First Lesson: Jeremiah 32: 1-3a, 6-15
Responsive Reading: Psalm 91: 1-6, 14-16
Second Lesson: 1 Timothy 6: 6-19
​Gospel Lesson: Luke 16: 19-31

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
​
Let me begin with a story.  Once upon a time, a funeral home called a young preacher.  A man had died who had no family living in the immediate area.  The funeral home wished for the preacher to do a graveside service with only the cemetery workers present.  The preacher agreed[1].

There was a problem though, as the preacher had never been to the cemetery.  On the way, the preacher got lost.  Finally, off in the distance, he saw a little church with what appeared to be a cemetery and three guys just standing around. The preacher gets out of the car, sees shovels and a large pile of dirt, and figures he’s in the right place. He then proceeds to walk towards the grave site. 

He tells the workers, I can see you’ve already done the burial, though let me say a few words.  The workers figured they should remove their hats as the preacher began to pray. The service then starts.  The young preacher gave a beautiful sermon about finding Christian hope upon a cross in death.  The service then concludes[2].

 Afterward, one of the men approaches the preacher with a big smile on his face before declaring: “Preacher, I gotta say that was the best funeral for a septic tank that I’ve ever heard[3].”

Why were the Preacher’s words so powerful for a septic tank? The reality is as Christian people; there is no more important topic than death or “What happens when we die?”

The following story leads us into a question for this morning? What do we really know about death and dying?

In 1989, Don Piper was a Baptist minister driving home from a church conference in Texas[4].  Upon crossing a bridge, Piper’s Ford Escort was struck by a semi-truck.  When medical personnel arrived at the scene, Don Piper appeared to be dead.  He was covered by a tarp while waiting for the medical examiner to arrive.  Don Piper’s body would show no signs of life for 90 minutes.  What happened in these 90 minutes?  Don Piper believes that he visited Heaven.  Piper reunited with long-lost family members and sang alleluias with the heavenly choir[5].  After these 90 minutes, Piper is prayed back to life.  Piper proceeds to write a very popular book called 90 Minutes in Heaven[6]. 

Piper’s story is not unique, several years back, a Nebraska Pastor named Todd Burpo described the experiences of his three-year-old son Colton who was forced to undergo an emergency appendectomy[7]. While on the operating table, young Colton Burpo described leaving his body and visiting heaven. What Colton described amazed his family, he was able to give in-depth explanations about family members of whom he had never met or even heard[8]. 

In 2012, an accomplished neuroscientist named Eben Alexander described his own experiences in a meningitis-induced coma where he describes his brain visiting another realm of existence which would appear to be proof of a visit to heaven[9].

So what can Christian people take from these near-death experiences? It’s worth noting that none of these people were biologically death.  It’s also worth noting that these experiences tend to have different descriptions of what they “each” call heaven..  For example, the Baptist preacher describes people in heaven looking like they did when they died, whereas the other preacher’s son the little boy Colton describes everyone as looking young, like in the prime of their life. 

When thinking about death, here’s what we do know. Near-death experiences take place across a wide swath of religious traditions.  Muslims describe being greeted by 70 virgins in Heaven, Hindus describe themselves as meeting Vishnu, Mormons get to meet Joseph Smith, Catholics place a lot of emphasis on meeting the Virgin Mother.  Now, I’m sure all people who claim to have had near-death experiences are sincere in their faith, but at the same time, I would caution against accepting these stories as giving literal truth about the afterlife. 

 So if near-death experiences don’t shed answers into the afterlife, we turn instead to our scriptures.  Today’s Gospel from Luke 16 begins to answer our questions about life everlasting[10]?

Within our lesson, two men die.  Lazarus and a Rich Man who goes unnamed.  Lazarus is a poor man.  Lazarus spends his days as a panhandler asking for money[11].  Lazarus is so poor that his ideal meal is whatever he can find in other’s people trash[12].  Lazarus had as rough a life as a person could have then Lazarus dies.  As for the Rich Man, he had everything he could want, yet he also dies.

So what happens upon the death of both men? Lazarus and the Rich Man are both transported to Hades.  While in Hades, the Rich Man is tormented while Lazarus is comforted.  The Rich Man can see Lazarus residing in a much, better part of Hades[13]. 

