The Story that Followed: When the Days Drew Near For Jesus to Be Taken Up

 This sermon is composed through reflection on Luke 9: 51-52 (Luke 24: 44-49) and 1 Kings15-16, 19-21

Long ago, in a land far far away…

When the days drew near for Jesus to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.

I love a good story! I feel an anticipation when I hear a classic beginning, that beginning with expectation of what is to come. The stage is set.

How disappointing it is when it all falls apart and there is no story at all. If I paused here and asked you to tell me the story from the Gospel this morning could you do it? Do you remember what you heard just a few moments ago? While there are story elements in today’s Gospel it is more of a segue between stories and an input of information to help with the bigger story told in the Luke-Acts narrative.

I can also imagine this interlude kind of like reading a book with children. As you read a good story, inevitably the children will interject a comment or ask questions, sometimes the storyteller will point out something in the pictures or add their own questions or reflections.

This morning, I am going to interrupt the story.

 

When the days drew near for Jesus to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. Messengers were sent ahead. Along the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for Jesus’ arrival, but they did not welcome them because Jesus’ face was set on going to Jerusalem.

 

The Samaritans lived between the Galilee and Jerusalem. Due to a past resentment that grew over the years, the region was not frequented by other Jews. And yet, you would not believe the increased foot traffic through the region during a festival in Jerusalem. It seemed that everybody from the Galilee did a pilgrimage through their territory with their eyes focused on Jerusalem to do their required rituals there. Jesus’ messengers were not the first or the last to seek hospitality. The Samaritans were overwhelmed by requests from people who at any other time would have derided them, been rude to them, and argued that their way of worshiping God was wrong and unlawful. Why would travellers from the Galilee expect to be treated with anything other than distain?

 

When Jesus’ disciples, James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them. They went on to another village.

 

Sorry, pausing the story again. To me, this is the most interesting part of the whole reading. If I was writing the story in a book the words of the disciples would fill both pages of the open book. The pages would have great art with lots of vibrant colour and movement. James and John, in their anger and disgust, were ready to command fire to consume these Samaritans who had shut their doors to them.  Other than this being a terrible unneighbourly thing to do, shockingly they believed they could do it!

Just like in the stories of their childhood hero, Elijah, where Elijah in this same Samaritan territory called down fire that ignited and consumed an army captain and the 50 who were with him. This story was bigger than life, adding fuel to quench the disciples fury using violence.

The reader doesn’t know that the wielding of supernatural powers was plausible through the hands of disciples, until the story gets back on track later in chapter 10. There it is told that seventy others whom Jesus had sent out, return, telling that in using Jesus’ name even demons submitted to them.

Before we carry on let it be noted that Jesus rebukes the disciples. Also, a double page of graphics if I was putting a children’s book together. It is a classic children’s book theme. No matter who the bully or what the antagonist, it is never okay to retaliate in an anger-fueled vengeful wrath to totally annihilate that which you deem enemy; and if you do it will come back to bite you. There are always other options, here Jesus simply moves on to another town. So, I guess if they had tried in Jesus’ name to bring fire they would have been very disappointed, as Jesus would have none of it.

 

As they were going along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replies, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

In other words, following Jesus is hard and uncomfortable. It can mean leaving home without a solid plan in place, without hotel rooms booked, travel arrangements made, or a bag packed.

 To another Jesus said, “Follow me.” But the person answered, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

 

Those on pilgrimage to Jerusalem have more than a day’s journey to get there. On the rough roads in the less than favourable conditions, what was there to do but solitary reflection interspersed with conversation with other pilgrims. Those in Jesus’ group shuffled for their turn to walk with him, to question this teacher, or in turn ask for healing. As the hours pass psalms are sung and ancient well-loved tales are told. Someone tells their favourite tale told to them a hundred times by a grandparent when they were being tucked into bed.  “Long long ago, there was a prophet named Elijah.” As the story progresses Elijah gets to a point where he is isolated, depressed, and slowly slogging through his days avoiding tasks to be done. The children’s bedtime story would have the narrator’s wise voice rising, Elijah get on with it already! There are kings to anoint. Prophets to appoint. You are not alone. There are others who are faithful. The child starts to get animated, Come on Elijah get on with it already! Cheering Elijah on, Get on with it already. Eventually Elijah does get around to it. Dragging his feet he does reach Elisha, who will eventually wear Elijah’s super prophet cape, and says to him ‘follow me.’ Elisha says ‘yes, but ...’ Elijah is only too happy to give Elisha the time to say his goodbyes, put an end to the oxen in his care, prepare and eat a whole feast. It was as if there was all the time in the world.

