Epiphany 3 C Sermon: Who is Included in the Body

1 Corinthians 12:12-31
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many members, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; 24 whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25 that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But strive for the greater gifts.

Luke 4:14-21
14 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. 15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Conversation: “All the members of the body, though many, are one body.” 1 Corinthians 12:12
• How have we pictured of the body of Christ? Who is included?
• Who does Isaiah include? (men and women, those for who nothing is prepared)
• When he is in Nazareth who does Jesus include? (the poor, the captive, the blind, the oppressed)
• Why do you think the people of Nazareth were enraged when he includes the widow of Zarapath who lives in Sidon, and the enemy Syrian soldier Naaman)
• In modern day Palestine…who belongs to the body? As Paul writes are there parts of the body which are
• To who is Paul writing and who is the focus of his ministry?

Sermon
Today I would like to continue with the image of the body from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. The image of a complete body we know very well. And when we meet someone who for some reason is missing any part of the body like a finger or a leg we immediately notice. For many people such as; musicians, writers, artists, or actors we also use the image of a body to describe their careers. We call it a body of work. So when we review the body of work for a musician such as Elvis Presley…we immediate associate it with rock and roll…the music which propelled him to the top of the music industry and gave him his title; King of Rock and Roll. However when we examine his body of work in more detail…we see that Elvis’ music was not limited to the one style. He also sang heart wrenching ballads…he sang protest songs, he sang Christmas songs…and of course he also had a large number of gospel songs in his repertoire. So his body of work was much broader and deeper than the mention of his name would suggest.
Even though his music is more than Rock and Roll…limiting Elvis’s body of work just to his music…still does not capture everything about him. In addition to his singing…Elvis was an actor…a son…a husband…a father. He also was an ordinary person who was suddenly elevated into superstar status…and was unable to move about without being mobbed by crowds of star struck fans. This also affected his life…emotionally. Adding these things makes his body of work…broader and deeper yet. We know that this still is not his complete body of work.
Similar to Elvis’ body of work we consider God’s body. In the broadest terms God’s body of work comprises the whole of creation…and all parts of creation are consider a part of the body…and are needed for the body to function. In this broad picture of the God’s body…the sun, the moon, and the earth work together as one body giving life to the earth. If any one of these disappeared life would either drastically change or cease to exist.
In a narrower sense…when the body is limited to the earth…we see that the tilt of the axis…the spinning of the earth…volcanic activity and earthquakes…mountains and oceans all contribute to life on earth. Changes such as the warming of the sea…large sun screening activity of earth quakes…tsunamis all are interconnected into one body the earth.
As human beings we often see God’s body in the very narrowest and shallowest ways. We limit God’s body to small groups or churches…who think and believe like we do. Within our small group of believers we believe that we have to only true image of God’s body…and anyone who does not have the same image or believe exactly as we do is not part of the body. In essence according to Paul’s image of the body…we have shrunk and limited God’s body to a foot…or a hand. Because we have reduce God’s body to only a small part of the body as Paul asks; If all were a single member, where would the body be?
Limiting God’s body to a small narrow collection of like-minded people…has worrisome implications. It tempts us into feeling superior to people who are not like-minded… It tempts us into practices of excluding other parts of God’s body… It tempts us into persecuting or oppressing other parts of God’s body… It tempts us into ignoring parts of the body which are suffering.
Today through all the readings chosen for today we are invited to see God’s complete body. Rather than seeing it being limited to a small group of like-minded people…who might see God’s body belong only to them…we are invited to see it as God’s body of work in much broader and deeper terms. Paul is God missionary to the Gentiles. He is written to the part of God’s body in the Greek city of Corinth… His ministry has taken God’s word from the small area around Jerusalem into the wider world of the Greek and Roman Empires. And his description of the body includes; Jews or Greeks, slaves or free …which in his world view is all people of the world with no exceptions. Jesus quotes Isaiah stating why he has come; to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free. In the complete story of his visit to Nazareth…Jesus assures the people in the synagogue that he was sent by his Father for the whole of God’s created people…including the enemies of their country. And in the Old Testament reading people are told to share their food with those who have none to prepare.
Consistently the body referred to in texts is much broader and deeper than our picture of God’s body.
After identifying the extent of the whole body…which includes all people…Paul speaks directly to a small part of the body. He says; God has appointed in the church to use its many Spiritual gifts which have been given to it. God appoints the church to proclaim God’s Good News using the various and numerous gifts of the Spirit. God appoints the church to proclaim the good news of God’s love which is for the whole body…for all people in the world. God appoints the church to strive for the greater gifts.
As part of God’s appointed church…let us always thank our God for making us an important part of the whole body. And let us always see the full breadth and depth of who are included in God’s body. Let us use our specific gifts to strive for greater gifts. And let us proclaim the good news of God’s love which is for the whole body. Thanks be to our God. Amen

