Blessings and warnings!

Luke 6:17-26

It’s such an old phrase: “Oh, woe is me!” It’s an expression of self-pity. It may be deserved, or it may be an exaggeration. I once rode in a car for half an hour with a woman complaining about her bowel problems. Now, she had a right to complain, to say “Oh, woe is me!”, but so did I and our travelling companions by the time we arrived!

This is not quite what Jesus means in today’s gospel reading when he talks about the blessings and woes of following God – or not following God.

… Scholars have discovered a place along the lakeshore where Jesus probably spoke. It’s called Cove of the Sower, where someone standing on the shore can be heard by thousands of people. This text is the closing portion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, Luke’s version of Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount.

If we pay attention, we note some differences between Luke’s Beatitudes and Matthew’s. Luke’s phrasing is blunt, earthy, not at all spiritual.

Jesus says, Blessed are the poor, not Blessed are the poor in spirit.

Jesus says, Blessed are the hungry, not Blessed are those who hunger for righteousness.

And so forth. This is so much in keeping with Luke’s theme of social reversal expressed in Isaiah, in Jesus’ first sermon, and in Mary’s Magnificat. Those who are in need hear good news. And those who have plenty, and refuse to share their wealth, hear a warning.

It’s interesting that Jesus has been preaching on the level plain near the sea. Moses spoke from the mountain. In Matthew, Jesus preaches from the side of a tall hill, called the mount. When Jesus speaks on the plain, he indicates he is equal to the people he is speaking to, not above them. Jesus speaks with his listeners, as one of them. And as one of us, today. Jesus hears us when we speak.

… And we feel heard, and comforted, assured that all will be well. But then, Jesus has to add this:  “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven, for that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.”  

What are you talking about, Jesus? I don’t think it’s so great to be put in jail or prison or worse for speaking the truth, for speaking out against injustice. That seems like a punishment, not a blessing. But for Jesus, it’s a high honor. It pleases God that our faith is so strong we put our livelihood and freedom and life itself at risk for the sake of the poor, hungry, and oppressed.

This is what Jesus did, and others have followed. We know that Jesus died because he spoke up against the leaders and rulers of the day. He spoke against injustice and cruelty. He was arrested, tried, crucified by the Romans, at the instigation of some Jewish leaders. But then he was raised from death to rejoin God. It’s this resurrection that Jesus tells us is the reward for trusting in him, for being excluded, and reviled, and defamed in our time on earth. 

It’s pleasing  to God when we live as God calls us to live … loving all, reviling none, helping to ensure the hungry are fed, the poor have what they need, and the oppressed are set free.

… The earliest disciples were passionate about following Jesus, learning what it meant that God was stronger than death, teaching the compassion Jesus showed them to all who would listen. Their message was just as offensive to some as Jesus’ message. And the result was anticipated. According to Scripture and legend, all but one of the apostles died for speaking up for the oppressed as Jesus had. Only John is believed to have died of old age, after surviving the torture of boiling water.

As persecution arose in various places over the next 250 years, many chose to be martyred as proof of their faith. Stephen was the first known Christian martyr. He was stoned to death for his belief in Jesus. Perpetua gave up her infant child to her father so she could be martyred for her faith in Jesus.
It’s hard for us to imagine getting killed for our faith in Jesus, but it still happens today. And those who choose this risk are joy-filled at the opportunity to express their strong faith in Jesus.

… February is African American History Month.

I’ve always been fascinated by Harriet Tubman. She not only escaped slavery and made it successfully to Pennsylvania, a “free state” but she kept returning to free more slaves. She made 13 trips into Maryland, which was a “slave state” and rescued 70 enslaved people.

Attached to the Union Army, her intelligence-gathering missions provided crucial information about Confederate troop movements, ammunition depots, and supply lines, which led to strategic Union victories. Notably, Tubman led armed raids which resulted in freedom for over 750 enslaved people and disrupted Confederate resources. Last November, Maryland Governor Wes Moore honored her by giving her the rank of One Star Brigadier General.

Harriet was a woman of strong faith, led by God to risk her life again and again for the sake of her family and others who wanted freedom from slavery. Here is one of her quotes: “I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person now I was free. There was such glory over everything. The sun came up like gold through the trees and I felt like I was in heaven.”

… When we return to consider the blessings and woes or warnings of Jesus, and how we do or don’t live them out, we can feel challenged. There is no way I want to be a martyr for my belief in Jesus. Or even go to jail overnight. I appreciate creature comforts too much.

