First Lesson: Genesis 45: 3-11, 15
Responsive Reading: Psalm 37: 1-11, 39-40
Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 15: 35-38, 42-50
​Gospel Lesson: Luke 6: 27-38

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
​
“Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”-Romans 13:10.

Ed Markquardt tells the following story[1]. Once upon a time, there was a gentleman out driving, who did the safe thing by braking at an intersection upon seeing the light turn yellow.  The woman driving behind him though was furious.  She knew that both cars could have made the intersection before the red light.  She starts honking her horn repeatedly and cussing up a blue streak loud enough that the other stopped cars could hear her. 

In the midst of her ranting, raving, and honking, she hears a tap upon the window.  She sees a very stern looking police officer staring at her.   The officer orders her out of the car and takes her to the police station. She is fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a cell[2].

After a couple of hours, a policeman approaches her cell and opens the door.  She then is brought out front, where the arresting office greets her[3].

He began to speak: “I’m awfully sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping the guy off in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him.  I noticed your ‘What Would Jesus Do’  and Follow Me to Sunday School’ bumper stickers, and chrome plated Jesus (Christian) fish on the trunk[4].”  “Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car[5].”

Jonathan Swift was a clergyman born in England in 1667[6]. Swift’s greatest fame though isn’t as a preacher, but rather as a writer. Swift’s most well-known work is Gulliver’s Travels. Gulliver’s Travels tells the story of a ship captain named Gulliver whose ship would get continually get shipwrecked[7].  These wrecks would always lead Gulliver to islands and civilizations that no Englishmen had ever seen.  

First Island, Gulliver visits it’s full of little people, six inches tall where Gulliver towers as a giant.

The second island, Gulliver is an insect surrounded by giants over forty feet tall.

On the third island, the people are of average size but don’t possess the ability to communicate.  They run around like animals within the woods.  On this island, the civilized beings are talking horses[8]. 

Gulliver is immediately struck by the world that the horses have created.  No one steals on this island, is mean, and they are so honest that their language doesn’t even have a word for lying[9].

The horses treat each other with complete respect and peace reigns supreme among them.  Gulliver in all his travels had finally found the perfect place that he never desired to leave[10].  What ends up happening to Gulliver and the talking horses? We’ll get back to his story in just a little bit. 

Today’s Gospel lesson comes to us from Luke 6[11].  It comes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain.  Let me set the stage for Today’s lesson.

Luke’s Gospel is written in the earliest days of the Christian church.  The earliest Christians were a persecuted minority among both Jewish and Roman authorities within their homeland. Luke’s Gospel seeks to address: “How should we respond to the name-calling and threats we receive on a daily basis?”

So Luke quotes Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain as an example of how to build up the Christian community around them[12].

The clearest way Luke seeks to build up this community is verse 31 where he declares: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Luke’s saying to his first readers: “If you want a peaceful world like Gulliver experienced in the presence of the talking horses then live this way.”

This statement is what’s known as the “Golden Rule.”

It’s known as the “Golden Rule” because Gold had long been considered the most precious commodity in the entire world[13].  For example, King Tut of Egypt was buried a little over thirteen hundred years before the Birth of Christ[14]. King Tut was buried with a golden mask[15].  Subsequent Pharaohs of Egypt would always be buried with golden jewelry or other trinkets as a way to symbolize their importance amongst the people of Egypt[16]. 

The Golden Rule finds its basis in the earliest parts of the Old Testament:
Deuteronomy 6:5 declares: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Leviticus 19:18 then declares: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”

How the Golden Rule is supposed to function is it’s supposed to cause us to question our first instinct about how to respond.  Like the woman stuck at the traffic light, we will all inevitability get angry and tend to say and do things we know aren’t good for us and others.  It’s often tough to prioritize in half a second, the safety and schedule of total strangers sitting at the light on the other side of the intersection. 

Not responding when tempted can be hard,  a few months back, I was watching the Chicago Bears play Vikings.  As the fourth quarter was in progress, it was evident to everyone in the stadium that the Bears were going to end the Vikings season.  Now down at the end of the aisle from me was a Bears fan who had been drinking, as Viking fans were exiting before the end of the game, her mouth got roaring. She started calling Viking fans “losers” and using all sorts of additional taunts. Every Vikings fan around her was getting mad.

Now witnessing this scene unfold, your first instinct is to try something to quickly right the situation.  Jesus’ earliest of followers would have experienced situations and people way more hostile than this. 

We’re all going to have times when we’re tempted to get mean and rude as a way to right both perceived and actual wrongs.  Our sin has a way of only resulting in the death of the world around us. 

Earlier, I told you the story of Gulliver traveling to the land of the talking horses.  Gulliver wanted to stay in such a perfect place as long as he could.  The horses though didn’t feel the same way about Gulliver. They thought him to be nothing more than another unintelligible human yahoo[17].

