On the Way to Wonder

So how does belief become faith?  I may believe that someone is the President of the United States, but that does not mean I have faith in all the proposed policies debated over news broadcasts each evening.  Believing is not having faith.  Ephesians 2:8 shares, “By grace we are saved through faith..”  In Luther’s day indulgences were a big thing.  Indulgences were pieces of paper sold by roving priests like Tetzel that, if bought, guaranteed the forgiveness of a certain number of years in Purgatory by the Pope.

         “The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a          “purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of      heaven,” which is experienced by those “who die in God’s grace and          friendship, but still imperfectly purified” (CCC 1030). It notes that “this final purification of the elect . . . is entirely different from the punishment of the damned” (CCC 1031).”

Luther challenged this belief, creating a rift between Catholicism and Protestantism.  Both believe in Christ, have similar Bibles, and actually have much in common.  Faith alone says that it is not because of an amount of my faith or because of my purification that I can draw near to God but because of trusting in Christ’s work on the cross, that we are saved.  Faith alone is all that is needed to be in relationship with God.  There does not need to be further purification.  We are saint and sinner.

         A Biblical story that exemplifies the Protestant’s stand is the two thieves on the cross, Luke 23: 39-42.  Both men believed Jesus was on the cross.  Both seemed to believe that Jesus was a good guy.  Neither had access to theological training and they appeared to be ordinary people.  As the one thief  is dying, he turns to Jesus and says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  There is no big theological understanding but he pleads for mercy and to be where ever Jesus is going to be.   Jesus responds, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  Faith puts one’s life where one’s beliefs are.  I can agree that it is a chair but when I sit on it, I exhibit faith that it will hold me.  I can believe Jesus is a great person but when I trust him to guide my life and future, that’s faith.

         Many of us struggle with guilt over pass failures and in many subtle ways try to deserve God’s grace.  On the other hand, we may cast a critical glance at another and silently judge that their actions make them unworthy of God’s love.  It is not our actions but Christ’s actions that is important.  Faith alone is the means of receiving grace – salvation.  

         Today spend a moment forming an acrostic from faith.

         F ________________________________

         A ________________________________

         I ________________________________

         T _______________________________

         H _______________________________

Blessings as you trust in that relationship.

First Reading: Jeremiah 31:7-9

 7Thus says the Lord:

 Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,

  and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;

 proclaim, give praise, and say,  

  “Save, O Lord, your people,

  the remnant of Israel.”

 8See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north,

  and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,

 among them the blind and the lame,

  those with child and those in labor, together;

  a great company, they shall return here.

 9With weeping they shall come,

  and with consolations I will lead them back,

 I will let them walk by brooks of water,

  in a straight path in which they shall not stumble;

 for I have become a father to Israel,

  and Ephraim is my firstborn.

Psalm: Psalm 126

Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy. (Ps. 126:5)

 1When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,

  then were we like those who dream.

 2Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy.

  Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 

 3The Lord has done great things for us,

  and we are glad indeed.

 4Restore our fortunes, O Lord,

  like the watercourses of the Negeb.

 5Those who sowed with tears

  will reap with songs of joy.

 6Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed,

  will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves. 

Second Reading: Hebrews 7:23-28

23The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; 24but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

 26For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. 28For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

Gospel: Mark 10:46-52

46As [Jesus] and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” 50So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” 52Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

CHILDREN’S SERMON:  If I could give you a lump of clay or play dough, what would you want to form it into if you could?  Share with your neighbor.

Let us pray.  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Strength and my Redeemer.

SERMON

Today we Lutherans celebrate Reformation Sunday which we associate with Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg on Oct. 31, 1517.  American culture will look to this coming Thursday, October 31,we call Halloween, and be thinking about trick-n-treating, costumes and for many, stare with amazement at the yard decorations of spider webs and coffins that have become so popular. According to Wikipedia somewhere in the 4th century the Catholic or dominant Christian church started celebrating feast days honoring martyrs.  Somewhere around 731 or 32 Pope Gregory named November 1st as a feast day honoring the strong bond between the Church Triumphant, saints in heaven, and the Church Militant, Christians still living.  All Saints Sunday will be next Sunday when we honor the church universal and especially those who passed this last year.

That explains this Friday and next Sunday, but what about Thursday?  Halloween, literally the Holy Evening before All Saints Day and the day that marks the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, was believed to be a “thin place” in time when spirits of the dead could cross over and visit the living.  These spirits could choose to play mischief on people who harassed them during life.  Hence traditions like wearing costumes to trick the spirits or giving sweets to appease them.  It is all very interesting but how does it apply to our text today?

The beliefs of many of the reformers like Martin Luther can be summarized in five “Solae”, five “Alone” statements that spoke to major beliefs that needed to be addressed in the Catholic Church and which Luther wanted to enter into debate concerning. Luther proposed:

Scripture Alone – not scripture and tradition but scripture alone has the voice of authority for our beliefs.

