Tag Archives: God

Unknown's avatar

Generous with Our Forgiveness

by

“Generous with Our Forgiveness” – April 3, 2015

Jesus Christ crown of thorns and nail

Luke 23:33-34 and John 19:28-37

Have you ever had someone say something or do something to you that was really unkind? I mean, downright awful? I can think of other descriptive words, too. Mean, nasty, despicable, evil. There are people like that in the world. In the world today, as well as throughout history. People who act and speak in a thoughtless manner, yes, but also people who act and speak in a deliberate way intended to hurt and to cause all manner of evil.

Tonight, we remember the events of that Passion Week, Thursday night through Friday afternoon, two thousand years ago. We will consider how unkind many people were to Jesus, our Lord. People who acted and spoke to Him in a deliberate way intended to hurt, and to cause all manner of evil. Imagine!

But first, let’s back up. Go back to the Upper Room, where the Rabbi Jesus and His disciples gathered together. They ate a Passover dinner, a Seder. Remembering that night so long ago when the Passover lamb was slain for the redemption of each Jewish household in Egypt. Remembering so long ago, as the head of each house smeared the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of each house so that the Angel of Death would pass over that house in the final plague on the people of Egypt. Remembering as the Jewish people fled from Egypt in such a hurry they were unable to allow their bread to rise. So they ate matzoh, or unleavened bread.

This Passover dinner in the Upper Room celebrated and commemorated the deliverance of the Jewish people from their slavery in Egypt. Jesus and His disciples remembered all of that. They came together to eat, to remember why that time, that night was different from all other nights. But Jesus added a whole new dimension to why that night was different. He instituted the Lord’s Supper. The Eucharist. We will remember this after the sermon, tonight.

The Passion narrative does not stop there. After dinner, after the bread and cup were shared by everyone present, Jesus went out to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. He prayed so earnestly and with such agonizing intensity! Yet, His friends, His disciples could not keep watch with Him. They were too exhausted. Imagine.

Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples, slipped out during the Seder dinner. He went to the house of the Chief Priest and told them he would betray Jesus. With a kiss, a common greeting between two friends at the time. Imagine.

As we follow Jesus through the events of that night and on into early Friday morning, Jesus is led through several trials. He is scorned, mocked, tortured, and ultimately stands before Pilate. Jesus is sentenced to death. Death by crucifixion.

This kind of death is particularly horrible. A criminal’s death.

I am going to pause here, and take a moment to tell you what this service is not. It is not a service where we consider Jesus’ Seven Last Words on the cross. I have attended such services. Where there are a series of recitations of each Word, followed by a short message interpreting each one. Some churches commemorate Good Friday with the observance of the last day of our Lord’s life. They retrace the scenes, or the Stations of the Cross. These show that final journey of Jesus, to the cross. Emotionally moving, graphically illustrating the sights, sounds and feelings of those surrounding the cross, as well as Jesus, on that horrific day.

All over the world, today, people are remembering that awful journey. There are some who, just a few hours ago, walked that journey. Along the same roads where Jesus walked, through the old city of Jerusalem. Yes, it is incredibly sad to remember that our Lord was condemned to death, even death on a cross. A criminal’s death. People beat their breasts, and commemorate that agonizing journey. The stations of the Cross.

Instead, we will zero in on one particular word that Jesus spoke from the cross. We come to the end of our Lenten series of generosity. By looking at this word spoken by Jesus, I would like us to reflect on the magnitude of the generosity of our Lord. “Father, forgive them. For they do not know what they are doing.” Jesus is so generous that He forgives those who kill Him. Torture Him. Despise Him. Imagine what a kind, generous, God-sized heart Jesus had! Imagine.

I suggest to you tonight that you—that I—that we all consider how wide and deep Jesus’ forgiveness must be! Consider, with our friends at #40acts, who have given me these wonderful Lenten sermon ideas.

It is not easy to forgive! God knows, I have been wronged, I have had some awful things done to me. I’ve been wounded and in pain, and I bet you have, too! Others might mistreat us, even abuse us in a myriad of ways. Do you think it’s easy to put aside bitterness and resentment? Let me tell you. I know from experience. It is not easy.

Yet, that is exactly what Jesus does here. On the cross, no less! That diabolical device of torture, devised by the Romans to be a horrific instrument of death. If Jesus could forgive His killers and those responsible for His death, what does that mean for us, today?

I know what it means for me. I know that I have been moved to forgive those who have hurt me. God has urged me to forgive those who I have resented deeply, for years.

We can look at this tremendous act of forgiveness—all forgiveness begins at the cross. Jesus models for us what forgiveness ought to be like. What forgiveness can be. We are only able to forgive each other if we know what God’s forgiveness is like. Imagine.

Thank God that God has given us the promise that is faithful and true. Each Sunday, we proclaim God’s forgiveness of our sins. Each Sunday after our confession of sins, I make the statement, “Believe the good news of the Gospel—in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!”

Can you believe the good news that Jesus proclaims to us from the cross? He proclaims forgiveness. Jesus, struggling for breath on the cross, uses the last of His remaining breath and strength to speak. What does He say? He speaks forgiveness. Can we do any less?

Praise God. Jesus loves us this much. What love. What generosity. What forgiveness. Amen.