The Rich Man cries out for mercy from the Father of the Nation of Israel in Abraham:
“Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames[14].”

Abraham then informs the Rich Man that the divide between these two parts of Hades where Lazarus and the Rich Man reside within eyesight is so great they cannot be crossed[15].  The Rich Man then begs Abraham to go to warn his five brothers about their pending fate[16].  Abraham then informs the Rich Man that the dead aren’t meant to communicate with the living apart from the Word of God[17].  Abraham tells the Rich Man how some won’t even believe if they witness a Resurrection from the dead such as Jesus own’[18]. 

So how should we interpret this Gospel tale??  The question to ask is, how would people in Jesus’ day have understood the Afterlife?

The Old Testament doesn’t place a lot of emphasis upon the Afterlife.  The two most prominent Jewish groups in Jesus’ day the Pharisees and the Sadducees were divided on this issue.  The Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead, and the Sadducees didn’t.

So the reason for the divide between the Pharisees and the Sadducees has to do with how little the Old Testament describes life after death.

Sheol in brief reference within the Old Testament is the common destination of the dead.  When our lesson for Today refers to Hades, Hades would be the Greek term in which the New Testament was written for Sheol in which the Hebrew language Old Testament was written.  Sheol was understood to be the destination of both the faithful such as Lazarus and unfaithful such as the Rich Man both living and dead[19].  The Book of Revelation refers to Death, Sheol, and Hades as the same.

So the Gospel lesson for Today describing Lazarus, and the Rich Man visiting the same place of Hades as a common grave right after their death would have been consistent with the understanding of the day[20]. 
Another common understanding in Jesus’ day is that upon death, the faithful such as Lazarus will be comforted in a place called Abraham’s bosom[21].  Our lesson is the only place in the scriptures where such a place is mentioned, but other writings in the Early Church point to the widespread belief that Abraham’s bosom served as a waiting area of sorts between Death and the Resurrection of the last day. 

How should we interpret our Gospel passage?  There is no passage within the Christian scriptures that I’ve spent more time discussing with fellow ministers than this one.  I would caution against interpreting it as the final description of the afterlife. 

For when the scriptures describe the afterlife, the emphasis is not on the time immediately after a believers’ death.  The focus is instead on Christ’s return to Earth and the final resurrection of the dead.  When the Book of Revelation describes the famous images associated with heaven: pearly gates and streets paved with gold[22].  These are realities meant to describe what the New Heaven and the New Earth will be like. 

So what happens at the moment of our death? I believe that those like Lazarus who cling to God’s great promise given in Christ Jesus will have their every earthly fortune reversed as they enter the presence of God.  I look to the famous encounter from later in Luke’s Gospel where Jesus hangs alongside a common thief on his cross?

Jesus declares to the thief: ‘Today, you shall be with me in Paradise”- Luke 23:43.  
 
I believe that all our loved ones who cling to Christ’s promises are currently just like Lazarus in a state of comfort and bliss awaiting the great reunion that will eventually take place at the second coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The great Christian hope is laid out in the 14th chapter of John’s Gospel as Jesus is seeking to prepare the Disciples for his upcoming death.  The words that Jesus speaks are famous for having been spoken at countless Christian funerals: “In My Father’s House are many rooms[23].”

 The words from this passage that we tend to gloss over though might be the most comforting words for those who mourn :  verse 3 has Jesus promising “And if I go to prepare a place for you, I WILL COME BACK for you to be with me that you also may be where I Am[24].”

As Christian people, we will all experience loss.  We will lose grandparents, parents, spouses, friends and perhaps even children.  We want the absolute best for our loved ones after their death. 

Whenever I go back to Lindstrom, there is a void knowing that I’m no longer able to visit my grandma not only for newspaper and sermon material though. 

I recall my last visit, being taken back when she was polite saying “please” and “thank you” rather than her usual colorful outspoken self that I miss so much.  What brings me comfort is this.

