitment was to the law and not about love for God and a desire for inward change. It was all about the outside how they looked. Whereas the boasting of the cross is inward. We boast then all the more godly of our weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon us. Secondly it means that we have been crucified with Christ which also means we have been crucified to the world that means the world no longer has any claim or any power over us. Christ has made us a new creation, a new identity and a new heart purchased for us by Christ.

MESSAGE FOR SUNDAY, 2025/06/29

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Reading:
Luke 9:51-62

Text:
Luke 9:62 “Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God.’

Message:

Following Jesus is total commitment. Today’s Gospel reading is a difficult one. It’s confrontational and it doesn’t leave much. If any, wiggle room. “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God.” We’re either looking toward the Kingdom or we are not. Jesus’ harshness toward those who expressed a desire to follow him but first had to clean up the details of their lives seem contrary to what we like to see in our gentle Jesus. None of the requests to delay seem unreasonable – burying one’s father, saying farewell to family – these hold their own importance for all of us, but Jesus’ response do seem harsh and deliberately so. The act of following Jesus is never easy. Jesus recognizes and holds before us the tension in which we live. On the one hand we say to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” On the other hand we say to him, “But first let me go and …” You probably know what that’s like.

When have you experienced that tension? When has it felt like you were being pulled in two directions, the way of Jesus and some other way? In what ways have you said, “But first let me go and…?”

I will follow you but..”

“Pastor Dale Barrick got so tired of hearing excuses from his people why they don’t attend church, that he came up with this novel idea, A NO EXCUSE SUNDAY.

It said:
There will be:
• Cots in church for those who like to sleep in
• Blankets for those who find the sanctuary too cold.
• Fans for those who find the sanctuary too warm.
• Sand for those who prefer the beach
• Television sets for persons who prefer services on the screen.
• Poinsettias and lilies for those accustomed to entering the church only on Christmas and Easter.
• Stop watches for those who want to go in exactly an hour and a whistle to stop the service.
• Putting greens for those who enjoy golf.
• Masks to hide the faces of those who have been gone for so long they are embarrassed or feel funny coming back.
• Money for those who don’t want a financial commitment but feel funny not putting anything in the offertory plate.
• Meals to carry out
• Exercise bikes

We look at the professional athletes, we see their total dedication for their health and strength in their practicing and refining their skills in working harder to get stronger. Their’s is a total commitment. We can see in their commitment to their physical performance as a picture of what our spiritual dedication to our Savior ought to be. But before we talk about ourselves we do well to think and talk about Jesus first. In our Gospel for this morning, we’re approaching the latter part of Jesus’ ministry. The time for him to die outside of Jerusalem had come. And yet, we don’t see him shrinking from this or running away from it. Instead we’re told Jesus was determined to go to Jerusalem. Literally Luke says that Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem.” He locked his gaze on what was ahead. And even though it meant horrendous suffering and death for him, he was determined to see it through. Nothing could veer him off this path. He was determined to see it through. Nothing could veer him off this path. He was totally committed to this work.

But why? Why does Jesus have this total commitment to something that would be so brutally painful, that would bring such unimaginable suffering? In short, it is God’s love for us – love that we do not deserve. That love is what makes Jesus determined to go to Jerusalem. Our sins meant eternal ruin for us and God is totally committed to saving us.

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

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

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

They are like the tubas in the following. “A marching band of a small college wanted to play for homecoming and impress the crowd. But they didn’t have a big enough band. So they recruited some students who would march along even though they couldn’t play. They could carry the tubas. And they looked very impressive, great big shining horns. As they came marching down the street a little boy who was watching intently said, ‘Momma there’s nothing coming out of those big things.'”

