Arise! Sermon for Community Lenten Worship service at New Covenant Life Church in Beloit, WI. March 29, 2017
As
some of us Pastors met and were planning this series of Worship
Services and catching up with each other, a Hospice Chaplain was
there and a couple of us talked about our experiences with Hospice,
in our personal and professional lives. The theme of “healing
stories” came up. In the bible, Jesus had many, many healing
stories, and I believe they are there for many reasons. There are
many kinds of healing, that all help bring us closer to the Kingdom!
Remember, Jesus's message was “the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
and what is the kingdom of heaven? Where everyone lives in peace and
harmony, with dignity, in safety, in health and wholeness. Where the
deaf hear, the blind can see, and the lame walk and leap! The kingdom
of heaven is God's perfect peace and protection, Shalom!
In
many of the healing stories, Jesus says, “your Faith has made you
well.” Our Faith helps us draw closer to God, to heal from the
past; and to share our stories together. Stories help us get to know
each other and to be better able to share our own stories. We need to
share, by listening well, not only talking :)
Picture
yourself in this scene! What would you do? What would you think?!
Luke
7:11-17
7:11 Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him.
7:12 As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother's only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town.
7:13 When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, "Do not weep."
7:14 Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, rise!"
7:15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.
7:16 Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen among us!" and "God has looked favorably on his people!"
7:17 This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.
7:11 Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him.
7:12 As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother's only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town.
7:13 When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, "Do not weep."
7:14 Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, rise!"
7:15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.
7:16 Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen among us!" and "God has looked favorably on his people!"
7:17 This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.
Our
Gospel story takes place in Nain, a smaller town near Nazareth,
Jesus' home town, in a mountainous region of Galilee (a region of
what is now the country of Israel.) The tradition of the time was
that when someone died, they were buried just outside of the city, so
the funeral procession would walk to the site. Nain was a small town,
so one can imagine that there would be a crowd for the service,
because everyone probably knew this family! Jesus and his followers
have happened upon this procession.
This
is one of many stories in the Gospel of Luke about miracle healings
and of course this is quite the miracle! This story is different from
some of the others, though! This healing is not about someone's faith
is it? This story is different.
Jesus
merely spoke to a dead man and he came back to life! But why do we
have THIS particular story? The key is in verses 12 and 13. “the
only son of his mother, and she was a widow.”...
”When
the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her.
Jesus
had compassion for her! In the original Greek, the word used here
literally means to feel anguish in the gut, deep inside. Literally
one's insides turn over!
This
is a DEEP deep feeling...he took into himself the woman's pain and
suffering!
I
believe when he said to her, “Do not weep”, this was not
chastising her for her tears, or patronizing, He said it as comfort
and, as a means to help her...to enable her to see and understand
what was about to happen.
Jesus
raised the young man, because of the mother! He knew what desperate
straights she was in. Notice that she did not ask for help! In fact,
she wouldn't have even looked at him. In this culture it was
inappropriate for a man and woman who were not married to each other
to make any eye contact when out in public! Yet Jesus knew her
grief, knew her gut-wrenching anguish. “His heart went out to
her...” Jesus understood at the deepest level, at the very core of
his being, the pain of this woman's loss. Not only is there the
incredible grief of losing a child, and losing a child, even an adult
child, is a loss no one should endure. In this time, a widow with no
sons had no male protector. She wouldn't have a job of course, and
most women had little or no money of their own, unless they were an
only child of a wealthy family. This woman, widowed with no son,
might soon find herself homeless.
So
Jesus, not knowing her, not being asked, simply came over to the
bier, and spoke to the dead man. “Arise!” and he rose!
{to
Clarify, some translations say “Rise” some say “Get up”. The
one I use at home says Arise, and that makes a better sermon title ;)
}
So
Jesus said, Arise! And the man rose and began to speak! Notice that
detail, not only did he revive but he spoke, he was well! And Jesus
gave him back to his mother. This miracle was performed for her...it
was about caring for this grieving woman.
One
more thing occurs to me in this story. Jesus' deep compassion for the
widow, grieving her son....
I
believe that as the funeral procession approached, Jesus may have had
a premonition of his own mother Mary at that moment, that he foresaw
the anguish she would feel at the cross. On that cross, Jesus, filled
with compassion even as he was dying, gave his mother to his beloved
disciple and the beloved disciple to her...”Woman, here is your
son. Here is your mother.”
And
this story of course foreshadows the Easter miracle, the
resurrection!
And
the crowd “were all filled with fear and awe and praised God.”
Can you imagine it? And they called Jesus a great prophet in their
midst.
