Proclaiming the Gospel on the Journey

A continuation of the Sermon Series based on Martin Luther's Sermons on 1 Peter LW Vol. 30

March 14, 2010 Luke 15 and Proclaim the Gospel Wherever You Go

There’s a story about a young Hebrew student who comes to the Rabbi and says, “Rabbi, I have gone through the whole Torah.” The Rabbi responds to his student by saying, “Ah yes, dear one, but has the Torah gone through you?” In other words, I know this book, I know these stories. . . yes, but have these stories gone through to my heart and soul? Are they simply book knowledge or have Have they formed me, changed me, inspired me, and called me?
Our gospel lesson for today is one of those stories that we have all heard probably hundreds of times. That means it has the potential to become old and stale to us. But as we consider this morning what it means to “Proclaim the good news on the Journey” this parable that Jesus tells his biggest critics is very helpful. Recall all that we’ve talked about so far in Lent, how we are holy because Christ is holy, how we love because Christ loves us, and that we are the holy priesthood of believers. Remember that Martin Luther in his commentary on 1 Peter said that as part of our call to be the Holy Priesthood which comes through our baptism that we are called into service, that no one is higher in status or lower in call than another- including those called to “religious” vocations. And that God has planted us each in a certain garden and it is there that we are meant to sprout and grow. (Bloom where you are planted, as they say!) He went on to teach that each of us who are members of this holy priesthood has three jobs to do as part of the office of priest: first, is to proclaim the gospel—the good news of Jesus Christ; second, is to pray for the community of believers; and third, is to live a sacrificial life. This morning we focus on the first job we are called to do- to share the gospel. It is our good fortune that we have been granted the perfect story to help us think about it.
The parable of the Prodigal Son:
*Two sons- one requests his inheritance and leaves for a distant country.
*He squanders all that he has been given; a famine strikes and leaves him destitute and alone.
*He ends up slopping the pigs—which is a total curse to a Jewish person.
*He decides to go back home, but only as a hired hand.
*His father waits for him and when he sees him he runs to him and calls for the servants to prepare a party!
* My son who was lost is now found!
This story is the heart and soul of the gospel message: that our heavenly Father loves us, waits for us, forgives us and welcomes us with open arms no matter what we’ve done to betray, hurt, or disobey him. This is a message that I know I need to hear on a daily basis, how about you? I think there are lots of folks out there that we come in contact with who could really benefit from hearing this amazing story of God’s love.
Proclaiming the gospel wherever we go is our call to discipleship! It is nothing less than telling the story of the good news- that God loves and forgives us and calls us home when we stray! Think of how this is good news, the best news you could ever receive. . . who is it in your life that you come in contact with who needs to hear this extraordinary news? Can you think of anyone specifically? How might you tell this story that you are so familiar with? You’ve heard it many times. Have you ever told it? Has this story become a part of you? Has this story gone through you?
One of my professors talked recently about conversion. We know that conversion is about changing direction, turning around, even a “coming to” Christ. He offered to the class a different interpretation on the reason the Mormons send young men, two by two, into strange neighborhoods, far from home. He said that perhaps the point of it is not to proselytize the people whose doors they knock on for a entire year. That kind of evangelism doesn’t actually work very well. Not many people are converted to the faith on their doorstep. But, he suggested, perhaps the idea of this door to door visiting is more about getting the young men to tell the story. That telling the story of the faith over and over again is what lodges it solidly in our hearts. Telling it repeatedly is what makes the story become part of us, just like memorizing a poem or a song. Something happens deep within us when we try to articulate that faith to others rather than just hoping they will “see” something special about us. It pushes us out of our comfort zone, it exposes us, it leaves us vulnerable and yet it draws us deeper into the story of God’s grace when we have to speak about it for ourselves.
We live in a world that needs to hear this good news. I know of people right now who need to hear that they are forgiven; that they are loved; that they are welcomed back into God’s waiting arms and that God is throwing a big party for them upon their return! It is up to each of us to allow this story of Christ’s incredible love to sweep us away, to go through us, so that we can share it with everyone we meet. We are called to proclaim this life giving word in the streets, at PTO meetings, in the break room, over the fence, at the gym, and everywhere else we find ourselves!
I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the change in yourself as you begin to spread the gospel wherever you go! Amen.

