First Lesson: 1 Kings 17: 8-16, (17-24)
Responsive Reading: Psalm 146
Second Lesson: Galatians 1: 11-24
​Gospel Lesson: Luke 7: 11-17

 
Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Luke 7:11- I want to tell you this morning the story of a woman that I’ll call Joanna who lived in a town called Nain.  Joanna’s life was nothing special.  She lived in a conventional home of stone and mud-brick.  She spent her days like any other woman around: grinding wheat, fetching water, cooking meals, and cleaning clothes.  During the Galilean harvest, Joanna would help gather olives. One thing you should know about Joanna is that a few years ago, she had become a widow.  Joanna’s husband’s was a good and kind man who she missed every day.  The thing about death though is it seems to be so certain that life has to go on as normal.  Joanna’s life was now in the care of her son that we will call Jonathan.  Jonathan was Joanna’s only son.  Joanna was unable to conceive any additional children.  Another thing that you need to know about Joanna is that her entire existence was dependent on being cared for by the men in her family.  While this might not make much sense today, this was the reality of the world in which Joanna lived.  Women in Joanna’s day were not able to get jobs as a way to pay the bills nor were they able to inherit the land.  Joanna never saw this as a problem because she had her young strapping son taking care of her.  Everything seemed to be going well until one day.  Jonathan grew ill, at first, it appeared to be nothing.  Jonathan’s condition kept growing worse until he breathed his last breath.  Joanna screamed out at agony upon witnessing Jonathan’s death.  Joanna was going to be forced to bury her own child.  Joanna was going to be living every parent’s worst nightmare!
 
Luke 7:12- Jonathan’s funeral procession took place the very next day.  Such a practice was the Jewish custom.  Jews from all over Nain came to grieve Joanna’s loss.  People were sad not because they knew Joanna real well.  Joanna was like a movie character who even though you don’t know them, you weep for their circumstances.  Joanna was the woman who had a tornado destroy her home, only to have no insurance to rebuild it.  So Jonathan’s funeral procession began to march away from the city gate to bury Jonathan.  At the same time, Joanna began to walk away from Nain, a large crowd that appeared to be at least a dozen people is approaching the city.  The funeral procession soon meets the traveling party.  Joanna knew nothing about who was in this crowd.  Both groups exchange eye-contact but no answers appear to be forthcoming.
 
Luke 7:13- A man steps from out of the crowd approaching Joanna.  The man didn’t look out of the ordinary.  Joanna had no idea why this man would approach her.  There would seem to be no reason for this man to care especially about the fate of Jonathan.  This man begins to speak “ Do not weep.”  Who is this guy, Joanna wondered?  How can I not weep, I am alone, and I will live the rest of my life as a charity case.  These words initially struck Joanna as “insensitive” or “thoughtless.”  The man from the crowd though had compassion upon Joanna.  You see compassion is a funny thing.  Compassion is not merely issuing beautiful words of comfort.  Compassion is action when the action doesn’t benefit you in any way, shape, or form. Compassion is a Samatrian man helping his natural enemy who lies beaten on the side of the road[1].  The man from the crowd for his act of compassion was going to approach Jonathan’s body.
 
Luke 7:14- I should tell you a little bit more about this man and the funeral scene.  Jonathan did not lay in a box or a coffin like they do today.  Instead, Jonathan was being carried out in the open for the entire world to see.  The man from the crowd does something shocking and unexpected as the people look on.  The man from the crowd touches Jonathan’s body.  The man from the crowd’s touch was shocking and in violation of Jewish customs.  “Whoever touches the body of a dead person shall be unclean for seven days,” says the Book of Numbers. [2] The man from the crowd though expressed a comfort level in the presence of death like no one else that Joanna had seen before.  The Rabbis would never dare do such a thing as the man from the crowd did.  The man from the crowd touched death.  The man from the crowd reached to feel death’s reality.  The man from the crowd attempted to bring the dead back to life.  “Young man, I say to you, arise.”
 
People wondered upon hearing these words, who was the man from the crowd to be able to demand such things.  Tension began to build within the group, wondering what might happen next as soon as they hear these words.   Hundreds of people were now quiet enough that you could hear a pin drop.   Honestly, people weren’t expecting much. Death was the team losing 44-0 with two minutes left on the clock.  No amount of motivational speeches would turn around a hopeless situation.    
 
Luke 7:15- Yet then it happened! Imagine the most shocking thing that you have seen in your life and multiply it by eternity.  It was the man from the crowd’s touch and words that Jonathan rose back up to life like nothing was even wrong in the first place. Jonathan leaped off the funeral bier into Joanna’s embrace. The crowd cheered like the Twins had just won the World Series!  Exuberance was all around!  There was still an important question left to answer. Why would the man from the crowd do such a thing? You see the man from the crowd had made a habit in his life of seeking to reach those who were powerless and felt invisible.  Later in his life, he would encounter a short man named Zacchaeus who was the least popular man in town[3].  The man from the crowd would even dare step into Zacchaeus’ home regardless of what anyone else thought about it.  Why Joanna? Why Jonathan[4]? No real reason at all.  Joanna never asks for Resurrection.  No one would cite Jonathan as a model of faith.  Joanna doesn’t know the man from the crowd’s name.  By the way, his name was Jesus, in case you were curious.  The man from the crowd sought to bestow grace on this day to both Joanna and Jonathan.  People will define grace all sorts of different ways.  I like to describe grace as what God does for us.  Grace is a healing of the obstacles of sin and death that we cannot overcome on our own.  Grace would come down from heaven to earth in an even more dramatic fashion later though within the man from the crowd’s life.
 
Luke 7:16- The crowd was amazed at what they had seen.  “A great prophet has arisen among us.”  There had been great prophets who performed miracles before.  Moses parted the Red Sea[5].  Elijah had called down fire from heaven[6]. Both Elijah and Elisha had raised widow’s sons from the dead[7].  What had happened on this day though was different.  The man from the crowd doesn’t pray to God to act.  The man from the crowd invoked God by himself.  It was almost as if this ordinary looking man from the crowd was God or something like that.  The man from the crowd would soon do what neither Moses, Elijah, or Elisha had done before him.  The man from the crowd would soon overcome the grave on his own.  He would walk out of his only tomb like nothing was wrong in the first place just like in the story of Joanna and Jonathan.   “God has truly come to help his people.”
 