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Epiphany 2 C Sermon: Seeing is Believing?

John 2:1-11
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Conversation: “and his disciples believed in him.”
• Words that are important in John’s writing (testify, sign, believe, witness, light and dark, glory, truth, Messiah/Christ)
• For us what is; ‘believing in Jesus’?
• For the disciples at the wedding what is; ‘believing in Jesus’?
• What does believing in Jesus say about God’s nature?

Sermon: Seeing is Believing

We’ve been having quite a mixed bag of weather these past few days. On both Wednesday and Thursday afternoon large lazy flakes were floating and landing lightly on the ground. They brush our cheeks and eyelashes tickling before they melt. Falling snow has been almost a daily event since it first began in late October.

Because of gentle winds so far this winter and the accumulating snow…our community has become almost picture perfect… During the Christmas season I took beautiful post card like pictures of fence posts, tree stumps, and houses on which snow is piled…like thick white frosting on a chocolate birthday cake. Cabin owners from the city are enjoying coming to their cabins surrounded by beautiful snow ladened spruce. The aroma of wood smoke emitted by their wood burning fire places complete the ambient scene. After so little snow last year… winter cross-country skiers, and snowmobile enthusiasts are also pleased with the soft thick layer of snow which blankets the land.

While it is good for some…the continuous snowing is less exciting for a number of other people. Because it has been so long seeing very little sun we are developing the winter blues. Accumulating snow is becoming a problem for other outdoor enthusiasts such ice fishermen and outdoor skaters. Drivers who spend lots of time on the road are getting tired of swirling snow…kicked up by pasting traffic…and we worry about our children who must travel to work. Merv Dust our village maintenance man rises every morning to clean the sidewalks… and streets… He wonders where he will pile any additional snow he cleans off the streets. For seniors and others with mobility problems…deep snow and snow covered ice become very real dangers…keeping them house bound. Farmers become frustrated with having to put fresh bedding out just to have it covered with snow.

For yet a third group the amount or the lack of snow is not a really important. For them winter is winter…whether there is only a little or a lot…they are not concerned. Their winter pass times may be indoor pursuits like playing cards and visiting neighbors… They may curl or play hockey inside building unworried about the snow outside. They may only need to travel when the roads are clear of snow and ice. Or they may drive to warmer climates during winter months…and even though call Shell Lake home…for them more or less snow is of no concern.

Depending on our circumstances and perspective we react quite differently to another snow fall this winter…for one it is joyful…but for another it is dreadful… and for yet another it is unimportant.

The situation of how the wine shortage is resolved in today’s Gospel has some slight similarities to the way more snow this winter is affecting us. For the bride groom, who is responsible for planning and supplying food and wine, discovering that the worrisome shortage of wine no longer existed…would have been a welcome relief. The embarrassment of running out has been averted. And he has even received praise by the wine steward for saving the best to last. For visitors attending …having sufficient wine for the whole celebration is also good news.

For the bride groom’s servants who are working the wedding… having the extra wine may be annoying. It may require extra cleaning after the celebration is done. For them having or not having wine… may possibly mean absolutely nothing…because they are only there to do their duties…to serve it and clean up the aftermath.