Journeying in Freedom

1 Peter 2: 13-17
St. Peter said to the faithful Christians that he wrote to: As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil.
Living as we do in a free country, with the right to speak as we wish, worship where we want to, vote in every election when we reach the age of 18, attend school where we want to, hold property and land in our own names, and make decisions for our own lives. . . it’s a bit difficult for us to understand what it would be like not to be free. At times, I think, we take our freedom for granted. We are so used to being free that sometimes we fail to notice that we are actually free! People in other countries long for the freedoms that we enjoy, risking arrest in order to worship Christ, risking imprisonment in order to have more than one child, risking death if they are caught spreading the gospel message. We can only imagine how awful it would be not to have the liberties that we hold dear.
There are those times, however, when even though we are free, we live in a state of captivity. I’m not talking about iron bars, or chains, or segregated cells. I’m talking about how we allow our fears to get the best of us. Of course some fear is healthy! Fear of black widow spiders keeps you from playing with them like they are pets; a fear of buffalo on the road into Yellowstone park can keep you alive and prevent you from being gored to death by their horns; a fear of driving on icy roads might keep you at home on a dark night where you are safe and sound. Those kinds of fears are healthy, they keep us out of harms way but if our fears aren’t based in reality --if they go on too long then we can become slaves to our fears and our freedom, though it is still there, becomes useless to us because we are stuck in the midst of our own paralyzing emotions. Fear can keep us captive, barring us from true freedom: fear of what others think about us, fear of not measuring up, fear of failure, fear of exposing ourselves and being vulnerable to others, fear of losing everything that we hold dear.
But Jesus has a better way for us who believe. He said to his disciples, “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” We believe, as Christians, as disciples who believe in the saving power of Christ, that the Son has made us free! That’s what our annual Lenten journey is all about- it’s a journey toward freedom! Jesus has freed us from having to earn our way to heaven, as if we ever could have in the first place, but –you know---lots of people are still trying! He has freed us from having to get it right all the time, or even most of the time. Yet some of us get stuck living in the illusion that perfection is possible. He has freed us from some impossible measuring stick, some hypothetical standard, that constantly reminds us that we aren’t good enough. And yet, God says to us, “You are my child, I love you, you are good enough for me!” Because of Christ we know that we are holy, because he is holy; we are lovable and loving because he is; we are made right with God because of Jesus’ sacrifice and redemptive action on the cross; we are free from having to do it all ourselves! This is true freedom, friends! Freedom to live, really live, relying on nothing less than God’s grace and mercy in our lives! And this freedom “from” gives us freedom “to.” Freedom to serve, and to love, and to get out of our comfort zone and take a chance. This freedom is what makes us who we are, but it also comes with responsibility.
Martin Luther wrote a tract for the Christians of his day that mirrors what St. Peter says to the Christians that he is instructing. He said, “A Christian is the perfectly free lord of all, and subject to none; a Christian is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to every one.” So then, you are free! You are subject to no one! As a Christian, you are set free from all of the laws that seek to bind you, to keep you captive, to make you feel guilty, and bad about yourself! Yet, at the same time, you are a slave or servant of Christ; subject to everyone! To your neighbor, to your parents, to those in authority, to every one you meet on the street- you are duty bound to serve them. How can it be both? Free and slave at the same time?
But in Christ, this liberty that we are given, this liberty that frees us from the law, from sin, death and the devil’s power, is not given to us so that we can do any old thing that we want to do, just because we want to do it! This liberty is not to be misused simply because we are made free in Christ! The reason is that to do so might cause someone else to stumble in their faith. It’s kind of like drinking alcohol in the presence of an alcoholic- it makes things hard on that person who is struggling; or eating a huge buffet in front of the poor and hungry—it causes them distress. If Christians who are at the beginning of their faith journey see us who are further along on the journey misuse our freedom, what will it do to them? We certainly don’t want to be responsible for them falling away from the faith. So in that way we are servant and slave to all, subject to everyone- even while we are perfectly free and subject to no one. That’s what Peter meant by “do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil.” As ones who are free, we are to be constantly looking out for the best interests of our neighbor and putting aside our own desires—because it is our choice to do so-- it is a matter of our obedience to Christ who frees us. We are free to do just that. So, friends as we continue our Lenten journey, let us remember that we have the great pleasure of basking in the freedom of Christ, AND when necessary, we willingly give up that freedom for the sake of the other. Amen.