Gulliver thought he had found the perfect place, only to be expelled for his imperfection.  Gulliver would spend his remaining days isolated at home, dreading further exposure to his fellow humans. Gulliver’s only solace would be found in his stable, talking to his horses for hours on end[18]. 

Gulliver exposed a problem that can arise from the Golden Rule; it very easily can lead to spiritual pride.  The curse of spiritual pride that has brought nothing but death to the world since the time of Adam and Eve. 

The point of Jesus giving the Golden Rule within our Gospel lesson is to highlight the type of people that we are called to respond to as Christians. We are called to confront people in their spiritual despair and darkness.

Let me close with one final story on the true meaning of the Golden Rule.  Mike Adams tells the following story.

 Adams never knew his grandmother, but knows the story of her death shortly before his birth[19].  Adams’ grandmother Nell died a young woman at the age of 48. How she died showcases the meaning of the Golden Rule.  Nell had been diagnosed with cancer; she was scheduled for surgery, where she had a cancer-ridden organ removed. The Doctor thought he had cured Nell’s condition.  A short time later, it was revealed that Nell’s cancer had returned in another organ.  The Doctor had made a terrible mistake in not spotting this. Nell’s cancer was now so advanced there was no possible cure.   The Doctor goes to break to Nell the news; he begins tearfully apologizing for his error[20]. 

Grandma Nell’s reaction though was remarkable as a person of faith[21].  She knew her doctor to be a good one, who had made a bad mistake even though it would cost her life. Nell then begins to tell the Doctor that he’s forgiven. 

As her illness advanced, she also proceeded to write the doctor a letter that was so full of grace and hope that he kept it on his desk for the remainder of his career.  When Nell died, the doctor canceled all his appointments to attend her funeral.  The Doctor proceeds to tell Nell’s daughter how in his years as a doctor, Nell was the only patient who ever tried to console him upon delivering bad news[22].  How Nell’s forgiveness was not only career-changing but life-changing.

Nell’s daughter had not been a Christian before all this. As she witnessed her mother’s grace, she changed herself. She concluded that if her mother could have such faith in the midst of great adversity, there is no greater testimony to the presence of Almighty God[23].

 Nell’s daughter whole life would become consumed with the Church and extending charity to others.  Nell’s death not only changed her children, but eventually her grandchildren, and even her great-grandchildren who she never met[24].  Beyond even this, Nell changed the life of not only her doctor, but every patient he would ever encounter[25].

Here’s the important thing, following the Golden Rule didn’t change people within this story.  Christ changed Nell, Nell’s faith changed others.  It was in Nell’s weakest moments that the greatest triumph of the Gospel within her was revealed.

The reality of this life is encountering people without fault is as likely as meeting talking horses. We will confront instead bad drivers, obnoxious football fans, and even possibly the wrong doctor.  These do not serve as opportunities to prove our perfection; they instead speak to all our needs for grace and charity. 
They point us to Jesus who reminds us that like in the story of Nell’s misdiagnosis; faith and hope will eventually triumph over all circumstances of this world even death.  Spring and Easter will be here sooner than we can even imagine! Amen
 
               

[1] Markquardt, Edward. “The Golden Rule.” Sermons from Seattle. Web. Jan.31.2019. 
[2] Markquardt, Edward. “The Golden Rule.” Sermons from Seattle.
[3] Markquardt, Edward. “The Golden Rule.” Sermons from Seattle.
[4] Markquardt, Edward. “The Golden Rule.” Sermons from Seattle.
[5] Markquardt, Edward. “The Golden Rule.” Sermons from Seattle.
[6] “Jonathan Swift”. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 2.Jan.2019. Web. Jan.31.2019. 
[7] Stier, Leon. “Talking Horses (a).” Email Meditations. 9.Feb.2017. Web. Jan.31.2019.
[8] Stier, Leon. “Talking Horses (a).” Email Meditations.
[9] Stier, Leon. “Talking Horses (a).” Email Meditations.
[10] Stier, Leon. “Talking Horses (a).” Email Meditations.
[11] Luke 6:27-38. 
[12] Allen, Ronald J. “Commentary on Luke 6:27-38.” Working Preacher.Luther Seminary. Saint Paul. 24. Feb.2019. Web. Jan.31.2019. 
[13] Markquardt, Edward. “The Golden Rule.” Sermons from Seattle.
[14] “Tutankhamun.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 29.Jan.2019. Web. Jan.31.2019.
[15] Markquardt, Edward. “The Golden Rule.” Sermons from Seattle.
[16] Markquardt, Edward. “The Golden Rule.” Sermons from Seattle.
[17] “Gulliver's Travels.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 29.Jan.2019. Web. Jan.31.2019. 
[18] Stier, Leon. “Talking Horses (a).” Email Meditations.
[19] Stier, Leon. “The Law Written on Our Hearts (part one).” Email Meditations. 26. Oct. 2014. Web. Jan.31.2019. 
[20] Stier, Leon. “The Law Written on Our Hearts (part one).” Email Meditations.
[21] Stier, Leon. “The Law Written on Our Hearts (part one).” Email Meditations.
[22] Stier, Leon. “The Law Written on Our Hearts (part one).” Email Meditations.
[23] Stier, Leon. “The Law Written on Our Hearts (part one).” Email Meditations.
[24] Stier, Leon. “The Law Written on Our Hearts (part two).” Email Meditations. 27.Oct.2014. Web. Jan.31.2019. 
[25] Stier, Leon. “The Law Written on Our Hearts (part two).” Email Meditations.

