Revelation of the Son of Man: Our Bright Center

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
    who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. --Matthew 2:1-12 (NRSV)

What a day - as we watch our nation’s capital under assault! 

I’m struck by the similarity of our situation today and that of the time from our reading in Matthew. The magi have travelled from afar. Following a star. Not knowing where it will lead. But understanding its importance,that it is connected to the long-promised Messiah. This king who has been promised to the Jewish people for centuries.

They land in Jerusalem. The center of all Judean life. They seek help from political leaders, wondering if they might know where this child, now most likely near the age of 2 - where he might be located. The goal of these magi? To honor him with gifts. And to worship him.  

But Herod is threatened by this. Not them, but this child, this promised king. Because Herod has a different way of seeing the world: that it revolves around him. His power. His privilege. His city. He is willing to lie and kill to keep the world the way he wants it to be. And he consults religious authorities - not for guidance - but to support his view and his actions. Herod is all about himself. His power. And preserving it. 

We may often be like Herod, centered on ourselves. On the things we want. Or the things we think. Or the things we believe. Often, like Herod, using religion for our own purposes. And, as we watch tonight the events happening in our nation’s capital, I daresay that we are not alone in this. Because this is the human way. The way inherent in us since the very beginning.

But, if we will listen carefully, this story reconstructs our world. The magi, representing those many nations, do come. But the light they see leads them finally not to the city, but to a village; not to a palace, but to a house; not to a king, but to a child; and their gifts foretell this child’s death. The child, who will grow up to be our crucified and risen Lord Jesus, who is the very mystery of God revealed, draws us and all things into God. There is our center - Jesus Christ. Not Herod. Not our national leaders. But Jesus Christ, the very presence and glory of God come to us. That center that is present wherever this word is heard: in our church. In our own homes. Here in this online place. Where we gather, where scripture is read, where we pray for all the nations - not just our own. The center, which is present in the places of our neighbors in need, with whom Christ himself identifies. 
So, let the star of these texts lead you. They will show you a whole new way to see the world. One that is centered on God. And not on us. One that does not rely upon human power, but on God’s power. And one that, no matter what happens in our world, whether it be pandemic or coup or any other trouble, will never abandon or forsake us. But, instead will help us find a way through. 

Arise. Shine. For your light has come. 

Preached online on January 6, 2021, at Grace & Glory Lutheran, Goshen, and Third Lutheran, Louisville.

Epiphany

Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6, Matthew 2:1-12

Responding to God's Love: Ruth - God's Hesed

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

This fall we’ve been reading stories of people who lived out God’s calling for their lives through the relationships they had with God and with other people. Today is our sixth story of covenant and relationship. Before we begin looking at today’s story, we’re going to see how well we remember the previous five stories.

To do this, I need five volunteers. Each one of these people represents one of our stories. Your job, first, is to figure out which story they symbolize. Your second job is to, then, identify the order that these stories appear in the Bible. If you need it, you can use the pew Bible to help jog your memory. 

• Gen. 2:16-17 - Plant, symbolizing creation
• Genesis 18:14a - Bread, symbolizing Abraham and Sarah’s hospitality
• Genesis 32:28 - Wrestler, symbolizing Jacob wrestling with God
• Exodus 3:5 - Barefoot, symbolizing "holy ground"
• Deuteronomy 6:5 - Ten Commandments or tablet, symbolizing God giving Moses the Ten Commandments

Now that we’ve reviewed these stories of God and God’s relationship to people, let’s hear today's story. It’s also about relationship, although God doesn’t play a direct role in this story. So, perhaps, for us, it’s an important story. Because in these times after Christ, we don’t see a visible God present in our world, but more of a hidden God, working behind the scenes, just as in today’s story.

During the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. A man with his wife and two sons went from Bethlehem of Judah to dwell in the territory of Moab. The name of that man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the territory of Moab and settled there.

But Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died. Then only she was left, along with her two sons. They took wives for themselves, Moabite women; the name of the first was Orpah and the name of the second was Ruth. And they lived there for about ten years.

But both of the sons, Mahlon and Chilion, also died. Only the woman was left, without her two children and without her husband.

