Easter Prep

Two quick thoughts about almost all the resurrection accounts in the gospels. First, setting aside the Road to Emmaus in Luke, which for some reason is only read in the Easter Season once ever three years (stupid lectionary), they are all rather straight-forward. What I mean by that is they capture some silly things, like John’s 153 fish. They capture some embarrassing things. None of the disciples, who after all had been told this was going to happen, went out. It was only the Mary’s that went out. But they largely are just reports of surprise. “He is not here; He is risen.” It is that report like nature that to me makes them honest. This actually happened. They are not – other than that road to Emmaus – deep theological reflections. Even John’s resurrection accounts are “yeah, I ran faster than Peter after we heard.” Nobody has had the time or even the inclination to theologize. It just is. And the fact of the resurrection is enough by itself that 2000 years later people still can’t accept it. More theology has probably been written trying to deny it than understand it. But the accounts are simple. “He is not here; He is risen.”

The second quick thought might not be so quick. The angels in Matthew tell the Mary’s, “he’s risen, go tell his disciples, he’ll meet you in Galilee.” Then Jesus jump scares them “Greetings!” And Jesus says the same thing, “go to Galilee, I’ll see them there.” Mark’s gospel probably ends with the angel’s announcement to the Mary’s. It is either that, or the original ending of Mark’s gospel was lost. Because what we have as the ending isn’t in any of the great 4^th century bibles. And what we have is clearly a summary from the other gospels and probably the book of Acts with it’s bit about snake handling. Luke has that road to Emmaus which has at least two disciples getting out of Dodge, if for the wrong reasons. And John’s gospel even explicitly has one of the resurrection appearances beside the Sea of Tiberias, which is the Sea of Galilee. That’s where they get the 153 fish. Yet for some reason we think all of this takes place in and around Jerusalem.

We probably think that because of Luke 24:49 where Jesus tells them to wait in the city until they are clothed with power from on high. Of course he tells this to them after he has asked for some fish. Which sounds more like Galilee than Jerusalem. But Luke picks the story back up in Acts and says in Acts 1:4, “he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father.” Were they in Jerusalem the entire 40 days? Did the plan change from those early morning hours when Jesus said he’d meet them in Galilee? And what does it really matter?

As far as mattering, there is a fittingness to the mission of the church – to proclaim Christ risen to the world, starting in Jerusalem – actually starting from home. Abraham was called to leave home for the land God would give him. Likewise the disciples being called from home with the first target the Holy City has a biblical rhyming quality. Salvation comes from outside of us. It comes from outside of what we would consider holy. It comes to us in the crucified one, from Nazareth, in Galilee.

But the real answer might simply be practical. The disciples had been in Jerusalem for the Passover. The Passover was over. Sunday would be the day all the pilgrims started home. “I’ll see you in Galilee.” The next pilgrimage festival was Pentecost. So they went back to Jerusalem. Jesus ascends, but He tells them to wait in Jerusalem. His Ascencion might have spooked them to flee without his words. Instead, do not be afraid. Stay for the festival. Stay for Pentecost. Because it is about to be fulfilled. The gospels don’t give us a full travel itinerary, but I don’t think we have to read in some “Jesus and the angels were confused” or “they changed plans.” It’s 40 days. You probably go home. Where you just happen to see Jesus as he told you.

For You…For Forgiveness (Maundy Thursday)

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Maundy Thursday in the Lutheran Tradition as I have learned it is about the Lord’s Supper. The entire service is built around remembering and celebrating the sacrament. This sermon to me is a meditation on that tradition as I have received it and attempted to steward it. It ponders the biblical reality of Judas at that table, with a contrast with Peter. After all, both betrayed Jesus. And it ends with simple proclamation. The tradition inherited is not complex. It leaves plenty of questions. Most unanswerable. But there is plenty for faith to grasp onto. Because this supper is for you. For Forgiveness. Even the worst of sinners find pardon here.

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Until He Was Glorified

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Biblical Text: John 12:12-19, Matthew 27:13-26, Refrain verse: John 12:16

It was Palm Sunday or these days also the Sunday of the Passion. The service is actually a bit of theater starting with a procession of palms. But soon after the service switches gears to the reading of a longer passion account. I’ll be honest here, the hymns of Palm Sunday carry it all. You can open with Jubilant All, Glory, Laud and Honor and continue in the same vein with Hosanna, Loud Hosanna. After you’ve read the passion sits a wonderful modern hymn No Tramp of Soldiers’ Marching Feet that makes that transition itself. Close with Ride on, Ride on in Majesty which ends on the eschatological notes that this sermon does. “Bow thy meek head to mortal pain, then take, O God, thy power and reign.”

