On the Way to Wonder

First Reading: Acts 4:5-12

⁵The next day [the] rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, ⁶with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. ⁷When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” ⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, ⁹if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, ¹⁰let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. ¹¹This Jesus is
 ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
  it has become the cornerstone.’
¹²There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”

Psalm: Psalm 23

 ¹The Lord| is my shepherd;
  I shall not be in want.
 ²The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures
  and leads me beside still waters.
 ³You restore my soul, O Lord,
  and guide me along right pathways for your name’s sake.
 ⁴Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil;
  for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 
 ⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
  you anoint my head with oil, and my cup is running over.
 ⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
  and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

Second Reading: 1 John 3:16-24

¹⁶We know love by this, that [Jesus Christ] laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. ¹⁷How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
  ¹⁸Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. ¹⁹And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him ²⁰whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. ²¹Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; ²²and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.
  ²³And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. ²⁴All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

Gospel: John 10:11-18

[Jesus said:] ¹¹“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹²The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for thesheep. ¹⁶I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. ¹⁷For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

CHILDREN’S SERMON

         If I were with you, I would remind us of the children’s song, “I Just Want to Be a Sheep.”

         I just want to be a sheep, baa, baa.  I don’t want to be a goat, nope, cause they don’t have hope.

         I just want to be a sheep, baa, baa.  I don’t want to be a Pharisee, nope, cause they’re not fair you see.

         I just want to be a sheep, baa, baa.  I don’t want to be a hypocrite, nope, cause they’re not hip with it.

         I just want to be a sheep!

         Let us pray:  May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SERMON

So far this Easter season we have looked at the testimonies of people who saw the risen Christ.  Mary Magdalene saw Jesus at the tomb and recognized him when he called her name.  She responded “Rabboni – Teacher”.  Cleopas and friend saw Jesus that evening, were lead through Scripture by Jesus, and recognized him in the breaking of bread.  They rushed back to Jerusalem to tell other followers who were gathered behind closed doors.  We have no idea how many people saw Jesus then but we know Jesus appeared and was real.  Thomas was not there but Jesus came again a week later and again appeared and proved he was not only risen but had a real body.  Thomas responds, “My Lord and my God.”  We know something is real because it passes the touch test or the taste test.  Our senses confirm reality.

         But many things are real that cannot be seen.  Wind cannot be seen but we know it is real because we see its affect.  We feel it.  Love seems real and we make promises that we hope will last the test of time.  Today’s text is given to us for us to ask ourselves:  Does the risen Christ meet the description of the Good Shepherd given in Scripture?  Is his life congruent with his teachings and all that the Savior was promised to be.  We will look at the title Good Shepherd for this theme can be seen in the Old Testament in Psalm 23 and in the teachings of Jesus in John 10 as one of the “I AM” claims of Jesus.

         Jesus lays out three ways to know a if his claim to be “the Good Shepherd” is congruent with how we experience him in life – beyond touching him and seeing him.  A Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.  Jesus says that means that

1. He does not run away in danger. He knows his sheep and they know him.
2. He is able to shepherd sheep in many folds.  His sheep know his voice and listen to him.
3. The Good shepherd has the power to lay down his life and take it up again.

Are Relationship, Voice, and Power observed in this risen Christ?

Relationship

¹“I am the good shepherd.

The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 

¹²The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.”

         The shepherd laying down his life for his sheep is often understood as Christ dying on the cross for us.  He did not run away from ransoming us from the penalty of sin – death.  We may die but we do not perish.  We may walk through the “valley of the shadow of death” but we know that he walks with us.  We know that his kingdom is eternal and not of this world.  We hear those promises but they are a bit far off and accepted by faith.  Are there ways that we see Christ laying down his life for us today?  How does that become three dimensional so we can touch and feel and know that God in Jesus is real?  Today.