The good news is that though Jesus issues these blessings and warnings, he understands that we are not only blessed or only warned. We are, as Luther said, both/and. We are both sinful and forgiven. We give God joy in the way we take care of the needy – note the assumption that we are those who have – and seek justice for all. We cause God pain in the way we ignore those who are in need, and refuse to share what we have, and don’t seek justice for the oppressed.

This week, I hope we all pay attention to the way we pay attention to the needy and oppressed. Does Jesus see us as blessed, or is he warning us? Amen

 

Unclean! Unfit! Sinful!

Isaiah 6:1-8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11

All three of our readings for today have the main character claiming that they are unclean, unfit, sinful people. Since the belief is that God can’t tolerate uncleanness, they all assume God can’t love them; God doesn’t want anything to do with them; and God can’t possibly want them to do anything in God’s service. But God has other ideas. God calls regular people to do special things.

… Uzziah was king of Judah, the Southern Kingdom, for about 52 years, dying around 740BCE. His reign was a time of economic and political stability. However, in his later years on the throne, he began to be prideful and took over roles that belonged to the priesthood. God became angry and punished him.

Isaiah is being called to be a prophet, speaking God’s words to God’s people in this “unclean” context. He is in the temple and God’s glory and presence is so complete, it fills the temple to overflowing. Knowing Isaiah’s self-doubt, God sends heavenly beings to cleanse him.

The seraphs have 6 wings : 2 wings cover their faces (so they don’t see God), 2 wings cover their feet (a euphemism for genitals, which are never shown in God’s presence), and 2 wings make it possible for them to fly. The seraphs take a coal from the altar and use it to cleanse Isaiah of this uncleanness.

God then gives Isaiah the opportunity to volunteer. “Who will go for me?” Isaiah now raises his hand and enthusiastically shouts, “Ooh, ooh, ooh! Pick me! Pick me! Here I am, Send me.”

… Jesus has been on a preaching and healing tour by himself around Galilee. He has become familiar with the people in Capernaum, attended Sabbath worship, and praying about who to call to help him in his ministry.

It makes sense that Jesus gets friendly with some fishermen, since they can deliver him to various cities and towns around the lake. So, it also makes sense that Jesus calls these 4 guys first. We read that Andrew, James and John are astounded, but Simon is stunned by the power shown by Jesus helping them find fish. He falls to the ground, in a posture of submission and fear. “Go away from me for I am a sinful man!”

In other words, Simon is worried his sinfulness put his life at risk. Or, it will tarnish the glory of God expressed in the enormous catch of fish. But Jesus has other plans. “Don’t be afraid. I have a job for you – from now on you will be fishing for people.”

We are told that they left their nets and followed Jesus. My opinion is that they spent some time fishing and taking Jesus around the lake, and some time on walking trips around inland Galilee.

… Paul began his time as a young Pharisee holding the cloaks for the men intent on stoning Stephen to death. A few years later, he had an encounter with Jesus while he was on the road to Damascus. There was a light so blinding, he closed his eyes against it. Jesus asks, “Why are you persecuting me?” Paul is cared for by a man named Ananias, who has his own experience of the divine, instructing him to take care of Paul.

I am sure Paul never forgets the brokenness in his own life and the lives of those he persecuted. Even though he has had this encounter with the risen Jesus, he never forgets his past, which he now sees as sinful. Years later, Paul still considers himself unfit to be called an apostle, the least of the apostles. Still, he carries out the ministry Jesus called him to do.

… We read about these special people in the Bible and think about ourselves in comparison. We, too, confess that we are unfit, not special enough to be called by God for anything special. We try hard enough some days to even trust God, and more, to believe that there is a God.

The truth is that none of us is worthy of being called to anything special. Neither were Isaiah, Simon, or Isaiah. It wasn’t, and still isn’t, the person who deserves the call by God. Instead, God’s call makes us worthy of the calling. There is an old saying, “God doesn’t call the qualified. Instead, God qualifies the called.”

Before you were born, when the genes and chromosomes were being arranged in your body, you were called by God. When a pastor washed you with water and made the sign of the cross on your forehead, you were called by God. When you grew and discovered things you were good at doing, you were called by God. Today, you may think you know all the gifts you were given, but maybe you have some you don’t think about.