The sermon is a study in contrasts. I like this one. Which honestly is rarely true. I’m too much of a perfectionist on somethings, but being an every Sunday preacher – and in lenten season much more than every Sunday – you can’t give each one the polish you might otherwise. But the inspiration comes from a note that John gives “His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.” Each of the contrasts of the procession of Palms and the Passion underscores the divine irony. The disciples don’t understand, Pilate doesn’t understand, the chief priests don’t understand, the crowds don’t understand, and there were are with all of them. We don’t understand, until we see him glorified. It was all written about him. It all happened to Jesus. But it is only after the resurrection that we might understand.

There is more in there as the sermon develops each contrast. And there is the final eschatological move. What we might foolishly have hoped for in that first kingly procession yet awaits. And that is the power and glory that we today so often dismiss. But that awaits for tomorrow. Today, the king comes humbly. Today, his throne is a cross. Today, he comes heart by heart in grace.

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Holy Week Preview

I’m still adjusting to the Synod’s liturgical change from a pure Palm Sunday to a Passion Sunday preceded by a Procession of Palms. Synod in its core meaning is “walking together” and I seriously attempt to do so. Part of the constitution of the Synod is both Article 3.7, “encourage congregations to strive for uniformity in church practice,” and Article 6.4, “exclusive use of doctrinally pure agenda, hymnbooks and catechisms in church and school.” Divergence isn’t necessarily heretical, but The Church is bigger than my personal feelings, wants or desires. After about a decade of denial and anger that they had changed it, and a year or two of bargaining, I just accepted the Sunday of Palms and Passion. But accepting that liturgical change on one day in Holy Week, I’ve started to think causes ripples in the entire week.

The biggest one is on Good Friday. My practice before – which is an option in the approved Altar Book – was the collective congregational reading of the passion story in the form of the Tenebrae service. Tenebrae is that service with the steady dowsing of the lights. It was not so much the theatrical elements, although those are fine, but the collective reading of the story. The Passion story is the core memory of all believers. That Good Friday service was a yearly remembrance almost like the Jewish Passover meal. But when you’ve read at least a good part of that on the Sunday prior, just repeating it seemed off.

But there is a very similar Good Friday service – maybe the actual origin of that Tenebrae – that is not about the entire passion – everything from after the Supper to Christ’s burial – but has a much tighter focus. Jesus across the four gospels says seven (7) things from the cross. It is often called the Seven Words from the Cross, or the Seven Last Words. This tighter focus also has roots deep into the Christian past. There are significant musical setting in Latin from the 1500’s, German settings from the 1600’s solidly post Reformation, with maybe Haydn’s 1787 work being the standout. There is also a pop version. Andrew Lloyd Webber kinda ends Jesus Christ Superstar with the seven words.

So, this Holy Week, this is what you can expect. Today, Palms and Passion, is the expansive view of everything. From the crowds singing Hosanna to shouting crucify. From the angst of the Chief Priests, “See the world has gone after him.” To their cruelty mocking him on the cross in what they think is their triumph. From all the disciples gathered to all of them scattered. From the life of a victory parade, to the hurried march to placement in the tomb. Palms and Passion becomes a story of contrasts. What does faith see in the entire scene?

Thursday, Maundy Thursday, is the institution of the Supper. Maybe it is just that I haven’t contemplated it yet. There is another tradition for this night, that of foot-washing. The Maundy comes from Latin Mandatum, mandate or command. The foot-washing is usually paired with the command to “love one another as I have loved you.” But that foot-washing scene is not that one that Jesus tells us to keep doing. On that night he says “do this in remembrance of me,” the this being the Supper. And in a Synod that attempts to hang onto closed communion – the Supper being for those who are baptized and profess belief – a yearly ceremonial focusing on the supper alone seems appropriate.

And Good Friday will maintain the Tenebrae, the dowsing of the lights structure, but it will be focused around those Seven Last Words. And our Hymnbook includes a hymn meditation to go along with them, LSB 447 Jesus, in Your Dying Woes. Having done the Seven Words a couple of times, I think you might be surprised at the emotional effect of meditating on their simplicity. While being tied to the very specific day of Crucifixion, they speak directly to our wants and worries in a powerful way.

