There is a story about an old man who one morning got to his bus-stop to wait for the bus. Shortly after a little boy joined him, stopped at the bus-stop, and then walked past him and went and stood further down from the actual designated bus-stop. The old man called out to the boy 'Hello lad, you are standing in the wrong spot. The bus always stops right here so come back and wait here'. The boy said no, that he was fine and would be OK. The old man insisted saying that in all his 30 years of waiting for the bus, it had never stopped anywhere else but at the bus-stop and still the boy refused to budge. He politely told the old man that he was not moving and would remain where he was. So the old man gave up feeling sorry for the little boy. He was sure to miss the bus. Then along came the bus. It stopped briefly where the old man was and then slowly moved only to stop right in front of the little boy. The little boy smiled and as he got on the bus, he stopped to look back at the stunned old man saying 'Sir, one thing I forgot to tell you was that the bus driver is my father and he had told me to wait right here!'
Ah to have such certainty and such hope! Ah to be able to say unequivocally, “I know I can stand right here, and all will be well. I know things will be taken care of, so I do not need to worry. I do not need to fret. I do not need to be stressed or anxious. I know, beyond a doubt that things will work out.”
Now, there might be a few of you who would say, “I see what you are saying, pastor, but if we knew the future, that would remove all the excitement of wondering what is going to happen next. There wouldn’t be any surprises or anything like that. Knowing the future wouldn’t be all that great.”
I hear what you are saying. Believe me, I do, but I also know this: what you believe will happen in the future directly impacts how you live today. Let me say that again: what you believe about the future directly impacts how you live today.
Case in point: if you knew that you would win the lottery six months from now, would you change the way you looked at life and the things you did? Of course you would. If you knew you would die in a month, would it change the way you looked at life and the things that you did? Of course it would. Let me bring this home in another way; a way that is plausible for us around here. If you knew that four days from now a squirrel would walk across the high lines and blow a transformer and that it would take three days to make repairs, would you keep doing the same stuff or would you prepare for what was happening? Of course you would prepare. What we believe about the future directly impacts how we live today.
But there are a couple of problems here. First off, we simply cannot see the future. Our sight is far too limited to be able to grasp what will happen far into the future, so in one way, we are kind of doomed. Yet, I also know that there is something about the human spirit which longs for and demands future possibilities. We call this hope. The human spirit drastically needs to hope. I mean, do you know what happens to a person when the lose hope? Do you know what happens to someone when they do not believe there is a future for them? Yes, they become depressed, and eventually they die. In the worst cases, they take their own lives. We need to hope.
But it is hard to have such a hope. It is difficult, to say the least, to grasp and hold such a thing. Why? Because we are consistently disappointed. We consistently are bombarded by bad news. We are consistently fed images and stories of pain and suffering and injustice which lead us to fear; to worry; to anxiety; and a longing to find something, anything which will stem the tide of such things. What do I mean by that?
Well, I remember many years ago shooting fireworks off at my grandparents’ farm. We used to love to do this, and my Aunt Lucy would feed our excitement. She’d go out and buy a whole lot of fireworks, and we’d laugh and watch this stuff fly into the sky and burst into all the radiant colors. We’d ooh and aah most of the time, but every once in a while we’d get a dud–which was met with a chorus of boos or...well...let’s just say that I remember my Aunt Lucy bringing a rather large bottle rocket out once. It looked really, really cool. We set that sucker up, lit the fuse, and stepped back. We figured there would be some sort of huge explosion, but all the thing did was make a loud noise as it just shot up into the air. There was no explosion. There were no fireballs. There were no pretty colors. “Aw, hell,” my aunt said, “That was a waste of five bucks!” Disappointment reigned on that one. Not because it was a dud but because it just didn’t measure up.
And that’s the thing about our hope a great deal of the time. We tend to misplace it, and when we do, we find only disappointment. And the worst part of this is the default position of our hearts is to misplace our hope! The default position of our hearts lead us to put our hope in the wrong things because we are born sinful.
Now, you might think I am crazy in saying that. You may say, “Pastor, how in the world can a child be born into sin? Kids don’t know right from wrong. They have no idea how to choose between good and bad. They can’t do wrong things because they are too small. They are just innocent beings.”
Let me address this in this manner: Today, Hunter Hewson is being baptized. This is their second rodeo with baptism, so I didn’t meet with them this time, but I did meet with them, just like I meet with all the families who are baptizing their children. When I have everyone together, I ask them, “Who is the most selfish person in this room?”
There usually is a moment or two of uncomfortable silence, but then, most of the time, realization dawns. The parents point at their child. They see suddenly how selfish a little baby is. When that baby wants food, what does it do? When that baby wants to be held, what does it do? When that baby is uncomfortable and wants its diaper changed, what does it do? When anything is happening that the little baby doesn’t like what does it do? It screams bloody murder! Why? That child expects you to take care of it. Why? Because in that child’s universe, the universe revolves around that child. You can call it an evolutionary mechanism to help us survive if you like, but giving it a scientific function doesn’t change anything. That child thinks he or she is god. We are born that way. We are natural born idolaters. Our hearts are not immediately tuned to God.
And because of this, there are two things that happen. #1. We learn that other people are there to take care of us and address all our needs. We begin placing our hope in others. However, when others don’t address our needs, what do we do? We turn to ourselves. In the case of an infant, they cry until they are taken care of, and if they aren’t taken care of, they double their efforts and cry harder! They take the initiative to make sure someone listens!
Such is the case with most of us in life. We place our hope in others, and when we are disappointed, we then turn to ourselves I mean, I am pretty sure this morning each and every one of us here have experienced such disappointment. Each and every one of us here have experienced such frustration.
Maybe you spent 20 years or more working for a company, giving them your all and expecting them to continue to employ you until you were ready to retire. Yet, you were fired or forced to resign because someone younger and cheaper was hired. And you were disappointed.
Maybe you voted for a particular political candidate expecting them to change the nature of how politics worked on the local, state, or national level, and then nothing changed–or this person was caught in a scandal–or the person actually voted for something you were against. And you were disappointed.
Maybe you started attending church in the midst of a personal crisis or a time of grief and anxiety. You thought that people would reach out to you and help you; greet you warmly; and help you through the rough times; but they didn’t. You found out they were hurting as well and consumed with their own problems. Or they never even greeted you or made you feel welcome. You left vowing never to come back because you were disappointed.
Some of us learn this lesson the hard way. You can never place your hope in people without eventually finding disappointment. And even if you find someone you can trust; even if you find someone who lifts you up and is always there for you; even if you find someone who loves you and cherishes you to no end–I hate to break this to you–that person will eventually die. And if you don’t die before them, you will sink into a level of depression that will consume you.
Sorry to be such a downer on this, but it is my job to tell you the truth. And, of course, I am not the only one. There are more than a few people who will tell you not to put your hope in others. Instead, they will tell you, put your hope in yourself! (Like that’s going to solve anything...)
I remember watching the movie “Bruce Almighty,” and one of the main points at the end of this movie is brought forth by Morgan Freeman who plays the character of God. He says to the main character played by Jim Carrey, “If you want a miracle, son, be the miracle.” Think about that. The statement basically says, “It’s all up to you. Take control. Take charge. Make things happen. You can make a difference and change everything around you.” Anyone ever felt like you could accomplish this?
