Ask Boldly, Live Justly -- A Message for October 16, 2022

 

            Last week, we read a passage from Jesus’ life events.  While he was traveling, a group of men with leprosy asked Jesus to help them. He healed them, but then was surprised that only one came back to say, “Thank you.”  

            This week, we visit the next chapter in the book of Luke, where we read several of Jesus’ teachings to his disciples and his followers. Jesus told them this unfamiliar parable about a relentless widow. Hear Jesus’ words as they are recorded in Luke, chapter 18, verses one through eight;

Proclamation of the Scripture                        Luke 18:1-8 from the Message

18 1-3 Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, “There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’

4-5 “He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.’”

6-8 Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”

Here ends this reading of the Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.           

            The squeaky wheel gets the oil.

            In Biblical times, widows were very vulnerable. They often were left destitute when their husbands died. In most cases, women were not allowed to own property. A wife was dependent on her husband, and when he died, she either had to return to her father’s household if he was still living or live with her adult son if she had one.  Many women had neither a living father nor an adult son when they lost their husbands. So, they were left without income or a place to live unless a relative took pity on them. Legally, women were not equal to men, and they were under the authority of male relatives.

            Ancient Jewish laws intended for widows to be treated compassionately. Widows could advocate for themselves before judges who were supposed to adjudicate fairly on their behalf. But, as we read in our parable, sometimes judges were not really concerned about their constituents. Jesus described a Judge who neither cared about God nor the people he served. But, he was capable of being worn down – the widow wouldn’t leave the judge alone. She begged the judge to stop the perpetuators who were violating her rights. She wanted the judge to do his job and protect her.

            Finally, the judge got tired of the women’s persistent demands for justice.  He decided it would be less troublesome to protect her from the wrongdoers than it was to listen to her nagging. So, he acted on her behalf.

            Jesus then explained to his hearers that if a corrupt judge could be worn down, then we shouldn’t doubt that our compassionate God will hear our pleas for justice. We are reminded to be like the widow – to be persistent in our quest for justice –  justice for ourselves,  justice for our neighbors,  justice for vulnerable people, and justice for people who can’t speak up for themselves.

            This parable seems very pertinent as it relates to the current conditions of the world and the current conditions of our country.  Since March, people all over the world have rallied for peace on behalf of our neighbors in the Ukraine. Our Vacation Bible School kids gathered supplies to fill backpacks for refugees who are being supported by Church World Service. Our own young people have lifted up prayers on behalf of new Ukrainian classmates who have sought refuge in our community. People all over the world are working on supporting refugees and coming up with solutions to cope with the oil embargo against Russia and the lack of wheat exports from Ukraine, where we formerly received 9% of the world’s wheat. The whole world is praying for the people of Ukraine, and many individuals have taken on projects that are intended to help bring justice for our Ukrainian neighbors in need.

            Our faith calls upon us to work on behalf of justice for others. At Trinity, we are very committed to supporting the work of the Daily Bread Community Food Pantry. We share food, toiletry items, and cleaning supplies with the guests of the Pantry. We heave a team of steadfast volunteers who spend hours sorting food and completing tasks needed for the distribution of items to the pantry’s guests. We have members who have been leading fundraising efforts to purchase a new space. We have members who have shared generously from their economic resources to support many efforts at the Pantry. We are a church that cares about our neighbors who are struggling to have enough to eat and to support their families.

            God works for Justice for the people of the earth. Like our Creator, it is our calling to strive for justice for all people. We particularly must work on behalf of vulnerable people who are struggling to have hope. This is our quest and our calling.

            May we live out our faith with love. Amen.

Planting Life -- A Message for October 9, 2022

 

            This morning, we are returning to the Gospel of Luke to visit a story from Jesus’ lifetime. In today’s reading Jesus was travelling to Jerusalem along the border between Galilee and Samaria. In order to get to Jerusalem from Galilee, you had to walk along the edge of Samaria.  But, the Jewish people and the Samaritans were always at odds with each other, and they were prohibited by their religious rules from mingling.  They were neighbors, but remained separate and apart. Listen now to what happened when Jesus walked through this border-region on his way to Jerusalem, as it is recorded in Luke chapter 17, verses 11 through 19:

Proclamation of the Scripture                        Luke 17:11-19

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 

As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 

and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 

He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 

Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 

Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

HERE ENDS THIS READING OF THE WORD OF GOD FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD. THANKS BE TO GOD. AMEN.