Christ Alone – not Christ and the saints.  Mary or a saint could not share some of her super grace with us less perfect believers who wait in Purgatory until we are sinless.

 Faith Alone – not faith and works.  It is through faith in Christ and his work on the cross that saves us and not any good works we do.

Grace Alone – not indulgences.  Salvation is a gift from God and we cannot earn it or buy it.

Glory goes to God Alone.

Scripture, Christ, faith, grace and all glory to God are the defining aspects of our faith for us Lutherans and are worth reviewing today by looking at a Biblical example, Blind Bartimaeus.

Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, 

was sitting by the roadside. 

Jesus and his disciples have been on a journey to reach Jerusalem and Jesus is trying to prepare them for the crucifixion.  If we go back to chapter 8 of Mark, we find Jesus healing a blind man at the beginning of  the journey and today as we near the end of the journey, we have a healing of a blind man, Bartimaeus.  Between these two miracles dealing with blindness, three times Jesus tries to tell the disciples about the coming crucifixion. We have met various people wanting to be part of the coming kingdom and have read about their perception that Jesus is the coming Messiah.  Last week we heard James and John quibbling about being on the left and right hand of Jesus.  In fact, two thieves were by his side on the cross.  One believed and one did not.  Today we meet blind Bartimaeus sitting by the side of the road that leads from Jericho to Jerusalem.

      Remember Jericho was where Joshua crossed the Jordan and led the Israelites from wandering in the wilderness into the Promised Land. Like the people with Joshua and those in our text, we are journeying to the Promised Land, but we have not arrived yet.  We are all “on the way.”  Bartimaeus is not with the crowd though, he is sitting by the side of the road, blind and begging.

       Jesus used roads to teach.  He told about the Good Samaritan who encountered a man beaten up by thieves and left to die.  In the parable, the “good guys” walk past this victim of life but the Good Samaritan stops and helps the person.   Zacheus climbed up in a tree to see Jesus walk by on the road because he felt unworthy and too short to join the crowd. The Father of the prodigal son ran down the road to meet his wayward son returning.  Paul experienced the blinding light on the road to Damascus and believed.  Then there is the Road to Emmaus. Yup, the journey is important.  Where are you on the road of faith? 

Today we meet another man, Bartimaeus, reduced by life and left to beg for the leftovers of life from people who might notice and respond to his plea for help.  We may ask ourselves if we feel like an unnamed person in the crowd trying to follow Jesus or do we identify with Bartimaeus.  Perhaps some of you today feel sidelined by life, by age, by illness, by language, by disabilities or even by finances.  So many things push us to the side of the faith road, begging for help.  It seems like the “crowd” blocks us from accessing Jesus as he passes by and we cry out, “help.”  Perhaps we think Jesus only cares about those successful churches that attract the crowds and we are discouraged wondering if Jesus even notices the ministry and struggles of Bethany.  It is possible to feel that way some days. It is also possible to just be following the crowd.  

  Like Bartimeaus, Luther was looking for a God he just could not seem to approach and love.  His mentor sent him to Scripture to find his answer.  It was  when his mentor sent him to Scripture that Luther realized that salvation was a gift given by God and not the result of him leading a good life, The first sola is Sola Scriptura.  Scripture alone is the authoritative voice about life and salvation.  At his trial in Worms, Luther famously says, 

Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Here I stand. I can do no other. Amen.     

 Blindness that had created a tremendous hunger within Bartimaeus, drove him to yell out when he heard Jesus was passing.  Bartimaeus addressed Jesus as “Son of David.”  Note, we are not in Israel yet but crossing the border.  I think we must assume Bartimaeus is uneducated, not a priest or theologian, not the rich man who knew the law and had kept it from his youth, and certainly not a disciple worrying about his position in the new kingdom.  It is likely he was not an Israelite. Nope, this is someone living at the bottom of the social ladder, a blind man who saw with the eyes of his heart a  truth. Jesus is Son of David.  Bartimaeus calls to the compassion of a Messiah that is true humanity and understands his pain.  He calls to the heart of Jesus, over the crowd that is trying to hush him and erase him.  Bartimaeus approaches Jesus with words from scripture.  He has not found healing by going to the Temple or dealing with the priests. 

The second sola is “Sola Cristus,” Christ Alone. It is only through Christ and not the Pope, Mary or the saints that we find salvation.  Holy people cannot share their supply of grace with us. They are wonderful spiritual examples and leaders but they are not the savior. By the end of the text, Bartimaeus is walking beside Jesus to enter Jerusalem.  This healing is sandwiched between being by the side of the road and being on the road with Jesus, between blindness and sight.

Jesus asks Bartimaeus,

 “What do you want me to do for you?”  

Now there is the million-dollar question.  What do we want Jesus to do for us?   Do we really know what we want from God today?