They
said, “God has come to help his people” the Jewish people of
this time were living under the thumb of the roman empire. (NOT
Pastor Roman's empire!) They were people proud of their heritage and
some of the Roman leaders were tyrants. Rebellions against this
tyranny rose up from time to time and were put down--quickly and
violently. Any peace there was was tenuous at best. And the Jewish
people were weary, they were hungry for God. Yearning to know that
their Yahweh still loved and cared for them. When they sang their
psalms in worship there was probably an ache in their hearts...and
this day, a crowd of people in an unremarkable little town saw an
authentic miracle!
Our
Old Testament Lesson is from the Prophet Isaiah, written about 600
years or thereabouts before the time of Jesus. This particular
passage was written to comfort the Jewish people who were at that
time exiled in Babylon, Their temple and city of Jerusalem had been
overrun and turned to rubble. They were very much feeling that God
was lost to them, perhaps forever. Isaiah and other prophets of that
time spoke words of compassion and comfort.
Isaiah 40:28-31
28 Have
you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
30 Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
30 Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.
In
the original language, here the Hebrew word for “Wait”, means to
wait with expectation, to anticipate, and also to wait with! So when
we wait, anticipating The Lord's works, knowing that God is indeed
never far...we are comforted! We remember that God is the one who
was, and is, and ever shall be. The one who gives power to the faint,
strength to the powerless. If we wait, knowing God is in control, we
will be renewed like an eagle!
One
winter day, one of those crazy windy days, I was driving across the
Portland bridge. My car was shuddering from the wind... and as I left
the house I saw a bird try to fly and get blown back and it gave up.
But over the river, there was a bald eagle flying just as if it were
a calm spring day! It was stunning to see, this huge bird, flying
into the 35-40 mph wind, like nobody's business!
Those
who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, and mount up with
wings like eagles.
When
we spend time with the Lord, in worship, around a table with other
believers, working together with community organizations, and working
together to bring God's peace, wholeness and healing to our city and
beyond.
We hear each other's stories and grow in compassion. And our churches and community will arise and be renewed as well! When we wait with the Lord, the Lord is waiting with us, and the Spirit moves us to action.
We hear each other's stories and grow in compassion. And our churches and community will arise and be renewed as well! When we wait with the Lord, the Lord is waiting with us, and the Spirit moves us to action.
Author
Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil,
“God
wants all people to do well, to be whole, and to have dignity. All
persons are made in God’s image – we can see something of Jesus
in every person. Compassion is gut wrenching, we can’t do
everything, but we can do something.”
In
this morning's Upper Room, the devotional writer shared that his
Grandson for his 8th birthday, wanted “A party with
presents. Everybody brings a present, and then we will take all the
presents to the homeless shelter for the kids who don’t have any
gifts for their birthdays.” And that is exactly what they did. The
boy said it was the most fun he had ever had on his birthday.
THIS
is a story of compassion that heals. Helping each other helps heal
others, and ourselves at the same time!
As
the body of Christ, we can arise like eagles and accomplish miracles!
We can help feed and clothe people. We can help families have a safe
place to sleep and a good meal while getting back on their feet
financially.
When
we draw closer to Jesus and each other, we experience the love and
compassion that is the hallmark of Jesus' life and ministry.
This
Lenten season, we from many churches and backgrounds are coming
together to worship, and we work together to help with Caritas and
Hands of Faith, among other groups. We work to bring a bit of love
and compassion, by sharing our time and effort and yes, our finances.
Because we know how blessed we are! Many of us have been through
incredibly tough times ourselves, and know that one sure way to help
ourselves is to help another. Let's keep on sharing together,
spending time in the word, spreading a bit of the Kingdom.
I
have one more story for you.
There
is a powerful letter written by a pastor in Africa some years back.
It was found in his belongings after he had been killed for refusing
to renounce his faith in Jesus. Quoted by Brennan Manning in The
Signature of Jesus.
"I'm
a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been
cast.
I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a
disciple
of His and I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or
be
still.
"My
past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is
secure.
I'm done and finished with low living, sight walking, small
planning,
smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane
talking,
cheap living, and dwarfed goals.
"I
no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions,
plaudits,
or popularity. I don't have to be right, or first, or tops, or
presence,
walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by Holy Spirit
power.
"My
face is set. My gait is fast. My goal is heaven. My road may be
narrow,
my way rough, my companions few, but my guide is reliable
and
my mission is clear.
"I
will not be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned
back,
deluded or delayed.
"I
will not flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence
of
the adversary. I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy,
ponder
at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of
mediocrity.
"I
won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored
up,
prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ.
I
am a disciple of Jesus. I must give until I drop, preach until all
know,
and work until He comes. And when He does come for His own, He'll
have no problems recognizing me. My banner will be clear!"
This
is a person of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is someone who intimately
knew Jesus as Lord. This is model of faith we can aspire to. Let us
live by faith, lean on Jesus' presence, walk by patience, lift by
prayer, and labor by Holy Spirit
power.,
to Arise and bring God's Shalom to our city and beyond!