Many Christians, I am afraid, are like that, all show but nothing coming out. They enjoy saying they belong to such and such a church, but when the rubber hits the road they are the first ones to say and do nothing. They enjoy the great feeling of Sunday as they worship in church, but come Monday you wouldn’t know where they had been on Sunday. Jesus calls us to a committed life each day. Each minute of life we are called to be a shining example in this world of darkness. Not only when it is convenient but when it isn’t. Not only when we feel good about our witness, but when it is difficult. Jesus is calling us to such a commitment, no promises of an easy life, no promises of an uneventful walk with him. All he promises is his companionship and the promise of eternity in the golden rooms prepared by Him. As you and I surrender our lives, our property, ourselves to him, we will find the way easier, with few burdens weighing us down.

We see that when Jesus calls the two people to follow him the one says but first let me go to bury my father now there is nothing wrong with that and then the other says first let me go and say goodbye. There also is nothing wrong with that. The problem with both these is that the order is the wrong way round. We tend to find lots of excuses for putting God and Christ second or third or somewhere else in our list of priorities in our lives. We may have decided to follow Christ in our lives but then we get caught up in everyday living, family and friends and business and these may push Christ aside and our desire to fully follow Christ. When we put Christ first then all things will fall in their rightful place. For example when we put Christ first in our marriages and relationships they will all find fulfilment.

It’s easy and simple to follow Jesus, in principle. Love your neighbor as yourself, love your enemy, welcome the stranger, visit the sick and imprisoned, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give the thirsty something to drink, turn the other cheek, forgive not just seven times but seventy times seven. These are values Jesus holds. That’s where Jesus is going. That’s the direction in which he has set his face. That’s the road to Jerusalem and it sounds good. Most of us probably agree with those values. It’s the road we too have chosen to travel, in principle.

But it’s so much harder and messier to follow Jesus in life than in principle. I suspect we are all in favor of love, hospitality, forgiveness, and nonviolence until we meet the unlovable, the stranger who scares us, the unforgivable act, the one who throws the first punch. Then it’s a different story and that story usually begins with, “But first…”

Jesus, however, puts no qualifications, limitations, or exceptions on where he is going, who is included, or what he is offering. He doesn’t seem to care who we are, where we are from, or what we have done or left undone. For him there is no why, no conditions, attached to love, hospitality, forgiveness, or giving. He does not allow for a “but first” in his life or the lives of his followers.

“But first” is the way we put conditions on the unconditional.
• Yes, I will love the other but first let me go and see who the other is, whether she or he is deserving of love, whether I like him or her, whether he or she agrees with and is agreeable to me.
• Yes, I will open my door to, and welcome the stranger but first let me go and see who’s knocking, how different he or she is from me, what she or he wants, what I am risking.
• Yes, I will forgive another but first let me go and see if she or he has acknowledged her or his wrongdoing, is sorry for what they did, and has promised to change.
• Yes, I will give to and care for another but first let me go and see why I should, what it will cost me, and what’s in it for me.

We need to turn and lead with our hearts that deep heart that loves the unlovable, forgives the unforgivable, welcomes the stranger and gives without seeking a payback or even a thank you. This is a difficult gospel. I wish I could resolve this in some neat and simple way, as much for myself as for you, but I can’t. It’s not about resolving the gospel. It’s about resolving ourselves, resolving our heart. That resolution is not a simple or one time decision. It’s a way of being in this world, a way of relating to others, a direction for our life. It’s a choice we make every day. It’s the road to Jerusalem. Just think how our world would look like if we were to put Christ first and love, give, forgive and welcome each other?

Conclusion

The common thread in all of these people seems not to be total rejection of Jesus but a wavering commitment. Other things, to certain degrees, were taking priority over Jesus in their lives. And Jesus makes clear that he and his mission to save are too important to have anything less than total commitment to him. How’s your commitment to following Jesus? Is it total and complete? Or does it have cracks? Are there things that, at times, are more important to you than Jesus? Jesus expects the same dedication to him that he has for me, but does he find it? Hardly. When my frustration with other things leaks out and negatively impacts my family, I’m committed to my frustration or anger, not Jesus. When my laziness leads me to prioritize leisure over responsibility, I’m committed to recreation, not Jesus. When I let my focus and energy be on money, I’m committed to my greed, not Jesus.