         The first thing that comes to mind is the model of how parents – and friends for single people – share resources.  They are willing to “lay down”, give away, part of what is theirs so another will be happy. Parents love children even when the child is naughty and immature.  They love them when they are tired and grumpy.  They care for their creation and share with it; even so God cares for us.  We sing “This is my Father’s world” and we can affirm that the sun shines on the good and the bad, on the obedient and the disobedient.  We can affirm that blessings of flowers and nature are for everyone.  God doesn’t play favorites. If the “climate change” people are right, it is not God who is destroying nature but the greed of people, the hirelings, who were put in charge of “ruling over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. (Genesis 1:26)  Nature itself affirms that God gives life and does not randomly take life, shoot people and destroy.  When fire races through an area, it will not be long before new life begins to blossom again.  Nature suffers under the condemnation of sin but it is always growing life.

         But, you might say, that is all pretty much a passive, perhaps automatic relationship.  Good people and bad people like to grow gardens and water flowers.  Nature does not necessarily speak to a risen Christ.  So my second example of the good shepherd laying down his life and not running away like a hireling is the way parents with wayward children are willing to wait in the sidelines while “youth sow their oats” and mature, praying that someday the child will return home.  They often lay down the life of their ego for their children. The parable is the prodigal son.  God does not force us to be good, programing us like a robot or drone. The parent lays down his life, shares of his inheritance before his death, welcomes the wayward child, rewards the faithful child and prays for all the whole time.  Just because I do not touch Jesus right now, does not mean that he is not there.  He is interceding for us.  He is speaking to us through dreams, through the Word, through friends.  He lays down his life by working with us rather than insisting we do it his way and when we stray, he comes and looks for us.

         Direct contact with the risen Lord today is often done through his representatives – the Word, the people, the music, and more.  Does our heart not burn within us like the two on the road to Emmaus when we read the word and a verse speaks exactly to the dilemma we are facing?  Does not our spirit rise within us when we hear the music playing that speaks Christ’s words to our weary souls on Sunday morning?  Does not love enter our barren spirits when we are hugged, embraced and cared for by friends – even when we have blown it?

         Jesus is the Good Shepherd that brings life to our world today and does not run away like a hireling.  He stays in relationship with us.  He speaks daily through his creation, through his partnering with us as we grow and learn his ways, and through his various representatives.  He does not run away like a hireling when we are ugly, sick or grumpy.  He cares and leads us to green pastures, beside still waters and restores our spirit – for his name’s sake.  He walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death and prepares a banquet for us in his kingdom.

Voice

⁴I am the good shepherd.

I know my own and my own know me, 

¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

The voice of Jesus today is worldwide, building a universal church that includes people from every tribe and nation and which speaks every language.  Those early disciples did not imagine that there would be followers of Jesus in the United States, half a globe away, even if they had known the world was round.  One of the proofs that Jesus lives is how the early church quickly evolved into a mission group reaching out to the then known world – England, Rome, India, Ethiopia all had early witness and churches.  Our challenge today is molding the great diversity of a living Christ into a universal Church where all are welcome and hear Christ’s voice. 

         “The sheep hear his voice.”  Was Jesus speaking about an auditory experience to be expected by the saved?  The “in” people hear and the “out” or “not-quite-in” people must keep straining to hear. Not likely.  If I have “voice”, it means I have the right to speak, to offer suggestions, to make my opinion known realizing it will be listened to.  It does not necessarily mean I am the only voice in the room or the determinative voice on a matter.  I am not the commander nor am I a beggar, I am partnering with the community.  So listening to Jesus’ voice may not necessarily carry the sense of command as much s the right to comment and contribute, to partner with me.  As I grow older, I realize partnership with Christ is not the same as the power struggles of becoming I had with my parents.  Jesus partners with his sheep, speaking to them, guiding them.  He is not driving and domineering.  He moves them at their pace, looking for food and directing them but never in a demanding way.  He may sing to them and he knows each one.  We hear his voice in all aspects of life.

         But so often God seems silent.  To this response, I think of our modern day active listening slogan – hearing someone into voice.  When God uses his voice through silence, it does not imply absence but focused listening.  As we speak and God listens, we clarify our thoughts, our wishes, our petitions and find our own voice and identity.  God’s silent voice partners with me to draw me into voice.