Redemption Tour: The Annunciation

Text: Psalm 45

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Sorry about not having audio. It didn’t happen tonight. It’s the final Lenten Midweek. Next week is Holy Week. But the day, March 25, is a real festival day on the church calendar – The Annunciation. Which is a little weird for a Lenten series, but as I thought about it, not that weird at all. At least not for the Redemption Tour. Because it is right there that all the redemption starts. And that is what this sermon is about.

Lazarus, Come Out

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Biblical Text: John 11:1-48

The introduction on a non-essential point is too long. Although it does tie into the situation of the story – the power of eyewitness accounts. When Jesus raises Lazarus of Bethany, and that guy is going to be walking around Jerusalem on a daily basis, it moved the Chief Priest’s Jesus problem to a new level.

But as the sermon developed, it developed as a story of the reaction of three souls to the love of God. Because what happens with Lazarus – the entire story from when Jesus delays going until after Lazarus is dead until he calls him out of the tomb – is said to be for the glory of God and because God loves Martha and Mary and Lazarus. The disciples’ reaction is to avoid the life and death stuff, which the love of God is life and death stuff. Martha’s reaction is putting God on trial. Mary’s reaction is something like despair. And Jesus gives answers to each of these responses.

When the love of God is proclaimed and realized on our lives, we probably realize that the ways of God are not our ways. The ways of God include things like suffering. The ways of God in this world are under the cross. And I don’t think the text limits the reactions that our souls have to this, but it covers three big ones. And the sermon is an exploration of how God answers these complaints of each soul.

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Son of Man

“Son of Man” is Jesus’ nickname for himself. There are lots of reasons that get floated. Typically the story goes something like this. “Christ” or “Messiah” was too loaded a term. It had come to mean expected earthly conquest and revenge leader. This is the thing that even the recent Dune movies pick up on most. Oppressed people looking for a promised leader that will lead them to victory and revenge. Jesus did not want to give any credence to that idea, so he chose a relatively obscure yet still messianic title. “Son of Man” was used by the prophet Daniel. “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. (Dan. 7:13 ESV).” That is the single verse the messianic claims for the title rest upon.

The phrase itself – “son of man” – is used 189 times in the Bible. The New Testament appearances are mostly in the Gospels and Jesus’ self-reference. The others are clearly referencing Jesus. The Old Testament uses the phrase 107 times. That Daniel verse being one. Many of the others are like it’s first use in Numbers, “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. (Num. 23:19 ESV)” – a poetic sobriquet for a human that often makes a great distinction between God and man. But what really sent me down this rabbit hole is that out of those 107 Old Testament uses of “son of man” Ezekiel uses is 93 times. And it is almost always a direct address. It is God speaking to his prophet. Like his first use of it. “And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” (Ezek. 2:1 ESV).”

And I wish I could reproduce the effect for you of reading through the list. If you want, ask me for a print of all the verses in order. The effect is a building sense that God is not just talking to the prophet Ezekiel, but he is talking to The Prophet.

“Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. (Ezek. 2:3 ESV)”

“You, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words (Ezek. 2:6 ESV)”

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. (Ezek. 3:17 ESV)”

“And you, O son of man, behold, cords will be placed upon you, (Ezek. 3:25 ESV)”

The drumbeat continues through the chapters. Until you get to our Old Testament lesson today.

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” (Ezek. 37:1-3 ESV)

Son of Man, can these bones live?

That’s the question, isn’t it? Death has had free reign, like US Air Power over Iran. Death can strafe where it wants to. It can drop bombs that make huge craters anywhere. It could even go nuclear if it so desired. And the bones of a thousand generations lie in the dust they came from. There were very many and they were very dry.

Son of Man, can these bones live?

The prophet Ezekiel answers the question in the only way he could – “LORD GOD, you know.” But what about The Prophet? Has The Prophet made up his mind? Can these bones live? Or is this all a grand but failed experiment?

God tells Ezekiel to prophesy – to preach – to the bones. “Hear the word of the LORD.” And the final word of the LORD in the vision is the promise. “You shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people…I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.”

Can these bones live?

Absolutely.

Redemption Tour: The House of God

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This is something of the end of the Redemption Tour. We still have one more Lenten Midweek, but next week is actually the Annunciation, so I can tie it into the Redemption Tour, but the theme would change. These four weeks we’ve looked at specific things in the Christian life that get redeemed by it: worship, brotherhood, witness. The thing that ties them together is the Household of God. And the final version of that household of God is not made of leaves or sky or tent skins or stones. It is made of flesh. The living stones of the believers in Jesus. God has redeemed his House – You.