      Solomon asked for wisdom to govern God’s people.  His wisdom did not protect him from the harem.  Hezekiah asked for 15 more years of life but then got in trouble showing his wealth to the emissaries of the enemy.  Namaan wanted to be healed of leprosy but had to bath in the Jordon and had to be encouraged by his servants to humble himself.  We often say, “Be careful what you pray for!”  If we pray for patience, we may get trials that teach us patience!  Jesus asks and does not assume but asks Bartimaeus what he wants.   The third sola of the Reformation is Sola Fideles, Faith Alone.

At the time of Luther people revered relics and went on pilgrimages to holy places.  Works of faith were important.  You could be forgiven so many years in purgatory for each good deed you did.  In the Luther film, Luther travels to Rome and returns cynical about works of faith.   In the epistle of James, James debates faith and works and asks, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save them? (James 2: 14) Faith is not intellectual assent like believing that President Biden is president of the United States.  We can believe that but it does not impact our lives. True faith impacts our lives and actions.  And so Luther maintained that faith alone and not special actions that are beyond a blind man is all that is necessary. 

This is closely related to the fourth sola,  Gracia Sola, Grace Alone.  Salvation is a gift from God obtained through Christ’s death on the cross.  We can do nothing, no good works, to earn it. 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works – so that  no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”(Ephesians 2:8-10) 

Bartimaeus responds. “My teacher, let me see  again.”  He believed Jesus – faith – and he asked for a gift only God could give – sight.  Bartimaeus then threw off his robe and followed Jesus to Jerusalem. Bartimaeaus is not sent to the temple to satisfy the priests.  He is not told to not tell anyone.  He is not sent home to tell others.  He follows Jesus on the road to Jerusalem and the cross.

There is one more interesting detail we can consider this morning in our text.   The robe.  Nope we are not talking about the movie, “The Robe.”  Mark records for us that when Jesus calls Bartimaeus to come forth, Bartimaeus throws off his robe and jumps up to go to Jesus.  Unlike the young man two weeks ago who left sad because he, the man, had many possessions, this beggar throws away his possession.  

      The robe is somehow a status symbol.  Robes seem to be mentioned in several Biblical scenes:  at the cross the soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ robe, the woman with bleeding believed if only she could touch Jesus’ robe she would be healed, and people put the sick on the roads Jesus walked on so they could touch his robe and be healed.  The robe of Bartimaeus is cast off though.  In Kenya, handicapped were placed by the roads to beg.  The robe would have protected Bartimaeus from the sun.  It could have been used to nap on. Or it could have been laid out like his collection plate for people to throw their gifts on.  Bartimaeus threw away his security blanket and went to Jesus.  Bartimaeus was anticipating transformation.  Jesus confirms by saying, “Go, your faith has made you well.” 

      With these words, Mark changes this story from just another healing of a blind person to a lesson about faith for disciples.  When Jesus finds us, we are sitting blind by the side of the road.  It does not matter if we are infants in the arms of our parents or wayward teens lost in modern culture, or little ole elders looking death in the eye.  We are blind and helpless, sitting by the side of the road of life.  We have no motion and we are dependent on the help of others to survive.  The crowds blur our access to Jesus. 

      We are all sinners and we call out for help.  None of us is an island and we cannot make it through life by ourselves. But when we learn that Jesus is passing, we can cry out.  Jesus, son of David, God in the flesh with a heart of compassion and not far off in the clouds observing and judging – have mercy on us.  We are that lump of clay or play dough from the children’s sermon.  We believe that God is reforming us, our church and his world through the Scriptures we are to internalize.  Through incarnation in the life of Jesus Christ.  Through a relationship built on faith that results in good works.  Through the grace of the gifts he gives us out of love.  And all this is to his glory.

The people of God said, “AMEN!!”

A Mighty Fortress is Our God • T4G Live [Official Lyric Video]

“The Protestant Reformation was the 16th-century religious, political, intellectual and cultural upheaval that splintered Catholic Europe, setting in place the structures and beliefs that would define the continent in the modern era. (www.history.com/topics/reformation)”

      October for me always signals the hunt for my video, Martin Luther.  We watched it every October and my children watched it with me every year.  The new version has Valdemort’s brother as the Luther character, much to the delight of my children!  We even showed the older version to our pastoral students in Kenya.  They loved it.  They would watch it on their own several more time.  A single monk with his Bible stands up to the political and religious powers of his time, and changes the world.  What a story.  Martin Luther then goes on to translate the Bible into German that was printed on the newly invented printing press.  People had never had the Word of God in their own language, in their own hands.  Absolutely unimaginable for a literate person like myself!

      It is probably not surprising that I married someone headed to Africa to translate the Bible for a tribe that had no written language and no scripture in their own language. To my young mind there was no greater gift to be involved with than enabling people to be able to read God’s Word in their own language in the privacy of their own home and to then relate to what God revealed.  The New Testament was translated into Rendille, dedicated August 18, 2019, and distributed from camels bringing in to the people from across the desert.