… In my mid-40s, I began to think God was calling me to be a pastor. But I believed I didn’t have the right abilities. I compared myself to the current pastor of the congregation, who did everything worship-related so perfectly.  He left for a new call, we had an interim, and then the next pastor arrived. He was such a contrast to the previous pastor, focused more on having a good time in worship and not on being perfect. Now, when I compared myself to this new pastor, I could see my own gifts and the possibility that God was indeed calling me to be a pastor.

I have always assumed that whatever I am doing today in ministry or Kiwanis or the Order of Lutheran Franciscans is not what I will be doing forever. God calls us to use the gifts we have been given for God’s purposes. And to be adaptable, to using our gifts in new ways when appropriate.

Especially in a congregation made up mostly of older adults, I have often heard, “Been there, done that, not gonna do it again.” So, I’m not suggesting that you serve on the same committees you did when you were 25 or 50, but I am encouraging you to think about your gifts and how you can use them here for the next year or two. Pay attention to the requests for leaders or participants. Invite a friend to do whatever-it-is with you. There are many ways to do the same old things, and maybe you have a good idea to share.

… You are loved enough, forgiven enough, fit enough, to look for ways to use your God-given gifts in the ministries of Gloria Dei.

 

 

 

Love?

1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Luke 4:21-30

Today’s gospel reading is a continuation of last week’s story. Jesus is in Nazareth, in his home congregation. He has read a passage from Isaiah, and claimed that the scripture has been fulfilled though him.

And then he goes on to taunt them, daring them to accept him and his message, or to reject him, as prophets have been rejected throughout their history.

After the worship ends, I’m sure there are a few people waiting impatiently to say to him, “Good message, Rabbi!” But more than a few are upset. There can be multiple ways to say, “Isn’t that Joseph’s son?”

Probably, there were people who were proud of knowing a local boy had become famous. “Isn’t that Joseph’s son?” Probably, there were people who were not sure how to respond. “Isn’t that Joseph’s son?” And obviously, there were people there who thought Jesus blasphemed against God and all they believed about God. “Isn’t that Joseph’s son?”

Then, there’s the mob who assaulted him and tried to throw him off the cliff near town. But he escaped somehow. Perhaps those who liked him surrounded him and helped him escape.

What do you think? How would you have responded to Jesus that day? Remember, at this point you haven’t heard the rest of the story, about his hanging out with sinners and foreigners, or anything about his crucifixion and resurrection. Which group do you put yourself into: the proud of the young man group, the puzzled group, or the affronted group? Do you love this young preacher/ teacher/ healer?

…From creation through cave-dwelling days, we are hardwired to be wary or fearful of those who are different from us, because they could harm us. Are they carrying a weapon or are they smiling? Do they come from a group that has threatened us in the past? Do they break the rules we live by? We judge others in order to stay safe.

It’s so easy to jump to conclusions about people or groups. This past Sunday on the TV show When Calls the Heart, the teenagers were planning a dance party, which caused a stir in town. The story takes place in the 1910s and 20s, when the Shimmy and the Charlston were popular dances, and the waltz was not, at least among the teenagers.

At first, there was a negative uproar about the dance; boys and girls in partner dancing?! Scandalous! Until the parents and town leaders learned the dances could be done singly or in a group. Then they became more  supportive. In the end, many of the parents came to chaperone the dance, and everyone had a good time. … The parents and leaders thought they were protecting their traditions and keeping young people safe. But they were causing more hurt by rejecting the young people’s ideas.

…The remedy to our tendency to judge others is to love them, before we know them.  Our reading today from 1 Corinthians 13 is known by many people, including those who don’t believe in Jesus. It highlights love as the greatest gift we receive from God, and the greatest gift we can give each other. It’s what Jesus often says: As I have loved you, love one another.

We wonder: How do we love others while protecting our traditions? Do our traditional teachings need protecting or correcting? When we judge people by outward appearances or different-from-our-own behaviors, it’s hard to love them. We have to look beyond the first impression, to the person’s heart, to know them and love them.

It’s kind of like what Paul says about the mirror. When we look at people in our own mirrors, it’s hard to truly see them. We need to look at them without our own reflections, our own expectations, so we can see them as God sees them. And when we see others as God sees them, it’s possible to love them.

… There is a set of lines from the Service of Night Prayer, or Compline, that always gets me. These images fill my mind and put me in the right place.  “Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wings.”  Whenever I pray the Compline service, I imagine God looking at me as if I was God’s only child, so precious and delightful, I have only to love God back. And then I imagine myself cuddled under a giant bird, sometimes a hen, more often a momma eagle, using her wings and feet to keep me in the right spot, warm and safe.