Maybe you did. Maybe you felt deep in your heart you could change the world, but eventually, you will run into disappointment in yourself as well. I mean, perhaps at first you won’t. You will be able to accomplish a few things within your sphere of reference. But then, you may get a notion to think larger. You may become disturbed about violence around the world. You may become disturbed about kids using drugs in the community. You may become anxious about the public school system, and you decide to get involved and make changes. You start working only to find, folks have different ideas than you. Folks undermine your efforts and subvert you. You find that no matter how hard you argue that ISIS should be peaceful, they continue to kill and maim and destroy. You find out that you can’t make as big a difference as you once thought. You can only affect a few things–even though you would like to do more. You find your limitations and you become disappointed you can’t do more. Hope then fades.
So, if you can’t put your hope in other people and you can’t put your hope in yourself: where can you put it? Is there a place you can put your hope that will not disappoint? Will not fade? Will not die?
1 Peter 1:3-5 says, “3 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, 4and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
I want to go through this step by step because there is a lot, and I mean a lot packed in here! Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who by His great mercy has given us–given us, mind you, a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Why is this so significant?
First off, we need to see that God gives us this hope. It is not something we can achieve or accomplish on our own. It is given to us through a new birth, and this is the hardest part of it. How are we born anew? To be born anew means that something has to die. We have to die. As Jesus said, “For if you want to save your life you will lose it, and if you lose your life for my sake and the sake of the Gospel, you will find it.” We have to die. That selfish nature we are born with has to die. And how is it put to death?
It is put to death when we hear the Gospel. It is put to death when we hear we are saved by sheer grace and not by our own efforts. When you realize you cannot live the life you should live and that you are deserving of death, you are brought to your knees. Yet, when you understand that Jesus has lived the life we should have lived and died the death we deserved, you know you have worth. You know you have value, and you know you have hope?
And where does that hope reside? The resurrection. For by living the life we should live and dying the death we deserved, Jesus opened the way for us to become children of God, and what do children get from their parents? As Peter points out, we receive an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. We have a living hope! We know who we can trust. We can trust Jesus! We can hope in Jesus! For in Him we have been reconciled unto God. And in Him we see what the ending will be. We see that our final destination will be resurrection to life eternal. Not because of anything we have done but because we know the “bus driver” is our Father. A Father who deeply loves us and was willing to die for us.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world may be saved through Him!” This is a hope that will never, ever disappoint, fade, or die! May it capture our hearts! Amen.
Showing posts with label eternal life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eternal life. Show all posts
Monday, February 23, 2015
Thursday, September 25, 2014
No Expiration Date
I almost lost my grandmother earlier this week.
She was admitted to the hospital this weekend with a pretty severe case of pneumonia. She grew weaker and weaker. I talked to her on Monday, and she sounded terrible.
Then Tuesday about 3:45 p.m. I received a phone call from my dad, "If you want to see your grandma before she dies, you'd better get down here." Dad was crying. I knew it was bad. Dad never cries.
I told my wife I needed to go. Thankfully she handled the kids' homework and dinner. It was a three and a half hour trip to Corpus. There was plenty of time to think.
As I drove, my thoughts centered on my grandmother--this often happens when a loved one is near death. We think about all our interactions with them. We think of specific times and instances which shaped our relationship. We think of particular quirks, sayings, habits, and the like. Sometimes, we are overwhelmed by all the memories to the point where we have trouble recalling all of them. In those moments of blankness, you sometimes think--how is it that I've known this person for so long but cannot think of a single thing right now?
And so you think of other things for a moment.
One of those other things did not settle well with me. The terminology I have heard used in hospitals recently regarding death. I dreaded hearing, should my grandmother die, the words, "The patient has expired."
Oh, I know the term is an archaic usage which means death. I am also aware it means to come to an end or to the exhaling one's breath (of which a final expiration is a sign of death).
But what is so hard about saying someone has died?
Is it more sensitive to say that someone has expired?
I mean, really, when I hear the word expire, I immediately think about the stores of food I have in my pantry. What's the expiration date? When is that moment when something becomes unusable? Worthless? Unsafe to digest our use because it might bring harm?
Maybe expiration date wasn't the best of choices of words to use when talking about food items because this is now the main usage of the word, I believe. It's certainly how I use the word most often, and I don't like talking about death in terms of expiration.
I mean, if my grandmother "expires" does she suddenly become worthless?
Is she suddenly "unusable" as if we humans were meant to be used for something?
Is she suddenly "unsafe" or a threat to harm someone in some fashion?
No. She would simply be dead--a state all of us will eventually enter into.
And I know my visceral reaction to this term when applied to death comes from my adherence to the Christian faith. Death is not an expiration date. It's a transition. It's a threshold.
"For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain." So said St. Paul in Philippians chapter 1. For Paul, death meant a reunion with Christ--a joyous occasion when the temporal became eternal. For Paul, death was a transition, not an end--not a termination--not an expiration.
Christians believe we do not have an expiration date. The body may die, but we will be raised again to a new life. And because of the eternal nature of the self, Christians believe we all have value--we are not simply useful creatures; we are not simply here for another person's pleasure or the pleasure of the state, capitalism, our family, or what have you. We are here, made in the image of God, as creatures of immense worth--even in our brokenness.
In my opinion, using the term expired--particularly in the context of our culture and society today--cheapens the value of human life. And as a Christian, the term is simply not true at all. :-)
She was admitted to the hospital this weekend with a pretty severe case of pneumonia. She grew weaker and weaker. I talked to her on Monday, and she sounded terrible.
Then Tuesday about 3:45 p.m. I received a phone call from my dad, "If you want to see your grandma before she dies, you'd better get down here." Dad was crying. I knew it was bad. Dad never cries.
I told my wife I needed to go. Thankfully she handled the kids' homework and dinner. It was a three and a half hour trip to Corpus. There was plenty of time to think.
As I drove, my thoughts centered on my grandmother--this often happens when a loved one is near death. We think about all our interactions with them. We think of specific times and instances which shaped our relationship. We think of particular quirks, sayings, habits, and the like. Sometimes, we are overwhelmed by all the memories to the point where we have trouble recalling all of them. In those moments of blankness, you sometimes think--how is it that I've known this person for so long but cannot think of a single thing right now?
And so you think of other things for a moment.
One of those other things did not settle well with me. The terminology I have heard used in hospitals recently regarding death. I dreaded hearing, should my grandmother die, the words, "The patient has expired."
Oh, I know the term is an archaic usage which means death. I am also aware it means to come to an end or to the exhaling one's breath (of which a final expiration is a sign of death).
But what is so hard about saying someone has died?
Is it more sensitive to say that someone has expired?
I mean, really, when I hear the word expire, I immediately think about the stores of food I have in my pantry. What's the expiration date? When is that moment when something becomes unusable? Worthless? Unsafe to digest our use because it might bring harm?
Maybe expiration date wasn't the best of choices of words to use when talking about food items because this is now the main usage of the word, I believe. It's certainly how I use the word most often, and I don't like talking about death in terms of expiration.
I mean, if my grandmother "expires" does she suddenly become worthless?
Is she suddenly "unusable" as if we humans were meant to be used for something?
Is she suddenly "unsafe" or a threat to harm someone in some fashion?
No. She would simply be dead--a state all of us will eventually enter into.
And I know my visceral reaction to this term when applied to death comes from my adherence to the Christian faith. Death is not an expiration date. It's a transition. It's a threshold.
"For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain." So said St. Paul in Philippians chapter 1. For Paul, death meant a reunion with Christ--a joyous occasion when the temporal became eternal. For Paul, death was a transition, not an end--not a termination--not an expiration.