I don’t know quite what the afterlife looks like for us.  Whether Grandma is merely resting to be awakened at the second coming of Christ or whether she is actively being comforted, such as Lazarus within our lesson. My comfort comes from her being entrusted to the continual care of our Savior, whose love and grace know no limits.  I can still hear Grandma’s distinct laugh as she hears tales like the preacher leading the funeral service for a septic tank. Amen
 
 


[1] Hamby, John. “What Happens When We Die?” Sermon Central. 13.Sept.2004. Web. Sept.5.2019.  
[2] Hamby, John. “What Happens When We Die?” Sermon Central.
[3] Hamby, John. “What Happens When We Die?” Sermon Central.
[4] “90 Minutes in Heaven.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 28.July.2019. Web. Sept.5.2019.
[5] 90 Minutes in Heaven.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
[6] Challies, Tim. “Don Piper’s 90 Minutes in Heaven.” Challies. 10.May.2007. Web. Sept.5.2019. The following serves as a critical critique of Piper’s book.
[7] “Heaven Is for Real.”  Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 23.Aug.2019. Web. Sept.5.2019.
[8] “Heaven Is for Real.”  Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
[9] “Eben Alexander.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 18.July.2019. Web. Sept.5.2019.
[10] Luke 16:19-31
[11] Hoezee, Scott. “Luke 16:19-31.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. Calvin Seminary. Grand Rapids, MI. 19. Sept.2016. Web. Sept.5.2019.
[12] Luke 16:21.
[13] Luke 16:23.
[14] Luke 16:24
[15] Luke 16:26.
[16] Luke 16:28.
[17] Luke 16:29.
[18] Luke 16:31.
[19] “Sheol.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 20.Aug.2019. Web. Sept.5.2019.
[20] “Christian views on Hades.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 22.July.2019. Web. Sept.5.2019.
[21] “Bosom of Abraham.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 20.Aug.2019. Web. Sept.5.2019.
[22] Revelation 21:21.
[23] John 14:2.
[24] John 14:3. 

First Lesson: Jeremiah 4: 11-12, 22-28
Responsive Reading: Psalm 14
Second Lesson: 1 Timothy 1: 12-17
​Gospel Lesson: Luke 15: 1-10

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way;and the Lord has laid on him the(sin) iniquity of us all.”--Isaiah 53:6.

Let me begin this morning by talking about something really important America’s “Bill of Rights.”  The United States is unique because of the first ten amendments to the Constitution. “Freedom of Religion.” “Freedom of Speech.”.  Now let me ask you the following question: “What if the Bill of Rights was lost?”
Here’s a story that you might not know.  The Bill of Rights has been lost!

The year was 1789- President George Washington sent handwritten copies of the Bill of Rights to each of the thirteen colonies for ratification[1].  North Carolina’s copy of the Bill of Rights was then kept in its state capitol in Raleigh. 

In 1865- when General William Sherman’s army occupied the Confederate capitol, a Union solider wanting a souvenir from the war stole North Carolina’s copy of the Bill of Rights.  The solider kept the Bill of Rights for about a year[2] when he sold it for five dollars to a Charles Shotwell of Troy, Ohio[3].   

North Carolina was clueless as to the Bill of Rights’ whereabouts until 1920 when Shotwell’s son approached them about buying back North Carolina’s copy.  North Carolina refused to pay for stolen government property.   So North Carolina’s Bill of Rights remained missing for 75 more years. 

The document eventually gets into the hands of a prominent antique dealer from the famous Antiques Roadshow who had purchased the Bill of Rights from Charles Shotwell’s heirs[4]. 

When North Carolina was again approached about buying back their copy of the Bill of Rights, they still refused to negotiate.  The Bill of Rights was then offered to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia for four million dollars[5].

 The F.B.I then sets up a sting operation in response with the antique dealer.  North Carolina’s copy of the Bill of Rights was then seized.  After a series of legal challenges, North Carolina 140 years after the conclusion of the Civil War possessed its original copy of the Bill of Rights once again[6]. 

Now think of every bit of frustration that you’ve spent in your life over lost items.  Now imagine that you had a lost an original copy of the Bill of Rights.  Now let me you ask this “What if you lost something even more valuable than the Bill of Rights?”

The following reflection brings us to our Gospel lesson for Today from Luke 15[7].  Let me set the stage for Luke’s lesson.  Jesus is speaking before a gathering crowd.  The crowd in front of Jesus was mixed.  A lot of Jesus’ audience consists of tax collectors and sinners.  Remember, the worst thing you could be as a Jew in Jesus’ day was a tax collector because you were collecting revenue for the hated Romans who worshiped all sorts of false gods including the Emperor Caeser.