If I can imagine myself that way, so loved and protected, I can imagine others equally loved and protected, even though I have a hard time loving them. People say, we don’t have to like someone to love them. And Jesus said, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.

… If we remember that God loves a person, before – or even after -- we decide how we feel about them, it will be easier to love them, even if we don’t like them, or something they have done. If love guides us, we free ourselves from the oppression of hatred and the weight of our own sin.

 This week, I hope you try to love first. Try to remember that God loves that person who annoys you, or aggravates you, or makes you absolutely bonkers with anger and fear. I think it will make life easier for you if you start with God’s love. Amen

 

 

Hearing and responding to the Word

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a; Luke 4:14-21

Today, what strikes me about the readings is how people respond to the words they hear.

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah record the efforts to rebuild the temple and the community of Israel – by then called Judah – after the return from the Babylonian exile. In 580BCE, Babylon conquered Israel and destroyed the temple. The soldiers took the leaders and hundreds of thousands of people to Babylon, where they stayed in captivity for about 50 years. Cyrus the Persian conquered Babylon and sent the Israelites home, and even paid for the rebuilding of the temple. Most of the people had made new lives for themselves in Babylon, but around 50,000 returned to Jerusalem.

So, here we are in the mid-400s BCE. The temple has been somewhat rebuilt, and Ezra and Nehemiah are working to restore worship of the Israelite God instead of all the Babylonian and Greek and whatever gods. They gathered the people and read to them the Law of Moses for several hours a day, pausing from time to time to explain what they had just read.

The people responded by worshiping God. I note that they use their bodies in worship, sometimes standing, sometimes raising their hands, sometimes bowing with their faces to the ground. And afterwards, they went to eat.

… In Luke, we hear Jesus’ sermon to the folks in his hometown. Jesus has been baptized, spent time wrestling with temptations, and done a solo preaching and teaching tour of Galilee. I think that by now he has a home in Capernaum, in Simon Peter’s house. He has come home to Nazareth, perhaps to visit family, and he’s been invited to preach in the synagogue.

It may be that the reading for the day is the Isaiah text, or that Jesus chose it. Either way, Jesus proclaims that the reading is about him. ¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Many listening that day are amazed, because they consider themselves to be the poor and oppressed – since Rome taxes everything they have and controls the power.  So far in the story Luke tells, the people are amazed, and all eyes were upon him. But we will see next week that not all present were happy with Jesus’ statement. Some are proud that this hometown boy has made a name for himself, but most are outraged that this nobody kid is claiming to be sent by God!

… It’s been a while since Paul was in Corinth, and he is keeping in touch with them by snail mail, or perhaps by special courier. He has heard that there is some conflict in the congregation. It seems some think they are better than others, and Paul wants to correct this immediately. In last week’s reading, Paul used the image of giftedness, saying, “You all have gifts, and you are called to use them for God’s purposes.” In today’s reading, Paul tells the Corinthians that the variety of gifts and abilities present in the congregation is necessary in the same way that all the parts of the body are essential to the functioning of the body.

Hopefully, when this letter arrived at the church, and it was read aloud to all the members, there would have been a change in attitude there. In a later letter, Paul writes to encourage the believers to continue in the faith despite the challenges of persecution and congratulates them for having paid attention to his previous letter.

… So, when people heard the word of God, heard Jesus’ declaration, read and heard Paul’s letters, the folks involved responded to what they heard. At least some responded positively, changing their ways toward belief and obedience.

How do you respond to what you hear and read? When you read the Bible, do you think, “Oh, I need to stop – or start – doing something?” After a sermon, do my invitations to follow up during the week cause you to do something or think differently about something?

How do you respond when you think about Jesus’ claim that he is sent by God to bring good news to the poor and freedom for the oppressed?

How do you respond when you hear Paul say that whether you think of yourself as any eye or a hand, or one of the body parts usually covered by your underwear?

… I know that probably some of you are very happy to have Donald Trump as our new president, and some of you are very unhappy. As many have said, elections have consequences.

Last Monday, there were a number of speeches and prayers given before and after the inauguration. It struck me that some of the speakers spoke about President Trump as if he were the God they were praising, and others prayed that God would guide those in the new administration to be merciful. It is not surprising that the reception of these words was mixed, with some angry, and others joyful, and still others worried.