February 28: Journeying as The Holy Priesthood

1 Peter 2: 2-10
As we continue our Lenten Journey this morning, I want to think about stones. There are so many different kinds of stones and rocks on this planet. I don’t know about you but I tend to take most of those for granted. The diamonds and sapphires catch my eye but the limestone, granite, and sandstone don’t really hold my interest. All of them are important for something, however, and in Ancient Egypt there were certain stones that were used for architecture; there were other stones that were used in crafts, jewelry and for decoration; and there were particular stones that were used for the creation of tools. Each stone had unique qualities that made it appropriate for its intended function. The utilitarian stone, flint, was made into hammers, drills, and knife blades. Gemstones such as lapis, garnet, and topaz were used to adorn the headdresses of kings and queens as well as to decorate their royal belongings. Sandstone and limestone were used to build brick to create the massive pyramids that the Ancient Egyptians are known for. Temples and statues were also made of this kind of stone and we can see that this material has stood the test of time. These structures were erected over 5,000 years ago and still stand in the Nile Crescent to be visited by geologists, scientists, and tourists alike.
The Ancient Egyptians weren’t the only ones who knew about stone however. In our epistle lesson this morning, St. Peter talks to the early Christians about being “living stones,” stones that are built into a spiritual house or temple. He is talking about that rock that is used for architectural purposes, as opposed to ornamental gems or stone that is formed into tools. This stone has to be sturdy and able to stand up to the weather. Peter’s focus is purely on building, and not just the construction of any old building- but a spiritual building- a holy building, dedicated to the Lord. Just as Christ is the cornerstone of the building—and recall that without the cornerstone the building lacks strength, form, integrity—that we are built into that same building with Christ. Notice that Peter doesn’t say “build yourselves into a spiritual house. . .” No, this is a passive verb--- allow yourselves to be built into. . . a spiritual house. You can’t make this happen, but simply have to let God do the work. God is the master architect. God is the project manager. Just like stones cannot make themselves, or set themselves into place—so we as living stones cannot build ourselves into this holy temple.
So, how does this happen for us? Pardon the change of metaphors here, but Peter begins this chapter instructing the Christians to be like newborn babies, who long for spiritual milk. Newborn babies can’t eat a filet mignon or a baked potato. Newborn babies must have pure milk or infant formula, if you will. So too, as Christians we have to have the pure milk of the gospel before we can even consider having what Luther called “the wine.” The pure milk of the gospel is that most basic message for us who believe. . . that Jesus Christ came and lived among us and died for our sake and rose again from the dead. There’s nothing we can do to save ourselves but we simply cling to the love of Christ and his mercy and grace in our lives. Until we can truly drink of this milk, we cannot move on in our spiritual journey. We must be strengthened and nurtured and fed by this rich, nutritious, life sustaining milk of the holy Gospel- which reminds us that God did this, we do not and cannot do this for ourselves. If the message that we cling to and stake our lives of faith on are anything other than this pure gospel, then that milk is sour milk and not pure spiritual milk.
As we get stronger in our faith we then become ready for the wine and Luther reminds us that the wine is the cross- the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. As we grow into this holy spiritual house, as we are formed into living stones, we become stronger in our faith and God then calls us to the cross. But that doesn’t happen until we have ingested enough milk to make us strong! As we are strengthened in Christ, we are formed into these living, breathing, serving, loving, stones. A builder wouldn’t use stone that doesn’t have the properties of good, solid construction material. That would be a foolish builder who is just asking for the building to collapse. But a wise builder uses materials that stand the test of time- like the Ancient Egyptians using limestone and sandstone for the construction of those massive pyramids. As those living stones we are formed into the structure of the holy house and we are supported by the chief cornerstone which is Christ in whom we put our faith and trust. As that holy house we work together to keep the building strong and sturdy; we pray for one another, we accommodate one another, we become one with each other as those bricks become one house.
Now we get to the why of this holy house. . . Peter tells the Christians it is so that they can be formed into a holy priesthood. A priest needs a temple to work in, right? Now we have the temple- that’s the collection of the living stones formed into a holy house- and so next comes the priest. What is the function of the priest in ancient Jewish religion? To offer the sacrifices to God. With Christ’s death and resurrection, however, the need for those blood sacrifices is over. Christ is the Passover Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. No longer do you and I have to slaughter lambs or goats or bulls on the altar of the Lord. Now something new happens—now everything is spiritual. This priesthood, that we are all a part of, is about serving God and our neighbor in love. These are our spiritual sacrifices as those who are a part of the holy priesthood. The house is built of living stones and those same stones become holy priests—inside a building? No! In the world that God loves.
Perhaps you are sitting there with furrowed brow thinking to yourself, “I’m not a priest, I’m not a pastor, I’m just me- a computer programmer, a stay at home mom, a retired person.” But remember how Martin Luther interpreted these words from 1 Peter, that with Christ there is no hierarchy of faith. All those who are baptized become part of this holy priesthood of all believers. The mark of that priesthood is the sign of the cross made at our baptism—it consists of all those who call themselves Christians, who put away “malice, guile, hypocrisy, hatred, etc. who are like newborn babes and drink the unadulterated milk.” (The pure milk!) No Christian is more important than any other; no job or vocation has a higher status in the kingdom of God than another; the call to ordained ministry is not a “higher” calling than the call to be a father or mother, the call to be a teacher or nurse, the call to be a farmer or laborer. Christ has given each of us everything that belongs to him, even his own body and blood! Because we are the holy priesthood we are sent into the world to proclaim Christ and him crucified and risen; we are called to pray for one another fervently, constantly, and faithfully; and we are to live out our baptism in a sacrificial life. In the weeks to come I will talk further about these three parts of the office of the holy priesthood.
For today then, let us embrace this calling to be the holy priesthood of believers. Let us embrace the reality that we are formed by Christ into living stones, made into a holy temple, for the sake of Jesus. As you go out into the ebb and flow of your daily lives, remember that you are called. Called to be helpful, called to care, called to serve others and love others, called to work faithfully at whatever it is you do each day, and all of that we do for God. Notice Christ along the way. Pay attention to Christ who is with you on your journey. He has given you everything you need and accompanies you every step of the way. Amen.