The writer of Hebrews is also reminding us of what it means to be a Christian. In this text the writer is comparing the Old Testament accounts of encounters with God with the new account of Jesus. Before it was through the shaking of the earth, fire, gloom, and a tempest. All which brought fear. Now it is through the mediator Jesus that you encounter God.
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…we do know that Christians were much more supportive of each other and shared much more of their gifts with each other then we presently do. That was because most of the early Christians were the very poor; many were even slaves and had nothing. But that only means this text is truly for us. It is a reminder that we are to put our trust only in God and not our possessions.
The parable is a reminder that all we have is not ours but a gift from God. For those who hear this parable and our other Bible stories the lesson is that what we have, our selves, our time, and our possessions are not ours but gifts from God.
Read MoreWe can tell by Jesus’ instructions that prayer was important to him. If you remember the gospels often tell us of the times Jesus went off to pray – sometimes with success and other times he was interrupted by people demanding his attention. And you all can remember Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Read MoreAs the world tries to divide people into two categories, the good and the bad, we get to accept all people and challenge those who do not. When the world tries to hoard resources we get to share all that we have and challenge those who do not. When the world sees people as objects and unlovable we get to love them as ourselves and challenge those who belittle them.
Read MoreWe, the Body of Christ, are part of a long history of working out what God is calling us to do and say as the church and as individuals. It is not an easy task and it does sometimes cause controversy but it is our task. Sometimes we even get it wrong. But the fear of making a mistake is no excuse for not trying because, when we fail at God’s work, we are always forgiven and given a new opportunity.
Read MoreYou see, Pentecost was not a one-time event. It was the beginning of the disciples’ work to spread the good news about Jesus. That work continued throughout the history of the church and now continues with us.
Read MoreWe are called to help others in need because, as the psalmist says, God’s throne sits on righteousness and justice. As God’s children we are called to make things right for others in the world that so often dehumanizes and discards people because of their differences and struggles.
Read MoreWe bless the world by praying for others, by sharing the gifts that God has given us, by speaking up for those who have no voices, in a word by loving others as God first loved us. We are especially called to work to prevent cruelty and violence. We are called to this task especially in this time in which our government is acting in cruel and unchristian ways.
Read MoreIn fact, if you look around you will see that the church today does not look like the church in Luke’s day. That’s because we live in a much different time and culture than Luke.
Read MoreWe all know those times of grief and disappointment because we have traveled that path ourselves. How many of those times have you not recognized the stranger walking with you? How many times have you stepped into the empty tomb and not believed? How many times has a messenger of God spoken to you and you did not hear?
Read MoreThis is not to say that our sins won’t weigh on us and become a burden to us. They certainly can do that. The psalmist is reminding us that confessing our sins – recognizing that we have not lived up to God’s expectation – helps remove the guilt that keeps us from doing God’s work in the world.
Read MoreAnd when you allow the world to distract you from the steadfast love of God during the good times you are ill prepared to experience that same love when tragedy and crisis come to us.
Read MoreThe traditional ‘works’ of Lent – prayer, fasting, and works of love – are to remind us of God’s unfailing love for us and our unworthiness to receive it. This is not just something to do in order to show others that we are faithful Christians. It is to show ourselves the gap between God’s expectation and our lives and to remind us that, with God’s help we can live better lives all the time – not just one time during the year.
Read MoreI suppose, that is the true message of Lent; Trust in the Lord your God that God will help and comfort you in your struggles.
Read MoreThat is what we confessed today and reminded that you are dust and to dust you shall return. This stands in contradiction to what we have been told by society.
Read MoreAlthough, while we may not fear God, we do fear many things – violence, theft, financial ruin, and cancer to name a few. Luther asks, “Do you fear those more than God?” You see here is Luther’s point. You need not fear any of these things because God has freed us from the bondage of sin and death. The question now is, “Free to do what?”
Read MoreWhy is it that the wealthy live lives of luxury while the poor suffer and struggle to just get by. If you too are looking for an answer to this riddle you will not find it here. The psalmist does not try to answer that question. He writes to remind us that it is not our task to find the answer to that question but to, instead, trust that the Lord has ordered all things so that we can live lives that are faithful, that delight in the Lord and all that the Lord has given us.
Read MoreAre we doomed then to what we already have as Jesus says? Or can we receive more from God? While they are not law, the beatitudes can remind us of what we have already received and guide us in how we are to use those gifts.
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