Sinners as described in our lesson would appear to be the term for everyone else who had a questionable reputation: criminals, adulterers, and just plain old social outcasts of various stripes.

Wandering across this scene was the Pharisees.  The Pharisees were the most upstanding citizens of the Sabbath day crowd.  The Pharisees couldn’t quite make sense why Jesus would waste his time with such seemingly lost causes as these Tax Collectors and Sinners[8]. 

So Jesus responds by telling them two parables about the nature of the Kingdom of God.  The first parable is the Parable of the Lost Sheep.

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it[9].”

Jesus’ point is that the is heaven’s greatest priority is finding those who have wandered far off God’s original path for them.

“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent[10].” 

The second parable is the parable of the lost coin where a woman has a similar reaction about finding one silver dollar among ten[11].

Jesus tells this parable to illustrate further that absolutely no one is a lost cause for God’s grace, whether the Pharisees who can’t believe that Jesus associates with tax collectors and sinners wish to believe this or not. 

I have an uncle whose name is Jim.  My mother’s long-deceased parents used to have a condo in Port Aransas, Texas, right on the Gulf of Mexico.  So every one of my grandparents eight children would make the occasional trip to South Texas over the winter.  Jim had been to Port Aransas before, Jim was convinced that he knew the way.  My Aunt Sue thought was growing increasingly concerned that they weren’t on the right road.  Jim though refused to stop and ask for directions.  Pretty soon they were entering Laredo, Texas over 150 miles away from their intended destination.

The Pharisees in our lesson are not unlike my Uncle Jim when it comes to asking for directions.  They were absolutely convinced that only they knew and had found the way to God’s presence.  These Tax Collectors and Sinners would appear to be permanently “lost.”   The point that Jesus is making is that within the Kingdom of God, there is no such thing as forever lost.

The year was 1938[12].  Eighteen-year-old Jesse  Mattos was working at a butcher shop in Dunsmuir, California[13]. Mattos dropped and accidentally flushed his high school class ring down the toilet.  . Decades pass with Jesse Mattos’ ring appearing to be “gone for good”.  One day a city crew was doing routine maintenance in the sewer mains when they noticed large amounts of debris which they started to pull by hand.  One city worker noticed a ring.  The ring had two defining marks the year “1938” and the initials “J.T.M[14].” The city worker has the ring cleaned and goes to the school library to study old yearbooks.  There was one student in the 1938 yearbook to whom the ring’s initials matched. Jesse. T. Mattos.   The worker tracked down one of Mattos’ classmates who luckily had the phone number for the now ninety-year-old Jesse T. Mattos.  Seventy-two years after graduating high school, Jesse. T. Mattos’ long-lost class ring still fit[15].

What Jesus is seeking to make known within our lesson to the Tax Collectors, Pharisees, and Sinners is that like in the case of the missing ring there is not one person who has been apart from God for so long that they can’t eventually be found.  Jesus wishes to illustrate how the God who created us will stop at nothing to bring us back to his presence.

To illustrate this, let me close with one final story for this morning. 

Once upon a time, there was a child that ran away from home[16].  He ended up in the big city.  His family was dumbfounded as to his whereabouts.  Much like the Biblical tale of the Prodigal Son, the young man indulged himself in every pleasure of the world that he possibly could especially drugs.  The young man’s life because of the drugs begins to spiral increasingly out of control.  He begins to live life out on the streets.  The seasons started to change so that the young man would seek shelter on various nights out of the cold.  The young man’s life was seemingly growing worse by the day, and he began plotting out to take his own life[17]. 

One day though a voice called out at a shelter he was staying: “Is Allan Roberts here[18]?”

The man was confused.  No one had called him this for quite some time.  At first, he didn’t answer.  The voice called out again: “Is Allen Roberts here?”   The room stayed silent.  Finally, the man spoke up: “I’m Allan Roberts.[19]”

The shelter worker said, “Your mother’s on the phone[20].”

The man started shaking his head. “My mother, no, you’ve made a mistake. I don’t know where I am, how could my mother know where I am[21]?”