Luke 7:17- Word of this miracle in Nain began to spread throughout all the land.  Even John the Baptist heard this story as he sat in prison.  The point of the story of Joanna, Jonathan, and the man from the crowd is this.  Brokenness is in the world around us[8].  There is no greater sign of this brokenness than death[9].  What we see today in the story of Joanna and Jonathan is brokenness is not God’s intention for humanity.  God does not will cancer!  God does not will poverty! God does not will suffering[10]!  The main point of our story is that there will be times in our life when we feel like Joanna.  We will lose people that we dearly love. We will have moments where we long for the smallest signs of hope. We will wish that there is a prophet that comes out of the crowd to touch the dead and bring them back to life[11].  What our story reminds us is that Resurrection can happen at any moment.  The man from the crowd can bring hope in the midst of your great brokenness.  The following story is our Gospel lesson of Jesus healing the Widow of Nain’s Son[12].  Amen
 
 


[1] Luke 10:25-37. 
[2] Numbers 19:11
[3] Luke 19:1-10
[4] Buchanan, Rev. Dr. Kimberleigh. “ From Procession to Party.”. Day 1. 10. June.2007. Web. May.30.2016.
[5] Exodus 14:21
[6] 1 Kings 18:38
[7] 1 Kings 17:22, 2 Kings 4:34
[8] Zingale, Tim. “Jesus’ Loving Heart”. Sermon Central. June 2007. Web. May.30.2016.
[9] Romans 6:23.
[10] Zingale, Tim. “Jesus’ Loving Heart”
[11] Lind Hogan, Lucy. “Commentary on Luke 7:11-17”.  Working Preacher. Luther Seminary. Saint Paul, Minnesota. 05.June.2016. Web. May.29.2016.
[12] Luke 7:11-17.  

First Lesson: Acts 16: 9-15
Responsive Reading: Psalm 67
Second Lesson: Revelation 21: 10, 22-22:5
​Gospel Lesson: John 14: 23-29

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
​
When my dad was in high school, he played Football.  Dad was a backup offensive lineman, who never got into the games much.  One time though Dad got hit hard unsure if it was practice or a game.  Twenty some years later, Dad started having all sorts of problems with his back.  He ends up getting recommended to see a specialist in Milwaukee.  Dad would make frequent trips down to Milwaukee then.  I would always go with him to the appointment, and we would catch the Milwaukee Brewers play.  I always liked this because I would often get out of school to go!   Well, the place that we were supposed to go the Milwaukee Pain Clinic was on the North Side of Milwaukee in what wasn’t known as being the best part of town.  So Dad and I had some time before one of his appointments, we decided to eat beforehand.  We see a restaurant called Roscoe’s BBQ (I believe).  We walk in, let’s just say a couple of Swedes from Lindstrom, Minnesota really stood out among the clientele at Roscoe’s.  I’m pretty sure no one there knew what a “Dala Horse” was?  So as we walk in the door, every eye in the restaurant is upon us.  We merely sit down at Roscoe’s like we would anywhere else.  We order have a great meal of BBQ are welcomed warmly by the staff and locals then go out the door.  

A lot of great things can happen in life when you’re bold enough to step outside what one knows in life.  The tale of Roscoe’s BBQ brings us to the tale of our lesson for today from Acts 16: The story of Paul and Lydia.

Let me begin this morning by telling you a little about the two main characters within our story.  Let me introduce Paul.  Paul goes down to the river.  Paul was stepping out of his comfort zone on this day.  Paul was going to preach to a woman like he rarely preached a non-Jewish, single woman.  Paul had reasons to think the situation ahead wasn’t looking hopeful.  Paul had experienced spiritual dry spells.  Paul kept traveling all over Asia trying to preach the Gospel but encountering dead ends.  Paul though didn’t go through life saying “I tried once or even twice, but it didn’t work out[1].”  Paul believed that his convictions were such that they were ultimately worth dying regardless of previous results.  As I think of Paul on this day, I think of another story.

This week, I came across the story of Sylvester Stallone[2].  Stallone’s rise to the top was anything but easy.  When Stallone was born, his face was paralyzed.  The paralysis gave Stallone slurred speech and a snarling look on his face.  When Sly Stallone was in school, he was picked on because of these things.  Stallone gets sent to a special high school for “troubled kids”.  Kids at this school vote Stallone the most likely person to end up in the electric chair[3]. 

Stallone tries to make it as an actor.  Stallone had to work every kind of dead end job to make ends meet.  Stallone slept nights in the bus terminal[4].  One day, Stallone auditions for a film role fails to get the part yet again.  Stallone then pitches a boxing script that he had written.  Producers are interested in buying Stallone’s movie.  There was just one catch; the producers thought Sly Stallone was such a bad actor that he couldn’t be in his film[5].  Stallone won’t budge, though.  Stallone wouldn’t budge even as he had barely a dollar to his name until Stallone is allowed to play Rocky Balboa.  The rest of the story is Stallone becomes on one of the biggest movie stars of all time.

The great thing about Sly Stallone is that he refused to accept life on its terms.  Stallone’s story is just like the Apostle Paul traveling throughout the world preaching.  Paul had transformed in a matter of mere days from the Christian faith’s greatest enemy to its greatest proclaimer.  Paul would go to the ends of the Earth to reach people because he believed that this was what God was calling him to do.  Paul believed that God’s power would come through, in the end, no matter how dark the day because he had previously experienced Resurrection within his life.  Paul’s convictions had brought Lydia into his life. 

Now let me introduce another person in our story named Lydia.  Lydia is one of the most powerful women in the Bible.  Lydia hails from Thyatira, which is a city in modern Turkey.  Thyatira was a city known for producing the finest linens.  Lydia herself dressed in purple linens looking a person of means or possibly a royal[6].  We have no mention of Lydia’s husband only her children.  Lydia was an independent businesswoman who went through life refusing to follow the crowd.  Lydia one night was down by the river for worship and prayer.  Lydia probably wasn’t a good Jew looking for a different religious cause; Lydia was merely seeking out God’s ways in the world.  Lydia did not get converted on this day because Paul was a dynamic preacher.  Paul personally describes himself as lacking in charisma.  Lydia’s conversion came about because there were forces that came into her life that were more so powerful that Lydia came to believe. 

Last week, I was talking to a Confirmation student who was telling me about his sister.  His sister would like to go out running.  The only problem was she didn’t want to run in town.  She was worried about what other people may think.  Perhaps they might make fun of the way she runs.  What I said is there are two things in this world who can define us.  We either go through life defined by the judgments of others.  These are the type of individuals that wouldn’t spend two minutes actually to explore your true worth.  The other option is we go through life defined by its sources of love and acceptance.  God defines relationships with chosen people way different than everyone else in the world around you.  We need to remember this!

I’ll often have conversations with parents about the faith of their children.  Their kids were baptized, went to Sunday school, probably even got married in a church yet nowadays they have nothing to do with the Church.  People will ask is there a real good solution to this? My advice is things will ultimately happen in God’s time rather than your own. 

Paul went to Macedonia expecting to encounter dead ends.  Paul meets Lydia.  Paul then baptizes her and her children[7].  Paul gets imprisoned[8]. Paul appears to be defeated.  God has other plans.  Pretty soon, The Earth below Paul’s feet begins to shake[9].  Paul’s Jailer soon gets converted[10].  The Jailer’s family then gets saved. The only advice that I have for people who struggle with their kids is when you wake up every morning is to believe that God has the power to change the world today.  God can change the world even if you’re not the greatest preacher like Paul.  God can change the world even if the circumstances seem hopeless.  Go through life believing that ultimately in the end the Gospel can break down walls!  God can bring people out of the whale’s belly of life.  God can above all raise the dead!
What the story of Paul and Lydia points out to us is that we never have God quite figured out.  When we think we’re about ready to unlock the secrets to penetrating heaven, we encounter the reality of the Cross.  We encounter that who God chooses to save in the end is his business, not ours[11].  If God wants to save unconventional people in unconventional ways, then praise be to God!