         Religion is universally identified with prayer.  Here prayer, hearing God’s voice, is linked with Him knowing our name.  For the Christian, there is a personal relationship. After the crucifixion, resurrection, there was no physical Jesus but perhaps followers reflected on the Good Shepherd and looked for voice. Was there personal relationship where the follower has voice?  The post resurrection experiences point to experiences with the risen Christ who knew names, knew histories and personalities, and who personally partnered with follows to accomplish goals. Those qualities still grow in Christians, in you and me today, and direct us to meaningful goals.  We hear his voice through prayer, through Scripture, through music, and through community as his silent voice guides us into our better selves.

         Perhaps a question worth pondering from our text today is to ask ourselves how much time we spend listening to the voice of Jesus and catching up on his news daily?  If we believe he is alive, risen and active in our world, do we tune in to hear his broadcast daily or are we content to receive a Sunday vitamin pill that is being regurgitated by the pastor? I find as a retired person, having time to sit and listen is a great blessing.  I love Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof when he sings about being just a little wealthy  and reflects that then he would have time to sit with the holy men by the Eastern wall and reflect on the words of God.  Jesus is alive, is risen, and does speak today but are we listening?

Power

¹⁷For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 

¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

Power is the third witness to the reality of the risen Christ present in our world today.  Jesus had the power to lay down his life and the power to take it up, to live again.  Jesus walked through death in order to show us that death does not have the final say, is not the end of the road.

         I see this power in hospitals started in his name, hospitals that defeat disease.  I see it in schools that defeat ignorance.  I see it in translation efforts that defeat the barriers of language.  I see it in refugee camps that resettle people running from war and terror.  These efforts are not just generated by Christianity but Christianity does have a long record of reaching out to the needy.

         Personally, faith in the reality of Christ in our world gives us power to do that which we thought was impossible and which the world does not model.  We can forgive our enemies, those who hurt us or abuse us.  That does not mean we keep allowing abuse but we can forgive those who were less than we wanted them to be. We can turn the other cheek more than seventy times seven. 

         Christ alive gives us power to love the difficult to love.  Many parents find deep love for children born with developmental challenges.   Others are able to persevere with children in drugs, children who are wayward and children who are ungrateful.  It is not easy but God gives us the power, the power to take up life again after the death of our dreams.

         That first Easter season must have been a very confusing and emotional time.  The early followers did not have centuries of Christians sorting out theology and beliefs.  They met behind closed doors in fear of being killed.  They were the first to live into what resurrection would mean and how it would shape their future.  Relationship with Jesus would not be broken but would take on new dimensions.  They would hear his voice in new ways – prayer, music, friends.  And they would find new strength and power to face the trials they would face.  Jesus was indeed the Good Shepherd who did not abandon his sheep during times of upheaval.  They would learn to recognize him in new ways, even as we are learning today. 

The Lord is my Shepherd and I shall not want!

First Reading: Acts 3:12-19

¹²[Peter] addressed the people, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?¹³The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. ¹⁴But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, ¹⁵and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. ¹⁶And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
  ¹⁷“And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. ¹⁹Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.”

Psalm: Psalm 4

 ¹Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause;
  you set me free when I was in distress; have mercy on me and hear    my prayer.
 ²“You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory;
  how long will you love illusions and seek after lies?”
 ³Know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful;
  the Lord will hear me when I call.
 ⁴Tremble, then, and do not sin;
  speak to your heart in silence upon your bed. 
 ⁵Offer the appointed sacrifices,
  and put your trust in the Lord.
 ⁶Many are saying, “Who will show us any good?”
  Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.
 ⁷You have put gladness in my heart,
  more than when grain and wine abound.
 ⁸In peace, I will lie down and sleep;
  for you alone, O Lord, make me rest secure. 

Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-7

¹See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ²Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. ³And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
  ⁴Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. ⁵You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. ⁶No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. ⁷Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

Gospel: Luke 24:36b-48

^36bJesus himself stood among [the disciples] and said to them,  “Peace be with you.”  ³⁷They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. ³⁸He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. ⁴¹While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” ⁴²They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³and he took it and ate in their presence.
  ⁴⁴Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things.”

CHILDREN’S SERMON

         I’m going to read a famous poem about six blind men having an argument.

THE BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT

IT was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind. 

The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
“God bless me!—but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!”