The shelter worker just shrugged before declaring: “If you’re Allan Roberts, then it's your mother on the phone[22].”

The man was so confused at this point; he decided he better take the call.  The shelter worker hands him the receiver; “Allan, it’s time for you to come home.” Said a voice that he immediately recognized[23].

Allan cried out: “Mom, I don’t know where I am, I have no money, you don’t know what I’m like anymore. I can’t go home[24].”

Allan’s excuses didn’t matter to his mother. “There’s a Salvation Army officer who’s coming for you with a plane ticket. He’s going to take you to the airport to get you home[25].”

You see Allan’s mother didn’t know where he was.  She just kept calling every shelter and hostel that she could for month after month until she found him[26]. 

Allan Roberts did go home.  His mother was joyous at having found her long-lost son.  Allan’s life slowly began to piece itself back together free of the drugs.  He went back to the church and was eventually baptized.  Allan Roberts was lost, but he was now indeed found. 

There was much rejoicing not only by his mother but also within the Kingdom of Heaven[27].  The story of our Gospel reminds us that no person has been lost and missing for so long that our God can’t possibly find them.  Amen. 


[1] Nix, Elizabeth. “5 Lost and Found Historic Treasures.” History.com. 22. Aug.2018. Web. Aug.13.2019. 
[2] Nix, Elizabeth. “5 Lost and Found Historic Treasures.” History.com.
[3] Mitchell, Fay. “Recovering North Carolina’s Bill of Rights.” North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. 15. Dec.2018. Web. Aug.13.2019.
[4] Mitchell, Fay. “Recovering North Carolina’s Bill of Rights.” North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
[5] Mitchell, Fay. “Recovering North Carolina’s Bill of Rights.” North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
[6] Mitchell, Fay. “Recovering North Carolina’s Bill of Rights.” North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
[7] Luke 15:1-10. 
[8] Hoezee, Scott. “Luke 15:1-10.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. Calvin Seminary. Grand Rapids, MI. 5. Sept.2016. Web. Aug.13.2019.
[9] Luke 15:4.
[10] Luke 15:7.
[11] Luke 15:8-10.
[12] GABI319. “10 Fascinating Stories of Lost and Found.” Listverse. 5.Sept.2011. Web. Aug.13.2019.
[13] Mercury News. “Ring finds owner 72 years later.” Bay Area News Group. San Jose, CA. 13. Aug.2016. Web. Aug.13.2019. 
[14] Mercury News. “Ring finds owner 72 years later.” Bay Area News Group.
[15] Mercury News. “Ring finds owner 72 years later.” Bay Area News Group.
[16] Wilson, Paul Scott. Setting Words on Fire: Putting God at the Center of the Sermon. Abingdon Press. 2008. Pg.159-160. Analogy comes from  a sermon by Hugh Reed found on Scott Hoezee’s earlier cited reflection for the Center for Excellence in Preaching.  
[17] Wilson, Paul Scott. Setting Words on Fire: Putting God at the Center of the Sermon. Abingdon Press. Pg.159-160.
[18] Wilson, Paul Scott. Setting Words on Fire: Putting God at the Center of the Sermon. Abingdon Press. Pg.159-160.
[19] Wilson, Paul Scott. Setting Words on Fire: Putting God at the Center of the Sermon. Abingdon Press. Pg.159-160.
[20] Wilson, Paul Scott. Setting Words on Fire: Putting God at the Center of the Sermon. Abingdon Press. Pg.159-160.
[21] Wilson, Paul Scott. Setting Words on Fire: Putting God at the Center of the Sermon. Abingdon Press. Pg.159-160.
[22] Wilson, Paul Scott. Setting Words on Fire: Putting God at the Center of the Sermon. Abingdon Press. Pg.159-160.
[23] Wilson, Paul Scott. Setting Words on Fire: Putting God at the Center of the Sermon. Abingdon Press. Pg.159-160.
[24] Wilson, Paul Scott. Setting Words on Fire: Putting God at the Center of the Sermon. Abingdon Press. Pg.159-160.
[25] Wilson, Paul Scott. Setting Words on Fire: Putting God at the Center of the Sermon. Abingdon Press. Pg.159-160.
[26] Wilson, Paul Scott. Setting Words on Fire: Putting God at the Center of the Sermon. Abingdon Press. Pg.159-160.
[27] Wilson, Paul Scott. Setting Words on Fire: Putting God at the Center of the Sermon. Abingdon Press. Pg.159-160.