An interesting thing about the story of Lydia and Paul is that Lydia’s entire household is mentioned to be baptized[12].  I think what the Baptism descriptions throughout the New Testament showcase are the depths and limits of Resurrection as poured out upon in Baptism[13].  When the New Testament describes baptizing entire households[14].  We don’t imagine the process took place where families sat down and debated the pros and cons of Baptism.  Nor is there every any mention of discussion regarding children’s age. What happened is that people such as Lydia believed that God would create faith in the life of their children in Baptism no different than they had experienced faith in their lives.  Paul administers Baptism unto people minus stipulations, minus all sorts of rules or regulations.  We baptize babies without reservation because the whole arc of the Christian scriptures centers around God saving people apart from their own power or decisions.  Paul doesn’t think in terms of limits regarding how God may act in the life of Lydia, because there is no greater limit then the dead are supposed to remain in tombs only until they don’t. 

God doesn’t work salvation through a series of rules.  God works salvation by a book that centers itself around the Cross.  When we consider what, it means to live by faith alone, what this means is that we believe that God will come through in the end.  We might struggle with this at times.  We walk away from plenty of tombs in this life, hoping and believing that these tombs will one day show life.  The following hope is ultimately the meaning of Resurrection. 

Brene Brown: Grace is the whisper when you’re standing in front of the dark that says “I can’t make this less scary for you, but I can remind you that its’ been (you’ve) walked through (it) before[15].”  

This week, I had a dental appointment down in the Twin Cities.  So on Monday night, I go to see Grandma.  Grandma was in a splendid, mood.  It was such a good mood that it almost took me by surprise.  I asked Grandma if she had met a man at the nursing home or something.  To which she always says she’s waiting on George Clooney. 

As I inquire, the reason for Grandma’s mood caught me by surprise.  Grandma had been coloring out of a coloring book all day.  Grandma asks if I want to take a look like at all the pages that she colored.  I assumed that she might pull out about ten pages to look over.  Instead, Grandma pulls out closer to 100 pages to go over with me.  As Grandma’s showing me what she colored, she has the enthusiasm of a child bragging to Mom and Dad about what happened at school.  Grandma asked which one I wanted for my office.  I came across a great one that quotes Cyclist Jamie Paolinetti “Limitations live only in our minds…but if we use our imagination our possibilities becomes limitless.”  What this quote reminds us is that God’s ability to reach people even in the depths of great personal sin and despair often goes far beyond what even our imagination can grasp.  As in the case of Lydia and Paul, barriers can crumble before our eyes. 

A woman named Lydia on a day like this went down to the river.  Lydia appeared successful to everyone that knew her.  Deep down inside, Lydia didn’t have her life altogether.  Lydia struggled with the question of whether she was worthy and deserving of God’s love.  A preacher named Paul then came into Lydia’s life.  Paul told Lydia that God’s mercy knew no limits.  God’s grace was for her and her children! Paul told Lydia about the power of Resurrection! Lydia’s life would soon be changed forever more!  Amen
 
 


[1] This is a quote from Les Brown found in the Mateusz M You Tube video “Awakening”.  
[2] Mateusz M. “Inspiring Success Story of Sylvester Stallone.”. Mateusz M. 28. Apr.2016. Web. Apr.28.2016. 
[3] Mateusz M. “Inspiring Success Story of Sylvester Stallone.”.
[4] Mateusz M. “Inspiring Success Story of Sylvester Stallone.”.
[5] Mateusz M. “Inspiring Success Story of Sylvester Stallone.”.
[6] Hyde, Randy. “If You Have Judged Me to Be Faithful”. Lectionary.org. 2004. Web. Apr.28.2016.
[7] Acts 16:15
[8] Acts 16:23
[9] Acts 16:26
[10] Acts 16:30-31
[11] Madson, Meg. “Is Everybody Saved?” Cross Alone Lutherans. 25. Feb.2006 . Web. Apr.30.2016.
[12] Acts 16:15
[13] Romans 6:4
[14] Acts 16:15, Acts 16:33-34, 1 Cor 1:16
[15] Brown, Brene. “I love it when NOTESONTHEWAY turns quotes into art!”. Facebook. 28. Apr.2016. Web. Apr.28.2016. 

First Lesson: Acts 11: 1-18
Responsive Reading: Psalm 148
Second Lesson: Revelation 21: 1-6
​Gospel Lesson: John 13: 31-35

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

Walter Mitty was the biggest daydreamer in the world[1].  Walter Mitty knew that the truth of real life was often painful, so Mitty spent his time dreaming of a new type of existence.  Walter Mitty dreamed of new relationships.  He dreamed of less broken relationships.  Walter Mitty dreamed for his world to be something that it was not.  Whereas the world around Walter Mitty was boring and repetitive, Mitty was able to see the possibility of transformation coming from straight out of his run of the mill life.
​
The Apostle John in many ways was like Walter Mitty.  John’s present life was tough.  John was imprisoned on the Greek Isle of Patmos.  John was separated from everyone that he loved. 
​
We might often feel like Walter Mitty and the Apostle John weak and powerless.  We are often surrounded by forces whose presence we cannot begin to overcome on our own.  So we daydream over a different type of existence.  My grandma dreams of moving to California.  The lonely widow dreams of meeting her Prince Charming.  The poor working mother dreams of winning the lottery.  I dream of the Vikings winning the Super Bowl.  Dreams are what kept Walter Mitty and John going when no one around them believed that actual change was possible.

I came across a great quote from Walt Disney this week that “A dream is a wish that your heart makes. 
I was talking to a woman a while back that I’ll call Theresa.  Theresa was working in her first job out of grad school.  Theresa approached this job with a sense of optimism regarding “What possibly could be done to change the people’s lives around her for the better.”  The problem for Theresa is she then started talking to other people who gave her all the reasons “Why her ideas could never happen”.  These people had been right before.  These people claimed to have more life experience and wisdom.  It would be easy for Theresa to give up in the face of their criticisms. But, there is no guarantee that these naysayers will remain right forever.  Once we lose hope that things can change regardless of the odds or present circumstances, then the way forward is viewed with nothing but dread and despair. 

As bad as John’s situation was as he was exiled in Patmos for his Christian faith.  John never lost his sense of hope for how his God will come through for him.  Last week, we looked at the importance of John’s vision within the Book of Revelation.  This week, we get down to the nuts and bolts of John’s vision. 
Before we begin exploring our lesson from Revelation 21[2], this morning, what if I told you that many of the ways that we think about the Afterlife as Christian people are wrong?   How we tend to think in terms of Heaven being above us, Earth in-between, and Hell down below.  Widespread beliefs like The Rapture tend to portray God dictating Christians leaving this world behind, before its destruction.  What if God’s plans for this world were different?  What if a day will come instead when Heaven comes crashing down from the sky.  What if the “great hope” of Resurrection isn’t leaving this world behind, but rather a new creation emerging from around us.