When we face challenges to following Jesus, to living our lives as he wants, to prioritizing time with him in his Word, Jesus is there to forgive those stumbles as well. Yes, following Jesus calls on us to have total commitment to him. But for every time that we fall short of that total commitment, Jesus’ forgiveness removes those stumbles, and we face a new hour or day or week or year to follow our Savior with our whole life. You and I are not rejected by our Savior because we’ve had poor commitment today, this week, this month, this past year, or even the past decade. Our lack of commitment to Jesus is completely solved by Jesus’ total commitment to us. And then, in turn, his total commitment to us is what produces our total commitment to him.

In the end, it all comes back to relationships … what and who will become the top priorities in our lives. Everything in our lives should flow out of the essential relationship we hold with the Lord who gave us life, who gave his own life for ours, and who daily gives us the grace to fulfill our lives for the sake of God and others. Yes, that would include our families and our neighbors. Our ability to really be there for others begins with our willingness to let Christ be first in our lives. Everything – every need, every hope, every desire, every intent and loving connection we have in our lives flows from the essential relationship we hold with Christ. And though we know it is not easy, though we know it takes a lifetime of fits and starts, we also know that when we put Jesus first in our lives, we have the strength, power and grace to fulfill all the promise God sees in us. Life and living may not get easier but it will certainly be more satisfying.

MESSAGE FOR SUNDAY, 2025/06/22

Please note that there are no longer any YouTube messages available

Reading:
Luke 7:1-10

Text:
Luke 7:9 “when Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”

Message:

After Jesus had finished the Sermon on the Plain in Luke chapter 6 Jesus went to Capernaum, the base from which he operated when He was in Galilee. This is where Jesus spent much of his time and where He performed many of His miracles. This little city in Galilee is a hot spot for healings.

Jesus heals a man of an unclean demon in the Capernaum synagogue (4:31 – 37). Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law of a “higher fever” (4:38-39) at Simon’s house in Capernaum. And “all those who had any who were sick with various kinds of diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on each of them and cured them..” (4:40-41). Guess where this happened? Capernaum. So when we are told that Jesus entered Capernaum, we should realize what is about to happen. More miracles. The centurion had heard about this man Jesus, who was going around doing healings and being a blessing to people and speaking words of divine wisdom as a man sent from God. And Jesus was right there in Capernaum. So the centurion sends some messengers to Jesus, to bring him his request to come and heal his servant. But why doesn’t the centurion go himself? Why does he relay the request through messengers? The messengers he sends are elders of the Jews, leaders of the local synagogue. But the man making the request is a centurion, a Roman centurion, and thus a Gentile, a non-Jew. It seems the centurion was respecting Jesus’ Jewishness, to not have to deal directly and publicly with a Gentile. So he sends these Jewish elders in his place.

In our passage, it is not a miracle that Jesus performs a miracle. We’re in Capernaum. The centurion expects Jesus to do that after he “heard about Jesus.” That’s why he sends Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave. And what does Jesus seemingly do, what is implied without Jesus even speaking a healing word as the centurion requested? The slave is found in “good health”. Healing occurs. Another miracle in Capernaum as expected.

The story concerns the slave of a centurion. A centurion was an army officer with, as his rank indicates, one hundred men under him. He was presumably attached to the Roman garrison in the town or one of Herod Antipas’ forces. The Roman military, in general, had a reputation for cruelty and brutality. However, those mentioned in the Gospel do not appear in a bad light. This is a good example of the danger of stereotyping any group of people – something we are all very easily prone to do.