Then she arose along with her daughters-in-law to return from the field of Moab, because while in the territory of Moab she had heard that the Lord had paid attention to his people by providing food for them. She left the place where she had been, and her two daughters-in-law went with her. They went along the road to return to the land of Judah.

Naomi said to her daughters-in-law, “Go, turn back, each of you to the household of your mother. May the Lord deal faithfully with you, just as you have done with the dead and with me. May the Lord provide for you so that you may find security, each woman in the household of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.

But they replied to her, “No, instead we will return with you, to your people.”

Naomi replied, “Turn back, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Will there again be sons in my womb, that they would be husbands for you? Turn back, my daughters. Go. I am too old for a husband. If I were to say that I have hope, even if I had a husband tonight, and even more, if I were to bear sons— would you wait until they grew up? Would you refrain from having a husband? No, my daughters. This is more bitter for me than for you, since the Lord’s will has come out against me.”

Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth stayed with her. Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her gods. Turn back after your sister-in-law.”

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to abandon you, to turn back from following after you. Wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do this to me and more so if even death separates me from you.”  --Ruth 1:1-17 (CEB)

Today, we read only a portion of the story of Ruth. Ruth is only one of two women with an entire book in scripture that is dedicated to telling her story. Who knows the other book? Yes, it’s the book of Esther. Esther is a Jewish queen. Ruth is neither Jewish. And, she is definitely not royalty. Yet, she is one of only four women who are named in Jesus’ genealogy, or history. Our key verses today are from chapter one. The book of Ruth is only four chapters long and it’s a great story. So, when you get home today, I encourage you to read the rest of Ruth.

There are many different approaches that we might make to today’s story. As it opens, we hear that there is a famine in Bethlehem. The irony here is that Bethlehem means “House of Bread.” The “House of Bread” is now empty. And Elimelech, our opening character, and his wife, Naomi,  Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, must leave Judah, their home country and travel to Moab, another country, for food. So, one approach to today’s story might be that of food insecurity. Something that we, here, at Grace & Glory seek to address every week. 

Another approach might be related to the relationship between nations. Because the history between Moab and Judah is complex. Isn’t that something we see and understand, especially, as we grow older. That relationships between nations, as between people, are not simple. Or black and white. But, that they are filled with complexity. Moab and Judah are cousins. The Moabites are descendents of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. They are family. And, yet, there is a long history between them. Warning made to Israel that the women of Moab are seductive and will seduce Israelite men away from God. It’s this belief that eventually results in a law that forbids Moabites from entering Israel’s religious assemblies to the tenth generation. Yet, they are family, albeit, the black sheep of the family. 

To approach from this angle would also work, especially given the news stories this week of the situation at the Turkish and Syrian borders and the long, historic relationship between the Kurds and the Turks - a relationship fraught with complexity.

A third angle, or approach, might be that of immigration. Elimelech and Naomi and their sons are refugees from famine. Traveling to another country for food - a country that might not welcome them wholeheartedly and, in fact, a country that might reject them. That might shame them. Simply for seeking security for their family.

How appropriate this approach might be for us today, when the number of refugees in our world has surpassed the numbers from the time of the second world war and as our own country has continued to reduce the number of refugees it is accepting annually. To be an immigrant in our world today means to be without a country. Rejected. Isolated. Insecure.

A fourth approach (Who knew there could be so many ways to approach this story??) - a fourth approach, might be that of women. And, particularly, the role of women in a patriarchal society. Where one is considered property. Devalued. Not only for one’s ideas or opinions, but even for one’s body. Which doesn’t even belong to oneself. In our #MeToo era, this, too, would be a valid approach.

There are even more approaches. There is loss. The loss Naomi experienced with not only the death of her husband, but of both her sons. And the insecurity that resulted for her. And her daughters-in-law. Related to this is the issue of infertility - that after ten years of marriage, neither of her sons and their wives have had children. And so, there is also loss her. The loss of hope. And as a congregation that has had members experience much loss this year, this, too, would be an appropriate approach.

But, there is one approach that I will call an “umbrella approach.” You know when you open an umbrella and it covers everyone under it, this approach is like that. Because it is an overriding theme that we hear and experience throughout this complex story with so many different themes and approaches running through it.