Christians believe we do not have an expiration date. The body may die, but we will be raised again to a new life. And because of the eternal nature of the self, Christians believe we all have value--we are not simply useful creatures; we are not simply here for another person's pleasure or the pleasure of the state, capitalism, our family, or what have you. We are here, made in the image of God, as creatures of immense worth--even in our brokenness.
In my opinion, using the term expired--particularly in the context of our culture and society today--cheapens the value of human life. And as a Christian, the term is simply not true at all. :-)
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Funeral Sermon for Mark Chapman
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and from our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
I could spend a lot of time this afternoon extolling Mark’s virtues. His list of accomplishments are many. Successful business man. World traveler. Philanthropist. Loyal alum and supporter of his alma mater. Faithful husband. Artist. Thinker. Poet. I could fill up this entire sermon talking about such things–easily. But it is not a pastor’s job to simply lift up the virtues of a man who has died. It is the job of a pastor to bring a word from God into the midst of human situations–a word which comforts those who grieve and gives insight into how God’s love effects our lives.
And now, with that being said, I would like to turn to Mark’s own words to begin that process of perhaps hearing what God would tell us this day as we celebrate Mark’s life. In his book An Artist Writes, there is an interesting little poem entitled “Dis-satisfaction.” It reads:
Take a look–I’ve got it all
A great wife, health
Bank account that’s not small
Yet what is that sporadic, niggling burr
that nestles underneath my saddle?
Is it the ebbing of the physical
or a flaw in my gear box?
Maybe nature’s perverse trick to ruffle my feathers
Or one last long squall before the water calms.
I wrestle with this wisp of unease
It pins me more than not
A twinge of craziness asks
Am I a gerbil on a treadmill?
A captive in a cosmic joke?
A malcontent without a cause?
Is my chain being yanked because I care?
Maybe it is a plague of self absorption?
Blind faith would–could–be a lifeline
But for whatever reason no solace there.
Is the question unanswerable?
A maddening changing of the guard
Truth unacceptable
An accelerating slide down a slope
To a place I don’t want to go.
It’s a challenging poem because I think it raises one of those items of truth that hits many of us where we live. We may seem to have it all, according to worldly standards, but within there is still discontent. There is still something that makes us uneasy. There is something which makes us dissatisfied with life and the way things are going. Mark felt it, and he was seeking an answer to the problem. Blind faith could have given him consolation, but it wasn’t enough. There was no turning off his brain and simply accepting things. Mark had to question. He had to ask. He had to delve deep.
And he roped me into this quest–and for that, I will be forever grateful.
Several years ago, Mark handed me a book at church. It was entitled, A Place for Truth: Leading Thinkers Explore Life’s Hardest Questions. Mark struggled with the book. He wanted to talk about many of the things written in its pages. Little did he know, he was contributing to his pastor’s conversion.
Yes, you heard that correctly. Mark’s gesture of seeking started me on a journey of conversion, and it is not too often that a pastor can stand before a congregation and say such a thing. But never-the-less, I can assure you, it is true. For the book Mark handed me caused me to delve deep, deep within the Christian faith. It caused me to examine myself–my core beliefs and convictions. It confronted me with the truth. Far from a blind faith, it helped me see something tremendously important; something I had managed to give consent to with my head but fail to grasp within the depths of my being. You may be having two thoughts at this moment: #1. What was that thing? And #2. Isn’t this gathering supposed to focused on Mark?
The answer to number one is forthcoming. The answer to number two is, of course, and I’m coming right back there. Because that thing is an answer to some of the things Mark was wrestling with deeply–not only in his poem “Dis-satisfaction” but another poem which I would like to read to you now. This one is entitled “Guilt for Less”:
Once I threw a Canadian coin
into a Salvation Army bucket–clunk
Another time I fell far short of loving my neighbor as myself
After each incident I felt bad
A moral misfit
That I might be the guest at a very hot bar-b-que
No question of immutable truths when I was young–
My brain washed
The conscience, gate keeper, or party pooper
let me know when I’d been bad
Numerous immutable pitfalls await.
The moral electric fence restraining our base instincts
Occasionally we slip under the wire
only to be Tasered by guilt
we come scuttling back seeking forgiveness
How do we escape this scourge?
Heaven’s answer, at least on Sunday morning
Bountiful succor if you prostrate yourself
give up sin forever or at least until next time
a nagging conscience demands that promise
A bar so high, failure foregone
Humanness guarantees a repeat performance
Has this niggling failure diminished us?
Deflated egos: unquestioning sinners in waiting
No one escapes the wide net
Even the sanctimonious one in the front row
You’re guilty of–pride
Wretches all–give it up
The drill: sin–seek forgiveness–absolution–repeat
Seamless–better than a six pack
Strangely, I feel guilty for writing this
How do we escape this scourge? How do we escape guilt? How do we escape this cycle of sin, seek forgiveness, receive absolution, and repeat? This poem reminded me of another author who once wrote about the same sort of thing. St. Paul lifted up this in the letter of Romans so long ago. Addressing the human condition, Paul said much the same thing as Mark–just using different words:
18For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Romans 7:18-24)
Hear Paul’s final question again. Notice the words Paul uses. Who will rescue me from this body of death? Who will rescue me from this cycle of sin? He does not use the word what. It’s not what will save me? It’s who will save me. Mark hit upon how we normally address things in the church. We focus on the what: attend church; ask for forgiveness; try not to sin; fail; repeat. That’s the what. But the what doesn’t save us. It’s the who that does.
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Paul exclaims. Thanks be to Jesus, for it is He who offers us the answer.
It took me a while, but the process that Mark started with giving me that book found its endpoint in Jesus. It found its endpoint in the heart-felt realization that it is Christ alone who saves. Christ alone. Not our effort. Not our actions. Not our coming to church. Not our asking for forgiveness. Sin is a given. I am a failure, but Jesus died for me anyway. Jesus loved me anyway. Jesus redeems me anyway. Just as Jesus died for you, loves you, and redeems you. Just as Jesus died for Mark, loves Mark, and redeems Mark. If we can pull off our own salvation, we have a reason to feel haughty. We have a reason to feel superior. We have a reason to feel guilty because we should be capable of doing and being better. But, if salvation is only from Jesus–if salvation is only by the grace of God, we are humbled knowing that we are no better than anyone else. We are humbled knowing that despite our sinfulness God loves us tremendously. And we don’t have to feel dissatisfied any longer. There is nothing we have to accomplish to prove our worth. There is nothing we have to accomplish to make ourselves better in the eyes of the world. Christ has done all for us, and He becomes our All in All.
This realization; this conversion within me has deeply affected my teaching and preaching. It has deeply affected the way I view my role as a pastor. And a few have noticed. Mark noticed. The week before he suffered his first stroke, Mark said the following as I took prayer requests from the congregation, “I pray that we come to understand the theology you are preaching.”
I pray that prayer often. That we may understand our salvation is from the Lord. For that is the most important thing. Mark is experiencing that salvation right now. He is with God basking in eternal glory. The promised hope of the resurrection is fulfilled. That hope is also extended to you and to me–not only for when we die, but for our lives right here and now. When Christ becomes the center of our lives and orients our hearts toward Him, we live in that hope daily. We know our worth comes from God and that we will go to God. We know peace of heart and mind. And on days like these, we know there is no saying “Goodby.” There is an acknowledgment that death is not a period. It is a comma, and one day we will join Mark at God’s side. Amen.