First Lesson: Jeremiah 2: 4-13
Responsive Reading: Psalm 81: 1, 10-16
Second Lesson: Hebrews 13: 1-8, 15-16
​Gospel Lesson: Luke 14: 1, 7-14

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

“God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”- Hebrews 13:5

Let me begin this morning by telling you the tale of a family-like you might know in a town, not unlike Silver Bay.

Once upon a time, there was a little girl whose grandpa would give her mother $100 at the start of each December to buy whatever Mom wanted. 

Well, this December was different.  Christmas was coming.  Unlike most children, the little girl and her sister were dreading the upcoming Holiday.  Their Dad’s business had been struggling, finding the money for food was a challenge, let alone money for presents.  Every holiday advertisement would make the girls feel worse and worse.  Being teenagers, they would see their classmates adorned with new clothes that they knew they couldn’t afford.   Pretty soon, the girls just wished for Christmas to be over, so they wouldn’t have to think about it anymore.

One day Mom took the girls for some odd reason to the mall.   She took her daughter to her favorite clothing store, for some unknown purpose as they wouldn’t be able to afford anything.   She had her daughter try on a dress that caught her eye.   The fit was perfect and the dress looked amazing.  The daughter understood though that she could never own it.

Christmas kept approaching. The family for the first time the daughter could remember didn’t even purchase a Christmas tree. One day the girl noticed something about her mother.  Her mother’s shoes had holes in them that she wore every day over snow and ice without complaint. 

Pretty soon Christmas day came! There were no presents within eyesight.  The family then gathers for breakfast, when a huge smile comes over mom’s face “Time for presents.”

She goes into her bedroom, comes out with present for each of her children.  She hands a box to her daughter inside was the very dress that she had tried on at the mall.  Mom had spent every one of the 100 dollars that her father had sent on her children’s presents.  The daughter had a new, most popular outfit in her wardrobe that she wore again and again.  Every time she wore that dress, tears would come to her eyes as she remembered the depth of her mother’s sacrifice so that she could wear it.

Today’s Epistle Lesson comes us to from the 13th Chapter of the Book of Hebrews.  Hebrews was a letter written to a group of Jewish Christians in Jerusalem which seeks to give new meaning to the major Old Testament themes because of Christ’s death and resurrection. 

The last few weeks, we’ve studied major themes within Hebrews.  Three weeks ago, I reflected upon on how the major heroes of the Old Testament: Noah, Moses, David, and Abraham clung to the faith in their various trials awaiting the long-promised hope of the Messiah Jesus.  Two weeks ago, I preached on present-day Martyrs who were even willing to die for their faith, because their Lord had triumphed over the grave.  Last week, I preached on the major Old Testament theme of “Covenant.”  How God kept laying out major covenants within the Old Testament: Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, and Moses., how covenants differ from contracts because of the unconditional grace they give to their recipients. 

Today’s lesson as laid out in the story of the little girl, her mother, and the new dress deals with another significant Old Testament theme of sacrifice.

Now stories of sacrifice are prominent throughout the Old Testament. The Old Testament’s most important event The Passover in Egypt centers on instructing each household to sacrifice a lamb, so all the Israelite's may escape the plague brought on by the Angel of Death. 

Such instructions would not have seemed odd to Israelite's living in Egypt during the days of Moses. Sacrifice to as a way to bring about personal transformation was the central act of Old Testament worship.  The first seven chapters of Leviticus go into great detail describing five main types of sacrifice, including guilt and sin sacrifices.  The purpose of each of these sacrifices was to redeem someone’s previous flawed relationship with God. 

The most famous story of sacrifice takes place in Genesis 22.  Abraham waits for years and years to have a son with his wife, Sarah.  The son (Isaac) is born when Abraham is already an old man; then God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac right when Isaac is ready to enter adulthood.  Abraham is so faithful to God’s promises that he takes Isaac to the top of a mountain with tears in his eyes and puts a knife to Isaac’s throat. 