 

But not in this present story. Jesus walks in a determined manner, only stopping when necessary. Time is of the essence – time is short. For those us who have read the whole book, we know the ending, that it is soon time for Jesus to die and rise. For Jesus and the disciples their earthly time together is running out.

Jesus’ stern replies point fingers at those who say they want to follow but the whole heart is not behind their words. Using excuses of responsibility or what-have-you to procrastinate in making a full commitment to discipleship. What Jesus is really saying: the spiritually dead should be left to bury the physically dead. Jesus has moved into kindom talk, where the kindom of God is at hand. Where the world as the disciples know it, is going to completely change in a twinkling of an eye. This whole interlude in the Gospel is planting seeds for what is to come. A foreshadowing as it is called in the writing world. For Jesus a foreshadowing of the feast to come. Foreshadowing is part of telling a great story! A life-changing story!

 

And it came to pass, as the story drew to a close that Jesus gathered the disciples close, and continued the tale, “These are my words, the story I have lived with you – where everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms has come true.” The words of Jesus’ story opened their minds to understand God’s bigger story, where the Messiah suffered and died and rose from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins was the story to be proclaimed in Jesus’ name from Jerusalem, back through Samaritan territory, to the Galilee, and to parts unknown. You, - the disciples, the hearers of this story, are witnesses to these things. You are the story-bearers, and the thus the storytellers. And with the story Jesus sends the promise of God, the Spirit who has come down in fire to ignite story-bearers to passionately and with power deliver the greatest story ever told, to the ends of the earth and to the end of days. Praise be to God. 

This Short Story: A Story of Mercy, Freedom, and Community

 

We have been on an exciting journey celebrating 7 weeks of Easter. Pentecost. Holy Trinity. Today begins what is known as ordinary time in the church year. There is no outrageous miraculous event where Jesus rises from the dead or where a room is filled with a violent wind and tongues of fire. Ordinary time is marked with scriptures of Jesus teaching in the hill country around the Sea of Galilee. We spend the summer learning and digesting the words and ministry of Jesus and how to apply the teachings to our lives. It is kind of like going to school, sitting in a classroom rather than being out on field trips.

 

Today is ordinary time … And yet today is an extraordinary day. This is Laura’s confirmation day.

 

To our ears the Gospel today sounds extraordinary and yet, this story is one of many recorded in Luke’s Gospel. The story is rather ordinary for the disciples and those walking with Jesus. Jesus has been telling parables and performing one healing after another. Healing is common practice in Jesus’ ministry. What is not ordinary is that ordinary time begins in a place that can only be described as ‘outside’ of expected.

Jesus and the disciples have taken a boat across the Sea of Galilee, venturing into Transjordan, an area that is predominately populated by non-Jews, and therefore an out-of-the-ordinary place for an excursion.

An ordinary day for Jesus and the disciples, morphs into extraordinary -not just because of the place- but the lessons to be taken to heart from the experience. The excursion is an extraordinary story of mercy, freedom, and community.

 

A Story of mercy –

Did you notice that it is the demons who ask Jesus for mercy? It is rather narcissistic on their part as they had shown no mercy to the man they occupied. Ancient stories and tales from the world at the time of Jesus, would consider this ordinary. Spiritual powers were tangible and active. Spiritual powers – like demons- recognized and submitted to powers stronger than themselves.

What is extraordinary is that Jesus shows mercy to them and grants their request. In the same action the pigs are not shown the same mercy, or those whose livelihood depended on the animals- but we will come back to this in a moment. For now, take note that that which was labelled demon, - a force that isolated, bound and held captive – everything that Jesus wasn’t, was given mercy.

 

A Story of freedom –

The Gospel of Luke spends much time encouraging the coming of the kindom of God. Recall the passages written in metaphor, the kindom of God is like. Then there are Jesus’ parables with grand descriptions of God’s kindom. The parables always turn economy and empire inside out and upside down. This ordinary healing story is not about the physical healing as much as it is stressing that God’s kindom is NOT empire! Jesus brings Freedom from the ruling powers and authorities that are in the world and hold the world’s people captive. The ‘demons’ are named Legion. Legion is a name that describes the largest Roman military unit of 5000 men. To Jews who heard the story the presence of pigs symbolized the occupying Empire of Rome. This story is about freedom from that which puts and holds people, collective humanity, in bondage – whether that be empire in from of governments, movements, economics, greed, status, race, gender, societal -isms, ideals, status quo, and so on.

