Matthew 5:1-12
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
“Rejoice And Be Glad”
“I’m no Saint!
I’ve made some mistakes.
I’d do some things differently.
I’d not do some things I did, and do some things I didn’t do.
I’m no Saint!” Gerald Ford as he was being considered for appointment to V. Pres.
Most of us do not consider ourselves to be saints. In fact, it is almost an insult to be called a saint. It means you are not in touch with real life. As the agnostic Robert Ingersoll describes, you are someone who is “...not quite sick enough to die nor healthy enough to be wicked.”
This is a gross contradiction! A saint is someone who is very human.
A saint is someone who wants much out of life but refuses to crush life to get it. Who is passionate enough to not hurt others as he/she drinks deeply of life.
A saint is someone who dares to live as a human with an eye towards heaven. Who can be “poor in spirit” because he/she doesn’t have to pretend. Who can be “meek” because he/she doesn’t have to always be right. Who can be” merciful” because he/she doesn’t have to judge others. Who can “hunger and thirst after righteousness” because he/she doesn’t have to have all the answers all the time.
A saint is a very human person who can “rejoice and be glad” amidst persecution, suffering, grief or pain because he/she lives on earth with an eye on heaven; and the love of God which comes from above.
“Enjoy The Luxury Of Doing Good”
We usually think of a saint as someone extraordinary. A St. Francis of Assisi, a Maximillian Kolbe - the catholic priest who took the place of a condemned polish Jew at Auschwitz and was canonized a saint in l971, or a Mother Teresa. A Raoul Wallenberg, Martin Luther King, or Dietrick Boenhoffer.
We don’t often think of ourselves as saints. Yet this is what we are - all of us!
Or at least it can be said we are called to be saints! We are called to live out our faith in the places where it makes a difference in our lives and in the lives of others. Even as we are called saints numerous times in Scripture. See Ps 31:23; Ps 31:4;Rom 1:7
This is what we are - saints! Sinners who have not yet given up and thrown in the towel.
Real alive, vibrant, passionate, gutsy human beings who struggle to make faith “ a power and passion in authority among the powers and passions of life” (P. T. Forsythe) and not just a little frosting on the cake.
The Beatitudes are our marching orders.
“poor in spirit” - humble enough to laugh at our own foolishness and not claim to have all the answers.
“mourn” - feel the sadness of life and grieve deeply.
“meek” - Not weak, but strong in a gentle way.
“hunger and thirst for righteousness” - who desire something more than the easy life.
“merciful” - compassionate; walking with those who suffer; the luxury of doing good.
“pure in heart” - living from the inside out; genuine; trustworthy; real.
“peacemakers” - something every one wants and seems to evade us all.
“persecuted” - to be a saint is no easy calling; it will mean conflict; a dangerous calling!
God calls us to be saints and God is with us, empowering us in this calling. Nothing can keep us from being happy; Nothing can keep us from enjoying the luxury of doing good, loving justice, and walking humbly with our God!
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Sunday, October 18, 2015
October 25, 2015 Reformation Sunday
John 8:31-36
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
“FREE TO LOVE”
The Reformation is about change. We don’t like change. We even use the Bible to keep us from change. God wants to make a new covenant with us. We don’t want it. We want the old covenant where we know what to expect and are more in charge.
God’s Word is an instrument of change and will, if we let it, change the way we look at things. It “is the source of all that is creative in the life of the Church.” (Luther) It sets us free to be new and different people.
People who put love at the center of life and let nothing keep it from doing its thing.
“FREE TO LIVE”
Jesus came that we might have live, and that abundantly.
That we might be free to live and drink deeply of this human existence, which is Gods first great gift to us.
In Christ we are free to be ourselves.
We don’t have to be like someone else. We don’t have to pretend we are more religious then we are. For God accepts us as we are.
“It’s okay to be me, because me is okay.” We are free to be!
In Christ we are free to try, to fail, and to try again. For with God there is forgiveness!
To live with Jesus is to live in forgiveness, full and free. There is no limit to Gods forgiveness. Once forgiven, we live with grateful hearts which are more powerful then any set of rules.
How great it was to have such a forgiving God!
This is the way God is. God’s grace is big enough for all our needs, and our goofs.
We are free to live!
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
“FREE TO LOVE”
The Reformation is about change. We don’t like change. We even use the Bible to keep us from change. God wants to make a new covenant with us. We don’t want it. We want the old covenant where we know what to expect and are more in charge.