At first glance, this appears to be a terrible story about God.  In the year 1976, radio broadcaster Paul Harvey debuted a new radio series titled The Rest of the Story.  Harvey’s tales which ran until his death blended history and mystery made Harvey a millionaire many times over.  Harvey had a gift for finding the most unlikely of outcomes in which seemed like hopeless situations.

So as Abraham put a knife to Isaac’s throat, this merely begins the Rest of the Story.  An angel immediately diverts Abraham attention’s to a ram caught in a bush.  Abraham is instructed then to sacrifice the ram instead.  What this event pointed to is how God would soon put an end to the Old Testament sacrificial system upon a cross.   What exactly is the rest of the story for each one of us?

Once upon a time a Red Cross Blood Donor Center in Oakland, California received an unexpected visitor in a frail, older man.  What stood out even more than the man’s age was his wardrobe.  He had on finest clothes as he requested to give blood.  The nurse begins shaking her head. “You’re too old to give blood.”  A sad look comes over the man’s face.   The man responds to the nurse: “I know I would not be able to survive a blood donation.  So I dressed for my funeral.  I should have died happy, knowing my death might mean life for some boy (one) somewhere far from home.”

Human life is ultimately connected to sacrifices like the one attempted by this older man.  You’re not raised in this world without the sacrifices of your parents.   One’s last days are dependent on the time and talents of others so they may leave this world in comfort.  Life after death only comes from the sacrifice that Jesus made for you.  Sacrifice is rooted in love. 

Jesus declares within John’s Gospel: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Christ sacrificing his life upon the cross is the rest of our salvation story both now and forever.   The point of our lesson is that Christ, because of his great love for you, is willing to go further for you than you can even imagine. 

The father of Afghanistan was a man named Ahmed Shah.  Afghanistan had been divided for generations in tribal conflict until Shah’s rules brought peace to the land.   Shah’s secret to peace was showing the Afghan tribes a secret valley he had discovered.  This valley had one hidden entrance through a ravine cut of a rock.  Keeping the hidden entrance secret would not only build unity among the Afghan tribes but keep them safe from all foreign invaders.  Keeping this secret would be the Afghan’s most important law.    Under Ahmed Shah’s reign, Afghanistan began to flourish both culturally and economically.  One day Ahmed Shah’s world would be turned upside down.  One of his officers declared a major problem as someone had broken the most important law and disclosed the location of the secret passage.   The lieutenant explained that spies who got the secret were immediately captured and put to death.  As for the Afghan traitor, the Shah was asked: “What should I do?”  The Shah declared: “make an example of him. Tie him to a column in the middle of the city square and have him beaten to death for everyone to see. We must show that no man can put his desires over that of the whole community. Do you hear me? One hundred lashes in the city square.”

A very nervous look comes over the lieutenant’s face.  He then begins to nervously declare: “Sir, your mother was the traitor.” There was no potential more significant crisis for Ahmed Shah.  He knew that if word of this got out that he would be ousted as ruler and Afghanistan could internally collapse.  He would be forced to choose between his mother and his nation.

Ahmed Shah couldn’t sleep as he wrestled with his decision.  The next morning, he announces his verdict, “The prisoner must endure the 100 lashes.” Everyone gasped as they saw a little, old lady dragged to the center of the square.  A big, scary-looking man stood next to her, ready to dole out punishment.  The first lash left a welt.  The second lash drew blood.  Her legs began to tremble.  There was no way Ahmed Shah’s mom could endure a half-dozen of these blows, let alone 98 more.

As the executioner prepared for a third strike, Ahmed Shah yelled out, “Stop.” “The penalty for my mother's crime was one hundred lashes. She has paid two of them. I will pay the other ninety-eight.”  Those in attendance were speechless as they watched 98 strikes be applied to the ruler of the Afghans.  Afterward, Ahmed Shah’s fate hung in the balance for weeks before eventually surviving.

After this day, Ahmed Shah was held in such high regard among the Afghans that subsequent kings would be called “Shahs” after him. 

You see what happened on Good Friday is this, Jesus saw a world that had received two lashes, and he went forth to take 98 additional lashes in our place, Reminding us that there are no limits to God’s grace. So no matter your sin, no sacrifice even unto death can be “ever” more complete than Christ for you upon a cross.  Amen