Prayer: Lord, give us grace this morning that we would be both hearers and doers of the Word.  And may our obedience in both listening and living bring glory to You. Amen.

            Today’s story takes place in a boarder land – the land between Samaria and Galilee. It wasn’t Samaria and it wasn’t Galilee. It was an in-between place, a place where the people who didn’t fit in the regular places gathered…..sort of a no-mans-land where people didn’t want to be. So, the people who hung out there were the rejects – the people who were sick, the people who were very poor, the people born to un-wed mothers, the people who were born in mixed marriages with a Samaritan mom and a Jewish dad, the people who weren’t allowed to live anywhere else….like the people with leprosy who encountered Jesus there.

            Jesus walked right across this no-mans-land, right through the border area that stretched between Samaria and Galilee. The ten men with leprosy saw Jesus. Leprosy is a contagious skin disease that can lead to rashes on the body and damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin and eyes. The rules of the Old Testament command that people with leprosy must be separated from the Jewish community – they were required to live outside of all walled cities and towns. Ancient Jewish people believed leprosy was caused by a person being spiritually corrupt – people in that time period had no understanding of disease and that leprosy is actually caused by bacteria that infect the skin.  Ancient Jewish people also had no understanding of how disease is spread – so people with leprosy were isolated and cut off from everyone else even though the disease is difficult to transmit from person to person.

            Jesus walked across the border region that separated Israel and Samaria, and there he came upon the group of men with leprosy. The men asked Jesus to have pity on them….and in response Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priests. They were cleansed as they went on their way. They walked and were healed at the same time. A miraculous healing had taken place.

            There were ten men with leprosy – ten men went to the priests. And, only one came back to thank Jesus. And, the one man who returned to say thank you was a Samaritan…Not one of Jesus’ people….instead, one of their traditional nemeses.

            If Jesus had set this up as a parable, we would expect this ironic twist at the end of the story. But this was real life….the person who returned to say thank you was one of the enemies.

            This story reminds us it is easy to take good news for granted. We get sick, we fret and worry, we overcome the illness after a long struggle, and we move on with our lives. We lose our job we fret and worry, apply for a million jobs, we get hired by a new place, and we move on with our lives. Our kid is struggling at school, we fret and we worry, we help them complete a major project, they get a passing grade, and we move on with our lives. We rarely look back at what has happened and practice gratitude. We rarely focus on the time of struggle….instead we just look ahead and keep moving.

            This morning’s event from Jesus’ life reminds us to be focused on Gratitude. Nothing we accomplish in our lives is done in a vacuum. We must remember to appreciate our family members who help us in the midst of our struggles. We must remember to appreciate our fellow church members who pray for us. We must remember to appreciate the colleagues and friends who mentor us and who help us gain experience and knowledge that lead to better things. We must remember to appreciate God and that God’s Holy Spirit accompanies us throughout our lives, through all of our ups and downs, through all of our struggles and joys.

            The other nine men, the former lepers, were probably really excited and happy they were healed. After they saw the priests and were declared clean, they probably rushed to visit their former friends and relatives and show off their unblemished skin. They were ready to get back to life – to go back to how things were before they became outcast. Appreciation for God and Jesus were not at the top of their to-do lists.

            For that one man, that one Samaritan man, gratitude was essential. He knew his healing came from God by way of Jesus. He remembered to give thanks to God and to Jesus.  And, he got a double blessing from Jesus—he was both healed of his skin condition and made well inside and out by Jesus. We need to work to be like that man, full of gratitude and appreciation.

            May we do so with love in our hearts. Amen. 

Free to Grieve -- A Message for October 2, 2022

 

Over the past few weeks, we have read selections from the letters St. Paul sent to Timothy while Paul was in Prison.  This morning, we turn to the 2^nd letter to Timothy. Paul again writes to Timothy from his cell in a Roman prison. As you listen to his words, imagine how lonely he would have felt – far away from his friends and fellow Christians, isolated and alone. He was suffering, yet kept his faith in God and in the teachings and work of Jesus. Here his words as they are penned in 2^nd Timothy, chapter 1, verses 1 through 14:

Proclamation of the Scripture                        2 Timothy 1:1-14

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

To Timothy, my dear son:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 

Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 

I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 

So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 

He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 

but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 

And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 

That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 

Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Here ends this reading of the Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayer Before the Message

Holy One, as we listen once more to the wisdom of your Word, may we be fed both in mind and body. Help us open to your revelation of love and to receive your blessing with grace. Amen.

