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Month: August 2016

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Reflection for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time and Youth Sunday 2016

Let-Your-Faith-Be-Bigger-than-Your-Fear

What kind of
Amazing Grace?

Brothers and sisters: You have not approached that which could be touched and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness and storm and a trumpet blast and a voice speaking words such that those who heard begged that no message be further addressed to them. No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews is asking his Jewish listeners to fully perceive the fork in the road they had come to.

The Children of Israel once stood at the foot of Mount Sinai as Moses ascended the mountain. The mountain was covered in cloud, with lightning, fire, and various terrors. The earth quaked, and the trumpet of heaven sounded The Law was given. The people stood in terror and covered their ears.

Facing God, the people understood their own limitations. They knew they were sinful and unworthy. Isaiah had a similar experience. In meeting God, Isaiah says: “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Isaiah didn’t know that he was such a bad guy and had a dirty mouth, but then he saw God in all His holiness. The instant he saw God’s holiness, he was aware of his own sinfulness. Even his smallest sin was terrifying.

God’s plan was that we should not live in fear and dread forever. Those moments, however, are instructive to us for we do not realize the extent of our sin before a holy God. The journey of Israel is meant to teach us the vast difference that Jesus has made. Thus the writer shows the Jewish people and us our choice. Do we chose to live back there, in fear and dread, under the Law, only recognizing that Amazing Grace has taught my heart to fear or instead that Amazing Grace my fears relieved.

God’s Law was His first offer of grace and His Son’s coming was the fulfillment of all grace. Jesus has changed all and now we stand in a new place. Yes, recognizing our utter lack of worthiness before the Father but also recognizing that when the Father looks at us He sees Jesus salvation. We stand in a new place, on Mount Zion.

We honor this day as Youth Sunday in our Church. We all face choices. Do I live in fear and dread every day of my life or do I live in joy and the glory of Zion. The world or law cannot offer this joy, only Jesus can. Let us stand together choosing to accept Jesus’ amazing grace, knowing His joy.

Christian Witness, Homilies, , , , ,

Reflection for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time 2016

2

Who is at the head
of the line?

“And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out. And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

The people of Israel believed themselves to be at the head of the line As long as a Jewish person kept the whole Law they were assured entry into the world to come. Others could only enter the world to come if they observed the seven laws that God gave to Noah – the Noahide commandments. However, Christians are excluded as idolaters because we accept the fact that Jesus is God. We cannot be in line for heaven.

Isaiah tells Israel something very important, in fact something shocking – the gentiles will be brought into the glory of God. In fact, some of these unclean people who do not even observe the Noahide commandments will be made priests of God. They will be in line too. Jesus fulfills Isaiah in telling those who thought they were in line that they may well have no place unless they enter through the narrow gate. God’s salvation in Jesus has destroyed preconceived notions. Something much greater is required for salvation.

No one will get into the line for heaven unless they strive to do so. Entering the narrow gate requires strength and a resolute attitude. I will live as Jesus lived. I will follow Him alone. What matters is where we are in our living. Jesus advises us to set aside preconceived notions as to who is righteous and saved. We need to see differently and to take up the challenge of living the life God has designed.

We tend to still live with preconceived notions. Some of our notions have few consequences while others impact our eternal well-being. Some may think that they can earn their way to heaven (by keeping the old Law or by checking things off a holy to-do list). Some think there is no hell or eternal punishment and everyone is going to heaven (common sense – why bother believing in Jesus, belonging to His family, or coming to church if it doesn’t matter). It isn’t that easy. There are consequences for unbelief and for refusing Christ. There is a negative result for walking past the narrow gate.

Jesus broke down every preconceived notion of God and showed us the reality of His loving Father. He challenges us to leave behind self-assuredness. He asks us to take the road that leads to the line. To get there means to live as Jesus did, not as we wish and to take Jesus very seriously. We are to be deeply concerned – not about who is in line but whether we are assuming or striving through the harder gate.

Christian Witness, Homilies,

Reflection for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2016

A-Cloud-of-Witnesses-PPT-Image

Run, compete, and
do not quit.

Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.