First Lesson: Jeremiah 17: 5-10
Responsive Reading: Psalm 1
Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 15: 12-20
​Gospel Lesson: Luke 6: 17-26

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
​
Once upon a time, there was a man who lived in Northern China whose most prized possession in the world was his horse[1].  Well one day, the horse bolted from his owner’s property crossing over the nearby border.  The owner never believed he would see his horse again.  He was sad for days over his horse’s loss.  Everyone around did their best to comfort him.

 His father though gave him advice different from every other person that he encountered. He told his son: “You never know, it could be a blessing.”  The son can’t quite make sense of his father’s words.

Months go by, the horse finally returns, only this time he brought with him the most splendid stallion that anyone had ever seen.  Everyone but the owner’s father’s rejoiced as he declared: “You never know it could be a curse[2].” The son is once again, confused.

A few weeks go by; the owner is out riding on his horse.  The horse throws him; he breaks his leg in the process.

Everyone tries comforting the man in his misfortune, other than his dad upon seeing the broken leg declared: “It could be a blessing.”  

Well, a few more weeks go by, a group of nomads crosses the border forcing every non-disabled young man to grab a bow to try to defend the village.  The casualties among the men in the village were high.  The father’s words were correct as because of the son’s leg, his life was spared[3]. 
This story reminds us how it is indeed often what seems to be our greatest blessings that can lead to disaster, and our greatest disasters lead to eventual blessing[4]. 

Second story, a little over eight years ago, I was working in Lamberton and got called by a church in Kentucky.   They wanted me to meet with them to be their next pastor. The church wanted a young pastor with experience working with youth.  They let me know that I was the only candidate they were considering.

So I drove twelve hours into Kentucky.  I had dinner with the Call Committee Chair.  I had an open forum with nearly everyone in the congregation attending. I preached Sunday morning what I thought was one of the better sermons I had ever written.

I don’t hear anything back for a couple of weeks.  I then get a call from the Call Committee Chair saying they had a congregational meeting to discuss me.  They decided their only candidate wasn’t what they were looking.

Now, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to move to Kentucky.  Grandma might well have vetoed the move.  Potential job loss like this causes a person to doubt God’s ways within a situation.

A few months later, Glenda Hedin from Sychar gives me a call.  A few months after that, I move to Silver Bay making it my home a lot longer than I could ever imagine living in Kentucky away from my beloved Vikings.

So a situation that seemed to be a woe eventually leads to a blessing.

These stories lead us into our Gospel lesson for Today from Luke 6[5].  Today’s Gospel Lesson has Jesus preaching a sermon titled “The Sermon on the Plain.” Jesus’ most well-known sermon is the “Sermon on the Mount” from the Gospel of Matthew. 

These might be the same sermon as much of the content is very similar though Jesus like any good preacher would repeat important points throughout his ministry.  Both sermons occur right before the Healing of the Roman Centurion in Matthew and Luke’s Gospel[6].  The difference in two sermons has to do with how they begin.  The Sermon on the Mount begins with Jesus walking up a Mountain to speak[7]. The Sermon on the Plain has Jesus coming down to address a gathering crowd[8]. 

Perhaps the most noticeable difference is the Sermon on the Mount is 107 verses long[9], whereas the Sermon on the Plain only 32 verses long[10].

Our section for Today deals with the concept of blessings in life and woes in our lives.  We can define a “woe” as doom or condemnation brought to us[11].  Examples of woe would include: losing a horse, breaking a leg, or not getting a job. 

The critical thing to understand about woe in Jesus’ day is how people thought about it. 

Tim Zingale describes this well when he says: “The people in Jesus’ day thought that if you were rich, successful, happy and popular this was because you were favored by God. But if you were poor, miserable, and rejected, or you had a disability or a terrible accident this was because you or a relative had done something to displease God[12].”