      Possibly the most famous hymn of the Reformation and actually most translated hymn in history is Martin Luther’s, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” The hymn is based on Psalm 46.  The psalm starts out, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though the waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with surging. (Psalm 46: 1-3)” We may not see ourselves as refugees like those gathering at our borders, seeking entrance, but the truth is that we all need a place to run to when life threatens to overwhelm us.  Let us spend time this morning praying for protection for ourselves, our loved ones, and our world from the evils of Covid, war, famine, environmental change and injustice.  God is our refuge. Then let’s sing verse 1.

A Mighty Fortress is Our God

A mighty fortress is our God

A bulwark never failing;

Our helper he, amid the flood

Of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe

Does seek to work us woe;

His craft and power are great,

And armed with cruel hate,

On earth is not his equal.

Acts 17:15-34 (The Message)

24-29 “The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn’t live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn’t take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don’t make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; he’s near. We live and move in him, can’t get away from him! One of your poets said it well: ‘We’re the God-created.’ Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it?

One of the big points of contention in the Reformation was the role of the Pope and of Mary as a co-redeemer.  the reformers believed that salvation only came through Jesus Christ and his work on the cross.  In Acts 17 Paul has gone to Athens and is waiting for his friends to arrive.  As he investigated the city he found statues and idols to all the gods that were worshiped.  He was engaged in conversation with Epicureans who structured their lives around pleasure and Stoics who on the other hand sought virtue.  These philosophers engaged Paul in debate and wanted to know about his religion.  Paul had seen a statue to “the Unknown God” and used it as an inroad to talk about Christ as the one true God.

Paul seems to be drawing a line between God, the creator, and we the “God-created.”  The created cannot redeem another person.  Salvation can only be found in Christ, the creator.  So how does that impact our thinking and living?  Only the creator sees the big picture and the purpose for my life.  Only the creator has the power to step in and redirect his creation.  Only the creator has personal interaction with his creation as he forms and molds it into his dreams.  Those are a few ideas.  Perhaps today is a good time to thank God for his creative work in your life and those around you.

Sola Scriptura, Scripture Alone, one of the foundations of the Protestant Reformation speaks to our tension when we feel lost and are looking for direction.  Luther maintained that truth comes from Scripture and not from a human representative.  I often think of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness and how he always responded to the Evil One by quoting scripture.  Are there other examples?  I was surprised when  I typed “what must I do….” Into a concordance to find the first reference in the Bible was a favorite verse I had to memorize.  God said to Cain after Cain killed Abel,

“If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7)

In the New Testament, an expert in the law came to Jesus and tested him by asking 

 “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”26 “What is written  in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘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.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

We call this “the Golden Rule” and many use it as a stereotypical answer for what Scripture advises.  The point Luther was making was that wisdom comes from Scripture, not  the TV, a podcast, a friend, or a stirring sermon.  There is no substitute for reading the Word in any translation.  Reformation is a time when we can reflect on our habits for internalizing Scripture.  Maybe we are a family-Bible-on-a-shelf person.  Maybe we convince ourselves that we are so busy that Sunday sermons can strengthen us for a week of life.  Coffee and chat with a friend can be comforting, right. Reformation is a time when we can ask ourselves if our soul is hungry.

Sola Scriptura: Scripture Alone

Oh, how I love all you’ve revealed;
    I reverently ponder it all the day long.
Your commands give me an edge on my enemies;
    they never become obsolete.
I’ve even become smarter than my teachers
    since I’ve pondered and absorbed your counsel.
I’ve become wiser than the wise old sages
    simply by doing what you tell me.
I watch my step, avoiding the ditches and ruts of evil
    so I can spend all my time keeping your Word.
I never make detours from the route you laid out;
    you gave me such good directions.
Your words are so choice, so tasty;
    I prefer them to the best home cooking.
With your instruction, I understand life;
    that’s why I hate false propaganda.

(Psalm 119: 97 -104, The Message)

The Psalmist continues to say that not only is the above true but that scripture is “a lamp for my feet.”  Having just lived through a hurricane when we were without power for several days, thinking of scripture as a lamp for my feet is poignant.  We were warned about fallen power lines tangled in the debree of fallen trees and branches.  We were going to the main building with a  generator to charge our cell phones and get that morning cup of coffee.  Without power we were without internet, communication.  We had to wait for trees to be cut off power lines that felled transmitters of electricity to restore internet and to let our loved ones know we were ok — or not.  Airports closed for a day. Our traffic lights hung at a 45 degree angle.   Life was discombobulated until power returned.  Teams are still working.

Scripture is a lamp to our feet.  The psalmist says that scripture gives us an edge on our enemies, gives us wisdom beyond teachers, and helps us avoid ditches and ruts.  God’s word is better than home cooking!  

At the time of the reformation, the scriptures were in Latin.   There were few scrolls and few had ever seen them.  Martin Luther translated the Bible into the German language.  Wycliffe translated it into English.  Many of us cannot imagine having to go through a second language to hear God’s word.  We turn on the radio, the pod cast, or the TV and can choose what flavor of truth we want.  Not so at the time of the reformation.  Priests and popes and saints taught the common person.  Luther believed we should each be able to go to Scripture and discern for ourselves truth.  We may not all agree but we have a book we can all study.  What a blessing.

