Human Beings Not For Sale: a sermon for 2nd Sunday after Epiphany

This past Wednesday, Jan. 11^th, marked the US’s National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Did you mark the day?  Did you even hear about the day? We watch a lot of American news and talk shows on television, we see pop-ups on FB, in our Twitter feeds, celebrity posts from across the US ---- I didn’t see one post or comment about Human trafficking.  Citizens for Global Solutions wrote of the Awareness Day, that it started in 2007, “making [2017] the 10^th year the world virtually ignored it.”

2017 marks the 500^th Commemoration of the Reformation.  This is a big deal in Lutheran world.  The Lutheran World Federation created a theme for the three years coming up to the event; and as a vision and direction for continued reformation in Lutheran communities and across reformed traditions.  The theme is: liberated by God’s grace – with a threefold focus- salvation is not for sale, creation-not for sale, and human beings -not for sale.

The words of scripture we heard earlier is the Good News slapping us in the face.

In a world, where 21 million people are trafficked for labour (according to the International Labour Organization); where there are growing numbers of refugees and displaced people; where economic refugees face poverty, homelessness, and  addiction; where the sex trade is a multi-billion dollar industry; where gangs and large networks of crime, drugs, arms, money laundering, prey on the disadvantaged; where teens run away, and 1 in 3 Canadians report abuse before the age of 15; where Aboriginal women are missing and murdered in astounding numbers…the Gospel’s voice is often overpowered by circumstance. The Good News from scripture today should jolt us to wake up; we are hearing something different from what we hear in our every day lives.

This morning we are slapped in the face with the Gospel.  If I had a magnetophonon, it would be the tool I would use to amplify the voice of the Good News. Each reading directly proclaims the invaluable worth of human beings. Do you feel invaluable? Do you believe yourself to be priceless? The Good News shakes us, waking us up to say an emphatic “YES.” Yes, I am invaluable.  Yes, I am priceless.  Yes, I have worth.

Isaiah the prophet speaks on many levels: he speaks of himself as prophet, he speaks of Israel as a people, he speaks of the Messiah to come, and he speaks of us. Put yourself into the words of the reading.  When the prophet refers to “me,” hear the words as applying to “you.”

The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb God named me.

God made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
God made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away.

And God said to me, “You are my servant, … in whom I will be glorified.”

It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Is this not what we saw with our own eyes in Jace’s baptism?  A candle was given to Jace, and we proclaimed the Good News, the invaluable worth of Jace as a human being, as a child of God: “Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.” --- that God’s salvation may reach to the end of the earth; yes, that’s right, through this little baby.

Before we proclaimed to Jace to let his light shine, we didn’t question whether or not Jace has light to shine, we proclaimed that he does. There was no argument or debate to be had; Jace receives God’s grace, therefore there is light to be shared.

Jace’s baptism reminds all of us that we too are washed in the waters of life, dying with Christ, we rise with Christ with a calling to be light to the world for the glory of God, that God’s salvation may reach to the end of the earth. Every time there is a baptism and we re-live the story of Christ’s death and resurrection, and the Spirit whelming our humanity, our value is proclaimed.  The Good News shakes us, waking us up to say an emphatic “YES.” Yes, I am invaluable.  Yes, I am priceless.  Yes, I have worth.

The Psalmist chimes in this morning with words valuing human beings. Once again hear the “me,” as referring to yourself.

God drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

God put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.

Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord

Once again scripture speaks to an impressive calling - putting much worth on human life – here the person’s experience of God, the grace received, is lived out such that others see the person’s actions, faith, and life.  And the way the person lives their life has those around them putting trust in God. That is amazing!  That is Good News.

Not to be outdone, the Apostle Paul explains, in a new way, the truth found in Isaiah and the psalmist, to his generation.  Paul is thankful for: the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift

You are right, you have heard this already this morning, through the waters of baptism this community is not lacking in any spiritual gift.  We prayed for Jace, and remember it was prayed for us, for a life of meaning and purpose and worth, through a “the spirit of wisdom and understanding/ counsel and might/a spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in God’s presence.”

At baptism, the congregation welcomes the newly baptized with the words:

We welcome you into the body of Christ and into the mission we share: join us in giving thanks and praise to God and bearing God’s creative and redeeming word to all the world.

It is not unlike the proclamation of John the Baptist to his disciples, “Look here is the Lamb of God;” we are that voice to those around us, take note, look, the Lamb of God is working through us. Our call to be light in the world is as easy as the example Jesus sets after his baptism.  Jesus turns to John’s disciples who are following him and he gives them an invitation, “come and see.”  Proclaiming the Good News is as easy as inviting others to “come and see.” The invitation itself is telling the person they have worth and value.  Come and see says: I see you, I want to share with you my place, my church, my God; you are not alone, I think about you, you are a part of something bigger than yourself.

As Christians who are Lutheran, we have a specific responsibility in this year of commemorating the 500^th anniversary of the Reformation, ---to amplify, magnify, proclaim--- that human beings have been liberated by God’s grace. We are to proclaim the Good News that human beings have worth, so much so that God became human to live among us, to be incarnate and to die – so that conquering death every atom of creation is redeemed; invaluable and priceless.       Since human beings have worth, human beings are not for sale.

We may have missed the US National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, but, it is not too late to live out the promises made in baptism: to proclaim Christ through word and deed, care for those and the world God made, and work for justice and peace; all this can be fulfilled by marking the Canadian National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, coming up on Feb. 22^nd. 

Go to events, fill your social media pages with blips about human trafficking, sign petitions that will help set people free, send notes and emails telling people they have worth, remind your God-children that they are a beloved child of God, ease the burden of someone living on the margins, invite people to “come and see.”

As baptized beloved children of God- invaluable- and continuing in the reformation tradition of which we are a part, may our lives be lived such that we can proclaim as the Psalmist did:

I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation;

see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord.
I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. -Within and beyond the walls of the church.