I could spend a lot of time this afternoon extolling Mark’s virtues. His list of accomplishments are many. Successful business man. World traveler. Philanthropist. Loyal alum and supporter of his alma mater. Faithful husband. Artist. Thinker. Poet. I could fill up this entire sermon talking about such things–easily. But it is not a pastor’s job to simply lift up the virtues of a man who has died. It is the job of a pastor to bring a word from God into the midst of human situations–a word which comforts those who grieve and gives insight into how God’s love effects our lives.
And now, with that being said, I would like to turn to Mark’s own words to begin that process of perhaps hearing what God would tell us this day as we celebrate Mark’s life. In his book An Artist Writes, there is an interesting little poem entitled “Dis-satisfaction.” It reads:
Take a look–I’ve got it all
A great wife, health
Bank account that’s not small
Yet what is that sporadic, niggling burr
that nestles underneath my saddle?
Is it the ebbing of the physical
or a flaw in my gear box?
Maybe nature’s perverse trick to ruffle my feathers
Or one last long squall before the water calms.
I wrestle with this wisp of unease
It pins me more than not
A twinge of craziness asks
Am I a gerbil on a treadmill?
A captive in a cosmic joke?
A malcontent without a cause?
Is my chain being yanked because I care?
Maybe it is a plague of self absorption?
Blind faith would–could–be a lifeline
But for whatever reason no solace there.
Is the question unanswerable?
A maddening changing of the guard
Truth unacceptable
An accelerating slide down a slope
To a place I don’t want to go.
It’s a challenging poem because I think it raises one of those items of truth that hits many of us where we live. We may seem to have it all, according to worldly standards, but within there is still discontent. There is still something that makes us uneasy. There is something which makes us dissatisfied with life and the way things are going. Mark felt it, and he was seeking an answer to the problem. Blind faith could have given him consolation, but it wasn’t enough. There was no turning off his brain and simply accepting things. Mark had to question. He had to ask. He had to delve deep.
And he roped me into this quest–and for that, I will be forever grateful.
Several years ago, Mark handed me a book at church. It was entitled, A Place for Truth: Leading Thinkers Explore Life’s Hardest Questions. Mark struggled with the book. He wanted to talk about many of the things written in its pages. Little did he know, he was contributing to his pastor’s conversion.
Yes, you heard that correctly. Mark’s gesture of seeking started me on a journey of conversion, and it is not too often that a pastor can stand before a congregation and say such a thing. But never-the-less, I can assure you, it is true. For the book Mark handed me caused me to delve deep, deep within the Christian faith. It caused me to examine myself–my core beliefs and convictions. It confronted me with the truth. Far from a blind faith, it helped me see something tremendously important; something I had managed to give consent to with my head but fail to grasp within the depths of my being. You may be having two thoughts at this moment: #1. What was that thing? And #2. Isn’t this gathering supposed to focused on Mark?
The answer to number one is forthcoming. The answer to number two is, of course, and I’m coming right back there. Because that thing is an answer to some of the things Mark was wrestling with deeply–not only in his poem “Dis-satisfaction” but another poem which I would like to read to you now. This one is entitled “Guilt for Less”:
Once I threw a Canadian coin
into a Salvation Army bucket–clunk
Another time I fell far short of loving my neighbor as myself
After each incident I felt bad
A moral misfit
That I might be the guest at a very hot bar-b-que
No question of immutable truths when I was young–
My brain washed
The conscience, gate keeper, or party pooper
let me know when I’d been bad
Numerous immutable pitfalls await.
The moral electric fence restraining our base instincts
Occasionally we slip under the wire
only to be Tasered by guilt
we come scuttling back seeking forgiveness
How do we escape this scourge?
Heaven’s answer, at least on Sunday morning
Bountiful succor if you prostrate yourself
give up sin forever or at least until next time
a nagging conscience demands that promise
A bar so high, failure foregone
Humanness guarantees a repeat performance
Has this niggling failure diminished us?
Deflated egos: unquestioning sinners in waiting
No one escapes the wide net
Even the sanctimonious one in the front row
You’re guilty of–pride
Wretches all–give it up
The drill: sin–seek forgiveness–absolution–repeat
Seamless–better than a six pack
Strangely, I feel guilty for writing this
How do we escape this scourge? How do we escape guilt? How do we escape this cycle of sin, seek forgiveness, receive absolution, and repeat? This poem reminded me of another author who once wrote about the same sort of thing. St. Paul lifted up this in the letter of Romans so long ago. Addressing the human condition, Paul said much the same thing as Mark–just using different words:
18For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Romans 7:18-24)
Hear Paul’s final question again. Notice the words Paul uses. Who will rescue me from this body of death? Who will rescue me from this cycle of sin? He does not use the word what. It’s not what will save me? It’s who will save me. Mark hit upon how we normally address things in the church. We focus on the what: attend church; ask for forgiveness; try not to sin; fail; repeat. That’s the what. But the what doesn’t save us. It’s the who that does.
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Paul exclaims. Thanks be to Jesus, for it is He who offers us the answer.
It took me a while, but the process that Mark started with giving me that book found its endpoint in Jesus. It found its endpoint in the heart-felt realization that it is Christ alone who saves. Christ alone. Not our effort. Not our actions. Not our coming to church. Not our asking for forgiveness. Sin is a given. I am a failure, but Jesus died for me anyway. Jesus loved me anyway. Jesus redeems me anyway. Just as Jesus died for you, loves you, and redeems you. Just as Jesus died for Mark, loves Mark, and redeems Mark. If we can pull off our own salvation, we have a reason to feel haughty. We have a reason to feel superior. We have a reason to feel guilty because we should be capable of doing and being better. But, if salvation is only from Jesus–if salvation is only by the grace of God, we are humbled knowing that we are no better than anyone else. We are humbled knowing that despite our sinfulness God loves us tremendously. And we don’t have to feel dissatisfied any longer. There is nothing we have to accomplish to prove our worth. There is nothing we have to accomplish to make ourselves better in the eyes of the world. Christ has done all for us, and He becomes our All in All.
This realization; this conversion within me has deeply affected my teaching and preaching. It has deeply affected the way I view my role as a pastor. And a few have noticed. Mark noticed. The week before he suffered his first stroke, Mark said the following as I took prayer requests from the congregation, “I pray that we come to understand the theology you are preaching.”
I pray that prayer often. That we may understand our salvation is from the Lord. For that is the most important thing. Mark is experiencing that salvation right now. He is with God basking in eternal glory. The promised hope of the resurrection is fulfilled. That hope is also extended to you and to me–not only for when we die, but for our lives right here and now. When Christ becomes the center of our lives and orients our hearts toward Him, we live in that hope daily. We know our worth comes from God and that we will go to God. We know peace of heart and mind. And on days like these, we know there is no saying “Goodby.” There is an acknowledgment that death is not a period. It is a comma, and one day we will join Mark at God’s side. Amen.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Be a Witness
Long ago, when I was in high school, I actually had the privilege of having my dad teach me Algebra, Physics, Chemistry, and Pre-Calculus. I know I am biased, but my dad was a very good teacher. I learned a lot from him. But there was one thing which rather upset me at the time. Dad wouldn’t help me with my homework at home. If I had a question about anything, I was required to go to his class during study hall. He just wouldn’t help me at home. It was rather frustrating! Why would my dad do this to me? Why would he make me go to study hall to get help? He was right there! It didn’t seem fair.
But, let’s think about this for just a moment. Let’s think about why my dad did what he did. Let’s think about what is and isn’t fair. And let’s think about it by asking this question: Did Jesus need to be baptized? Ponder that for just a moment. Did Jesus need to be baptized?