Forty days after Jesus’ Resurrection came Jesus’ Ascension into heaven as described in Acts 1.  As Jesus exits the Earth into the sky, he leaves the Disciples with two promises.  The first promise is A. He is coming back to bring forth the New Jerusalem or the City of God descending from out of the heavens (1:6).  B. No one knows the date or the hour as to when this shall be(1:7). 

As we look towards our lesson for today, there is an interesting phrase within it “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth, had passed away.”-Revelation 21:1. 

What this passage does is speak to the direction of God’s salvation.  How God is going to come down to us.  God first came down in the person of Jesus Christ.  God remains present on this day through his Holy Spirit by coming down again whenever we hear the Gospel promises given in Word, Water, Wine, and Wheat.  Jesus will come once again to usher in a “new creation” on the day of Final Resurrection.
One of the more famous stories in the Old Testament that I’ve never preached on is the building of the Tower of Babel[3].  After the Great Flood, everyone in the world was speaking with one voice.  People working together might sound like a good thing, but people were going around believing that absolutely no spiritual pursuit even building a tower to Heaven could be out of their reach, so all the people journey together to the land of Shinar to build a city and this tower. The people wanted to make a name for themselves declare their equality with God, so they begin building seeking to reach the sky.  God eventually lays eyes upon the city and the tower.  God sees the tower as a problem because of all the harm that had been brought forth to the world when the first humans Adam and Eve saw them and God in competition.  So God brings the Tower down.  God confuses their language and God scatters the people throughout all the Earth. 
Now many people may hear this story and think it doesn’t make a lot of sense.  The Tower of Babel though has everything to do with how we understand salvation.  The thing is that everything about salvation centers around its order.  We are incapable of reaching Heaven on our own, so therefore, God promises to come down and reach us instead.  This is the great hope of the Christian faith!

Earlier this month, a neighbor of mine from growing up Mary passed away.  Mary had been fighting cancer for over a decade.  I saw Mary at dinner one Friday night then a few days later she fell in her home and passed soon after that.  Mary’s daughter Kelly was one of my babysitters growing up.  I couldn’t say a bad word about Mary. 

Mary in her obit said the following: “Life is short, too short, (I never want to leave the party!).  My parents went to Mary’s funeral at Trinity Lutheran Church where I grew up.  Mary wanted a note read where she said that she didn’t know if anything lied ahead for her. 

I can’t blame Mary for thinking this way, we think of questions of the Afterlife having to deal with God who resides in the heavens far above us.  Let’s admit that many of our critics have a point this can seem quite far-fetched.  We might look at our life and see Heaven being a place that we cannot possibly ascend .  Heaven for even the grandest of dreamer seems a picture to hard to grasp.  Could we actually dwell with the creator of Heaven and Earth?

The picture looks different than either Mary and we can imagine. What if the party that Mary so enjoyed was merely a foretaste of the feast that is to come?

Being a bachelor over the years, I’ve learned that if I don’t cook then, I ultimately don’t eat.  So as any cook could tell you the best part about preparing a meal is often the taste-testing to give a sample of what lies ahead.  Christ’s first coming and first Resurrection was merely a sampling of the Resurrection that is to come.  In the words of the Prophet Ezekiel[4], we continually look towards the day when the dry bones come out of the ground and start dancing in the streets. 

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”- John 14:3. 

I think as Christian people one of our common mistakes is selling the afterlife short.  We imagine it merely being our souls flying around in the clouds.  What if I told you that Afterlife was much greater.  The Afterlife is not merely a lesser version of our present existence.  The Afterlife is rather an inheritance of a world with no pain, suffering, or mourning.  The Afterlife is the reception of the great inheritance that God sent his Son to the Cross to bring forth. 

I’ll talk to people every day who worry about the future of this nation.  I’ll talk to people who worry about the future of God’s people.   You maybe cannot imagine that it’s possible that God can come back and turn it all around by ushering in his Kingdom.  As John wrote the Book of Revelation, no matter how dark and lonely the night became, John kept on believing God’s plans for him were much greater than even he could imagine. 

Let me quote the words of Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw on this morning who said[5]:
“You see things as they are and ask, Why?”
“I dream things that never were and ask “Why not?” 

Jesus said after the death of his friend Lazarus: “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”- John 11:1. 

Everyone gathered here today longs for the day of Resurrection.  No one wakes up this morning not desiring to see the day where their existence forever changes.  We long for the type of change to come into our lives that took place in the life of Mary Magdalene as she encountered the Risen Lord standing outside the tomb. We long for the day when the sea of separation within our lives shall be no more[6], the day when flowers that are dying come back into the bloom.  The day that the sun shines in the sky like never before.    We long for the day when a great comfort will come to those who are previously distressed.  We look forward to the day when we reunite with those who have gone before us[7], the day when we shall become inheritors of the great promises that our God gives to us on this day.  The greatest of Christian hopes is that a day lies ahead when the sky shall come crashing down.

“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”-1ST Corinthians 15:51-52. 

Everything shall change when the sky comes crashing down! A new heaven and a new earth shall emerge.  The day when our eyes finally see the long awaited pearly gates and streets paved with gold[8].  On this day, all things from our former way of life shall be made new[9]! Resurrection is coming soon!  Amen
               


[1] “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” was a short-story written by James Thurber in 1939.  Mitty’s daydreaming tales were subsequently made into flims in 1947 and 2013. 
[2] Revelation 21:1-6. 
[3] Genesis 11
[4] Ezekiel 37
[5] McLarty, Dr.Phillip. “Where There’s Vision, There’s Hope.”. Lectionary.org. 2010. Web. Apr.21.2016.
[6] Revelation 21:3
[7] Zingale, Tim. “Heart Prints”. Sermon Central. Apr.2007. Web. Apr.21.2016.  Zingale gives really good insight on Revelation 21:4 from the Augsburg Epistles series written by Pastor Robert Borgwardt. 
[8] Revelation 21:21.
[9] Isaiah 43:19. 

First Lesson: Acts 9: 36-43
Responsive Reading: Psalm 23
Second Lesson: Revelation 7: 9-17
​Gospel Lesson: John 10: 22-30

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

Let me begin with a spin on a story told by Vince Gerhardy[1].  Ole and Lena die in a car crash after having been married sixty-five years.  Ole and Lena before this had been in excellent health because Lena was a health freak when it came to both Ole and her diets.  The thing worth noting about Ole in the story is that Ole was tight with money even for a Swede.  Ole’s first question was always “How much is that gonna cost?”  So Ole and Lena reach the pearly gates.  Saint Peter takes them to their mansion which had everything their hearts desire: a beautiful kitchen, a sauna, a hot tub, and gold-tiled floors.  Ole not being able to leave his tightness behind asks Saint Peter “How much is this going to cost?”  Saint Peter looks at Ole with a puzzled look then says “It’s free, this is heaven.”