I want to go on record as praying along with Bishop Budde that our new leaders would be merciful to all. Mercy is what God calls us to do through the Ten Commandments. Mercy is what Jesus demonstrated through his words and deeds, his life and his death. And it is what Paul encourages the folks in Corinth and Philippi and Galatia to do with each other and the members of the community.

How, then, this week, will you respond to the words I have given you today? Amen

Baptized, Beloved, Belonging

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

John the Baptist is standing in a river, where he invited, or rather, challenged people to repent from their sinful ways, and to get immersed in water as a sign of their commitment to change. But never before had water been used to remove sins, or as a symbol of cleansing from sin.

The traditionalists – the priests and the scribes, the Pharisees and the Sadducees – were not pleased with John, and they were keeping a close eye on him. They were worried about more than his ritual of baptism; they were worried about what he was saying. John was repeatedly announcing that someone was coming who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire, someone who would challenge the way things are now, and bring in a new way of living and being.

One day, Jesus joined the line of those waiting to be baptized. He came out of the water and was praying. In Luke, Jesus prays when important things are about to happen, and this is an important happening! The Holy Spirit appears like a dove and settles on him, and a voice from heaven speaks, “You are my Son, you are the Beloved, and I am pleased with you.”

… Usually, people ask this question: “Why did Jesus need to be baptized?” The focus is on the assumption that Jesus didn’t have sins, so he didn’t need to be forgiven. But, maybe, when we ask the question that way, we put the focus in the wrong place.

What if the focus should be on the words that are spoken and heard? What if the point of the story is so that Jesus could hear God the Father say, “I love you. You are my beloved. And you are mine.”?

And this question is for us: What if we also get in line to be baptized so we can hear these same words, “I love you. You are beloved. And You are mine.”? And what if the pastor occasionally sprinkles you with water to remind you that God loves you?

… Whenever I have talked with someone about baptizing children, I want to be sure that the baptisms are for the right reasons. Some people want baptism to be like fire insurance – so that if the child dies, they will go to heaven and not the fires of hell. That’s baptism against something.

A better way to think about baptism is that it is for something. Baptism tells us that we belong to God and a community, that we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and that we are beloved of God and within that community.

Baptism is done in the midst of a group, because baptism makes us part of that community of faith. Promises are made at the time of baptism. We promise, or our parents first promise for us, to be involved in a faith community and participate in activities that lead us to live like Jesus. The faith community helps us live out our promises.

Baptism recognizes that we bear God’s Holy Spirit within us. God says: “I have called you by name and you are mine.” God says, “Before you were born, I knew you.” When we are baptized, a cross is made on our foreheads. Whether it’s made with water or with oil, the words are the same. “You are marked with the cross of Christ and sealed by the Holy Spirit forever.” That cross, that seal, never washes away.

Mostly, in baptism, we get to hear the words Jesus heard from the same God the Father: “I love you. You are beloved. And you are mine.”

And now you’re going to ask the question, “But what about forgiveness being connected to baptism?” Everyone needs to know they are loved and belong to someone. And everyone needs to know they are forgiven.

Think about this: When we love someone, it’s easy to forgive them. In the same way, since God loves us, and forgives us out of that love, we know we are forgiven. When we have done something that leaves us feeling guilty, we often think the person we have hurt can’t forgive us. But where there is love, there is forgiveness. And since we know through our baptism that God loves us, it follows that God forgives us.

… Love and forgiveness are both involved in this story. In the 1970s, one of the most popular TV shows was All in the Family. Archie Bunker was a gruff man with a deep love for his family that he was reluctant to demonstrate. Archie and Edith had a daughter named Gloria. She and her husband Michael had a baby named Joey.

It frustrated Archie that Michael was an avowed atheist and refused to have the baby baptized. But Archie was determined, and one day he took little Joey for a walk to the church. After he insulted the priest in a dozen ways and the priest still refused to do the baptism, Archie took Joey to the font and baptized Joey.  Let’s watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1cp9hZwWZA&ab_channel=novusCatholic

Archie might think that he needs to get Joey baptized because that is what is customary. “We’ve always done it that way.” But I think there is more to it than tradition. Deep in his heart, Archie knows he is loved by God, and he wants that for his grandson, even if he rarely pays attention to God. And Archie trusts that God will forgive him for doing this unauthorized baptism.

This week, I hope you will remember that you are baptized and beloved and forgiven, and filled with God’s Holy Spirit forever. Amen

 

God's Surprises

Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12

While some congregations are observing the Second Sunday of Christmas, I prefer to observe the festival of Epiphany. The church season of Epiphany is about discovering the light that God sends into the world through Jesus. It is about seeing Jesus in various, often surprising, ways. It is about discovering God is always present, also in various, often surprising ways.