The obvious answer is “No.” I mean John the Baptist is blunt when Jesus shows up to be baptized. John looks Jesus straight in the eye and says, ““I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
Jesus is God incarnate–the fully human, fully divine Son of God. God doesn’t need to be baptized–at all. God doesn’t need repentance or the forgiveness of sins. Jesus is blameless before God and before humanity. There is no need for him to go through this process. At all. Yet, Jesus shows up to be baptized by John, and Jesus makes John go through with it. “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Why does Jesus demand to be baptized?
Let’s turn to the opening statement of our second lesson from the book of Acts. Peter is addressing the household of Cornelius–a Gentile. Please remember in the context of this time, Jews and Gentiles did not mix. They were like oil and water. Jews considered Gentiles unclean. Peter had just had a vision in which a sheet was lowered out of heaven with all sorts of unclean animals on it. God commanded Peter, “Get up. Kill and eat.” Peter replied, “Nothing unclean has ever touched my lips.” God said, “What I have called clean, do not call unclean.”Immediately after this vision, messengers from Cornelius arrived at Peter’s door. They said Cornelius had received a command to contact Peter while praying. Peter went to the household. When he arrived, he found a group of God-fearing Gentiles who were receptive to the message of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit brought them to faith.
Upon seeing this, St. Peter addresses the people who had gathered in the house, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” Now, we usually take this text and run with it and talk about how God doesn’t show any sort of favoritism based upon one’s cultural context, one’s gender, one’s sexuality, one’s skin color, or what have you. There is nothing wrong with doing such a thing, but I think we need to push it farther. We need to push God’s impartiality all the way through. Even to His own Son who came to live among us.
Why was Jesus baptized? God shows no partiality.
Why did my dad refuse to help me at home? Dad shows no partiality. Not all the students could access my dad as easy as I could. It wasn’t fair to them if he helped me at home. Dad wasn’t going to show favoritism.
God wasn’t going to either, and this has some very important implications–some very important implications. How so?
Well, let’s think just a moment about what things might have looked like if God showed partiality. Let’s think just a moment about what Jesus’ life might have looked like if God showered Him with favoritism as the Word became flesh and dwelled among us.
Do you think Jesus would have been born in a stable? Not hardly.
Do you think Jesus would have been raised in a rather poor family and been taught the trade of carpentry–a trade considered very, very low on the social totem pole? Probably not.
Do you think Jesus would have lived for 30 years in relative obscurity with no one knowing much about Him? Again, no.
If God showed any sort of partiality, Jesus probably would have been born in a palace. He would have had the best of wealth and privilege. He would have eaten the finest foods, enjoyed the finest drink, gone to the finest schools and had the finest clothes. He would have enjoyed all the best things the world had to offer and never had to deal with social outcasts and misfits. Life would have always been grand and marvelous IF, IF God showed partiality to His Son.
But God shows no partiality. God shows no favoritism. Even to His Son.
And so Jesus was poor, like the vast majority of the world’s population.
Jesus had to work, and His hands were calloused from the labor of carpentry–just like most people in the world have to work.
Jesus was surrounded by ordinary people who did ordinary things and who eked out their living. Jesus never had a place of wealth and privilege. He was just like the vast majority of people who lived.
And Jesus was not immune to suffering. “God shows no partiality.” If God showed favoritism, there wouldn’t have been a cross. But there was. There was a cross. A horrible, bloody cross that Jesus hung upon. Just as we suffer, Jesus suffered.
But there was more to Jesus’ suffering because He did not carry simply His own suffering. It wasn’t just His pain He bore on the cross. No. “This is my Son,” God said at Jesus’ baptism, “with Him I am well pleased.”
God’s Son sent to reconcile the world to God. Jesus didn’t just hang on the cross experiencing His own suffering because He took upon Himself our suffering. He took upon Himself our shame. He took upon Himself our guilt. He took upon Himself our sin. He took upon Himself our pain.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but so that the world might be saved through Him.
Just as God showed no partiality in how Jesus lived, suffered, and died, so God will show no partiality in salvation. “Because He lives, we shall live also” and “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This is grace without partiality. For you and for me and for all who call upon the name of Jesus. And we are witnesses to this Grace. We are witnesses to what God has done through Jesus Christ. We are witnesses of how God did not even show favoritism to His own Son. We are witnesses to the God who is not above suffering, but who suffered like us and who showed us what the final word will be.
Is this news worth telling? Is this grace worth sharing? Do others need to hear about the God who suffers with them and promises them hope? Is there any doubt about what we are called to do? Live God’s Word Daily. Be a witness. Amen.
But, let’s think about this for just a moment. Let’s think about why my dad did what he did. Let’s think about what is and isn’t fair. And let’s think about it by asking this question: Did Jesus need to be baptized? Ponder that for just a moment. Did Jesus need to be baptized?
The obvious answer is “No.” I mean John the Baptist is blunt when Jesus shows up to be baptized. John looks Jesus straight in the eye and says, ““I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
Jesus is God incarnate–the fully human, fully divine Son of God. God doesn’t need to be baptized–at all. God doesn’t need repentance or the forgiveness of sins. Jesus is blameless before God and before humanity. There is no need for him to go through this process. At all. Yet, Jesus shows up to be baptized by John, and Jesus makes John go through with it. “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Why does Jesus demand to be baptized?
Let’s turn to the opening statement of our second lesson from the book of Acts. Peter is addressing the household of Cornelius–a Gentile. Please remember in the context of this time, Jews and Gentiles did not mix. They were like oil and water. Jews considered Gentiles unclean. Peter had just had a vision in which a sheet was lowered out of heaven with all sorts of unclean animals on it. God commanded Peter, “Get up. Kill and eat.” Peter replied, “Nothing unclean has ever touched my lips.” God said, “What I have called clean, do not call unclean.”Immediately after this vision, messengers from Cornelius arrived at Peter’s door. They said Cornelius had received a command to contact Peter while praying. Peter went to the household. When he arrived, he found a group of God-fearing Gentiles who were receptive to the message of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit brought them to faith.
Upon seeing this, St. Peter addresses the people who had gathered in the house, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” Now, we usually take this text and run with it and talk about how God doesn’t show any sort of favoritism based upon one’s cultural context, one’s gender, one’s sexuality, one’s skin color, or what have you. There is nothing wrong with doing such a thing, but I think we need to push it farther. We need to push God’s impartiality all the way through. Even to His own Son who came to live among us.
Why was Jesus baptized? God shows no partiality.
Why did my dad refuse to help me at home? Dad shows no partiality. Not all the students could access my dad as easy as I could. It wasn’t fair to them if he helped me at home. Dad wasn’t going to show favoritism.
God wasn’t going to either, and this has some very important implications–some very important implications. How so?
Well, let’s think just a moment about what things might have looked like if God showed partiality. Let’s think just a moment about what Jesus’ life might have looked like if God showered Him with favoritism as the Word became flesh and dwelled among us.
Do you think Jesus would have been born in a stable? Not hardly.
Do you think Jesus would have been raised in a rather poor family and been taught the trade of carpentry–a trade considered very, very low on the social totem pole? Probably not.
Do you think Jesus would have lived for 30 years in relative obscurity with no one knowing much about Him? Again, no.
If God showed any sort of partiality, Jesus probably would have been born in a palace. He would have had the best of wealth and privilege. He would have eaten the finest foods, enjoyed the finest drink, gone to the finest schools and had the finest clothes. He would have enjoyed all the best things the world had to offer and never had to deal with social outcasts and misfits. Life would have always been grand and marvelous IF, IF God showed partiality to His Son.