 

A Story of community –

As the story unfolds and carries on, the people come back to find the cause of all the commotion. They find Jesus sitting with the man, or the man sitting with Jesus. The people were afraid. For the first time in who knows how long, the man is no longer isolated from the possibilities of community because he is no longer unclean. And yet, the people are afraid and ask Jesus to leave, not bothering to also sit down with Jesus and the man.

Chelsea Brooke Yarborough from the Association of Theological Schools in Pittsburgh writes, “Deliverance is a step in healing, not the whole experience. The deliverance was from the demons, but the healing was that there was a community of people that this beloved could now be a part of – most immediately, the community of Jesus.” As Paul later writes, One in Christ Jesus. Baptized into Christ you have clothed yourselves with Christ.

 

This story of mercy, freedom, and community leaves the reader with many questions. It is not a neat little story where all the ends are wrapped up between, Once upon a time and a happily ever after. This story is more like the short stories many of us were given in high school English classes – stories that took lots of discussion to understand them in part, asking questions, ferreting out answers, determining the point or more often than not, an array of equally plausible interpretations.

 

Consider for a moment the present – think of the news from around the world and the issues closer to home. I am positive that each of us can identify places, peoples, and situations that are in desperate need of mercy, freedom, and community. We know that there are troubles and sufferings the world over, much of it caused by those in positions of power -the Empire- who have little or no regards for the commonwealth of the earth’s creatures. Perhaps this is why Christians continue to pass down this short story from Luke. The body of Christ is to continue wrestling with the questions that come up:

What is it to show mercy? To whom? Does mercy for one, potentially harm another, or offer the other new options? Who in the world today withholds or thinks not of mercy – how is it we can show mercy to them?

How does Empire hold the world in bondage? How does living clothed in Christ usher freedom into the world and offer humanity release? And is the church a community who sits with Jesus and the man, a community who sits with that which scares us, and is actively present  and bringing God’s kindom?

 

On social media this week, I saw a poster from a protest in the US that said, “In this country, compassion is deemed radical.” Putting on Christ through baptism means living radically in ordinary time.

Confirmation Sunday is a good day to be reminded of this. For me the vision statement of the ELCIC expresses and applies the story of the Gospel. It says, God’s grace and unconditional love call us to be a diverse, inclusive community that celebrates all and upholds life-giving relationships. Isn’t that a radical statement that inspires – a community of people to work together to bring this, God’s kindom now?

The tagline -that quick easy phrase to remember is - Living out God’s grace and unconditional love. That is living a story of mercy, freedom, and community. In Laura’s promises today, in our renewal of baptism through participating with her, we are reminded who we are in Christ and how we are to be living God’s kindom.

 

At the end of the story the man wants to go with Jesus. But, Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” The man had experienced mercy, freedom, and community. The man had experienced the kindom of God. There was nothing else that Jesus could teach him or do for him.

So the man went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

 

This is ordinary time in the church. We spend much of our lives feeling ordinary and doing ordinary things. We live in a world where compassion is no longer ordinary – it is radical, according to the protest sign. Mercy, freedom, and community are also no longer so ordinary. In this time, living Jesus’ way is extraordinary.

Living out God’s grace and unconditional love, in today’s world is an extraordinary radical way of being.

Jesus says to us, Return to your home and declare how much God has done for you. So confirmed and affirmed in faith we go away, proclaiming through the city how much Jesus has done for us.

the Lessons of Ocean for Pentecost Sunday

 

Today is a very exciting Sunday because… it is World Ocean Day.

The 2025 theme is Catalyzing Action for Our Ocean and Climate. Thousands of organizations and millions of people around the globe are actively participating in the movement. Ocean health is a daunting task, consider just one ailment, pollution by trillions of pieces of plastic. The United Nations, World Ocean Network has a theme for the entire year, Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us.

 

Today is a very exciting Sunday because… it is confirmation Sunday. We are celebrating Heidi Bells’ 50^th anniversary of confirmation and the affirmation of faith of 6 young people. It is a Sunday of wonder at God’s continued grace and a coming together around baptismal waters, reminding the whole community of the water of life that sustains us.

 

This mornings’ texts reveal that Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit changes everything for the followers of Jesus. With the coming of the Spirit, the people are given great power and great responsibility. Jesus tells the disciples:

If you love me you will keep my commandments;

The one who believes in me will do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these;

Jesus teaches them that the Spirit abides with you and will be in you.

2000 years later we have been adopted into God’s family through baptism and have heard Jesus’ words spoken to us. We have been given great power and great responsibility.

At confirmations we articulate Jesus’ words into promises. Confirmands promise, along with a few more,

To live among God’s faithful people; To proclaim the good news of God in Christ Jesus through word and deed;

And to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.