This is one Bible story which is a little baffling for us. It is difficult for us to imagine why Jesus would get involved…what appears to be a superficial situation. We wonder why Jesus would use this as an opportunity to reveal himself. True running out of wine or food for any celebration in all cultures and all times…is very shameful and embarrassing. True it may reflect on the groom’s worthiness and suitablity for being the head of a new family. But when we are taught about how and for what we ought to pray… this is not a situation… for which we would be encouraged to take to God in prayer. And we would agree with Jesus’ response to his mother; this situation seems too trivial for his concern and it certainly would not be the one we would choose for revealing himself and of his first miraculous sign.

But this is not a story about how Jesus uses his power for coming to the aid of the bridegroom. It is not about Jesus taking pity on him so he will not be shamed or humiliated. It is also not about Jesus making better wine…than what has already been served. The significance of this story is not about the wine, the bride groom, the guests, the servants, the wine steward, or even Jesus’ mother.

Rather it is about the relationship Jesus is beginning to build with his disciples. Three days before the wedding he called the first members of this small group…who have left their fishing boats… to follow him. This is a situation for Jesus to reveal something of himself to this fledgling group…who are ready to learn more about his purpose. This is the first of many signs in which Jesus reveals himself to the disciples. For their sake Jesus reveals his Godly power…so they are able to believe that he is no ordinary person. This first sign begins the process of Jesus revealing himself as the Son of God. This first sign begins the process of revealing God’s purpose for sending Jesus into the world. This first sign begins the process of revealing once more how much God loves the whole world and each individual… This first sign and what it reveals about Jesus …begins the process so the disciples are able to believe…about who…and why Jesus has been sent into our world.

But this first sign is not just for the disciples…it is for us also. In this first sign Jesus also reveals himself and his purpose to us. This first sign is for us, so we will also believe and become disciples. And as the first disciples believed and then proclaimed the good news about Jesus…God’s own Son…living, dying, and rising again…we too are called by Jesus to believe and to proclaim the Good News.

Let us be God’s new disciples. Let us believe and share the good news which has been revealed to us. Thanks be to God. Amen.

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Baptism of Our Lord C Sermon

