Subversive Jesus

Jesus was a subversive. A radical. A rebel. I know, I know. We tell each other he spoke constantly of peace and love, of turning the other cheek, of loving even our enemies. But Jesus says, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's foes will be members of one's own household. (Matthew 10:34-36) And they killed him for it.

In Matthew 10, Jesus is preparing his disciples for a world that will persecute them for spreading his teachings. He tells them they can expect to be tortured and killed for believing in him and promoting his agenda. He tells them not to be afraid because God values and loves them above all creatures, and even keeps track of how many hairs are on their heads.

Doesn't sound very much like an agenda of peace and love if it's going to elicit such a violent reaction. But, it did. It still does. Jesus speaks out against the human-made rules that define religions. He was criticized by religious leaders for healing on the sabbath because it was considered work. He was criticized, again on the sabbath, for pulling some grain that grew along the road to eat it because it was considered harvesting. He was criticized for not washing his hands before eating, for paying attention to outcasts of society, for speaking to people Jews weren't supposed to speak to, for treating women and children with value and respect. God forbid!! How much worse could it get?

Well, it's about power. The religious leaders had a lot of power in the Jewish community and the rules and regulations were a way of maintaining control over the people. Those leaders were seriously threatened by what Jesus taught. They stood to lose their power to this guy who undermined them by telling people they were loved by God, that their sins could be forgiven and that what matters most to God is how we nurture our relationships with God and with each other.

What about the 10 Commandments? A pretty famous list of God Rules. You bet! And every single one addresses our relationships--relationships with God and with others. In the Small Catechism, Martin Luther shows the positive side of those rules. He doesn't just say that, "Thou shalt not kill" means we shouldn't murder anyone. Well, of course it does. But, Luther explains that it goes further. It means not only that we shouldn't murder, but that we shouldn't hurt anyone else in any way; and in fact, it means we should go the extra mile and do whatever we can to help preserve and improve the other's life.

Jesus rebelled/rebels against human rules that distract from the true word of God. His philosophy was considered highly controversial and damaging to the existing leadership and power structure. And, lest we think we have grown beyond such manipulation, it has happened time and again throughout history. Check out the Reformation. Reformers rebelled against the abuses of the church, bringing them to light and freeing people to know the true word of God. Then, forgetting the point themselves, some reformers went too far, creating new abuses and imposing their own manipulation.

Through it all, we have the good news that Jesus died for our sins and raises us with him to new life. Each day we have the chance to start fresh, to make a new effort to live our faith and serve our God by serving those around us--family, friends, neighbors, strangers, those we will never meet, and even enemies.

What so-called religious dogma and doctrine limit or preempt how we live God's word in the world today? How could you better live what Jesus taught?

God's Blessings,
Chris


God, you love us more than we can understand. Strengthen us to live by your rules alone, not our own. Through Jesus, we pray. Amen

Let Jesus

We have seen so many new faces the last few weeks! It has been wonderful to share the Gospel with all of you. Pastor Nick talked to us today about not relying on ourselves to know what is righteous, but always turning to Jesus and letting him be our righteousness. We can take that to the world. Be humble and open. Treat others with respect and love as we would like to be treated. It's pretty simple, isn't it? But, we make it hard. Open your heart to love. Open your hands to service. Open your soul to the possibilities of God's action in your life!

Blessings,

Chris

God, teach us to listen to what you want for our lives. Prepare us for the road ahead, and send us out with compassion, guiding our steps in your ways. Amen

God Comes Down

The Gospel reading for this Sunday, April 6, is one of my favorites. Luke 24:13-35. It's the story about two disciples on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus after the death of Jesus. They had just heard that the body of Jesus was not in the tomb and the women who had gone to tend the body had seen a vision of angels who reported that Jesus was alive! They must have been terrified! The officials would certainly be angry about the missing body, and the disciples feared the repercussions. Never mind the fact that the dead rising out of the grave has been the topic of countless horror stories from the beginning of time.

So here they are, hurrying out of town, and this guy who has apparently heard nothing of the events of the last three days falls into step with them. When they have told him why they are sad and frightened, he explains to them the scriptures from as far back as Moses that point to the Messiah--to Jesus. Their little faith begins to strengthen, their hearts begin to burn with new understanding of what they have experienced. Jesus, their teacher, really, truly is the Messiah!

Funny thing, though. They still don't recognize him. Here is Jesus walking down the road with them, teaching like he probably had many times before, and they don't see him. They still don't quite believe what they have heard. It's all still so surreal. So theoretical. That's the hard thing about faith. It means being certain about something for which there is no concrete evidence.

And there-in lies the point. We are human. We are not capable of fully believing or understanding. So, God comes down to us. Right down here where we are. In the messy imperfectness of our lives. It's called Grace. Unconditional love and mercy even though we can not begin to deserve it. God comes down to us as we worship, as we hear the Word proclaimed, as we share our stories of faith, as we study scripture together. God comes down to us in Baptism as we are united with him in death and resurrection to new life. God comes down to us in the sharing of bread and wine, in the words "The body and blood of Christ, given and shed for you" and in the promises of forgiveness and eternal life. God comes down, and we are set free from the bonds of sin and death. God comes down to us because we can not go up to God.

Do you recognize him? He is here. Wherever we are, Jesus walks with us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit come opportunities to learn and encounter Jesus. Our eyes are opened for us!

"When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?'" Luke 24:30-32 NRSV

But it doesn't end there. The two disciples immediately run back to Jerusalem to share the good news...Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Don't keep it to your self. Jesus is calling you to walk beside others. Run to those who need the good news. And, don't just talk the talk. You've got to walk the walk!

In His Steadfast Love,
Chris

Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia!

It's the Gospel message--the Good News--Christ's life, death and resurrection brings us forgiveness, hope and new life. This is what it's all about. This is the most important--the defining event--of who we are as Christians. The Gospel for Easter, Matthew 28:1-10, ends with the risen Jesus sending his followers out to spread the news of the resurrection and the saving grace of God. That "commissioning" is not only for the people who followed him in life. It is for all of us. Jesus sends us, you and me, out to all the world to share his love through loving words and actions. How can you better serve the people around you--the poor, the sick, the lonely, the tired, the grieving, the terrorized, the oppressed, the victims...? They are all around us. This is our challenge this week: go out with joy and share the love of Jesus Christ with those in our family, our school, our work-place, our neighborhood, our community who are in any kind of need. Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Out of Darkness and into Life!

There was a full house at Emerging Worship this week! The message was the promise of new life. Jesus gives us a glimpse of Easter in the raising of Lazarus. (John 11:1-45) Sin binds us much like the strips of cloth that bound Lazarus' body. But though we are bound too tightly to see and understand on our own, Jesus comes looking for us and finds us wherever we are. In the midst of our darkness he calls us by name, "Come Out!" In his death and resurrection we are freed from the sin that binds us, and given new life. What does this mean for us here and now? What does it call us to? What does it send us to? As we receive this precious gift we respond to God with acts of kindness, generosity and mercy for the benefit of those around us in any kind of need.

Gracious God, we give you thanks for the gift of each new day of life and pray that we will use this gift wisely, responding with acts of love for your children. Amen

Love is Spoken Here!

Welcome All! I just wanted to let you know how much Steadfast loves bringing you the music for Emerging every week! What a great honor it is to sing His praises with you on Sunday!

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