Next, Saint Peter takes Ole and Lena to see the championship golf course in the backyard[2].  This course had the best features of Saint Andrews, Pebble Beach, and Augusta National all rolled up in eighteen holes.  Saint Peter tells Ole and Lena that they will be able to play this course anytime they want.  Ole wants to know what the green fees are?”  Peter replies “This is heaven.  You play for free.”

Next, Ole and Lena go to the clubhouse where they see a lavish buffet[3].  This buffet had everything: Prime Rib, Turkey, Swedish Meatballs, rich desserts, and every kind of fatty and rich food imaginable.

Ole again asks “How much does this cost?”

To which Peter getting annoyed says “Don’t you understand Ole? You’re in heaven; it is free.”  Ole then asks Peter “Where are the low fat and low cholesterol tables?  Peter says “That’s the best part about heaven.  You can eat whatever you want and never gain a pound or get sick.”

Ole at this points get’s mad, Ole takes off his hat and throws it on the ground, and stomps on it.  Peter is confused by Ole’s outburst.  Peter asks Ole “What’s wrong?”  Ole then looks at Lena saying “This is all your fault.  If it wasn’t for your healthy eating.  I could have been here ten years ago[4]!”

Today, we celebrate the fourth Sunday of our Easter season.  Easter is the season where we celebrate Resurrection and its meaning.  Today we come face to face with the future of Resurrection as we hear of a vision given by John in Revelation 7.  A little bit about John’s life before our vision for today.  John wrote Revelation while in prison on the Greek Isle of Patmos.  John’s crime was being a Christian in the presence of the Roman Government.  John was writing to fellow early Christians who had also been touched by pain and sorrow.  John had been praying every night to see the signs of hope on the horizon.  What John encounters in this vision from Revelation 7 was a picture to give Christian people hope in the here and now.  Let me begin this morning by explaining why such a vision was so important. 

In 1990, James “Buster” Douglas was preparing for a boxing match against Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson[5].  Tyson was undefeated heading into this fight.  Douglas was considered to be such an underdog against Tyson that most casinos wouldn’t even take bets on the fight thinking it to be a foregone conclusion that Mike Tyson was going to knock Buster Douglas out.  Twenty-three days before the fight Douglas’ mother dies[6].  Douglas promises to his mom before he dies “That he is going to beat Mike Tyson and become the heavyweight champion of the world.”  Douglas’ words would have seemed to be the definition of a foolish promise, but Douglas went to Tokyo for the fight against Mike Tyson believing it.  Douglas comes out and shocks the crowd by boxing unafraid.  Douglas takes control of the fight; then it happens Mike Tyson launches the big punch knocking Buster Douglas to the canvas.  No one had ever gotten up from a knockdown by Mike Tyson ever before, everyone watching the fight thought it was over, yet Buster Douglas would not be deterred because of his vision.  Douglas gets on his feet on the “9-count” right before the ref was able to stop the fight.  In the 10th Round, Douglas throws a punch that knocks Mike Tyson out.  After the fight, Douglas is asked: “How he could win against insurmountable odds?”  Douglas replies because of the vision he had given his mother.  Vision is the maybe the most powerful tool that we have in life to combat adversity.  Vision can keep people like Buster Douglas going when every instinct around them is telling them to give up.

John writes Revelation to several churches in Asia Minor because they need a vision.  The people whom John was writing to had lost everything they had lost their loved ones and their property.  John’s vision of the future is powerful.  Appearing before John in the vision are all the Jews and Christians who had gone before him from every corner of the earth.  A vision of more people than the eyes could even begin to count.  A vision of serenade with the most beautiful music brought forth by a heavenly choir[7]. 

The vision ends with a powerful word of promise.  “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”-Revelation 7:17. 

As we ponder the meaning of John’s vision.  Let’s begin by pondering the meaning of a tear.  We shed tears as infants when we’re lying in a crib unable to feed ourselves, clean ourselves, or control our surroundings in any way.  We shed tears as children when we fall and hurt ourselves as our pride often hurts more than our body.  We shed tears as young adults when our hearts are broken for the first time as we have to come to terms with the realness of separation.  We shed tears as adults as we begin to lose loved ones as we realize that our life will not look the same from that day forward.  We shed tears in old age as the prime of life has passed us by and we see ourselves begin to die a slow death from everything we’ve ever known.  We shed tears at events that we can’t control.  Tears more than anything our expressions of powerlessness in a given moment. 

In 2007, Social Worker Brene Brown had a nervous breakdown.  Brown decides that this midlife unraveling event was going to the motivating factor to bring her back to church[8]. Brown’s hope in going back to church was simple.  Brown hoped that all personal pain be gone for her life.

One day Brown was listening to a song on the radio which forever changed her perspective on faith.  The song was Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”.  The lyrics that captivated Brown were “Love is not a victory march. It’s a cold, and it’s a broken Hallelujah.” 

Brown as she heard these words came to understand the great truth of the Christian faith that “God is Love.”  “Love is not ultimately just unicorns and rainbows.[9]”  Jesus is ultimately the son of God because of all the types of people that he poured out love upon Tax Collectors, Sinners, Outcasts, Lepers, people of every tribe and tongue, people previously thought to be unlovable.  Jesus reached out to the hurting above all else, who needed a vision of the Resurrection that is to come.  The difficulty of pouring out love into the lives of broken people is what is meant by the saying that “Love is not a victory march.  Love is a cold and broken Hallelujah.”

As we hear of John’s vision for the future today, this causes us to reflect on the meaning of love and forgiveness within our lives. 

As Brown says “The thing about forgiveness is that for it to take place something has to die.  This death could take the form of your expectations regarding how the world should work.  There needs to be blood on the floor for forgiveness to take place”[10]. 

Brown came to realize that the truly powerful thing about faith wasn’t the absence of pain[11].  Faith doesn’t remove the hurt or frustration of the now.  Faith does not eliminate the tension between the “now” and “not yet”.  Faith rather says that God embraces you in your pain and tilts your head in the direction of Resurrection. 

When we hear the powerful promise that “God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.” We understand that God looks out upon our broken world in grief.  Jesus wept at the death of his friend Lazarus.  Jesus wept upon seeing his sisters Mary and Martha in pain.  Jesus weeps at the loss of a child.  Jesus ultimately weeps at your suffering.  Jesus went forth to the cross so that one-day suffering may end and Resurrection may be brought forth.   

 “We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair; pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed; for our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.  For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal[12].” (2 Cor 4:8, 9, 17,18)Death will always be in the news.  The only response that we have in the presence of death is Christ Jesus. 

I remember the funeral of the closest person to me that I’ve ever lost my great-grandpa Arvid back in 1995.  Arvid’s funeral was the first time that I ever spoke in front of the church.  I remember the scripture read during his funeral from 2 Timothy 4: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 

What these words reminded me that as I mourned Arvid’s loss at a young age is that one day Arvid would stand in victory on the day of Resurrection.  Do not give up on deliverance from the pain of this day.  Have faith that tears will be wiped from the eyes of all those who mourn forever.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”-Psalm 23:4

What Jesus is promising today is that ultimately in the end that death will not have the last laugh.  We believe him when he said, “I am going to prepare a place for you[13].” The place that Christ prepares that John’s vision describes will look like nothing that even Ole could ever imagine.