He was not necessarily a Roman, but he was certainly not a Jew. He was a gentile outsider. His slave, who was very dear to him, had fallen seriously ill. This, in turn, implies he treated his slave well. Undoubtedly, he had heard the stories of what Jesus had done by way of healing and wondered if his slave could also be helped. However, as an outsider he did not dare to approach Jesus personally. He sent a delegation consisting of Jewish town elders. These are not the ‘elders’ mentioned during Jesus’ passion, but simply respected members of the local Jewish community.

They apparently were only too willing to help because they said he was very friendly to the Jews and had even built a synagogue for them.

The slave was ill and close to death. One who was already isolated by his lower location on the social strata ladder. Now even more isolated because of his sickness. Even during his illness this slave is on the fringe at the mercy of others especially those in power like the centurion. Centurions were Roman Army officers who generally commanded 100 soldiers. Most of them were Gentiles, though sometimes they were half-Jews –Samaritans, so the Jewish people tended to despise centurions. Not only were they symbolic of Roman rule, they often abused their power and took unjust liberties. But such was not the case with this centurion. We get a glimpse of his character in Luke 7:2, where we read that he had a servant who was dear to him. The word dear literally means he was held in high honor or value. Such compassion on a servant was unheard of at the time of Jesus. But this centurion cared for his servant. And this dear servant became sick. When the text says he was sick, the Greek literally says he was having it bad. This servant had it bad. So the centurion loved his servant and hated to see him in such distress and agony so having heard that Jesus is in town he sends people from the local Jewish community to ask Jesus to heal his servant.

I  Lets firstly look at this centurion

We see the remarkable concern and care that this powerful and wealthy man had for his slave, a servant who had no social standing in the community. This man was concerned about the well-being of his slave that he sent a message to Jesus to heal his slave. This man cared deeply about those who were under his command all the way down to the slave working for him in his house.

To demonstrate and manifest that concern he sent a message to Jesus begging for Jesus’ help. What a challenge for us not to look down on others but to reach out and care for each other no matter the status they hold.

II  The way the people approached Jesus their faith.

They pleaded his case, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he is the one who built our synagogue. Now maybe these Jewish elders do not exactly have their theology straight. We do not come to God with our requests for help and mercy based on how “worthy” we are. If we did, we’d be in a lot of trouble. For we are not worthy, truly. ´We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them, but we ask that He would give them all to us by grace, for we daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment.” That is so. God does not answer our prayers because we are “worthy”, but rather because he is gracious.

III  The way the centurion approaches Jesus

Jesus went with the centurion’s messengers and when they were not far from the house the centurion sent friends to Him saying that it was not necessary for Jesus to come personally. As a friend of Jesus he knew that a devout Jew and especially a rabbi could not enter the house of a gentile. He did not want to be a source of embarrassment for Jesus. The centurion said, “Lord, do not trouble yourself for I am unworthy that you should enter under my roof”. This is the second thing I love about the centurion. Everybody else was telling Jesus “You have got to go and help this man. You have to heal his servant because he is a man who deserves your help.

In contrast to what the Jewish elders said when they were pleading his case and said, “He is worthy”- in contrast to that, the centurion says about himself. “I am not worthy.” And this is real humility. This is good. “God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud.” This Roman centurion, as powerful a man as he was in the worldly realm – he recognizes his own unworthiness before God. “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.” Would that we all would have the humble approach of the centurion! To recognize our own unworthiness. And yet at the same time to recognize the authority of Jesus, and the compassion of Jesus, to accomplish the mercy we seek from him. The authority and compassion of Jesus to forgive sins and to heal in body and soul. And that Jesus can do this with a word. This is true humility and true faith. The humility of the centurion as he approached Jesus. Many Jews considered themselves defiled if they entered a Gentile’s home. He did not know that Jesus was not concerned about such things. But what it reveals is that this centurion was more concerned about others than he was himself. He thought of others first. He cared for his servant, and now he cares for the cultural and personal inhibitions Jesus might have.