But God shows no partiality. God shows no favoritism. Even to His Son.
And so Jesus was poor, like the vast majority of the world’s population.
Jesus had to work, and His hands were calloused from the labor of carpentry–just like most people in the world have to work.
Jesus was surrounded by ordinary people who did ordinary things and who eked out their living. Jesus never had a place of wealth and privilege. He was just like the vast majority of people who lived.
And Jesus was not immune to suffering. “God shows no partiality.” If God showed favoritism, there wouldn’t have been a cross. But there was. There was a cross. A horrible, bloody cross that Jesus hung upon. Just as we suffer, Jesus suffered.
But there was more to Jesus’ suffering because He did not carry simply His own suffering. It wasn’t just His pain He bore on the cross. No. “This is my Son,” God said at Jesus’ baptism, “with Him I am well pleased.”
God’s Son sent to reconcile the world to God. Jesus didn’t just hang on the cross experiencing His own suffering because He took upon Himself our suffering. He took upon Himself our shame. He took upon Himself our guilt. He took upon Himself our sin. He took upon Himself our pain.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but so that the world might be saved through Him.
Just as God showed no partiality in how Jesus lived, suffered, and died, so God will show no partiality in salvation. “Because He lives, we shall live also” and “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This is grace without partiality. For you and for me and for all who call upon the name of Jesus. And we are witnesses to this Grace. We are witnesses to what God has done through Jesus Christ. We are witnesses of how God did not even show favoritism to His own Son. We are witnesses to the God who is not above suffering, but who suffered like us and who showed us what the final word will be.
Is this news worth telling? Is this grace worth sharing? Do others need to hear about the God who suffers with them and promises them hope? Is there any doubt about what we are called to do? Live God’s Word Daily. Be a witness. Amen.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
What Happens when We Die?
I received the following email this past week:
Since the passing of my father recently the question of what happens when we die is ever on my mothers mind. I might add mine too. I have read a lot on it on the internet and the Bible and I must admit it can be overwhelming for a simple minded person like myself. I wanted to ask you if on your blog did you address the question and if so when. I tried looking in the archives but was unable to find one...After reading a lot of thoughts from other people and their reasoning I always came to the thought of what is Pastor Haug's thoughts.
Heady topic with lots of stuff out there.
Interestingly enough, this week's Living Lutheran: Ask a Pastor section was on this very topic. Answers there vary. Answers with a lot of pastors and professors vary.
Here's my short answer: we don't know exactly. That's the truth.
There's only been one person that I know of who experienced the fullness of death for three days and then returned, and He didn't do too much talking about what was going on when His body lay in the tomb.
Sure, there have been others who have had near death experiences. Some have tried to explain these experiences as the brain going into shut down mode and having a hyper-burst of activity. However, there are some experiences where the brain is completely shut down for days, and yet these experiences still occur. Some have recorded these experiences and sold them on the market. At the recommendation of church members, I have read both:
Heaven is for Real
Proof of Heaven
Both of these books are quite interesting and intriguing. Both have sold thousands of copies, but they are vastly different in what they convey about life after death. Vastly different.
So, what is true?
I don't know, but this is what I trust:
When I die, I believe I will go to be with God.
Yes, I know this doesn't exactly gel with St. Paul's understanding of death: that we fall asleep until the resurrection. But it does gel with other portions of scripture.
For instance, this Sunday's Gospel passage from the book of Luke. Jesus is asked a question about the resurrection by the Sadducees. Of course the Sadducees don't believe in the resurrection of the dead. They believe once a person is dead: that's it.
Yet, Jesus doesn't buy that train of thought. He answers them rather profoundly (bold emphasis mine):
27 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him 28and asked him a question, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; 30then the second 31and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32Finally the woman also died. 33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.’ 34 Jesus said to them, ‘Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; 35but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36Indeed they cannot die any more, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.’ 39Then some of the scribes answered, ‘Teacher, you have spoken well.’ 40For they no longer dared to ask him another question.
"Now, He is God, not of the dead, but of the living; for to Him all of them are alive."
This is quite the interesting statement, is it not? How can Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still be living? Their bones have surely decayed and returned to the dust long sense? How could they be considered living?
Jesus offers more insight when He gives the parable of the rich man and Lazarus:
19 ‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. 24He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” 25But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” 27He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— 28for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” 29Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” 30He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” 31He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” ’
While this indeed is a parable; it does tell us something of how Jesus viewed what happened after death.
#1. There is life after it.
#2. Some are taken to be with Abraham wherever he may be (With God?).
#3. Some head to torment.
#4. There is a separation between these two places that cannot be crossed.
Some might like to stop here, but Jesus certainly doesn't. Jesus, as Paul talks about the resurrection.
Some folks like to do an either/or. Either heaven and hell or resurrection to a new heaven and a new earth.
I like to combine them with the both/and. Some part of us goes on living--goes to be with God (or torment) as we await the last judgment. Then, on that day, we are reembodied at the resurrection.
Again, I don't know for sure. Haven't been on the other side to check. One thing is for sure: we'll all find out.
Since the passing of my father recently the question of what happens when we die is ever on my mothers mind. I might add mine too. I have read a lot on it on the internet and the Bible and I must admit it can be overwhelming for a simple minded person like myself. I wanted to ask you if on your blog did you address the question and if so when. I tried looking in the archives but was unable to find one...After reading a lot of thoughts from other people and their reasoning I always came to the thought of what is Pastor Haug's thoughts.
Heady topic with lots of stuff out there.
Interestingly enough, this week's Living Lutheran: Ask a Pastor section was on this very topic. Answers there vary. Answers with a lot of pastors and professors vary.
Here's my short answer: we don't know exactly. That's the truth.
There's only been one person that I know of who experienced the fullness of death for three days and then returned, and He didn't do too much talking about what was going on when His body lay in the tomb.
Sure, there have been others who have had near death experiences. Some have tried to explain these experiences as the brain going into shut down mode and having a hyper-burst of activity. However, there are some experiences where the brain is completely shut down for days, and yet these experiences still occur. Some have recorded these experiences and sold them on the market. At the recommendation of church members, I have read both:
Heaven is for Real
Proof of Heaven
Both of these books are quite interesting and intriguing. Both have sold thousands of copies, but they are vastly different in what they convey about life after death. Vastly different.
So, what is true?
I don't know, but this is what I trust:
When I die, I believe I will go to be with God.
Yes, I know this doesn't exactly gel with St. Paul's understanding of death: that we fall asleep until the resurrection. But it does gel with other portions of scripture.
For instance, this Sunday's Gospel passage from the book of Luke. Jesus is asked a question about the resurrection by the Sadducees. Of course the Sadducees don't believe in the resurrection of the dead. They believe once a person is dead: that's it.
Yet, Jesus doesn't buy that train of thought. He answers them rather profoundly (bold emphasis mine):
27 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him 28and asked him a question, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; 30then the second 31and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32Finally the woman also died. 33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.’ 34 Jesus said to them, ‘Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; 35but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36Indeed they cannot die any more, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.’ 39Then some of the scribes answered, ‘Teacher, you have spoken well.’ 40For they no longer dared to ask him another question.
"Now, He is God, not of the dead, but of the living; for to Him all of them are alive."
This is quite the interesting statement, is it not? How can Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still be living? Their bones have surely decayed and returned to the dust long sense? How could they be considered living?
Jesus offers more insight when He gives the parable of the rich man and Lazarus:
19 ‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. 24He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” 25But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” 27He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— 28for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” 29Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” 30He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” 31He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” ’
While this indeed is a parable; it does tell us something of how Jesus viewed what happened after death.