God.  I love the poetic literature like Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon for comfort.  And the great stories of the Old Testament of heroes and heroins like Ruth, Esther, Abraham, Joseph and Isaiah are inspirational when I am discouraged.  They were ordinary people empowered to do extraordinary things by a God who walks with us and works through us.  Let’s thank God for Scripture … in our language.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, It is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)”

         When I think of the Reformation, I think of this Bible verse.  On October 31, 1517 when Luther nailed 95 theses or statements to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany, and called the Catholic Church that was the only church at that tiime, called them to open debate and reformation – re-forming or reexamenation of some of their core beliefs, it started a process where theologians and ordinary people began to articulate the foundations, of their faith.  Four or five “solae (only)” became central to the understanding of Protestantism and how it varied from Catholicism.  We will start pondering these statements tomorrow. 

   Before we delve into these foundation beliefs, it  might do us well to think about what is foundational as we think about our faith.  Is there something about my faith that I would be willing to die for?  Our military people are willing to put their lives on the line for the freedoms we cherish dearly as written in the Declaration of Independence: all should have the freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness.  The spiritual revolution of the 1500s we call the Reformation said all people have the rights of: reading scripture, are saved by faith and do not neeed to buy indulgences, receive salvations as a gift by grace, and only need to follow Christ and not the saints.  These led to an individualism and belief in the value of each person regardless of race, creed, or intelligence. We cherish our rights to become, to think for ourselves, and to thrive.  Many of our denominational differences define these rights slightly differently but the core pillars: scripture, Christ, grace and faith are important to all.  Our spiritual welfare is wrapped up in how we understand these rights and how we balance the needs of the many with the rights of the individual. 

         So take a moment and write down one freedom that you value and then the implications that come from that value for your life and the choices you make.  Spend a moment to offer a prayer of thanksgiving for that freedom.  Which “sola” would you trace that freedom to: Scripture, grace, faith or Christ?  Blessings.

Our culture is focusing on next Thursday, October 31.  For many it is important because it will be the sugar high for the month as they go trick-n-treating.  When in Minneapolis, everyone remembered Halloween 1981 when three feet of snow fell.  We are beginning to wear sweaters and enjoy the changing of leaves.  Historically Halloween was the hallowed or holy evening before All Saints Day on November 1. It was a “thin place” in time when spirits could cross over from eternity to present day.  So costumes were worn to trick the spirits that might come to harass us for bad relationships.  Food was given to appease the dead.  But also on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany.  It was the way to call a meeting to debate issues he had with the dominant Roman Catholic Church of his day.  The printing press had just been invented and his 95 theses were put in print and distributed to the common person.  It is not unsimilar to our modern day Presidential Debates that are designed as a forum for people of differing ideas to discuss issues facing everyone.  For Luther, it was not the economy but how the practices of the church based on spiritual beliefs were impacting the  social and economic world of his day. Luther disagreed with Rome in five major areas that have come to be known as the Five Sola-s.  

• Sola Scriptura—Scripture alone
• Sola Cristus—Christ alone
• Sola fideles—Faith alone 
• Sola Gracia—Grace alone
• Sola Gloria Deo—Glory to God alone

Before we delve into these five cornerstones of Christianity as presented by Luther, let’s take a moment and ponder how we handle disagreement.  How do we speak truth to power?  People use public debate as in our political elections right now.  We have TV need anchors interviewing candidates or experts giving their “take” of a situation or person.  We have seen public demonstrations with disastrous results.  We have seen “marches” and “sit ins” that are peaceful and call for reform.  We can write letters and emails.  We can “defriend” someone because we disagree with them.  We give the “cold shoulder”  and “avoid“ those we have a grievance with.

The Bible speaks to the delemma of conflict in the church between two people.

“15-17 “If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love. (Matthew 18:15-17, The Message)”

I love the way The MEssage translates these verses, ending with “offer again God’s forgiving love.”  Let us pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in the conflicts we see in our world today.  Lord have mercy.Conflict

Our culture is focusing on next Thursday, October 31.  For many it is important because it will be the sugar high for the month as they go trick-n-treating.  When in Minneapolis, everyone remembered Halloween 1981 when three feet of snow fell.  We are beginning to wear sweaters and enjoy the changing of leaves.  Historically Halloween was the hallowed or holy evening before All Saints Day on November 1. It was a “thin place” in time when spirits could cross over from eternity to present day.  So costumes were worn to trick the spirits that might come to harass us for bad relationships.  Food was given to appease the dead.  But also on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany.  It was the way to call a meeting to debate issues he had with the dominant Roman Catholic Church of his day.  The printing press had just been invented and his 95 theses were put in print and distributed to the common person.  It is not unsimilar to our modern day Presidential Debates that are designed as a forum for people of differing ideas to discuss issues facing everyone.  For Luther, it was not the economy but how the practices of the church based on spiritual beliefs were impacting the  social and economic world of his day. Luther disagreed with Rome in five major areas that have come to be known as the Five Sola-s.  