Isaiah 43:1-7
1 But now thus says the LORD,
he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. 4 Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. 5 Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; 6 I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Conversation
What is Baptism? (sacrament)
What is a sacrament? (means of God’s grace)
Why do we Baptise? (washes us, forgiveness of sin, makes us sons and daughters of God, assures us of God’s love)
How does Baptism forgive sins?
How does it make us children of God, or assure us of God’s love?
When should we be baptized?
What are the consequences for those who are not baptized?
What should baptism do for the Christian community?
Sermon
Today I invite each of us to think back and remember each time we became a mother or father of each of our children. As we remember these moments I am sure of the answers to the following questions. Were our new born babies precious to us? When did we begin loving our children? Did we begin loving them immediately on the day of their birth…or did we even begin loving them before the day of their birth? When did our babies become our sons and daughters? Did we give our babies names? What lengths would we go to ensure our babies’ safety?
Almost invariably the answers to these questions are obvious… Yes…they are precious… Yes we loved them immediately…and even earlier. Yes…we imagined them being our sons or daughters long before their birth… Yes…we debated and carefully chose names for our babies…and we proudly gave them our family name. Yes…because our babies are precious and because we love them…we would do almost anything possibly even exchange our own life to ensure their safety. Loving our new born babies is what we parents do… automatically.
When asked why parents automatically love our daughters and sons…our answers are almost as automatic. Parents love because this baby is born to us…we love because we have played a part in our baby’s creation…we love because our baby is our own flesh and blood.
When we are asked; “Is there anything that your new born baby must do before you will love him or her?”…we are completely surprised and astonished that anyone should even think to ask such a stupid question. Our answer is immediate and emphatically; “Nothing is required before we love our baby.” Loving, naming, and protecting come naturally to the parents who have created their babies. Similar loving of offspring even extends to many other members of the animal kingdom.
Today the writer of Isaiah describes God’s love which is very much like parental love. There is but one difference with the love of God. According to the creed…God is creator of heaven and earth…God is creator of all things, all beings, and all people. So God’s creative work is infinitely larger than anything we have created. Isaiah says; “God creates us and calls us by name. We are God’s offspring… sons and daughters precious in God’s sight. God ransoms and redeems sons and daughters…who have gone through fire. God loves all who God has formed and made.”
Even though God has created infinitely more than we can imagine…God still has a parental-like love for each member of creation. As we love our children…God also loves. As we love our children before they are able to earn it…God loves all creation before members of it is able to earn it… God loves us before we can express our love… God loves us even while we are still sinners. As we love the children we have created…God loves all creation and all people.
With the knowledge of God’s creative and parental love…we come to the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. A Sacrament according to the Bible Dictionary…is a means of grace which sanctifies and strengthens ones faith. It uses visible signs to bestow invisible grace. A Sacrament is a great blessing and it is a physical symbol of God’s divine fidelity.
These are complicated descriptions for Sacraments which use simple things like water, bread, and wine are gifts which show us the breadth and depth of God’s love… Sacraments are gifts which help our faith grow. Though the sacraments are God’s “Means of Grace” showing us God’s great love and fidelity, and though they are intended to aid in our growth in faith… we have the ability to mess up any free gifts which God gives for our blessing.
We begin with good intentions about showing our thankfulness and appreciation for the blessings God freely gives us. But within the Christian Community God’s free gifts…too often have become sources of deep division. As sons and daughters do to their human parents we want our gift to be more special…and we want to show God that we more appreciative than our siblings. Each Christian Church believes its understanding and administration of the sacraments is the best… and in its eyes the only one.
We like to believe that at the moment of our baptism we become worthy to become children of God. Many are the regulations and laws have been formulated around the administration of God’s free gifts. There are regulations about worthiness…about requirement before we are eligible to receive God’s free gift. Regulation and laws so that the right words and to right procedures are followed according to good order. There are also regulations about who is eligible to distribute God’s gifts…or who has the right to bestow God’s blessing.
In the account of Jesus’ Baptism…the laws and regulations we have set up for the sacrament of Holy Baptist are absent. We see absolutely nothing about the right way…we see nothing about John or Jesus following a set order…or the right words which must be spoken. John speaks no words during Jesus’ baptism…
What we do see and hear though is far more important. We see the heavens open and the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus in bodily form. And we hear the words from heaven; “You are my son… the beloved…with you I am well pleased.” There are no better words to here from a parent than; “I am pleased you are my child…that is why I love you.” We have also learned earlier…through God’s act of creating us…we are children of God. We also know…we are precious in God sight. Most importantly… just as it is natural for us to love our children… to God we are precious and we are loved long before we are baptized. God’s heart is larger and more loving than ours can ever be.
Let us remember how loved and precious everyone is who is created by God… Let us always remember that God freely gives us the gift of Baptism which blesses and aid us in our journey of faith. Finally…when we go from here out into our daily lives… let us spread the good news of God’s love into the world aching to hear it. Let us make disciple teaching them everything about our loving God. Thanks be to God. Amen

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Epiphany C Sermon: We have seen his star at its rising

Mathew 2:1-12

1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 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.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
6 ‘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.'”
7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 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.” 9 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. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 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. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another
road.

Conversation: When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him.

• Why is Herod and all Jerusalem frightened? (afraid of change)
• Why are supporters of Bashar al Assad fighting so hard?  (afraid of losing privileges, of punishment, of change)
• Why does change frighten people?
• Are there any changes in your life that frightens you?

Sermon

We are beginning a New Year…the Mayan calendar has reset and we no longer have to be frightened about its end of world predictions.  During the last few days before December 21 the conversations… like other end of the world discussions again became center stage for the media.  While most people went about their usual business of planning for Christmas and New Year’s …as the date drew near some people were frightened that the world would this time really end.  This time the prediction was different.  This time it came out a culture that the world is not so familiar with.  This time it came from an earthy culture which we have not had time to analyze and create an explanation.  Because this prediction originated in Central America… they seem to be more significant for many people.

In the past many end of the world predictions arose because of the way Christian people have interpreted the Bible.  In the past we Christians have obsessed about the end of the world… We have associated the world with the second coming of Jesus… and have been worried that we will not be ready.  What has frightens the most…is what Jesus will or could do…when he finds us not ready.