That umbrella approach is connected to the Hebrew word hesed. We’ve heard that word before. It’s hard to define for us in English. It means “steadfast love” or “loving kindness.” In the Septuagint, which is the original Greek Bible translated from the Hebrew, the Greek word used for the Hebrew word hesed is the word we translate into English as grace. Normally, hesed is attributed to God. It’s a word used hundreds of times in the psalms to describe a God who is faithful. And loving. A God who shows a kind of covenantal love. The same kind of love that we see in the marriage covenant. A love that hangs in. Through the thick and the thin. The until “death do us part” kind of love. That kind of love. It is true that hesed describes the love and faithfulness of our God. The hesed that God continually shows to God’s people. To us.

Yet, in this small story in scripture, the hesed shown is that by Ruth toward Naomi. Ruth, who makes a choice to remain with her mother-in-law, instead of returning to her own mother. Who, then, returns with her mother-in-law back to Naomi’s home village, to her home country. Ruth, who is now the foreigner. Who is willing to risk everything - her family, her country, perhaps even her life - to show love and faithfulness - hesed - to Naomi, her mother-in-law.  

Because, you see, hesed is not just an adjective. Hesed is not just about an emotion. Like the Hebrew word shema last week, hesed is also a verb. It’s about action. About putting love into action. Whether it is to feed the hungry, to make peace between nations, to care for the immigrant, to lift up women and others who for way too long have been treated as “other,” or to simply be with and accompany those who have experienced deep loss, to show hesed is to show love in action. 

This is who we are to be. Because this is whose we are. 

We love because God first loved us. Amen.

Preached October 12, 2019, at Grace & Glory Lutheran Church, Goshen, KY
Pentecost 18
Readings: Mark 3:33-35, Psalm 126, Ruth 1:1-17

The Ways of the Kingdom: Service

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:31-46 (NRSV)

Grace and peace to you from God, our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Which side are you on now?

Which side are you on?

Which side are you on now?

Which side are you on?

If you are a native Kentuckian, you may recognize this song. Maybe even if you aren’t a native Kentuckian. It was written on night in 1931 in Harlan County, KY. In 1931, the mine workers and the mine owners in this southeastern county in Kentucky were locked in a bitter and violent struggle called the Harlan County War. In an attempt to intimidate the family of Sam Reece, who was a union organizer for the mine workers’ union, the sheriff of the county and his men, who were hired by the mining company, entered their home in search of him. Now Mr. Reece had been warned ahead of time and had escaped, but his wife, Florence, and their children had remained. They were terrorized in their own home. That night, after the sheriff and his men left, Mrs. Reece tore a page off a calendar that hung in their kitchen and she wrote the lyrics for the song. Tradition has it that the tune is from an old Baptist hymn.

This song would go on to be used in nearly every major protest movement in our country. In the fight for workers’ rights. In the civil rights movement. In the women’s movement. In the fight for gay and lesbian rights. In the anti-war protests of Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Even in today’s Poor People’s Campaign, a campaign that seeks to renew the original campaign started by Martin Luther King, Jr.. 

This song is a song that challenges us. To make a decision about which side we will choose. Whether we will stand on the side of those with power. Or on the side of those with no power. 

In the same way, our text today is a story of sides. And of choices. We are in the portion of Matthew that is called the Eschatological Discourse - a discussion about the end times. About Jesus’ second coming. In Matthew, this discourse between Jesus and disciples begins with one question asked by the disciples at the beginning of chapter 24. It is asked by them in response to a comment made by Jesus in the temple - that no stone in the temple would remain. That everything will be demolished. This makes the disciples wonder. So, later, they come to Jesus privately and ask the question: “Tell us, when will these things happen? What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?”

In response to this question, Jesus describes the signs in heaven and on earth that will precede the end. Then, Jesus goes on to stress that no one knows the day or the hour, not even him. And that, while the disciples wait, they should remain vigilant, ready for Christ’s return. 

Jesus goes on, then, as he often does in Matthew, to illustrate his point through the use of parables. Four parables. Last week, we heard one of the four. The Parable of the Talents (The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids). Today, we hear the last of the four. The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats.