• Sola Scriptura—Scripture alone
• Sola Cristus—Christ alone
• Sola fideles—Faith alone 
• Sola Gracia—Grace alone
• Sola Gloria Deo—Glory to God alone

Before we delve into these five cornerstones of Christianity as presented by Luther, let’s take a moment and ponder how we handle disagreement.  How do we speak truth to power?  People use public debate as in our political elections right now.  We have TV need anchors interviewing candidates or experts giving their “take” of a situation or person.  We have seen public demonstrations with disastrous results.  We have seen “marches” and “sit ins” that are peaceful and call for reform.  We can write letters and emails.  We can “defriend” someone because we disagree with them.  We give the “cold shoulder”  and “avoid“ those we have a grievance with.

The Bible speaks to the delemma of conflict in the church between two people.

“15-17 “If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love. (Matthew 18:15-17, The Message)”

I love the way The MEssage translates these verses, ending with “offer again God’s forgiving love.”  Let us pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in the conflicts we see in our world today.  Lord have mercy.

Casting Crowns – Praise You In This Storm (Official Lyric Video)

Survived!  I survived two hurricanes in ten days here in Florida, a move to a safe house that ended up being a permanent move, and entered another phase in this grieving process after the death of a spouse.  My life feels discombobulated but settling.  A son and granddaughter came and did the heavy lifting and helped me make the million decisions and gave emotional support.  Our campus had a tornado go through in the hurricane, trees torn up and shed roof ripped off but no lives were lost and no houses destroyed.  Many faced a very different reality.  Lives were lost and homes.  Many face an insurance nightmare.  I struggle with a response that credits God with protection while I realize many equally spiritual people are going through really tough days.  Hurricanes are one type of storm many faced this month.  Many others walked through the storm of illness, others divorce and others face broken or breaking relationships.  I typed in my computer address bar “songs for after a storm” and this song by Casting Crowns” captured my reflections. I remember the book of Job that grapples with “storms” that feel random and undeserved.  I am no better than those who died and faced material chaos.  The God who walks with me, walks with them and has not abandon us.  May you enjoy this song.  Blessings. 

First Reading: Amos 5:6-7, 10-15

 6Seek the Lord and live, or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire, and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it.

 7Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood, and bring righteousness to the ground!

 10They hate the one who reproves in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks the truth.

 11Therefore because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.

 12For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and push aside the needy in the gate.

 13Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time; for it is an evil time.

 14Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said.

 15Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

Psalm: Psalm 90:12-17

So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. (Ps. 90:12)

 12So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

 13Return, O Lord; how long will you tarry? Be gracious to your servants. 

 14Satisfy us by your steadfast love in the morning; so shall we rejoice and be glad all our days.

 15Make us glad as many days as you afflicted us and as many years as we suffered adversity.

 16Show your servants your works, and your splendor to their children.

 17May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; prosper the work of our hands; prosper our handiwork. 

Second Reading: Hebrews 4:12-16

12Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.

 14Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Gospel: Mark 10:17-31

17As [Jesus] was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

 23Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It 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.” 26They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

 28Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

CHILDREN’S SERMON:  An Aesop Fable:  The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse

A Town Mouse once visited a relative who lived in the country. The Town Mouse ate very sparingly, nibbling a little of this and a little of that, and by her manner making it very plain that she ate the simple food only to be polite.  After the meal the Town Mouse talked about her life in the city while the Country Mouse listened. So the next day when the Town Mouse asked the Country Mouse to go home with her to the city, she gladly said yes.

When they reached the mansion in which the Town Mouse lived, they found on the table in the dining room the leavings of a very fine banquet. They saw the most tempting foods that a Mouse could imagine. Just as the Country Mouse was about to nibble, she heard a Cat. In great fear the Mice scurried to a hiding place, and lay quite still for a long time. When they ventured back to the feast, the door opened suddenly and in came the servants to clear the table, followed by the House Dog.

The Country Mouse left:  “You may have luxuries and dainties that I have not,” she said as she hurried away, “but I prefer my plain food and simple life in the country with the peace and security that go with it.”

Let us pray.  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Strength and my Redeemer.

SERMON

Today we continue in Mark’s gospel. Last week the Pharisees tested Jesus with a question about the law and divorce.  Then the disciples tried to filter out people coming to Jesus by refusing children. So we reflected and asked who are the good guys who can approach God and be in relationship, who are those who do not offend God?  I suspect our culture teaches us that we deserve marriage because we are beautiful enough, charming enough, a good cook or many other criteria that are presented to us when we are young and hopeful. It is easy for singles and widows or widowers to feel insufficient. On the other hand we sometimes act as if church or relationship is for those who understand, those who are committed, or those who have asked for forgiveness.  The stranger and the ignorant are suspect.  But Jesus said not to refuse the children to come to him, not to forbid the young, the vulnerable, the ignorant or the squirrely who are disruptive. God’s Plan A is that all be a supportive community, helpmates for each other.  God’s Plan B is the cross.