God’s Word is an instrument of change and will, if we let it, change the way we look at things. It “is the source of all that is creative in the life of the Church.” (Luther) It sets us free to be new and different people.
People who put love at the center of life and let nothing keep it from doing its thing.
“FREE TO LIVE”
Jesus came that we might have live, and that abundantly.
That we might be free to live and drink deeply of this human existence, which is Gods first great gift to us.
In Christ we are free to be ourselves.
We don’t have to be like someone else. We don’t have to pretend we are more religious then we are. For God accepts us as we are.
“It’s okay to be me, because me is okay.” We are free to be!
In Christ we are free to try, to fail, and to try again. For with God there is forgiveness!
To live with Jesus is to live in forgiveness, full and free. There is no limit to Gods forgiveness. Once forgiven, we live with grateful hearts which are more powerful then any set of rules.
How great it was to have such a forgiving God!
This is the way God is. God’s grace is big enough for all our needs, and our goofs.
We are free to live!
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
October 11 & 18, 2015 20th & 21st Sundays After Pentecost
Mark 10:17-31
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’[a]”
20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[b] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
“The Impossible Possibility”
What is going on in this story is a battle of the wills, not just the pocketbook. A confrontation with addiction and a call to surrender. It is your story and mine!
The question is sincere for the man is sincere. But he wanted to be in control. He wanted to do it his way. “Just tell me and I’ll do it!” might well be a correct paraphrase of his dialogue with Jesus.
Jesus loved him. What follows comes out of love not judgment. He enters the man’s life at the one place where he does not want God to be, the one place he does not want to surrender.
This is always where God seeks entrance into our lives. For until we surrender where we least want to surrender, we are still in control and doing it our way. We are still seeking to be saved by good works rather than grace. We have to reach the place where we know we can do nothing, then God can do everything.
By grace we are saved, not works! Let go and let God!
“Be Godly, Not Just Good”
We try hard to be good; when we are called to be godly. We set our sights on the good life; when we are called to live the godly life. We work hard at being moral, upright citizens; yet our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God.
What ever that means - to find our rest in God - it is more then being good, moral, or even religious. It means to “fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” All things!
A lot of badness results when we measure our godliness by our goodness. To stand with the Rich Young Ruler is to stand in the presence of our own hypocrisy and start being honest with the goodness which keeps us from being godly.
Jesus words to him (and us) were (are) spoken out of love, not anger. There was so much in him that was good; yet so much that missed the mark in his life.
We are called to be godly not just good. What ever that means it does mean not only dreaming the impossible dream but also daring to believe the impossible gift of grace is ours. Then it is to dare try make a difference in the world we live in , knowing as we do so, in the words of Reinhold Niebuhr:
“Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history;l therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone;l therefore we are saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our standpoint. Therefore we must be saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness.”
With God all is possible!
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’[a]”
20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[b] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
“The Impossible Possibility”
What is going on in this story is a battle of the wills, not just the pocketbook. A confrontation with addiction and a call to surrender. It is your story and mine!
The question is sincere for the man is sincere. But he wanted to be in control. He wanted to do it his way. “Just tell me and I’ll do it!” might well be a correct paraphrase of his dialogue with Jesus.
Jesus loved him. What follows comes out of love not judgment. He enters the man’s life at the one place where he does not want God to be, the one place he does not want to surrender.
This is always where God seeks entrance into our lives. For until we surrender where we least want to surrender, we are still in control and doing it our way. We are still seeking to be saved by good works rather than grace. We have to reach the place where we know we can do nothing, then God can do everything.
By grace we are saved, not works! Let go and let God!
“Be Godly, Not Just Good”
We try hard to be good; when we are called to be godly. We set our sights on the good life; when we are called to live the godly life. We work hard at being moral, upright citizens; yet our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God.
What ever that means - to find our rest in God - it is more then being good, moral, or even religious. It means to “fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” All things!
A lot of badness results when we measure our godliness by our goodness. To stand with the Rich Young Ruler is to stand in the presence of our own hypocrisy and start being honest with the goodness which keeps us from being godly.
Jesus words to him (and us) were (are) spoken out of love, not anger. There was so much in him that was good; yet so much that missed the mark in his life.
We are called to be godly not just good. What ever that means it does mean not only dreaming the impossible dream but also daring to believe the impossible gift of grace is ours. Then it is to dare try make a difference in the world we live in , knowing as we do so, in the words of Reinhold Niebuhr:
“Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history;l therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone;l therefore we are saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our standpoint. Therefore we must be saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness.”
With God all is possible!
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