So Jesus within the Sermon on the Plain wanted to change the way that people thought of not only their blessings but also their woes.

“Blessed are you who are poor,
    for yours is the kingdom of God.
 Blessed are you who hunger now,
    for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
    for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
    when they exclude you and insult you
    and reject your name as evil,
        because of the Son of Man.[13] Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven[14].

Some years ago, the country music singer Garth Brooks wrote a song titled Unanswered Prayers.[15]  The song is autobiographical from Brooks’ life.  When Brooks was in high school, he had a girlfriend.  He would pray that his girlfriend would become his wife[16].  The relationship eventually crumbles. Brooks is distraught. Brooks keeps hoping that his ex-girlfriend would take him back. Some time passes, Brooks meets his wife.  Years later, he runs into his ex-girlfriend at a high school football game in their hometown.  Brooks only upon running into his ex-years later, realizes that some of the best things in life are indeed unanswered prayers. How even when God doesn’t necessarily answer, this doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care[17].   As he looks at his wife, he thanks God for having better judgment than himself.  How indeed God’s greatest gifts often come from turning our woes into an eventual blessing.

Jesus within our Gospel lesson is hoping to speak a word of hope to those with their unanswered prayers as he declares: “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.”

Jesus’ words intend to give us perspective regarding our situations.  Now we have been blessed in many ways to live in this country[18].  We have a standard of living that wouldn’t have been imaginable 100 years ago.  We still inevitability struggle with a longing for more.

My Mom has undertaken multiple mission trips to Africa.  What’s always stood out to her so much about Africa is the perspective of the men, women, and children whom she has come across. How people that seemingly have nothing, seek to give to those who seemingly have everything continually.  These visits have highlighted to my mom how material possessions don’t guarantee happiness, but can instead be sources of woe.

My mom’s experiences highlight why Jesus closes the lesson with a list of woes including eternal punishment commonly associated with material comforts. 

Here’s the thing about our wealth. It doesn’t guarantee us the Kingdom of Heaven.  Jesus turns our sins into vessels to receive his forgiveness.   Woes often lead the way to the blessings that are to come. 

Let me close with one final story about how we often get the nature of woes and blessings wrong as Christian people.

Once upon a time in Poland lived a very poor man named Isaac who often went hungry[19].  One night, Isaac had a dream.  In Isaac’s dream, he had a vision of the city of Prague where a certain bridge contained buried treasure beneath it.  Isaac kept having the same dream, night after night.  Finally, Isaac decided that he needed to walk on foot hundreds of miles to Prague to try to find this buried treasure.

Isaac finally arrives in Prague, found the bridge in his dream, and went underneath it to try to find his treasure.  A soldier spots Isaac then comes over to question him. Isaac proceeds to tell the solider about his dream regarding the buried treasure[20]. 

The soldier begins laughing hysterically in Isaac’s face.  He calls Isaac “stupid.”  He points out how foolish that he is to trust in his dreams.  The solider continues to make fun of Isaac as he declares his own dream to find treasure buried in Isaac’s kitchen.  The solider though won’t go to Isaac’s kitchen because it would be the most idiotic thing to do in the world. He then kicks Isaac to mock him before leaving his presence[21]. 

Isaac walks home dejected, feeling like a fool.  Upon returning home though, Isaac moves the stove in his kitchen when something catches his eye.  There was treasure buried in Isaac’s kitchen all along.  Isaac had gone from a very poor man to a very rich man within the blink of an eye.  No soldier could ever take this away from Isaac.  Isaac’s greatest woe had become his greatest blessing[22].

As Jesus gives the Sermon on the Plain to us Today as his Christian people, he seeks to remind us that indeed our woes (our poverty, our relationship failures, our job loss, our broken bones, and our lost possessions) might be the sources of our inevitable salvation.  When Jesus would soon breathe his last breath, he was not dying, but merely opening the gate to life eternal instead.     Amen
 


