Apr 13

The Never Ending Story

Matthew 28:16-20

When we come to the end of most stories we hear a “The End.” Matthew makes sure you realize that this is not the end. It is the last few verses of his Gospel, but the story, the work of Christ, and Christ’s interaction with people does not end with the Gospel. Matthew makes sure we know that it is until “the end of the ages.”

Not only does the Resurrected Christ tell us that this story will continue through the ages, Christ emphatically says “I will be with you.” Matthew is giving us a story that comforts us. Christ is with us.

The task is also never-ending, Christ is with us when we take this Good News to all nations. This Good News is for all peoples, they are to become just like the Apostles that Jesus originally gives this task to. They too will become disciples, they too will be baptized, they too will obey the instruction that is to love God and neighbor.

This Sunday’s sermon will examine the greatness of the Great Commission. The last two sermons in April will be from the book of Acts. These will examine the barriers that are destroyed by the gospel and the distinction of the gospel message from the idolatry of this world.

Pastor Greg

Apr 08

Is the Tomb that important?

  Matthew 28:1-10

As I look at Matthew’s recounting of the story of Resurrection morning, I am interested in the references to place.  The women—the two Mary’s—came to the tomb where they had laid Jesus. As they approached, there was an earthquake seemingly caused by an angel that also rolled back the stone that covered the mouth of the Tomb.  The angel sat on top of the stone. 
The place of the angel reminds me of a young child that likes to climb rocks.  It is almost a whimsical image as this angel daggles his feet and talks to the women.  The next place is inside the tomb where the body of Jesus had once laid.  But immediately, the angel said to go to Galilee where Jesus will meet his followers. 
The Mary’s do not stay at the tomb any length of time but begin to rush back to tell the disciples that he had been raised from the dead and is on his way to Galilee.  Jesus comes to the women as they are on their way.  Jesus greets them and tells them to relay the message that his followers are to meet him in Galilee.
The empty tomb is very important to our Christian faith, but as Matthew tells the story, the tomb is only a touch stone in the story of Christ.  Matthew has been telling us the story of the Kingdom of Heaven.  The Kingdom of Heaven is pushing us out, we are to go out in the busy roads and lanes to invite others into the banquet of our God.  The Kingdom is inclusive, none are forbidden.  The Kingdom is gracious because there is no prequalification. 
The empty tomb is important, but it is not the destination for our journey of faith.  The whole world and to all people is the journey of the Kingdom that takes us to the place where we enter into the joy of our Savior.
 
 Pastor Greg

Mar 30

Why was Jesus mad in the Temple?

Matthew 21:1-17

This week is Palm Sunday.  Often we are caught up in the children waving palm fronds, the singing and praises that welcome Jesus into Jerusalem on the first day of Holy Week.  He goes into the Temple to cleanse it.  Though many Christians are confused about that, we kind-of agree that what the money changers were doing was wrong.  Yet, I think we often miss the significance of how Matthew comments on this event.  Our favorite passage on this event is Mark’s account, because it is so simple and doesn’t challenge us to think.

Matthew’s account is replete with Scriptural references, but that makes us look in the margins of our study Bibles and find that passage in Isaiah or Jeremiah or Psalms or Zephaniah or Zechariah (yes those are two different Bible books!)  Matthew wants us to understand the greater context of these passages and then relate them to all that he is saying about Jesus, the Son of God in his Gospel.  Then we have to take each passage in its social context and the seek points of contact with our social environment.  Of course instead of all that, we could just like Mark, sing with the kids program, and wonder what happened to the little donkey.
If we want to be thoughtful Christians that are able to discern what is expected of us as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, we have to notice the implications.  Because it is only then will we be able to embrace a Christian Social agenda that reflects the character of our Redeemer.

One brief reference that fascinated me, especially in relation to the “Trans-Acceptance Day” promoted by our denomination, was a combination in verse 13.  This is a reference from Isaiah 56:7.  Within the context of Isaiah 56, the vision of God’s coming Kingdom will include foreigners (non-jews) and eunuchs.  We are having to speak to the inclusion of these groups.  We assume eunuchs are all castrated males, but it is far more extensive than that.  Jesus expanded our thoughts of eunuchs in Matt 19:12.  There are many individuals that do not fit into the “traditional” experience of a male and female marriage.  And in Isaiah these individuals are accepted, these individuals are part of the family, and these individuals have full access to the Lord’s House and the Lord’s blessings.
One of challenges that we confront in Palm Sunday is the acceptance and welcome we give to those who are different from us.

Pastor Greg

Mar 21

When Did I see You, Jesus?

Matthew 25:31-46

These verses conclude Jesus’ public teaching in the Gospel of Matthew.  In some ways it is showing us what is about to happen.  On his way to the cross Jesus is thirsty, he is stripped and his clothes, and he was afflicted and no one offered him compassion.  His word of judgment will echo soon, “You did not do it to me.”

Usually, when we read this passage, we can get a romantic view of what it means to work with the poor and needy.  I heard a minister that served in an internship in Boston say, “You can find Christ among the poor; but he poor are not very Christ-like.”  When I was in high school, my pastor told the story of a family he was struggling to get groceries for.  He ended up give of his own limited budget to feed this family stuck in a motel room.  When he delivered the groceries, they did not stop watching TV to help him bring in the bags, and then they looked through the bags and said, “We prefer Maxwell House Coffee.”  He no longer had joy in serving.

In all of the churches I’ve served in, there are many people who are jaundiced in their view of helping others because of experiences like my previous pastor.  And we hear the words of the Savior here then we can understand the confusion of the righteous, “When did we see you?”  Because many of those given clothes, food, money for housing, etc. are not grateful.  Does that mean they were not Jesus?  No, it just means that often we are not thanked and rewarded until we stand before the Savior. 

I see this going back to the fulfillment of the Law, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Very simply, I am to make sure my neighbor is OK.  I do not work at the community meal, the food bank, or the prison ministry so that I can rack up hours or brownie points that will get me on Christ’s right hand.  I do it because loving God is so inexorably linked to loving my neighbor.  Out of that heart of Love, I naturally make sure that my neighbor, the stranger, and the foreigner are doing OK while I am taking care of myself.

Pastor Greg