While the time after coming of Jesus is spoken of as a new creation, it doesn’t mean the stuff that preceded it is bad because it is old. The stories of the New Testament mean little without the stories of the Old Testament. Jesus’ coming is a continuation of God’s plan for salvation for all people. That plan, too, was often filled with surprises. Let’s do a review of some of those surprises.

Abraham was promised descendants like stars, land, and fame. While he struggled to settle in one place, the land God promised is still the land of the Jewish and Palestinian people called Israel. We, today, are among his billions of descendants, and his name appears throughout the Scriptures.

Moses was stopped by a bush that was on fire but not consumed by the flames. God spoke from the bush, calling him to lead his people from slavery into freedom, back to the land promised hundreds of years earlier to Abraham.

Prophets like Isaiah were called to speak encouragement or the need for repentance to the people, depending on the circumstances. Many of them were surprised to be  called to such ministry, and reluctant to participate. I’m thinking of Jonah and Amos in particular.

… I’ll note some surprises experienced by Mary. First, a visit by an angel and the news that she would give birth to the Savior of the world. Second, that her old cousin Elizabeth was also present. Third, that her fiancé Joseph would continue the engagement. Fourth, that shepherds would  visit them the night the baby was born – or within a day or two. Fifth, that when they took baby Jesus for his bris, two Jerusalem temple prophets would approach and speak to them.

… And now, we come to today’s surprise.

Since only Matthew tells the story of the Magi and the star they followed, following the st could be poetic license in the storytelling. Scientifically, stars are not known to stop over one place, since everything in the sky is constantly moving. So, we can be surprised at the inclusion of a star in the story, and how it has become a symbol of Christmas.

Assuming they saw the star in the astrological signs when Jesus was born, it would have taken time for them to pack up their caravan and arrive at Jesus’ home. So, Jesus would have been a toddler, a year or a year and a half by the time the magi arrived in Bethlehem?

Can you imagine Mary’s surprise – still another one for her! – when she opened her door and saw these magi outside?

Now, let’s do a quick quiz. What are magi? (astrologers, magicians, philosophers, not kings). How many magi were there? (don’t know, but there were 3 types of gifts) Were they all men? (don’t know, could have included women) Are you surprised to think about that?

After they left the gifts, they went home bypassing Jerusalem. Thanks to Roman road-building projects, this was easy to do. And, the story continues with another couple surprises for Mary. Angels appeared in Joseph’s dream to warn him to escape to Egypt, because Herod’s soldiers came and murdered all the baby boys two and younger. Note that there is no historical record for this, but knowing Herod’s character, we should not be surprised to learn from sources that it did happen!  

… On to some other surprises. Paul, the Pharisee and former persecutor of Christians, is now reaching out to Gentiles with Good News of Jesus’ love and forgiveness. He writes to the Ephesians: We have been surprised to learn that through Jesus “the gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise” of God.

In Galatians, Paul writes that there is now no distinction among people in God’s promise. There is neither Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female. In today’s words we would say, all are welcome in God’s family.

If foreigners who don't understand Jewish faith are welcome at Jesus' family home, it must be all are welcome today. If shepherds, who are unwashed and smelly and suspected of being less than honest, are welcome at the manger, it must be all are welcome today.

… We say this, but 2,000 years later, it is still far from a reality. There is a real sense in many cultures and communities in the US and around the world that some people are less valuable, less welcome, than others.

I recently watched the Netflix movie Six Triple Eight, about African American Women in the Women’s Army Corp during World War II. The movie told the real story of the harassment and disrespect given by white men, both enlisted and officers, to these 850 soldiers, because they were both women and black. Given six months to solve the problem of a three-year backlog of mail, they devised methods for sorting and identifying mail, and getting it to the right place. They had the job done in a surprising 90 days.

The same kind of harassment and disrespect is still happening, to people of color or from other homelands, to people who are gay or lesbian or trans, to people who are developmentally different or neurodivergent (for example, on the Autism spectrum). It happens even to people of the “other” political party. If you wish, you can pick your own not-welcome person or group and consider why they are not welcome.  Surprise! Jesus welcomes them.

… God will continue to surprise us, but we have to be looking to see the surprises. Keep your eyes open this week. What surprises does God give you? Amen