Mark now focuses on a rich young man who runs up and disrupts Jesus who is setting out on a trip.  The man has a burning question, “What must I do to be saved?”  He is seeking to be part of the “insiders.”  He is not like the wife who did not please her husband and deserved divorce.  He is not like a disruptive child who does not understand about religion.  This is a young, rich man who has tried to do life right.  He believes he has kept the law. He  has done everything he knows how to do to be saved.  You’ll have to excuse me, but I am living in Florida and for the second time in ten days we are going to be in the path of a hurricane.  This hurricane will put us right in the eye of the storm  ”What must I do to be “SAFE,” sounds very similar to the question of the young man, “What must I do be saved?  What must I do to inherit eternal life?”  

We have been told to write our name and social security number on our arm so rescuers can identify us.  We have been told told to fill our bathtubs with water…but I have no bath tub.  I stood in line to fill my gas tank this morning.  We should have cash as when electricity goes off so do cash registers, stoves, and anything else electrical.  Will God truly recognize me if my name is not on my arm if there is a rapture?  Will I have to stand in line while Saint Peter checks my ID at the pearly gate.  We kind of laugh but we know it is a serious question.  The young man thinks he has done life right because he is rich showing that God has blessed him but maybe there is a hidden clause somewhere.  The country mouse thinks life is good but then the city mouse visits and the mouse doubts.  We think we are ok and then we meet someone who has that little bit better life and we ponder.

Interestingly, the young man does not go to the Temple priests, to the Pharisees or the Sadducees or any other acceptable authority of that day.  The country mouse does not just sit and condemn his lifestyle on the basis of his cousin’s report.  He goes to the city to check out his story.  Where do you go to find answers to your spiritual questions.  I would suggest our text suggests that going to God is the best source to our spiritual quests.

“Good Teacher…”

      Our man approaches Jesus as a “good teacher.”  Jesus responds only God is good? Is the man approaching Jesus as God or as Rabbi? Is the man only coming to Jesus as a teacher of good or because Jesus is a good teacher?  How are you approaching God and worship today?

  So, is eternal life for the good people only?  Must we become good to deserve the good life?  So often it seems that the goodies of life go to the “good” whether that be vaccinations or an easy life style. That is certainly human philosophy.  The law punishes those who are “not good”.  One of the questions throughout Scripture is this tension of God blessing the good versus the suffering of the innocent and often undeserving.  The book of Job tackles that question as well as the Psalms of Lament.  Somehow we believe that if we were only good enough, God would reward us.  And so the man approaches Jesus as the “good teacher” or perhaps the teacher of good, as someone who knows what is needed to get the good life.

      Jesus says point blank:  only God is good.  Ouch.  That’s a bit blunt.  We are all sinners!  I’m not sure I heard a loud “Amen” to that.  I know you are a sinner but I’m trying hard to do life right! Right?  The Bible says that all, including me and thee, have sinned.  We have all gone astray.  None of us see God face to face. We say, the ground at the foot of the cross is level.

      So did the man come to Jesus as a good teacher or as God?  We must look in our hearts and ask ourselves that question as we worship today.  Are we here looking for a good sermon, a good teaching, or are we coming to Jesus as God Incarnate, involved in all aspects of our lives, walking with us, working for our best?  We come to worship today to remind ourselves that we are the creation and God is the creator.  We come to center ourselves on this truth.  Only God is good.

         What must I do…

      The man continues and asks Jesus what he must do.  What is his end of the deal to get salvation?  Is the good life available only if the Country Mouse moves to the City?  Today we might answer that “good” is a gift available to all because of Jesus on the cross but this young rich man has been raised to believe that riches are the sign of God’s pleasure and blessing of him. Jesus has not died on the cross.  I suspect we still buy into that philosophy.  A rich man cannot understand the struggles of the poor.  A talented person was born with a silver spoon in their mouth and does not understand how ugly untalented people like me struggle.  It’s hard to remember that I do nothing to receive the sunrise and sunset but open my hands in appreciation.  My husband would say, I receive it with two hands!  Our works are an outgrowth of our appreciation and love for the gifts of God.  Martin Luther taught that I do not need to buy indulgences.  I do not need to tithe.  I do not need to sing in the choir.  I do not need to do great deeds of faith.  It is not what I do but what God has done.  A bit humbling! I need to be reminded continually of this truth.

      The apostle James in his epistle reminds us, though, “faith without works is dead.”  Faith that does not impact our lives is cognitive assent. When I believe Jesus is God and my life is changed.  The principles that govern my life shift from self centeredness to a life want to please God and bless others.  What must I do?  I open my hands to receive the good and I open my heart to trust that the hard days, the trials of life, come to me with a God who helps me cope, gives me wisdom and strength and walks with me to eternity.  The hard part is staying focused on God!  Moving from country to city for our mice is not what they must do.