#1. There is life after it.
#2. Some are taken to be with Abraham wherever he may be (With God?).
#3. Some head to torment.
#4. There is a separation between these two places that cannot be crossed.
Some might like to stop here, but Jesus certainly doesn't. Jesus, as Paul talks about the resurrection.
Some folks like to do an either/or. Either heaven and hell or resurrection to a new heaven and a new earth.
I like to combine them with the both/and. Some part of us goes on living--goes to be with God (or torment) as we await the last judgment. Then, on that day, we are reembodied at the resurrection.
Again, I don't know for sure. Haven't been on the other side to check. One thing is for sure: we'll all find out.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
The Hardest Sermon: Published
Luke 6: 32-38
32 ‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’
I think perhaps, this is one of the most difficult sermons I have ever had to deliver. You may wonder why.
This may come as a shock to some. Those closest to Chris know this; most of you probably do not. Heather was raised as a Christian, but as time went on, she eventually renounced her Christian faith and became an atheist. I hate to be the one who breaks this news to many of you today, but it is true. This puts me in a rather difficult position considering the world we live in today–and considering the love and respect that you all had for Heather. Because what we have happening here this evening is a collision of worldviews. We have the Christian worldview which many of us embrace, and we have the atheistic worldview which Heather and her husband embraced. Each have very different understandings about what happens after death–understandings which are seemingly incompatible. So, how do we reconcile such things? Is it even possible?
To begin, please allow me to quote Christian author and speaker Ravi Zacharias who said the following in his Veritas Lecture on the campus of U.C.L.A. in January of this year. He says, “Whatever our worldview...whatever our convictions, because a conviction is different to an opinion–an opinion is something you have a preference for sort of a hierarchy of options and you make a choice this way somebody else makes a choice another way. But a conviction is that which is then in many ways rooted in your very soul; it is in your conscience. And to change a conviction will involve a changing of who you are as a person...And so, when two worldviews collide, when two convictions collide, the best thing that one can hope for is at least the cordiality with which we can disagree and the civility with which we can interact in the midst of that disagreement.”
The cordiality to disagree and the civility to interact in the midst of that disagreement. Is such a thing possible? Is it possible for a Christian worldview and an atheistic worldview to cordially disagree and civilly interact? Historically, I believe those of us who are Christians have not done such a good job of handling such things. There are usually two avenues which are chosen by most Christians, and one comes across as very self-righteous and the other comes across as both self-righteous and wishy-washy.
On the one hand, you have those who almost gleefully proclaim that those who do not believe in Jesus Christ are eternally damned. Usually, they are quick to quote all of those Bible verses and quotations of Jesus and Paul and others which paint the eternal destination of those who do not believe in a none too positive light. They use these verses as fearful motivation–trying to convince others to avoid the same fate, repent and believe in Jesus Christ. They use those verses to fearfully get those gathered to “get our stuff together” so that we don’t end up in such a horrid place. I honestly believe the folks who preach in this manner are trying to promote the Kingdom of God. I believe they are trying to win souls for that Kingdom. However, whether they know it or not, they usually come across as self-righteous and sanctimonious and do more harm to Christianity than good. I do not want to go down that road this evening.
Then, on the other hand, there are those who quite willingly and quickly pronounce that it doesn’t matter what one believes or does not believe–all enjoy a trip to heaven to be with God. In their desire to promote comfort and to ease peoples' consciences, they will ignore the words of Jesus; the words of Paul; and other such comments in scripture. They do not honor the closest witnesses to Jesus as reported in the Bible and so water down what is revealed in Scripture. Convictions get thrown out the window. But that is not the least of it. For in proclaiming this particular worldview, such folks fail to honor or respect the beliefs, convictions, and worldviews of those who believe differently. In effect, they say, “I don’t care that you believe you will just cease to exist when you die. It doesn’t matter what you say, what I say about God is more important than your beliefs and understandings.” As I look at such things, it seems rather disingenuous, and I do not want to travel down that road tonight either.
And so, what does one do? How does one handle such situations? There is no doubt that Scripture reveals to us some very troubling words about those who do not believe in Christ. There is no doubt that Scripture reveals to us some very disturbing words about those who renounce their faith. I am not going to sugar coat those this evening, but I am also not going to gleefully proclaim them. Instead, I am going to hold up the dynamic tension Jesus asks us to hold.
For, you see, the same Jesus who spoke words of exclusivity announcing that He is the way and the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him also said, “Do not judge and you will not be judged for with the measure you give, the same measure you will receive.”
Jesus makes it quite clear to you and to me how we are to act toward anyone who does not share our particular beliefs. He makes it quite clear how we are to proceed with those who have a different worldview. “Do not judge for with the judgment you give, you will receive.” In my estimation, this call is a call to humility as we interact with those who do not believe as we believe. How?
Well, it goes back to the core convictions and beliefs at the foundation of Christianity. It goes back to the fact that we all deserve judgment. We all deserve God’s anger at us for we do not live according to His commands. Take a read of Matthew chapter 5 through 7 and see how well you do at following Christ’s commands. Be honest as we look at our own lives and realize how we do not live as though we depend only on God for our sustenance and livelihood–we work and slave to store up wealth and property for our future instead of depending on God for our daily bread. In doing so, we break a basic command of Christ. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God; we cannot earn any sort of salvation through our own actions. It is only by His grace that we are saved through faith.
And that is not the half of it. We cannot even believe in God without His help. You may shake your head at that one, but if you do, take a moment to read 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and see that wonderful little snippet by St. Paul who says, “No one says Jesus is Lord except by the power of the Holy Spirit.” You cannot even come to believe in Jesus on your own! You can walk away on your own, but you certainly cannot believe in God through your own reason or strength. You and I are totally dependent upon God not only for our salvation but for our very belief in Jesus Christ.
So what does that mean? I don’t know exactly what it means to you, but for me, it means that I am humbled. I am totally dependent upon God, and I honor Him by following Him and the teachings of His Son who died for me. And that Son was absolutely clear in His teachings: “Those who want to be first in the Kingdom of God must be last of all and servant of all.” All, mind you. Not just those who share the same belief, but we are called to love and serve all no matter what they believe–even if it is vastly different than what we believe. We are to love others as God loved us. Now, how is this possible?
This was the exact same question Chris and I talked about as Heather’s life was coming to a close. She and I had several conversations about this as she struggled with the question, “What should I do?” The answer: love her. Plain and simple. Of course, Chris also witnessed to Heather. Of course, she wanted her daughter to believe, but it was not her job to arm twist. It was not her job to use her love or the revocation of her love as a tool of manipulation. This is not what a parent does. A parent never stops loving his or her children. A parent never withdraws that kind of support. But a parent also respects a child enough to allow that child to go his or her own way.
I’ve got three kids, 8, 7, and 5. Do you think they do everything I tell them to do? Of course not. Does that mean I stop loving them? Never. You see at a certain point and time, a good parent realizes his or her children are independent. They make their own decisions. They blaze their own paths. They choose to go their own ways. Those ways may be very different than our own, but a good parent respects his or her children enough to allow them to go their own way. And even though there may be disagreement, a parent loves and supports his or her child until death claims one or the other. Chris showed that kind of love to Heather until the very end. It’s what good parents do.
It is what God does as well. He loves us so much that He respects our choices–even if those choices take us away from Him; even if those choices lead us to cease believing in Him. But that doesn’t mean He stops seeking us out. That doesn’t mean He ever stops loving us. He loves us to the very end. Period.