The main character in our parable is that of a king. A monarch. One who will sit on his throne before all of the nations with all people gathered in front of him. And, then, just like a shepherd in ancient days, the king will separate the people. Setting them apart in two groups. The sheep on one side. And the goats on the other.  

Notice that, in this parable, Jesus, as he often does, makes use of everyday things. In today’s lesson, it’s about shepherding practices. It would have been common knowledge in ancient times that a shepherd tending a herd of goats and sheep would separate the two at night. During the day, they would graze together. But, at night, they would be separated because sheep prefer to spend the night in the open air. And goats, well, they like the warmth of a shelter. Plus, goats could be trouble-makers at times. So, at night, the shepherd would separate them. 

It would also be a common understanding that sheep were more valuable than goats. Not only did they provide food, they also provided wool, milk for cheese, and other products. They were also used more than any other animal for sacrifice in the temple.

So the king separates the nations like sheep and goat. The sheep to the right. The goats to the left. The King will turn to those on his right. (In ancient days, to be placed at the right hand of a king meant that you were in the king’s favor. One of the chosen ones. Set apart.) So, the king will turn and say to those on his right, “Come and receive the blessings you have inherited from my Father.” They have not been placed there because of their superior knowledge of scripture. Or their exceptional spiritual gifts. But, because they have shown mercy and compassion to the hungry. To the thirsty. To the stranger. The naked. The sick. The imprisoned. That in serving those on the edges of society - the marginalized - they have been unknowingly serving the king.

Those on the right. The righteous. Do you notice that they are completely unaware of what they have done? They have not been acting in a calculated way to earn the king’s favor. But, they have simply been doing what is natural for them. They have responded to God’s gift of grace by serving those in need. They will be gathered with the king and be given unending life.

And, then, there are those on the left. Those who are not in the king’s favor. Those with whom the king is displeased. Like those on the right, they, too, have been doing what is natural for them. They have been looking out for their own interests. They have not been bothered by the needs of others. They, too, like those on the right, are also surprised to learn that they have encountered the king. In the marginalized and the powerless. And, in their encounter with them - with the “least of these,” they have shown which side they are on. They are cast away from the king. Into the darkness. Into unending fire. Into eternal punishment. Just as the unfaithful servant, the foolish bridesmaids, and the unfaithful servant. 

Sisters and brothers, this can be a difficult parable for us. This discourse on end times. On Jesus’ second coming. On the judgment of the world. It is not something we like to think about. Yet, this parable is a fitting conclusion for our learning about the ways of God’s kingdom. Because, if there is no final judgment in God’s kingdom, that means that God does not care about the injustice and the suffering in our world.

But, God does care. God cares about it so much that, beginning in the very next chapter, we will see how Jesus bore this injustice and brokenness and suffering in his own body. To triumph over it. To defeat evil and death. As a ransom for all nations. As a ransom for us. For me. And for you.

Yet, even as Christ is now raised from the dead, highly exalted, and seated far above rule and authority, Jesus is not apart from us. Jesus is not distant and aloof. Jesus meets us here. In the bread and the wine, in his body and blood. Jesus meets us here in our brokenness. And continues to transform us. So that we might go out into the world and meet Jesus in the faces of the broken and powerless. In the needs of our suffering world.

Today we are commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. It was a time when those in power in that country murdered over 10% of their population, simply because they were of a different ethnic group. 

So, which side are you on? Are you on the side of the powerful? Or the powerless? Are you on the side of the transformed, those who seek to live lives of service to those who have no power in response to God’s radical gift of grace? Or on the side of those who aren’t, who live in the selfish ways of the world, in the ways of their own interest instead of the ways of God’s kingdom? 

May God work in us to choose the side of the weak and the powerless. To live in the ways of God’s kingdom. Ways of forgiveness, generosity, and hospitality. Ways of vigilance and trustworthiness. And, particularly in the way of service. In God’s way of service. A  way that is so desperately needed by our broken world. May God grant it.  Amen. 

Preached April 7, 2019, at Grace & Glory Lutheran Church, Goshen, KY.
Fifth Sunday in Lent
Readings: Matthew 25:31-46, Psalm 98:7-9