      …to inherit eternal life.

      The man wants to secure his inheritance.  The word “inherit” is a bit tricky.  We talk about what we inherit from parents when they die.  Many of us can share our stories about the family squabbles over who got what and if the money was split fairly.  It seems our man sees eternal life as a reward, something he has a right to.  Inheritance is different from gift. I often hear people say they feel they have lived the commandment to love neighbors and they believe that God will know that.  Relationship with God is not the issue.  They do not want to choose a church that might offend someone or worst yet, be boring or ask for money.  Eternal life is not a benefit of baptism or confirmation, for passing a test, or for coming from a long line of Lutherans. Having more things does not guarantee happiness.

 1 Peter 1:3-5 shares:  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a  salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Only God is good.  We are sinners.  Salvation, the “good life,” is not about works but about faith.  Inheritance comes from relationship, relationship with God, and will be received in heaven.

25It 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.” 

         Jesus then turns to the disciples and tells them that it will be hard for the wealthy to inherit the kingdom of heaven.  The disciples are perplexed and discuss further with Jesus.  If our blessings are a sign of God’s blessing, then how can blessings be a big stumbling block to heaven?  The problem is not the blessings but that they become like a huge burden that a camel is trying to carry into Jerusalem. It is so easy for us to begin to focus on our burdens and our progress and forget about God.  It is not because of assets but because of the impact of those assets that we begin to look like a camel carrying a load.  

I find it interesting that our politicians are trying to convince us that we can just tax the rich more because they are willing to share and that will spread the wealth out among more camels and make life fairer.  It sounds somehow reasonable and may work on paper but many are a bit dubious about this plan.  This sermon is not to be political but to point out that the confusion of the disciples resonates with us.  The good life and eternal life does not come from wealth or physical blessings.  The country mouse will not be happier by moving to the city.  It would seem that Jesus is saying that wealth is not a reward for our good behavior but a blessing to be used to bless others. 

      Jesus shares that it is easier for a camel to crawl through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter heaven.  Now, I don’t know if that is a picture or a gate into Jerusalem but it makes me wonder what needle we are trying thread in our lives today.  Perhaps we are pulling our hair out with health issues and the medical system.  Perhaps we are struggling with the limitations of aging.  The young are trying to figure out jobs and spouses.  There is no end to the dilemmas we face.  Often we feel like that camel with a load on our back, trying to crawl through the present mess for surely tomorrow will be better if we can get through today!

“Then who can be saved?” 

      The disciples respond, “Who then can be saved?”  Who then is safe in this hurricane?  Will moving from the country to the city, from my house to a shelter guarantee more life?  We don’t know for sure.  But we are told continually that a storm is coming.  

 How can we find the right answer that will bring us good?  Jesus is again very blunt, we on our own can’t do it.  We’ll botch it up every time.  What is impossible for us, only becomes possible with God.  Bethany is looking for a new pastor and we hear the feedback, no pastors coming out of seminary, finances are low, what and what, and it is possible to throw our hands up in the air and pull out our hair.  Are we factoring in God?  God can help us thread that needle.  God reminds the Israelites in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  We like that verse and it reminds us that when the clouds are the darkest, the impossible is possible with God, if we put our hand in his.  The truth is though, God promises us eternal life, not eternal security.  He walks through the needle with us.

      Only God is good.  We are sinners and our world is corrupted with sin and death.  The good life that we strive for looks impossible to achieve by our own efforts but we must never forget that God is working, and often outside our boxes we put around him.

31But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

      Peter speaks out the question of our hearts, “What’s in it for me?”  Often following Jesus feels like loss and frustration as we face the trials of life and make choices we believe honor God.  Peter has left home and family.  We have tried.  So many times we see in a glass dimly and we are not sure as we step into an unknown future. Can you hear that little evil voice in our ear, whispering, “Have you really done enough?”

      Jesus looked at the man kneeling before him and saw the sincerity of his heart and our text says, “Jesus loved him.”  WOW.  Jesus does not tell Peter, “Get behind me Satan.”  Jesus looks at how hard the man and Peter are working to do life right and has compassion.  Our rewards are not in the goodies of this world but are being held in the future and in a place where they will not become corrupted by fluctuating markets and interest rates or by decay and old age.

      “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.

The country mouse hears about the wonderful life in the city with all sorts of goodies.  The mouse forgets the blessings of its life as it focuses on its cousin’s life.  So often we are like that little mouse or like the man kneeling before Jesus.  We know Jesus is the source of good and so we run to him.  What more must we do to get the good life?  Somehow we think that blessings come because of who we are and we forget that it is because of who God is.  God is good.  God is on the journey with us.  God is helping us thread the eye of the needle with our loads on our backs.  One day we will be rewarded with eternal rewards.  Jesus looks on us with love and says, “Don’t worry, I am with you, leading, guiding and rewarding. “ 

Let the people of God say, “Amen!”  May I put my hand in yours during the hurricanes of life.