The greatest struggle that we have as Christian people is struggling on the toughest of days with the belief that God might not come through in the end.  When I was young, Dad would often be my ride home from school or sporting events.  The thing to know about Dad is that he rarely is anywhere on time.  So I would wait around long after the other kids had often gone.  Was this frustrating? You betcha.  I knew Dad would eventually come through whether it was fifteen minutes or an hour.  I knew this because he had come through so many times before.  My Dad perhaps accidentally taught me a great patience regarding circumstances because of this.  What God is saying to John today is “I will come through for you.”  “I will wipe every tear one day from your eyes.”  It doesn’t matter if life has seen you fed to lions, stoned to death, or burned in fiery furnaces.  Where you are today is temporary.  Resurrection is coming soon!  Amen

[1] Gerhady, Vince. “A Glimpse of Heaven”. Lectionary.org. 2009. Web. Apr.12.2016.
[2] Gerhady, Vince. “A Glimpse of Heaven”.
[3] Gerhady, Vince. “A Glimpse of Heaven”.
[4] Gerhady, Vince. “A Glimpse of Heaven”.
[5] Mateusz. M. “Resilency.” You Tube. 2. Feb. 2016. Web. Apr.12.2016.
[6] “Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Mar.2016. Web. Apr.13.2016. 
[7] Revelation 7:9-17. 
[8] Zahl, David. “Brene Brown Returns to Church (and Finds Jesus Weeping).”  26.July.2013. Web. Apr.12.2016.  via The Work of the People.com
[9] Zahl, David. “Brene Brown Returns to Church (and Finds Jesus Weeping).” 
[10] Zahl, David. “Brene Brown Returns to Church (and Finds Jesus Weeping).” 
[11] Zahl, David. “Brene Brown Returns to Church (and Finds Jesus Weeping).” 
[12] Gerhady, Vince. “A Great Crowd”. Lectionary.org. 2002. Web. Apr.12.2016. 
[13] John 14:3

First Lesson: Acts 9: 1-6 (7-20)
Responsive Reading: Psalm 130
Second Lesson: Revelation 5: 11-14
​Gospel Lesson: John 21: 1-19

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
​
In 2014, I traveled down the Shore to watch Grandma’s Marathon.  I took Grandma’s in a bit different than the regular spectator. I wasn’t going to watch the one-hundred pounders without an ounce of fat cross the finish line in less than 2 ½ hours.  I was going to watch the runners at the back of the pack.  My mentor Paul Bjorklund was running the race.  Paul was sixty-eight years old when he decided that he was going to give Grandma’s a try.  Paul a few years previous couldn’t have imagined himself attempting such a task before the loss of his beloved spouse Christine.  Nothing about this made any sense!  Paul had never run more than 16 miles in his life; now he was being asked to run 26.  Paul had ended up exhausted and hospitalized during training.  Paul’s doctors told him not to “run.”  Paul’s children begged him not to “run.”   Paul admitted his diet and weight weren’t the best to get ready to go the distance.  I had dinner with Paul the night before at Lemon Wolf, and he wasn’t sure if he would go through with it.  You see Paul was slow!  Paul ran 15-minute miles during training.  Paul ran about as fast as I casually walk. 

Race days comes, and I go to cheer Paul on.  I show up to McQuaid Harbor around the three-hour mark.  I told Paul to call me at mile thirteen if he couldn’t finish, I was surprised when he said that he wasn’t stopping.  I didn’t believe that Paul’s words could be true. I had to stick around though for the end of the story.  So I drive down to Duluth, I’m walking on Superior Street down to Canal Park.  Grandma’s has a seven-hour time limit, and I was watching runners hoping to beat the clock.  I saw all sorts of unlikely competitors.  I saw people running one-hundred pounds overweight; I saw individuals who looked ready to collapse with every step.  I finally get down to Canal Park where I see Paul at the Finish Line in 6 Hours and 33 minutes.  The improbable journey was complete.  Paul would have seemed to be the definition of an unlikely marathon runner, yet he believed after everything that he endured brining him to that moment that he couldn’t not run!

Unlikely people like Pastor Paul Bjorklund are called to extraordinary things all the time.  I want to reflect this morning on a guy named Sean Swarner[1].  Sean Swarner was an 8th Grader in Ohio. Sean Swarner receives a diagnosis of advanced stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma.  Sean had cancer from head to toe.  Sean began immediate chemo.  Sean’s cancer appears to be remission for twenty months.  During a check-up, Sean has a tumor discovered that is spreading so aggressively that he’s told he has two weeks to live.  Sean’s tumor the very next day is removed living him with only functioning lung and the most seemingly dire of situations.  Sean miraculously survives again.  Sean concludes that his medical trials had given his life a whole new meaning after coming so close to death.  Sean then sets out to become the first cancer survivor to climb Mount Everest.  Such a task would seem to be impossible dealing with the challenges of Oxygen at 29,000 feet with one fully functioning lung.  In 2002, Swarner became the first Cancer survivor to summit Mount Everest[2].  Sean then decides to summit the highest point on all seven continents.  Sean’s last summit is to ascend the highest peak in North America in Mount McKinley.  Swarner’s first two attempts fail due to equipment failure and weather.  Swarner though would not give up in the effort to climb McKinley. Swarner believes his calling to touch the lives of those affected by cancer was such that he would never be denied on his journey. Swarner finally in 2007 reaches the summit of Mount McKinley[3].  Having been told twice that cancer would take his life, having turned around and stopping on Mckinley twice before, Swarner reaches the top of the mountain as tears stream down his face having achieved the impossible as the most unlikely of individuals[4].

Sean Swarner and Paul Bjorklund’s story leads us into our lesson for today.  Our lesson is arguably the most famous tale of dramatic conversion in the entire Christian Scriptures as Saul becomes Paul.  I should tell you a little bit about Saul’s past.  The first mention of Saul in the entire Scriptures (Acts 7:58) describes Saul holding Temple soldiers coats as they stone Stephen to death.  In Acts 8[5], Saul is described as the leading persecutor of the First Christians “Dragging off both men and women” “Throwing them behind bars”.  Acts 9 staying at home wasn’t enough for Saul, so he begins to travel to persecute God’s people[6].  Saul sets out on the Road to Damascus where he is blinded by a great light.  Saul hears a voice asking “Why are you persecuting me?[7]”  Saul was the church’s biggest bully now being called to accountability.  Saul had no idea how to respond.  Saul was unable to see.  Saul was merely told to journey into Damascus.  A man named Ananias was now being asked to take Saul into his home.  Ananias was not a happy camper.  Think of the worst possible how house guest that you could imagine. It could be a person who is inconsiderate, a person who is ungrateful, a person that smells all kinds of funky, a person who makes noise till all hours of the night or a person who is potentially dangerous and violence who had breathed murder against your friends.  Annanis could only see everything that could go wrong in this scenario of inviting Paul into his home. Ananias had heard about Resurrection but failed to grasp truly its meaning.  The thing that Annanis fails to understand in our story today is that Resurrection is unrelenting.  Resurrection can reach parts of the world previously thought to be unreachable.  Too many people look at the world like Annanis regarding “What can we see today” versus “What God can do tomorrow.”