[1] McLarty, Phillip. W. “Are You Blessed.” Sermon Writer. 2007. Web. Jan.29.2019.  Story by Liu An. 
[2] McLarty, Phillip. W. “Are You Blessed.” Sermon Writer.
[3] McLarty, Phillip. W. “Are You Blessed.” Sermon Writer.
[4] McLarty, Phillip. W. “Are You Blessed.” Sermon Writer.
[5] Luke 6:17-26. 
[6] Wayne, Luke. “What is the Sermon on the Plain?” CARM Ministries (Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry). 25.Feb.2016. Web. Jan.29.2019. 
[7] Matthew 5:1
[8] Luke 6:17
[9] Matthew 5-7
[10] Luke 6:17-49. 
[11] Wellman, Jack. “What Does Woe Mean? A Biblical Definition Of Woe.” Christian Crier. Patheos Network of Blogs. 20.Aug.2015. Web. Jan.30.2019. 
[12] Zingale, Tim. “The Lifestyle.” Sermon Central. 16. Feb.2004. Web. Jan.30.2019. 
[13] Luke 6:20-22.
[14] Luke 6:23.
[15] “Unanswered Prayers.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 7.Dec.2018. Web. Jan.29.2019.  Reference comes from Rev. Dr. Phillip McLarty’s sermon “Are You Blessed” published on Sermon Writer in 2007. 
[16] McLarty, Phillip. W. “Are You Blessed.” Sermon Writer.
[17] Unanswered Prayers.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
[18] Markquardt, Ed. “Luke’s Beattitudes.” Sermons from Seattle. Web. Jan.30.2019. 
[19] Jackson Shelton, Sarah. “Blessing or Curse?” Day 1. 11. Feb.2007. Web. Jan.29.2019. 
[20] Jackson Shelton, Sarah. “Blessing or Curse?” Day 1.
[21] Jackson Shelton, Sarah. “Blessing or Curse?” Day 1.
[22] Jackson Shelton, Sarah. “Blessing or Curse?” Day 1.

First Lesson: Isaiah 6: 1-8, (9-13)
Responsive Reading: Psalm 138
Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11
​Gospel Lesson: Luke 5: 1-11

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
​
In 1918, a boy was born in a small town in Rural Oklahoma.  The boy grew up on a tiny farm milking cows[1].  As he got older, this boy did everything he could to try to make ends meet from delivering newspapers to waiting tables.  The young man eventually gets into college. His first job is with JC Penney for $75 a month[2].  He then serves his country in World War II.  He uses money from his time in the service along with a loan from his father in law to purchase a small variety store in Newport, Arkansas.  The business quickly grew increasing sales three hundred percent within the first three years.  His business model was simple; he didn’t want to own stores in big cities, but instead small towns.  He wanted to have a wide variety of products at the lowest prices possible.  He realized he had only one boss the customer to whom he had to answer.  In 1962, he decided to open another new store; this new store had his name “Walton” in the store’s name.  Within five years, Sam Walton’s store had annual sales exceeding of over 12 million dollars.  Today, Walmart has become the world’s largest company by revenue.  Growing up dirt poor in Oklahoma, Sam Walton could never imagine the direction that God would take his life.  Walton though is not unique.

Second story, in 1928 a boy is born outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The boy had a difficult childhood.  He had health problems such as asthma[3]. He was bullied by other children.  He was made fun of for his weight.   The boy was shy. He spent much of his time alone in his room.  Since he didn’t have any friends, he became a puppeteer to try to create friends within his make-believe world.  He spent the rest of his free-time becoming a talented piano player.  He eventually gets accepted in Dartmouth College, which he couldn’t stand for its hyper-macho environment.    He drops out to transfer to a school far away from home.  He eventually becomes a seminary student back in Pittsburgh.  He felt he was being called to a ministry like no one else in the Presbyterian Church either before or since.  He believed his ministry was to be an educational T.V. ministry to young children[4].  His church body balked at his request.  He eventually begins his show on Pittsburgh’s WEQD[5].  Forty years later upon his retirement, he’s considered one of the most influential T.V. stars of all time. Perhaps the most significant influence in Early Childhood Education this country has ever known.  Mr. Fred Rogers’ ministry had been born in some of the toughest days of his childhood and ended up becoming an influence to tens of millions of children of this country because of it.

The third and final story, 385 A.D. a young man is born within Roman Britain[6]. He grew up in relative prosperity and comfort.   In these days, the Roman Empire in these parts was on the verge of collapse[7].   The British Coast would often be attacked by Irish pirate ships.  In 401 A.D. the young man was captured in one of these raids.  He would spend the next six years of his life living in Ireland as a slave.  His task as a slave was the most miserable of all. He was ordered to be a shepherd.  The young man would be isolated in Ireland’s cold mountains for months on end[8].  Food was always challenging to find and he was unable to speak the native language. The young man with no other place in the world to turn begins to embrace his Grandfather’s Christian faith.  The young man would start to spend his days praying for God to save him from the land that he hated.  The young man eventually does escape Ireland and return to his native Britain.  His parents begged him never to leave Britain again.  God would have other plans! The young man continues studying Christianity! One night he has a vision that he is to return to Ireland so that he may become “The Voice of the Irish[9].” The young man returns to Ireland; his missionary work is so successful that he comes to be known as the “Saint of Ireland[10].” By the time of Saint Patrick’s death, a little over thirty years after his initial capture Ireland, had transformed from a pagan nation to a Christian one.

What these three stories have in common is God taking people from unlikely circumstances and using them to help transform not only people but ultimately nations. 