The story about the Magi’s journey following the star to see Jesus at his first coming has some similarities to our story.  The people of Judah have been waiting for the Biblical promise of the coming of the Messiah.  According to the promise…when the Messiah comes…the world as they know it will change.  Society will be turned upside down.  According to the Biblical promises… when the Messiah comes…Kings will fall from power…and the lowly will be lifted up… the hungry will be filled with good things…but the proud and the rich will be sent away empty…

For the poor and the lowly these promises…which reverses their fortunes is good news… The hungry happily anticipate being filled with good things…the lowly happily envision being lifted up. However for kings and proud people who are living in comfort these promises don’t sound nearly so good.  Kings are not excited about losing their thrones and the privileges they are enjoying …the well fed are not happily contemplating being sent away hungry.

It is not surprising that King Herod and all Jerusalem is frightened by the news of a child born who is king of the Jews.  King Herod and all those who have benefitted from their association with him are frightened that this new king will fulfill the promises.  They are frightened because changes could reverse their fortunes and they will no longer live privileged lives.  Whether it is the first or the second time…the changes promised by the coming of the Messiah… has been good news for some people…but it has been frightening news for others.

According to the Christmas story…the birth of the child Jesus is revealed to those who are either insignificant…or unimportant in Jerusalem society… and it is revealed to those from foreign lands.  Poor shepherds hear the good news …they are filled with wonder.  They go and find the baby with his parent.  They praise and glorify God…for what has been revealed to them.  Likewise the Magi leave their home and travel a great distance searching for the child born to be king.  They kneel and paying homage they open their treasures for the child.  For both the shepherds and the wise men…the Christ-child poses no threats.  The shepherds are country people belonging to the lowly class…for which the promise of the Messiah is good news.  And for the wise men the birth of this child is connected to the rising of a star…which amazes them… But it does not pose the threat it does to King Herod and his court.

We have grown up with the Christmas story.  For us it is a wonderful story…we romanticise the stable birth…and the manger crib.  We love hearing how wise men travel so far with gifts for the child…when they see his star rising.  As parents a grandparents we ooh and ah over the birth.  But this is not just a sentimental birth story.  Jesus does not remain a soft helpless baby of our imagination. Jesus is God’s promise and Jesus comes fulfilling God’s promises.  According to God’s promises Jesus cares most deeply for the lowly…healing the poor… touching lepers…even praying for he enemies.

Jesus does not continue a soft and cuddly baby… As God promises Jesus has come bringing real change.  His changes are both good news and hard news.  While he cares about and elevates the lowly… he is more critical of the proud and the privileged.  He loses patience with them. He challenges them to think in new and different ways…to see the world the way God desires.  He challenges the rich privileged members of society to change their thinking in ways people rarely do.  He calls on them to think the thoughts that God thinks… When the privileged are frightened…about losing their honor and riches…Jesus challenges them saying; fear not.  When people are frightened of the poor or the sick…Jesus challenges them; fear not.  When people are frightened about losing their wealth… Jesus challenges them; fear not… Do not worry.  Jesus calls on them to change their thinking so rather than being frightened…so they can love like God loves.  He challenges them to love the stranger, the sick, the poor and lowly as God loves them.  Jesus does this both through his words and his actions.  He is unafraid and he loves.  He loves to the point of dying for the forgiveness.

During this Christmas season…we remember the birth of the child.  For many of us it continues a beautiful story.  But we are also challenged to see the promises he comes to fulfill.  As privileged people who live in a peaceful country…we are challenged by Jesus to seek peace for all people.  As privileged people who are filled with good things we are challenged by Jesus to seek ways that everyone may be filled with good things.  As privileged people with warm comfortable homes we are challenged by Jesus to seek ways that all may have homes.  As privileged people who enjoy good health…we are challenged by Jesus to seek the same for those who are sick whether in mind or in body.  In short we are challenged to love as God loves.

Therefore let us not be frightened…let us embrace the changes Jesus challenges us to make… and let us live according to the promises that God. Thanks be to God.  Amen

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