My Mom was a middle school English teacher for some years.  One time, My Mom had a student.  This student was always getting in trouble.  The kid had a big mouth.  This student was always losing assignments and failing to get them in on time.  This student would come to class with his hair uncombed and his clothes disheveled.  My mom had no idea what might happen to this boy.  My Mom always used this boy as an example of what might happen to similar kids years down the line.  This boy currently works as the Lutheran Minister in Silver Bay. 

Another story, my best friend growing up in Lindstrom was named Josh.  Josh went to a church called “House of Prayer” half-way between Lindstrom and North Branch.  House of Prayer had a reputation for getting a little wild and unconventional.   House of Prayer looked very different then Trinity Lutheran where I grew up.  One time, House of Prayer invited a speaker.  The speaker was the toughest looking guy that I had ever seen in my life.  This guy was huge with a massive beard; he’s the last guy you would ever want to run into a dark alley.  The speaker had formerly been in a motorcycle gang “It might have been the Hell’s Angels” or some similar group.  The guy’s life had previously dealt with personal pain in every form of substance imaginable.  One night though when this gentleman’s life had descended into a gutter from which there seemed to be no escape, he turned to salvation when there seemed to be nowhere else to turn.  The guy’s life u-turned like Saul turning from one of the church’s greatest enemies to greatest advocates.  The former lights of police squad cars had now become another light shining down from heaven. 

The thing about Resurrection is that it can take people to unexpected places.  Resurrection in a matter of mere days had turned the Church’s harshest critic Saul into the church’s most vibrant preacher.  Saul’s previous way of seeing the world in terms of failure and judgment, had gone away once he encountered Jesus on the Road to Damascus. Saul’s whole view of the world from this day forward was going to be shaped by God’s mercy and hope.   Like for Saul, Resurrection changes everything, once you experience it. 

You might be hearing Saul’s story today and have a hard time connecting it to your story.  Yet perhaps your story mirrors Saul’s more then you can imagine. 
            Let me describe the ordinary course of life for many a people.
            Monday- You fail a test at school.
            Tuesday- You ask a girl out; she shoots you down.
            Wednesday- You lose your dream job.
            Thursday- Your faith is shaken to the core.
            Friday- You lose the person closer to you than anybody else in the world.
            Saturday- You die.
            But Sunday changes everything! Sunday the heavens open up, just like they did for Saul.  Sunday you are transformed.  Sunday reminds you that you are truly loved without conditions for what brought your life to that very moment. Sunday is the day when you come face to face with the power of forgiveness.   Sunday is the day when one’s failure is transformed into eternal hope.  Sunday is the day of resurrection.  Sunday is the day you encounter the Risen Lord on your Road to Damascus.

Now let’s look further at the impact of Resurrection within Saul’s life.  Waiting for Sunday for Saul certainly wasn’t easy.  Saul ended a poor man in prison.  Saul had seemingly lost everything that he had at the beginning of his journey.  Saul’s life seemed to get continually harder with every passing day.  Saul’s story though is where the Rubber hits the Road when it comes to Resurrection.  What’s Saul’s story reminds us is that Grace can come when all hope appears to be gone.  Grace comes when you believe it’s the time to give up[8].  Grace comes at moments when your spouse says it's over when your friends might say it's impossible.  Saul’s story reminds us that Resurrection extends beyond the empty tomb.  Resurrection says that I don’t care how dark the previous night has been, daylight is getting ready to break through onto the horizon.  Resurrection reminds us that God’s work is never over until the day of your rebirth.  Resurrection reminds all the Ananias’ out there that in Christ one day the whole order of creation shall be changed[9].  Saul will soon become Paul.  The dead shall become alive once again.    Amen


[1] “Cancer Survivor Sean Swarner Scales Mount Everest”. ESPN: Outside the Lines. 13.Oct.2008. Web. YouTube. Apr.7.2016. 
[2] Cancer Survivor Sean Swarner Scales Mount Everest”. ESPN: Outside the Lines.
[3] Cancer Survivor Sean Swarner Scales Mount Everest”. ESPN: Outside the Lines.
[4] Cancer Survivor Sean Swarner Scales Mount Everest”. ESPN: Outside the Lines.
[5] Acts 8:1-3
[6] Barreto, Eric. “Commentary on Acts 9:1-6 (7-20).” Working Preacher. Saint Paul. 14. Apr.2013. Web. Apr.5.2016. 
[7] Acts 9:4
[8] Lewis, Karoline. “Resurrection is Abundance.” Working Preacher. Luther Seminary. Saint Paul. 03.Apr.2016. Web. Apr.05.2016. 
[9] 2 Cor 5:17. 

First Lesson: Acts 5: 27-32
Responsive Reading: Psalm 118: 14-29
Second Lesson: Revelation 1: 4-8
Gospel Lesson: John 20: 19-31

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
​
I was talking to a congregation member this week that was in the midst of what sounded like the worst week ever.  Sunday afternoon, backing out of the driveway he hit his friend’s truck.  Monday, he had a flat tire on the same truck causing him to be late for an important commitment.  Wednesday, he had to put his dog to sleep.  He had people mad at him for what seemed like a whole host of reasons.  Everyone here has probably had days or even weeks like this.

These incidents do raise the question of “How should we respond to periods in our lives that are nothing but one trial after another?” How can we bounce back to being people of hope in the midst of our greatest personal despair?

Guy Winch tells the following story[1].  A woman had recently gone through a painful divorce after twenty years of marriage.  The woman works on herself emotionally to the point where she can put herself back on the dating market.  She goes online and meets a gentleman.  The guy appears to be a great catch: he was good-looking, successful, seemed nice, and appears to be into her.

The potentially happy couple agrees to go on a date[2].  The woman spends the next week nervous with excitement.  She picks out the perfect dress.  She sits in front of the mirror longer than she had in quite some time to look her absolute best.  She shows up for the date.  She and the man make conversation for about 10 minutes when the man stands up and says “I’m not interested.”  He walks away, and she sits at the restaurant so hurt that she couldn’t move[3].  Every thought that began to consume her mind was about the painful event that she had just witnessed. 

What I want you to do this morning is picture this woman’s emotions, and now I want you to imagine Thomas as he tries to recover from Holy Week.  Thomas had gone to Jerusalem with the highest of hopes only to see the one whom he looked up to like no one else suffer betrayal and death.  Thomas probably had days sitting around feeling numb. 