Today’s Old Testament lesson tells a similar story[11].  To understand the life of the Prophet Isaiah let me give a little brief background.

King Solomon died about 170 years before Isaiah’s birth. Solomon’s death left Israel divided into Northern and Southern Kingdoms over the question of who should inherit his throne[12].  Isaiah lived in the Northern Kingdom which was compromised of ten of Israel’s twelve tribes.  The Northern Kingdom also known as Samaria in Isaiah’s days had seen many of its residents abandon the God of Israel for the foreign God Baal. Baal was believed to control the weather, war, and even human fertility[13]. Many Samaritans didn’t believe such beliefs were incompatible with their worship of the God of Israel. 

So the Lord would frequently call prophets to try to get the people to turn from their false worship before their inevitable destruction.  The most famous prophets of the Northern Kingdom are Elijah who called down fire from heaven, Jonah who ended up in the belly of a whale, and Isaiah whose call story we hear Today.

 In our lesson, Isaiah is standing in the Temple of the Lord.  He looked up and saw a vision.  The Lord was sitting on his throne, the back of his robe is filling the Temple, surrounding the Lord are Seraphim which are six-winged angels singing out: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory[14].”

The impact of the Heavenly Choir is such that Isaiah is in awe.  Isaiah knew this vision meant that God was calling him to be a “prophet” amongst the Northern Kingdom. Isaiah thought he felt deeply unworthy. Isaiah’s unworthiness had nothing to do with growing up poor like Sam Walton, being shy and socially awkward like Mr. Rogers, or not wanting to have anything to do with the people of the Northern Kingdom like Saint Patrick.  Isaiah’s reluctance instead had to do with his tongue:
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty[15].”

A few months back, I was lifting weights.  The previous lifter had forgotten to take their weights down, so before I could begin, I would need to do so.  The problem was the rack had been moved, so I didn’t have much room to maneuver. I bumped my leg, and I proceeded to drop a 45 lb. — barbell right on top of my pinky finger.  The finger soon turned black, and just this week the nail would fall off.  The mark was quite noticeable.  I was down at Zup’s a when Kathy the cashier says she was discussing my finger with another customer.  She then asked me: “Did I cuss when the accident happened?”

 To which I answered that I didn’t, but that the pain was such that I could easily forgive anyone that did.   

You see the reason Isaiah felt that he was unworthy of God’s calling is he had used too much R-rated language throughout his life. Isaiah believed there were all sorts of people that could throw this fault in his face; thereby God could certainly find someone better to serve as a Prophet to the people of the Northern Kingdom. 

God’s response to Isaiah’s excuse is noteworthy.  The Seraphim grabs a piece of coal, flies over to Isaiah[16], touches his lips, and declares Isaiah’s “guilt is taken away[17].” And “sin is atoned[18].”

Isaiah’s attitude would soon do a 180-degree turn.  The Lord would then ask: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us[19]?” To which Isaiah would reply: “Here am I. Send me![20].”

Isaiah would serve as one of Israel’s longest prophets with a ministry that lasted upwards of sixty-four years.  What Isaiah’s ministry centered on was a coming judgment that would fall upon Israel’s kingdoms as long as they persisted in their sin. Isaiah though speaks even more forcefully though of a great hope to be given to the people in the Messiah that is to come.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him,  and by his wounds we are healed.”-Isaiah 53:5. 

It was Isaiah who would quote the words later spoken by Jesus:
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor;1 he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor[21]

Without God calling the previous foul-mouther Isaiah the story of our salvation is never written.  It reminds us that God’s promises of forgiveness are more powerful than our excuses.  Abraham was already an old man, yet he eventually became the father of a great nation.   We might claim we’re too shy, too broken, too young, or too old. Here’s the point of our lesson made clear by the stories of Sam Walton, Fred Rogers, and Saint Patrick:  “God calls us out of our imperfections, rather than for our perfection.”

A few weeks ago, I was at a Basketball game at William Kelley. A group of students was cussing loud enough that I had to tell them to quiet down.  Isaiah reminds me that this is never an excuse to seek to inevitability run from God’s calling upon our lives.   Amen