One thing you learn in Olympic competitions is that you never look back or across at you opponent during a race. You don’t do it on the track or in the pool. Doing so slows you down, it takes those few milliseconds off your timing and you end up losing.

In the world of sports, particularly like Olympic wrestling, if you are in great pain or can’t take it any more you can tap out. When someone taps out, they are surrendering to their opponent. They are throwing in the towel, they are giving up, and they are quitting the fight. They are saying you win, its over, I’m done, it’s finished.

These competitions are nothing compared to the battle Jesus waged on a daily basis. The writer of Hebrews tells us that if we are struggling and thinking about throwing in the towel, look at Jesus as the greatest example of someone who didn’t quit when the battle was hot, and his foes multiplied.

When we are faced with struggles we need to realize that throughout Scripture we see examples of people who tapped out. Adam and Eve had only one chance at tapping out to temptation – and they took that road. Noah did it with alcohol. Abraham did it out of fear. David did it when he gave into lust. Judas decided money was more important than God. Peter thought denial was the better choice. The crowd found Jesus’ word too hard and quit.

All though history and in our lives we tap out. The record of humanity is a horrible record of failure and tapping out.

But that isn’t the only the thing the Bible, or history, or our lives tell us. From Adam and Eve forward, right alongside every tap out and failure, God gave us His promise: Help is on the way. That promise of help was fulfilled in Jesus. Know that even before trouble comes, help is already worked out.

The thing about Jesus is His humanity. We can really be like Him. We can live as He lived. Look at all He faced and He didn’t tap out. The writer of Hebrews tells us He didn’t tap out even in taking up His cross.

Those who believe in Jesus, who follow Him – His saints too – the great cloud of witnesses figured that out. They too, once they found Him, refused to tap out. It is because of the joy we have – the great promise – that we must run without looking back and wrestle without tapping out.

Christian Witness, Homilies, , , , ,

Reflection for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2016

luke12-34

Prepare, expect and
live it out.

And the Lord replied, “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant in charge of all his property. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish the servant severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful.”

In an Ameritrades commercial a lazy husband is on the coach as his wife tells him to do one thing that day – establish an online investment account. He says, “Sure.” Then goes back to watching television. Finally he falls asleep only to wake up as his wife is pulling into the driveway. He jumps to his feet, rushes to the computer and opens an account in seconds. He jumps back on the coach as his wife walks in and asks: ‘Did you set up the account?’ His reply, ‘Of Course.’

It may be possible to wait till the last possible moment to establish an Ameritrades account, but there are some things that are far too important to take a chance on. It is like our athletes in Rio. To be ready to compete they had to train – years of training and lesser competitions just for this moment. They took no chances. So too for our relationship to God, we cannot wait and just take a chance on being ready. We must prepare ourselves and be ready for the moment – whether it be His calling us home or His glorious return. Would the loss of heaven be worth the risk of ignoring preparation?

Jesus spoke often of his return. There are over 260 chapters in the New Testament, and Christ return is mentioned at least 318 times.

In today’s gospel we find the first extended teaching on the Second Coming of Jesus and here He warns us to be ready. To prepare! Today we hear about three distinct characteristics of a “good waiter.” For us, waiting must not be a static state but a time of preparation, expectation, and faithfulness.

The first characteristic of a “good waiter” is preparation. As our athletes prepare not just their bodies but their equipment as well, we are reminded to “be dressed and ready.” Jesus’ servants are those who do not give in to the fatigue or frustration of waiting. Rather we are to keep ourselves joyfully ready no matter how long it takes.

The second characteristic of a “good waiter” is expectancy. No matter the time, Jesus’ servants have not given up on His return; have not said that it is so long that He’ll never come. The time of the Lord’s return is not our major concern. What is important is that we remain alert, expectant, and that we do not grow lazy in living our witness.

The third characteristic of a “good waiter” is faithfulness. The faithful one who stood ready is rewarded. The one who is not faithful is fearfully punished – that is Jesus promise. Too often we lose sight of that, as if heaven is a given no matter what. As with our athletes, the unprepared, the unfaithful, the one that doesn’t walk the walk will be really disappointed. Today is the day of salvation. It is the day for us to start living by preparing (prayer, worship, Scripture), expecting, and faithfully walking with Jesus.

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