As I talk about every year when I preach on this text, I believe that we get Thomas wrong as a Biblical character.  Thomas’ nickname for many people seems entirely negative “Doubting Thomas”.  Thomas gets a bad rap because we would never refer to Peter as “Cowardly Peter” even as he denies knowing Jesus three times upon his arrest.  Peter is thought to be a hero of the church, whereas Thomas’ role in the story is to receive his nickname. 

What we must remember as we consider Thomas’ role in the Jesus story is that the Disciples were not superheroes of the Christian faith.  The Disciples perhaps were more average then we inevitability care to admit.  Thomas had been a first-hand witness to the raising of Lazarus, yet Thomas still did not believe that Jesus could also rise from the dead.  Thomas was a skeptic upon hearing the other disciples’ claims.  I do wonder if how different our inevitability our response would be then Thomas’ upon hearing that Jesus was now alive. 

Writer Annie Lamott makes the following comment: “The opposite of faith is not doubt, it’s certainty”.
It is very rarely in human nature to just believe what someone tells us.  Perhaps this is why the 22nd verse of the book of Jude makes sense “Have Mercy on those who doubt”.  Ultimately in Thomas’ doubt, he was able to find meaning.  Thomas was able to see the hands of his Savior.  So that the words of Isaiah 53 finally could make sense by his wounds we are healed[4].  We are healed of our sin so that a new creation may emerge out of resurrection.  It is often in our setbacks that we receive new life.

This week, I came across the story of Adam Carlson[5].  Adam Carlson wanted more than anything else in life to play Goalie on the Edina High School Hockey team.  As a sophomore, Adam Carlson was cut from the Junior Varsity team.  He takes his junior season off from hockey with every intention of making the varsity team as a senior only to get cut again.  There were many days when Carlson believed that he should just give up “hockey” to either focus on school work or baseball[6].  Carlson never gave up hope!  Carlson after high school played three years of junior hockey starting at the very bottom rung.  Mercyhurst University discovers Carlson while playing juniors.  One year of playing Goalie at Mercyhurst leads to Carlson receiving a contract with the Washington Capitols NHL Team.

So perhaps it can be said about Thomas’ story that his persistence to accept scientific evidence “Reach out your hand and put it on my side.  Do not doubt but believe.[7]”  Thomas would soon see that the universe would not function according to his realities, but rather it would now operate according to the realities of Resurrection.  Thomas’ life was going to change every day moving forward because of it. 

On Friday, I made a trip down to Chisago City to see Grandma.  Every visit with Grandma is the same.  Grandma complains about the aides; she uses a lot of church inappropriate language, and Grandma vows that she is going to get up out of her wheelchair, tell everyone off at that nursing home, and move to California.  I can predict these things walking in the door.  As I hear Grandma describe what is going to happen, it all sounds so “unreasonable.”  I see a 92-year-old woman, one-hundred pounds overweight that hasn’t walked well for years.  When Grandma claims that she is going to be soon walking around on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (I can’t at the moment believe it).  I compare Grandma though to other people that I visit.  I often visit with people especially in nursing homes that see no hope of recovery.  These people are probably reasonable like Thomas was being reasonable.  The thing about Resurrection though is it not reasonable in the slightest.  Resurrection is the most unbelievable promise that can be proclaimed in our presence of the dead becoming alive once again.  I don’t know how many years that I’ll have Grandma still in my life.  I know I’ll be a lot more boring preacher when she leaves this earth behind.  What my hope is it that she never gives up on Resurrection coming to her life.  I hope that she stays just as feisty even if not quite as foul-mouthed as she as long as she has breath. I never want Grandma to doubt the hope of Resurrection coming true.  Because as the Lord showed Thomas today, I never want her or anyone to lose the hope that Resurrections can and will take place.  Resurrection will soon change everything regarding our present existence.     

I want to close this morning by reflecting upon a Ted Talk given by a lady named Debra Jarvis[8].   Debra Jarvis was a long-time Hospice Chaplain, who in 2005 receives a diagnosis of breast cancer.  Jarvis had gone from comforting patients to being a patient.  Jarvis’ hospital experience gave her a whole new outlook on life.  Jarvis came to learn of personal hope that she never knew that she had previously.  For Jarvis’ this hope was that as traumatic as her cancer diagnosis was, it would not define her as a person going forward.  She came to realize that there are only two things we can do in the midst of miserable experiences: we can wallow in despair (throw up our hands saying it’s all over), or we can find meaning.  She came to realize that the real significance of the cross is that in any resurrection story there needs to be death[9].  Jesus lay in the tomb for thirty-six hours.  Thomas had gone home and given up.  Once Thomas encountered the Risen Lord in our lesson, a new chapter in Thomas’ life was born.  Thomas saw healing was possible, even from his greatest of personal pains and sorrows.  The thing about Thomas is that his doubt would not define him every day going forward.  Thomas after seeing Jesus’ hands becomes one of the Early Church’s greatest leaders traveling all the way to India to spread the Gospel. 

In the words of Oliver O’Donovan[10], we have heard the platitudes all before “There’s a rainbow after every storm.” “When winter comes spring can’t be far behind[11].”  These things are always easy to say in a given moment.  Thomas though is being given something more challenging and more concrete to be asked to believe.  Thomas is being asked to confess that his whole way of viewing sin, and death now be changed because Jesus has in fact been raised from the dead.  Thomas is being asked to “believe” the seemingly unbelievable.  Nearly everyone would have the same response as Thomas to this reality hence the response.    What Thomas’ story though and Jesus’ response remind us is that doubt is not fatal to faith.  Everyone has their doubts.  Resurrection is the biggest, toughest, and most important question of our faith.  Whereas Thomas had his doubts that it could all be true, once in Jesus’ presence, he made the boldest faith claim of all “My Lord and My God[12].”  You truly are alive once again!  Amen


[1] Winch, Guy. “Why we all need to practice emotional first aid.” Ted Talk (www.ted.com). 16.Feb.2015. Web. Mar.29.2016. 
[2] Winch, Guy. “Why we all need to practice emotional first aid.”
[3] Winch, Guy. “Why we all need to practice emotional first aid.”
[4] Isaiah 53:5. 
[5] Walsh, Paul. “Grateful for being cut twice in Edina HS tryouts, goaliesigns NHL deal.” Minneapolis Star Tribune. 29. Mar.2016. Web. Mar.29.2016. 
[6] Walsh, Paul. “Grateful for being cut twice in Edina HS tryouts, goaliesigns NHL deal.”
[7] John 20:28
[8] Jarvis, Debra. “Yes, I survived cancer. But that doesn’t define me.”.  Ted Talks (www.ted.com). 2014. Oct. Web. Mar.27.2016. 
[9]   Jarvis, Debra. “Yes, I survived cancer. But that doesn’t define me.”
[10] O’Donovan, Oliver. “In Defense of Doubting Thomas”. ABC (Australian Broadcast Corporation): Religion and Ethics. 25.Mar.2016. Web. Mar.29.2016. 
[11] O’Donovan, Oliver. “In Defense of Doubting Thomas”.
[12] John 20:28