[1] Sharma, Arun. “Rags to Riches: Sam Walton.” Wisdom Pearls. 21.Mar.2017. Web. Jan.29.2019. 
[2] “Sam Walton.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 18.Jan.2019. Web. Jan.29.2019. 
[3] “Fred Rogers.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 24.Jan.2019. Web. Jan.29.2019. 
[4] I recently read Maxwell King’s biography: The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers published by Harry N.Abrams in 2018. King’s book heavily informs this analogy. 
[5] “Fred Rogers.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
[6] “Saint Patrick.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 28.Jan.2019. Web. Jan.29.2019. 
[7] Higgins, Scott. “St.Patrick.” Stories for Preaching. Web. Jan.29.2019. Higgins’ source is Thomas Cahill, How the Irish Saved Civilisation (Hodder, 1995)
[8] Higgins, Scott. “St.Patrick.” Stories for Preaching.
[9] Higgins, Scott. “St.Patrick.” Stories for Preaching.
[10] Saint Patrick.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation
[11] Isaiah 6:1-13. 
[12] Butler, Amy. “Marching Orders.” Sermon Writer. 2006. Web. Jan.29.2019. 
[13] “Baal.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 18.Jan.2019. Web. Jan.29.2019. 
[14] Isaiah 6:3. 
[15] Isaiah 6:4. 
[16] Isaiah 6:6
[17] Isaiah 6:7
[18] Isaiah 6:7. 
[19] Isaiah 6:8. 
[20] Isaiah 6:8. 
[21] Luke 4:18, Isaiah 61:1-2. 

First Lesson: Jeremiah 1: 4-10
Responsive Reading: Psalm 71: 1-6
Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13
​Gospel Lesson: Luke 4: 21-30

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
​
Once upon a time, there was a wife as mad at her husband as any wife could be[1].  She goes to see her minister, where she proceeded to go on and on about all her husband’s terrible qualities.  The wife’s hatred is made-known as she declares; “I not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even.  Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has me[2].”  

The minister then proceeded to suggest what seemed to be a genius plan to grant her wishes.  “I want you to go home, and I want you to act as if you really love your husband. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him. Make him believe you love him[3]!”

After you’ve spent weeks convincing him of all this, then you will drop the bombshell, how you demand a divorce!  You will truly crush him at this point!  The wife then thinks the minister’s plan is absolutely brilliant!  She promises to call the minister back once she goes through with this plan.   

So the wife goes home does exactly as the minister instructed.  For the next two months, she sought to be as loving, kind, honoring, patience, and selfless as she could be. 

The minister never hears back from the wife.  Finally out of curiosity, he decides to call her to find how things are going.  The minister asks about her divorce from her hated husband? The wife scoffs “Divorce? Never! I’ve discovered I really do love him[4].” Her new understanding of love had permanently changed their marriage!

Today’s Epistle lesson seeks to do the same thing to members of the Corinthian Church[5].  As I talked about last week the church in Corinth was in conflict. At the roots of the conflict was whether certain members of the church who spoke in the secret prayer language of tongues were extra special within the Kingdom of God[6].   Paul seeks to redirect their focus as Christian people instead.  He seeks to point out that the Christian life is not about accumulating rewards, but rather how your love can lift those around you.  Paul seeks to begin by making the point that love is indeed the most valued of all gifts within the Christian church. 

“If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal[7].”

The gift of love given unto others like in the opening story of the woman, the minister, and her husband highlight love’s power to permanently redeem from even the most hopeless of circumstances.

Once upon a time, there was a young woman who ran far, far away from home because her father was an alcoholic[8].  She vowed never to speak to him again! The years afterward, she becomes a Christian.  She then decides that her calling as a Christian woman is to move back home, so her father may be well again!
Everyone who heard her speak of this was in shock? She had previously described her father as the meanest man; she had ever met!

Someone asked her: “What will you do when he finds fault with all your efforts to please him.”

She replied: “I will try a little harder[9].”

They then asked: “Yes but when is unreasonable and unkind you will be tempted to lose your temper, and answer him angrily. What will you do then?”

The daughter replied: “Pray a little harder[10].”

Finally hoping to get this woman to finally give up hope they asked: “What if he is as awful as you can imagine. Won’t you regret going home? What could you do but leave[11]?”

Only for the Christian daughter to end the conversation by declaring: “Love him a little harder[12].”

The daughter does go home. Things were far from perfect.  The daughter then kept praying, kept patient, kept loving, and her previously lost father saw first-hand the power of salvation[13]. 

Paul begins our passage by establishing Love as the highest of Christian callings.  Paul continues our scripture lesson by defining “love” within a Christian context. 

Now 1st Corinthians 13 is most commonly read at weddings.  While 1st Corinthians 13 gives good advice to a Bride and Groom to be: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy; it does not boast, it is not proud.

1st Corinthians 13 was not written with marital love in mind[14].  Paul’s whole point is instead within the Christian community how love is often uncomfortable. Love’s calling will put you in the presence of undesirables.   Love is not about your emotions in any given moment; love is instead the highest of callings especially when it is the most difficult.

Once upon a T.V. reporter was on assignment in Israel[15].  A bomb explodes, and a mass of people are wounded.  Through the crowd comes a man carrying a severely injured little girl.  The man begged the reporter to help get the girl to a hospital.  He thought that as a member of the press, the reporter would be able to get through the security line that the police had formed.  The reporter agrees. He brings the man and what appeared to be his daughter in his car to the hospital.  Both the reporter and man were unsure whether the girl would survive.