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Believing is Seeing

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Biblical Text: John 9:1-41

The Gospel of John is the upside down one. Water becomes wine. Good things do come from Nazareth. Messiahs are enthroned on crossed. And believing is seeing. The Gospel lesson text is often just called the man born blind. In my reading it is John’s living commentary on the Synoptics’ Parables of the Kingdom (Sower, Wheat and Weeds). What it leaves no doubt about is that God is at work in this world. He is at work constantly through his word both his direct proclamation and then through our witness. But hearts have two reactions: Belief and confirmed unbelief. And unlike the folk wisdom, what you believe effects what you see. If you want to see the work of God you have to believe his word.

This sermon contemplates that reality through two larger movements. The first being the Sovereignty of God behind Jesus’ answer “neither sinned, but the man was born blind that the works of God might be displayed in him.” The second movement being the crisscrossing directions of the lives of the man born blind and the pharisees who insist they see. Through both of those movements it is presented to us to believe, that we might see both God’s proper work and his alien work in our midst.

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Contrarian Light

I don’t know if I was born a contrarian, or if I was nurtured into one. Like in most of these situations the real answer is probably a little of both. I don’t remember a time where my natural inclination wasn’t to go in the opposite direction of the hoard. At the same time I don’t exactly remember a time that my mother didn’t go her own way. Maybe my favorite story of that involves a water park. We had been begging all summer to go. This is extreme Northern Illinois, so June and July are the warm months. Early August would be fine, but you get a touch of fall in late August. Mom’s response in June and July and even early August was “the hottest time is the end of August.” Daughter of Southern Illinois that she was. Now I don’t exactly know what was on her mind, whether it was the last week of summer vacation, an empty park, or if Mom truly believed that August 29^th in Northern Illinois would be the best weather for a water park. But that is when we went. And when we set out the temperature read 59 F. I think it maxxed out about 73 F. And by shortly after noon, three bluish boys were asking, “Can we go home?” To which mom said “It’s perfect, enjoy the day.” We left shivering about 3:30 PM.

Our lectionary texts this week all hinge on light and darkness, on blindness and sight. And of the many biblical metaphors for justification, these are the one that I am least comfortable with. I also think they tend to be the ones that a lot of preachers instinctively reach for. And I don’t know if this is an example of my contrarian streak, or something more meaningful. But let’s walk through some of my hesitance with these metaphors.

First, light and darkness are absolutely good metaphors for what God has done in Christ. “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the World (Ephesians 5:8).” I think my contrarian take is rooted in the next verse. “Walk as children of the light…and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord (Ephesians 5:9).” I just have little confidence in our ability to discern light and darkness. There are lots of things that get sold as light, that turn out to be deep darkness. Our world is awash in them. It certainly doesn’t help that Satan can “disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthian 11:14).” Discernment is something that takes a sanctified lifetime to build. And when and if you develop it, you probably find yourself surrounded by blind people who won’t listen.

That leads to my second misgiving. Isaiah 42 from which our Old Testament lesson comes from starts out with one of the servant songs. It is a song about the justice and rightness of what the servant of the Lord will accomplish and one of praise – “Sing to the LORD a new song (Isaiah 42:10)” – for the zeal with which he will accomplish everything. And the pinnacle of this is “I will turn the darkness before them into light (Isaiah 42:16).” But what does Israel do when this servant is sent? They remain deaf and blind. “Because he is righteous, the LORD has exalted his glorious law. (Isaiah. 42:21 NLT).” But, “who among you gave ear to this, will attend and listen for the time to come? (Isaiah 42:23).” And the answer is not many.

If I’m preaching in the metaphor of light and darkness, it is only on the most sure things. The starkest law where discernment is not exactly needed. “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. (Ephesians 5:11).” The unfruitful works of darkness like murder, adultery, theft, false witness, envy. You can find other lists like the one in Ephesians 5:3-7, interestingly cut off by our lectionary reading. Or preaching the opposite, the clearest light as from the resurrection tomb.

And it is that resurrection light that anchors this metaphor. “Awake O Sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you (Ephesians 5:14).” The light is not our work. We are more like the moon in that we only reflect the light of the Son. It is God’s work to enlighten, the Spirit’s specifically. God has raised his Son that we might see him clearly. We might not see everything clearly, but we can see the Son.