 

Ocean and Spirit have much in common. Both share great power. What we learn from Ocean can inform our understanding of the Holy Spirit and how it is that we can live as God’s faithful people, proclaiming good news, and striving for justice and peace.

 

Lesson 1 – OCEAN influences and regulates earth’s climate, acting like the planet’s heart. Ocean is responsible for circulating heat and moisture around the globe. It does this with the El Nino-Southeran Oscillation in the Pacific and Gulf Stream current in the Atlantic. With the Spirit we can act with heart influencing and regulating the climate around us. With the Spirit’s power we can be responsible: to bring calm into situations of stress, to be messengers of hope, to act as peacemakers, and to follow our heart and participate with actions whether that is doing climate advocacy, poverty reduction, or reconciliation work.

 

Lesson 2 – OCEAN is Earth’s greatest source of oxygen providing 70% of atmospheric oxygen. Ocean does this by providing a habitat for kelp, algae and tiny ocean phytoplankton that make oxygen. In addition, Ocean absorbs 1/3^rd of the carbon dioxide produced on Earth. Through the Season of Easter, the communion prayer included the words, You breathe and give us life. Our stories of faith tell us that God’s breath creates life: in the beginning breathing life into creation, the raising of the dead by Elijah and Jesus, and the spirit and peace of God breathed on the disciples in an upper room. With the Spirit we have the power and the responsibility to breathe life into the world. Jesus gave many examples of letting go rules and practices that did not bring life – he brought life by speaking to the marginalized, healing the forgotten, and accepting and welcoming people as they were. Jesus brought oxygen to those having a hard time breathing – those struggling to survive – by following the command to love your neighbour.

 

Lesson 3 – OCEAN is vast and deep. In the deepest waters, more than 500 metres (1640 ft) below the surface, 90% of creatures are bioluminescent, meaning they are light-emitting; they glow in the dark. When we baptize, we light a candle and say to the newly baptized: let your light so shine before others that they see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Through the Spirit we are given power and responsibility to shine in the dark; to illumine pathways to brighter places and kindle new ways of being. We walk by faith and in faith, emitting a glow of hope and promise.

 

Lesson 4 – OCEAN is moving!  Not only the constant circulation of water, but the actual floor of Ocean is in movement because of tectonic plates. The plates are separating creating underwater mountain ranges and islands above. In other places one plate slips under another creating deep crevices. In the transition zones there are continual new discoveries: deep sea mineral deposits, chemosynthetic life forms and whole ecosystems. The Spirit is moving! It came with the sound of the rush of a violent wind, filling the house. On Pentecost Sunday, on confirmation Sunday, we find ourselves in a transition zone. For the 7 weeks of Easter, we have heard stories of resurrection and life, and today are reminded that we are bearers of Jesus’ miraculous story. We are to get moving, carrying the good news into all the world. Confirmation is an important moment where prayers are specifically said and blessing given to each confirmand, that the Spirit will flow through you and move you to be an ongoing expression of God’s grace in the world.

 

Lesson 5 – OCEAN is one. We are one. Although Ocean is talked about with five names: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Antarctic – all are connected waters. Although Church is talked about as denominations: Lutheran, Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox, Pentecostal, and so on – all are connected by the Holy Spirit. We are one as Jesus is one with the Father and the Spirit abides with you and in you. We are one – one community – one big ocean. Christian community working together has power to change that which is not love and that which is not whole. It is our commission – our baptismal promise – our responsibility - to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.

 

And finally, Lesson 6 – OCEAN is mystery and unknown. Humans know little about Ocean having only mapped 10% of the world’s oceans. We know less about Ocean’s floor than we know about the surface of Mars. The number of species living in Ocean remains unknown – vast biodiversity and ecosystems is estimated to have 2.2 million species of living creatures. It is believed that 91% of ocean creatures are yet to be classified. Confirmands you have finished confirmation classes and are ready to affirm your faith. If you look around you, you see your faith family. Believe it or not most of us have few answers to questions about God. We spend our lifetime experiencing and learning more of God. There is so much of God and life that remains a mystery and unknown. What we do know is that regularly gathering in community strengthens our faith and fuels our hearts so that we can illumine pathways of grace, and peace, and love in a world that lives in the shadows, dust, and hurt.

 

On this your confirmation day, and every day -

By the power of the Holy Spirit, Live the lessons of Ocean:

With heart influence the climate around you, breath life into the world, illumine pathways to brighter places, keep moving as an expression of God’s grace, work together as one, and continue to discover and experience the Mystery of God ---

Do all this to fulfil the promises you make today before God

For the healing of Ocean and the healing of Mother Earth and all her people. To the glory of God. Amen.