They eventually arrive at the hospital. They wait together to get the news regarding the girls’ fate.  Eventually, the doctor regrets to inform them that the girl had died. The man collapsed in the reporter’s arms sobbing.  The reporter then starts trying to comfort the man: “I don’t know what to say. I can’t imagine what you must be going through. I’ve never lost a child[16].”

The man turns to the reporter to say: “That girl was not my daughter. I’m an Israeli settler.  She was a Palestinian. But there comes a time when each of us must realize that every child, regardless of that child’s background, is a daughter or a son. There must come a time when we realize that we are all one family[17].”

Paul closes our Gospel lesson that Love shall outlast time itself.  Paul confesses within our lesson that he hasn’t always loved like should: “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”  

Love though is more powerful than any imperfection within our life.  Paul closes our lesson that even at those times when our world seems to be ending.  “Love never fails[18] “.  Love will outlast tongues, prophecies, and even knowledge itself.  Love will survive even the end of the world. 

Our lesson closes with the following promise: ‘And now these three (things) remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love[19].”

Once upon a time, there was a little boy who had a sister who needed a blood transfusion[20].  Her blood type was rare, and her brother was the best possible match.  The doctor then begins to explain the procedure to the boy explaining that without the transfusion that his sister would die. 

The doctor finally asks the boy: “Would you be brave for your sister?” The boy began to think it over, before finally cracking a smile saying” Sure, for my sister,” I’ll do it.” The two siblings were then wheeled into the hospital room.  Mary was pale and thin, whereas Johnny was looking robust and healthy[21].  He watched as blood as came out of his sister, down a clear plastic tube.  Johnny finally turns to the Doctor as says: “Doctor, when do I die[22]?” for Mary. 

Johnny didn’t quite understand the procedure in that giving his blood didn’t mean losing his life. Johnny did understand love.  Johnny believed that his love for Mary was so great that was willing to die to save her. 

Paul’s point to the Corinthians is that they have already received the greatest of love that can be given upon a cross[23]. A love that not only changes lives, a love that forgives us, and a love that can resurrect from the grave itself.  Human love is an imperfect comparison to the love of God given unto us.

It is this love that shall ultimately heal all broken relationships between not only individuals, but families, and ultimately nations.  Love is not merely an emotion that wavers depending on the moment; Love is a promise given by our savior unto one’s own death itself. 

“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.”-1 Peter 1:18-19. 

Love cannot only change our world; Love made most fully known in Christ Jesus will ultimately change the world that is to come.  Amen
 
 
[1] Petersen, J. Allan. “Love.” Sermon Illustrations. Web. Jan.24.2019. 
[2] Petersen, J. Allan. “Love.” Sermon Illustrations.
[3] Petersen, J. Allan. “Love.” Sermon Illustrations.
[4] Petersen, J. Allan. “Love.” Sermon Illustrations.
[5] 1st Corinthians 13:1-13. 
[6] Mast, Stan. “1 Corinthians 13:1-13.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. Calvin Seminary. Grand Rapids. 25.Jan.2016. Web. Jan.24.2019.
[7] 1st Corinthians 13:1
[8] New Illustrator. “Love's Persistence.” More Illustrations. Jan.24.2019. 
[9] New Illustrator. “Love's Persistence.” More Illustrations.
[10] New Illustrator. “Love's Persistence.” More Illustrations.
[11] New Illustrator. “Love's Persistence.” More Illustrations.
[12] New Illustrator. “Love's Persistence.” More Illustrations.
[13] New Illustrator. “Love's Persistence.” More Illustrations.
[14] Suk Kim, Yung. “Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.” Working Preacher. Luther Seminary. 3.Feb.2019. Web. Jan.24.2019.
[15] Higgins, Scott. “We Are All Family – A Story About Loving One’s Enemy.” Stories for Preaching. Jan.24.2019. 
[16] Higgins, Scott. “We Are All Family – A Story About Loving One’s Enemy.” Stories for Preaching.
[17] Higgins, Scott. “We Are All Family – A Story About Loving One’s Enemy.” Stories for Preaching.
[18] 1 Corinthians 13:8. 
[19] 1st Corinthians 13:13. 
[20] Higgins, Scott. “When Do I Die?” Stories for Preaching. Web. Jan.24.2019. Taken from Robert Coleman’s Written in Blood.
[21] Higgins, Scott. “When Do I Die?” Stories for Preaching.
[22] Higgins, Scott. “When Do I Die?” Stories for Preaching.
[23] Peterson, Brian. “Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.” Working Preacher. Luther Seminary. 31.Jan.2016. Web. Jan.24.2019.