First, he believed in his own lack of merit. He was courteous. He was humble. Yes, he was a good man. Yes, he loved the Jews. Yes, he built a synagogue for them. But that doesn’t mean he deserves anything from God, or from Jesus Christ. He knew he was unworthy to go meet Jesus, and he knew he was unworthy to have Jesus come meet him. He was unworthy. Most people do not believe this. Most people think they do deserve favors from God. Most people think they are pretty good people, and God owes them something. It is much harder to believe that all we have and all we are given is simply and only by the grace of God. But that is the first thing the centurion believed.

IV  The Authority of Christ’s Word

The centurion recognized the very special authority that Jesus had an authority in some respects not unlike his own as an army officer. “I say to one ‘Go’, and he goes and to another ‘come’ and he comes and to my slave, ‘Do this’ and the slave does it.

When we talk about Jesus, we are talking about the One who is God incarnate. He has authority over heaven and earth, and the centurion recognized that. He said: “I understand authority. I’m a man who is under authority. I’m a man who has authority over others. I say ‘Go’, and they go, ‘Come’, and they come, ‘Do this’, and they do it. I understand, Christ, that You have authority You have authority over life. You have authority over death. You don’t have to be in the room. Just say the word.”

It is the authority of Christs’ Word to do what it says, that is what the centurion understands about Jesus. He compares it to his military experience and the authority of his own word as an officer: “For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go’, and he goes; and another, ‘Come.’ And he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

God carries this life-giving power. And that is the basis for the centurion’s appeal and the centurion’s confidence that Jesus can heal his servant with just a word. This insight into Jesus’ mission – that Jesus was sent from his Father in heaven and authorized to do these great and mighty works – this is what so impresses Jesus and causes him to marvel: “when Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.'”

The centurion believed in the power of Jesus. He was confident in Christ. He believed in the authority of Jesus. He likened Jesus to military commanders. He knew that what Jesus commanded would be done. He knew that the words of Jesus were sufficient to accomplish the healing. Again, most people do not believe this either. We have promises in Scripture that Christ will make us more and more like Himself. He tells us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He tells us that He will provide for all our needs. He tells us that He has given us everything we need for life and Godliness. He tells us that getting the Word of God into our lives will wash us and transform us into His likeness. His Word is sufficient. Most people don’t really believe these things. And I’ll be the first to admit that some of these are hard truths to believe. But the centurion showed great faith because he believed in the power and authority of Jesus to do exactly what He said He would do. The centurion believed that Christ’s word was sufficient.

This is what this centurion does. Yes, he is confident, brash and bold. But he is confident in Christ. He is confident in the word of Jesus. He is confident that Jesus can heal. This confidence springs from something he comprehends about Jesus and the nature of commands. This is what we learn in Luke 7:8. The centurion believed in the ability of Jesus to heal from a distance. He believed Jesus did not have to be physically present with the dying servant to heal him. Jesus did not have to wave his arms, or say any special words, or make any special anointing. Do you want to please God? Do you want to do great things for God? Do you want God to do great things through you? It’s not enough to just have faith. Faith by itself does nothing. Faith must be based on the promises of God.

Conclusion

Jesus is so shocked at the man’s faith, he says to the crowd, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” It’s like He is saying, “Wow! Now that is faith!”

And so this marvelous faith of the centurion is exemplary for us. We too approach the Lord in humility, as unworthy, empty-handed beggars. No merit of our own we claim. But we do approach in faith, knowing the Lord to be a gracious and merciful Lord, throwing ourselves on his mercy. And we come confident in faith, the faith that Jesus’ authoritative word is powerful to do what it says.

Friends, Jesus loves you no less than he loved that centurion or the centurion’s servant. Take a moment to ponder that and to take in what Jesus is doing here today. Jesus is speaking his life-giving word to you here today. Authoritative word, marvelous faith. It is Christ’s own authoritative word that calls forth this marvelous faith. Marvel at what Jesus is doing here today, by means of his mighty word: He is giving you forgiveness, life, and salvation, and healing you in body and soul for eternity. And that is simply marvelous!