@chaplaineliza

Thanks to the kind friends at http://www.40acts.org.uk – I am using their sermon suggestions and notes for Lent 2015. #40acts Do Lent generously!

(Suggestion: visit me at my daily blog for 2015: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. Thanks!)

Unknown's avatar

Generous With Our Purpose

by

“Generous With Our Purpose”

John 2:10 – February 22, 2015

Big events can be a big headache. Taking care of the venue, and preparing where the big party is going to be celebrated is one big concern. The entertainment, the decorations are more challenges. So is keeping track of all of the food and drink. How much is too much? And what if I don’t have enough? What happens if I run out?

This is exactly what happened at a wedding at the beginning of Jesus’s ministry, in Cana of Galilee. Let’s zoom in, and take a closer look. Jesus was invited to the wedding as a guest. His disciples were invited, and probably many other people He knew. And His mother, too.

In the first century, Jewish custom held that most any wedding would be an event of celebration for several days. Our Scripture passage today shows an affluent Jewish family—with some servants and a household steward. We read that the family provided extravagant feasting for days. In the case of today’s Scripture, if there were any miscalculation or lack in provisions in food or drink, not only the bride and groom but also their families would most likely suffer great humiliation.

What about today? What are some challenges or needs that we might have right now? People all over the world have lack of funds, logistical problems, or miscalculations and find themselves lacking provisions every day. What about lacks or needs due to physical situations? Unemployment, illness, or suffering of other kinds? These things are nothing new, sadly. They can be overwhelming. I’m just one, puny person on this whole planet. Billions of people live today! Who am I to expect that Jesus even knows about my needs for food and drink?

Let’s go back to Cana, in Galilee. A couple of days of partying had already passed. It was the third day of the big wedding celebration, and a few people found out they had run out of wine. They ran to tell the chief steward. Oh, no! What was to be done? With a big crowd like he had in the house, I suspect he couldn’t just send out to the local liquor store for more supplies.

It was then that Mary, the mother of Jesus, got involved. Somehow, Mary heard about the lack of wine, too. She hurried to her son Jesus and told Him about it.

What about us, today? When we have needs or lacks, what do we do? Do we try to be tough, and go it on our own? Are we self-sufficient, not needing or asking for any help? Are we frozen by the need, unwilling or unable to budge? Or are we open and willing, like Mary, ready to trust Jesus, to go to Him for assistance?

Mary asked her son Jesus to help out. “They have no wine,” is what she said. There was some back and forth between mother and son. Jesus says, clearly, “What does this have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”     (Just wait, I’ll get to that comment, in a minute.)

Here we have Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, God in human form. God the Son, the Logos, the one who spoke at the beginning, and created the universe. Who formed our world and placed the stars in space. Mary, Jesus’ earthly mother, is asking Him to change His mind, to change His plans, to change His timetable.

Mary eventually told the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” Mary trusts in Jesus. His mother trusts that whatever He will say or do is going to work.

Nearby were some large containers, for ceremonial washing. That’s stone containers, holding about twenty to thirty gallons apiece. With such a crowd of people, a lot of water was needed for everyone to wash before eating. Jesus told the servants to fill the large containers with water. After doing so, Jesus said, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.”

What the servants brought to the steward was no longer water. It had miraculously changed to wine. And not any garden-variety wine, no! The good stuff. The best wine to be had!

Here we have Jesus—willing to change His plans, change His timetable. Willing to change His mind—because generosity puts people first!

Our Lord Jesus offers compassion and generosity to the people at the wedding celebration in Cana. And not only to them, Jesus offers a practical, tangible demonstration of compassion, generosity and kindness to all of us, today, as well! Here in this passage from the Gospel of John, Jesus shows Himself to be all this—so that anyone who reads these paragraphs will be able to see that this kind, generous, miracle-working God is the kind of God who is available to them, too!

Jesus caused this superior wine to be made available. I find it interesting that Jesus is sometimes portrayed as the True Bridegroom for the Church, after His resurrection. The True Bridegroom provides the best wine for all the people at the wedding, showing them His rich abundance and generosity.

What about us? When we finally come to Jesus with our need, with our problem, what then? Do we trust in Jesus with all our hearts? True, some are held back by many things. Fear is a big hesitation. Insecurity and doubt are two others. Will we offer what common things we have (the containers of water, in this case)? Jesus miraculously can change them to wine. Jesus can help us wherever or whenever we need it, providing for us out of His abundance!

The assistance can come directly from God, but this help may come from another source, too. Wherever or whomever the kind, generous help comes from, praise God! Jesus is generous to us, comes alongside of us and provides miraculously for our needs, too.

The six large containers held a whole lot of water. So Jesus changed it into a whole lot of wine. The good wine, at that! Jesus provided generously! He provided out of His abundance, His extravagance. Wonderful job, Jesus!

What is going on in your life today? Where do you need a touch from God? Jesus and His abundance, His extravagance, His generosity can come into your life today. Jesus wants to give you and me joy and blessing. Even good times and laughter, in abundance. We can see from the good wine He miraculously provided at the wedding at Cana that He can and will.

What a generous God we serve!

Praise God! Amen.

@chaplaineliza

Thanks to the kind friends at http://www.40acts.org.uk – I am using their sermon suggestions for Lent 2015. Do Lent generously!

(Suggestion: visit me at my daily blog for 2015: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. Thanks!)