            Today is Word Communion Sunday. Christians in Skippack; and Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Harare, Zimbabwe; and Mumbai, India; and Kiev, Ukraine; and Jakarta, Indonesia; and Wellington, New Zealand are all meeting at the Communion Table to receive our Holy Meal TODAY.  Christians in every land, on every continent, even in the International Space Station orbiting the earth, are receiving communion today. Christians of every walk of life are sharing a meal together.

            If St. Paul was alive today and was still in prison, he would have the opportunity to receive communion at a Christian worship service in his prison. At SCI Phoenix, our local corrections institute, inmates are invited to participate in Catholic, Protestant, Seventh Day Adventist, Christian Scientist, Jehovah’s Witness, and Episcopalian worship services. So, even Christians who are captive are invited to the Communion Table today.

            Everyone is welcome.

Over the years, as Christianity has evolved, we have opened the table. In some churches, traditionally, people had to take rigorous theology and catechism classes and officially become part of the church before they could receive the elements. You had to jump through hoops before you were welcome to the table. As part of the United Church of Christ, Trinity members don’t believe in “Tests of Faith.” We welcome everyone to the table, young and old, people who believe fervently in every last bit of Christian theology and people who doubt and question every single part of Christian theology.  We are all welcome at this table.

            When Paul wrote his 2^nd letter to Timothy, he was suffering. He had been in living under house arrest and then prison for many years. He felt abandoned by his former friends. He felt ignored by the other Christians in Rome. And, Christians were in serious trouble. The Emperor Nero blamed Christians for the great fire that destroyed Rome in 64 AD – Christians were easy scapegoats for the Romans because they were disliked by both Jewish and Gentile Romans.  Many people who was arrested and then admitted to be Christian believers were killed—sometimes in horribly violent manners. Many martyrs were minted in this sad period. Eventually, even Paul would become a martyr.

            In light of how he felt and how difficult things were for Christians, Paul remained true to his faith. At a time when many people would throw in the towel, Paul remained steadfast. And, despite the trials Timothy faced in Ephesus, he also wanted Timothy and his fellow Christians to remain steadfast and dedicated to our shared faith. And, Paul wanted to assure them that even when we suffer, we are seen and loved by our God.

            Friends, fortunately, we don’t live in a time when Christianity is under attack, at least in the United States. We won’t be martyred for being Christians, like Paul and many of his kindred were. Now we live in a time and place where Christianity is becoming the faith of a smaller and smaller group of people.  Some of us can remember a time period when people filled these pews, and filled the pews of all of the neighboring congregations. People attended Church and sat alongside their neighbors and co-workers. It was “normal” to be a Christian and attend a church.

            But, now we live in a day and a place where what we do is not “normal.” – in fact, what we do is possibly abnormal. Instead of sleeping in on Sunday or playing softball or eating brunch before 11:30 am, we are here….we are here to worship a God fewer and fewer of our neighbors are worried about having a relationship with.  We are here because our faith compels us to be here. We are here because our faith convinces us that this is important, that God wants us to worship in community, and our faith makes a positive difference in our lives and in the lives of others.  We are here despite having many other options.

            As Paul said: For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. Even though our faith makes us different than our secular friends and family members, in our difference, we find strength. Our Faith in God helps us to be resilient and brave. Our faith in Jesus reminds us that God loves us and expects us to be focused on doing good for the people of the world and being kind to ourselves. Our faith helps us to discern our ethical and moral priorities in a world where there are a lot of persuasive arguments to be selfish and greedy.  Our common faith in God reminds us that the Holy Spirit of God is among us and within our very beings guiding our hands and guiding our thoughts, helping us remain true and focused on what the Lord requires of us. The Holy Spirit guides us and all Christians to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.

            Today is a special day. We are reminded that we are not alone in our faith. There is a web of Christians stretching across the globe to encourage us and to connect with us. Take heart and know that we are not alone, and together we will bring Christ’s message of love and compassion to the people of the world who desperately need to hear it.

            Amen.