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried: “Ho!—what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me ‘t is mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!”

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:”I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a snake!

The Fourth reached out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
“What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain,” quoth he;
“‘T’ is clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!”

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: “E’en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!”

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a rope!

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

So, oft in theologic wars
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!

         Our text today looks at Easter evening through the eyes of Luke as the disciples and friends gathered behind locked doors discussing the events of the day.  We know that by this time Mary Magdalene has encountered the risen Christ – but no one believed.  Peter has encountered Christ but we do not know the details.  The two on the road to Emmaus have returned to report their encounter.  This gathering is like our six blind men from Indostan who have had an experience and are trying to put their stories together – but just like Jesus’ parables, the meaning is not very clear.  I would imagine that conversation was very animated.  According to Luke, Jesus appears in the midst of the chaos.

“Peace be with you.”

         Can you hear your parent telling you, “Now just calm down and tell me what happened.” I had twins and so I had to make sure both sides shared and of course, they never agreed.  The followers are disbelieving and confused when they enter the room but when Jesus appears, they become startled and terrified. Are they seeing a ghost?  As I write this sermon, we are preparing to go for an MRI.  I admit there is anxiety in the pit of my stomach.  But I also know that when we see the doctor in a few weeks to hear the findings, I will be scared.  We sit on the edge of anxiety as a culture today regarding so many things.  What will life be like for the Queen and her empire after the burial of Prince Phillip?  What will be the outcome of the attack on Iran?  Will violence erupt again when the verdict comes in on the Minneapolis trial?  Those are larger issues that subtly nibble away at us in the midst of our own personal challenging circumstances.  Jesus appears in the midst of these times and says, “Peace be with you.”

         I looked up “peace” on Bible Gateway and they give 340 mentions in the Bible, 163 of which are in the New Testament and Luke mentions “peace” at least 12 times, doubling John and quadrupling Matthew and Mark.  After a healing Luke often has Jesus dismissing the person by telling them, “Go in peace.”  The peace Jesus gives is not the “peace” that signals the end of conflict in the Middle East nor the “peace” I might feel for getting vengeance with my enemy and not even the “peace” of sitting back knowing my barns are full from a good harvest. Bonheoffer was famously known for having amazing peace as he was led to his hanging. 

         Our six men from Indostan argue about who has the best understanding of an elephant and each wants to be heard and be right, there can be no peace.  But if they turn over their individual understandings to a greater power and if they listen to God’s voice, a new kind of wisdom directs their lives and helps them see.  It is not that the circumstances change but perspective changes.  Jesus says, “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace.  In the world you face persecution.  But take courage; I have conquered the world! (John 16:33)”

         There is also a peace that comes when we give up the right to control our lives and understand everything.  Jesus comes to Mary in calling her name.  Jesus comes to the people on the road to Emmaus in scripture and breaking of bread.  Jesus comes to some like the trunk of the elephant and to others like the leg.  As we sit back and learn from others, we can gain a better picture of what is happening and release our deep expectations on how an event should unfold and what the implications are for the future.  The peace Jesus is talking about is not peace as we expect in our lives today but something deeper and more pervasive. 

         But first things first.  The disciples think they are seeing a ghost.  Jesus invites them to trust their senses.  The test of a ghost was to feel arms where bones can be felt so Jesus extends his arms.  Jesus asks for food.  The resurrected body is obviously different from our worldly body as it just appeared but it also has characteristics familiar to us.  As we calm down, as we come to peace, trusting Jesus to lead us and inform us, we are able to understand reality better.  Jesus is not a ghost, not a story, not a fulfilled prophecy but a real resurrected incarnation of perfect humanness that will walk into our future with us.

He opened the Scriptures

         After we calm down, take a deep breath, and count to ten (sometimes 20) we are able to listen and receive an improved interpretation of reality.  Believing Jesus is risen is only part of the blessing of Easter.  The resurrection provided Jesus’ followers with a new lens to interpret the Old Testament.  A new interpretation of their history was given as Jesus explains scripture. The present trajectory of their lives was changed.  The resurrection changes our understanding of events today as well as events of the past or some promise of heaven.  People thought Jesus was coming to restore the Jews to their former glories and shake off the domination of the Romans.  Jesus came to bring in a new heavenly kingdom that would include all people.  His suffering, death and resurrection were predicted and not a mistake.  Our suffering, death and resurrection is likewise promised in Scripture.  We do not need to think God has lost control because we have problems.  Nor has God stopped loving us.