And now, we arrive at that crucial moment–that time where you may wish for me to announce Heather’s eternal resting place. I must apologize for I am afraid I must disappoint you. I am afraid the best answer I can tell you is that such a proclamation does not rest on me or in my hands. It rests in the hands of One and One alone. Such matters are now in God’s hands. And thankfully, those are very good hands to rest such matters in. Amen.
32 ‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’
I think perhaps, this is one of the most difficult sermons I have ever had to deliver. You may wonder why.
This may come as a shock to some. Those closest to Chris know this; most of you probably do not. Heather was raised as a Christian, but as time went on, she eventually renounced her Christian faith and became an atheist. I hate to be the one who breaks this news to many of you today, but it is true. This puts me in a rather difficult position considering the world we live in today–and considering the love and respect that you all had for Heather. Because what we have happening here this evening is a collision of worldviews. We have the Christian worldview which many of us embrace, and we have the atheistic worldview which Heather and her husband embraced. Each have very different understandings about what happens after death–understandings which are seemingly incompatible. So, how do we reconcile such things? Is it even possible?
To begin, please allow me to quote Christian author and speaker Ravi Zacharias who said the following in his Veritas Lecture on the campus of U.C.L.A. in January of this year. He says, “Whatever our worldview...whatever our convictions, because a conviction is different to an opinion–an opinion is something you have a preference for sort of a hierarchy of options and you make a choice this way somebody else makes a choice another way. But a conviction is that which is then in many ways rooted in your very soul; it is in your conscience. And to change a conviction will involve a changing of who you are as a person...And so, when two worldviews collide, when two convictions collide, the best thing that one can hope for is at least the cordiality with which we can disagree and the civility with which we can interact in the midst of that disagreement.”
The cordiality to disagree and the civility to interact in the midst of that disagreement. Is such a thing possible? Is it possible for a Christian worldview and an atheistic worldview to cordially disagree and civilly interact? Historically, I believe those of us who are Christians have not done such a good job of handling such things. There are usually two avenues which are chosen by most Christians, and one comes across as very self-righteous and the other comes across as both self-righteous and wishy-washy.
On the one hand, you have those who almost gleefully proclaim that those who do not believe in Jesus Christ are eternally damned. Usually, they are quick to quote all of those Bible verses and quotations of Jesus and Paul and others which paint the eternal destination of those who do not believe in a none too positive light. They use these verses as fearful motivation–trying to convince others to avoid the same fate, repent and believe in Jesus Christ. They use those verses to fearfully get those gathered to “get our stuff together” so that we don’t end up in such a horrid place. I honestly believe the folks who preach in this manner are trying to promote the Kingdom of God. I believe they are trying to win souls for that Kingdom. However, whether they know it or not, they usually come across as self-righteous and sanctimonious and do more harm to Christianity than good. I do not want to go down that road this evening.
Then, on the other hand, there are those who quite willingly and quickly pronounce that it doesn’t matter what one believes or does not believe–all enjoy a trip to heaven to be with God. In their desire to promote comfort and to ease peoples' consciences, they will ignore the words of Jesus; the words of Paul; and other such comments in scripture. They do not honor the closest witnesses to Jesus as reported in the Bible and so water down what is revealed in Scripture. Convictions get thrown out the window. But that is not the least of it. For in proclaiming this particular worldview, such folks fail to honor or respect the beliefs, convictions, and worldviews of those who believe differently. In effect, they say, “I don’t care that you believe you will just cease to exist when you die. It doesn’t matter what you say, what I say about God is more important than your beliefs and understandings.” As I look at such things, it seems rather disingenuous, and I do not want to travel down that road tonight either.
And so, what does one do? How does one handle such situations? There is no doubt that Scripture reveals to us some very troubling words about those who do not believe in Christ. There is no doubt that Scripture reveals to us some very disturbing words about those who renounce their faith. I am not going to sugar coat those this evening, but I am also not going to gleefully proclaim them. Instead, I am going to hold up the dynamic tension Jesus asks us to hold.
For, you see, the same Jesus who spoke words of exclusivity announcing that He is the way and the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him also said, “Do not judge and you will not be judged for with the measure you give, the same measure you will receive.”
Jesus makes it quite clear to you and to me how we are to act toward anyone who does not share our particular beliefs. He makes it quite clear how we are to proceed with those who have a different worldview. “Do not judge for with the judgment you give, you will receive.” In my estimation, this call is a call to humility as we interact with those who do not believe as we believe. How?
Well, it goes back to the core convictions and beliefs at the foundation of Christianity. It goes back to the fact that we all deserve judgment. We all deserve God’s anger at us for we do not live according to His commands. Take a read of Matthew chapter 5 through 7 and see how well you do at following Christ’s commands. Be honest as we look at our own lives and realize how we do not live as though we depend only on God for our sustenance and livelihood–we work and slave to store up wealth and property for our future instead of depending on God for our daily bread. In doing so, we break a basic command of Christ. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God; we cannot earn any sort of salvation through our own actions. It is only by His grace that we are saved through faith.
And that is not the half of it. We cannot even believe in God without His help. You may shake your head at that one, but if you do, take a moment to read 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and see that wonderful little snippet by St. Paul who says, “No one says Jesus is Lord except by the power of the Holy Spirit.” You cannot even come to believe in Jesus on your own! You can walk away on your own, but you certainly cannot believe in God through your own reason or strength. You and I are totally dependent upon God not only for our salvation but for our very belief in Jesus Christ.
So what does that mean? I don’t know exactly what it means to you, but for me, it means that I am humbled. I am totally dependent upon God, and I honor Him by following Him and the teachings of His Son who died for me. And that Son was absolutely clear in His teachings: “Those who want to be first in the Kingdom of God must be last of all and servant of all.” All, mind you. Not just those who share the same belief, but we are called to love and serve all no matter what they believe–even if it is vastly different than what we believe. We are to love others as God loved us. Now, how is this possible?
This was the exact same question Chris and I talked about as Heather’s life was coming to a close. She and I had several conversations about this as she struggled with the question, “What should I do?” The answer: love her. Plain and simple. Of course, Chris also witnessed to Heather. Of course, she wanted her daughter to believe, but it was not her job to arm twist. It was not her job to use her love or the revocation of her love as a tool of manipulation. This is not what a parent does. A parent never stops loving his or her children. A parent never withdraws that kind of support. But a parent also respects a child enough to allow that child to go his or her own way.
I’ve got three kids, 8, 7, and 5. Do you think they do everything I tell them to do? Of course not. Does that mean I stop loving them? Never. You see at a certain point and time, a good parent realizes his or her children are independent. They make their own decisions. They blaze their own paths. They choose to go their own ways. Those ways may be very different than our own, but a good parent respects his or her children enough to allow them to go their own way. And even though there may be disagreement, a parent loves and supports his or her child until death claims one or the other. Chris showed that kind of love to Heather until the very end. It’s what good parents do.
It is what God does as well. He loves us so much that He respects our choices–even if those choices take us away from Him; even if those choices lead us to cease believing in Him. But that doesn’t mean He stops seeking us out. That doesn’t mean He ever stops loving us. He loves us to the very end. Period.
And now, we arrive at that crucial moment–that time where you may wish for me to announce Heather’s eternal resting place. I must apologize for I am afraid I must disappoint you. I am afraid the best answer I can tell you is that such a proclamation does not rest on me or in my hands. It rests in the hands of One and One alone. Such matters are now in God’s hands. And thankfully, those are very good hands to rest such matters in. Amen.
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