         Today we grieve the unexpected death of a member of our congregation.  Death never arrives on the right day and a sudden death is even more shocking.  The resurrection of Christ means that the story of life does not end with death, relationships are not ruptured forever, and that in the midst of grief there can be hope and peace.  Not as the world gives peace but peace in Christ.

Repentance and Forgiveness

Luke now turns and faces the future.  The resurrection is not only a fulfillment of prophecy that Jesus would need to suffer, die, but he rose again and the God-story continues. The resurrection informs our future.  People had been thinking in terms of military confrontations to restore the Jews to their former glory.  Their concept of a Savior was informed by their past and their present.  The Jews fought to gain control of the Promised Land and won many battles with great leaders like Joshua, Saul and David.  Surely the coming of the Messiah would mean the defeat of Rome.

          Luke now adds a big AND or BUT. “Repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” We have come full circle to baptism by John the Baptist at the river Jordon.  Preparation for the coming Messiah was preceded by repentance and forgiveness of sin. Preparation for the reign of the kingdom of heaven needs to be preceded by the preaching of repentance and forgiveness.   A new lens, a new directive is here given even as at the last supper Jesus gives a new mandate that we are to love one another.  Our faith is not only about our past separation from God and our future promise of heaven, but it is also about how to live today in the midst of other people.

         Repentance and forgiveness are big words we don’t hear in the news too much unless there is a money tag attached for reimbursement for past injustices.  I might even say that the our present desired change that has led to demonstrations and confrontations with power, sounds awfully familiar to the Jews anticipation of a military victory to remove the Romans.

We love the stories of the battles of David, Saul, and Joshua that brought glory and fame.  But the resurrection is bringing about a “change of plans.”  The way forward is through repentance and forgiveness.

         Repentance and forgiveness are a humbling ourselves beneath a higher judge who sees and somehow orchestrates the events of our life.  We talked about this when we talked about Jesus saying, “Peace be with you.”  Peace and the kingdom come when we repent of our self-centered lives, of our sins of omission and commission, and admit our limitations and blindness.  We are the creature and God is the creator.  We are finite and God is infinite.  We cannot see all of reality.  He is the one who holds the whole world in his hands.  We must come to grips with our limitations. But we must also forgive.  That is admitting the limitations of others also.  They make mistakes, sin against us, and don’t see the whole picture.  When we harbor grudges and shortcomings of others, the love of God cannot work in us and through us.  We become frozen in our lesser self and the world is frozen in wars, rumors of wars, and broken relationships.  The message of repentance and forgiveness must be preached, not victory by confrontation and righting all the wrongs in the world.

         Whew, we don’t hear that on the news.  The resurrection is pivotal in history.  Yes we have a new lens to understand our past and see the hand of God forming the events of our history.  Yes, someday we will rise after death and join eternity with other believers.  But also the resurrection ultimately means that we are witnesses to doing life in a new way given us by the incarnation and resurrection of Christ. 

You are witnesses

         Jesus closes with the affirmation that we are all important because we can all witness to the resurrection.  We are witnesses not because we were there that Easter evening arguing like the Indostans over just exactly what happened but because our lives have been changed by the presence of a risen Savior helping us to meet the daily challenges of life. 

         For some Jesus is a wall of protection from the abuse and evils of this world. 

         For others Jesus is a spear that helps them tackle the challenges of life.  

         Some think of God as a snake, winding its way through their life and they are not sure if he is good or bad. 

         Many experience God like a tree that can be climbed to get higher and get a better perspective on life. 

         Jesus is always a fan that helps us calm down when the going gets rough. 

         And in all cases when we come to the end of our ability to cope, God is a rope we can tie a prayer knot in and hang on to during the ride. 

         We need not argue over who is right, we need only witness to God’s truth in our lives.  Jesus is risen and present in our world today.  Amen!