Why we can never allow "them" to be singled out.

After World War II, Pastor Martin Niemoller, who was imprisoned by the Nazis in 1937 and eventually confined at Dachau concentration camp, wrote about the failure of the German people, including himself, to speak up in defense of the "others".  His poignant words offer us a stark warning about letting society, whether that is the government or anyone else, label some people as "other" to be segregated, regulated, or otherwise cataloged.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Christians ought to be the first to raise their voices in protest when a minority group, whether they are citizens or not, are singled out for persecution.  In the political presidential primary currently underway in America, some candidates have proposed rounded up all members of a certain ethnic group to be expelled from the country, one has even floated the idea of a national database for one religious group so that the government can track them.  It should matter to you, not at all, as a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, that the ethnic group in question are Hispanics and the religious group being targeted are Muslims.  If you see them, whoever they are, as not equally deserving of rights and liberties as you are, you will one day regret your folly, even if this nation never persecutes "them" anywhere near as much as Niemoller's did, for you will have to answer for that attitude before Almighty God.  We are Christian by grace, not of our own worthiness, and we are American citizens because in God's kindness we were born (or able to move to) this great nation.  To treat either as something earned to lord over others is a sin of pride and a sin of lacking compassion.

There will be no national round-up of millions, and there will be no national database to track religion, we won't allow it, we will speak out, we have to, for our Savior has taught us compassion and mercy.

Sermon Video: The Rich Man and Lazarus - Luke 16:19-31

In his ongoing effort to explain the deficiencies of the religion of the religious authorities, Jesus tells his last parable in the Gospel of Luke, the Rich Man and Lazarus.  The parable begins with an expected lesson about the limited value of riches in this life, relative to poverty, if the former does not lead to the spiritual renewal that will lead to heaven.  The rich man's riches do not avail him when he dies, for he ends up in hell, while Lazarus' extreme poverty is no hindrance to his final destination at Abraham's side in paradise.  The lesson is reinforced when the rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus to give him a slight momentary relief of a drop of cold water to ease his torment, only to find out that it is not possible for any to interfere with the punishment given to those who reject God.
The unexpected twist of the parable comes when the rich man follows up his rejected request by asking Abraham to send Lazarus instead to his five living brothers to warn them of what awaits them if they follow in his footsteps.  This request is also rejected, but not because it is impossible, instead it is rejected because the living already have a miraculous witness that they ought to be listening to, not someone raised from the dead, but the Word of God as revealed through Moses and the Prophets.  The rich man insists that a visit from the dead is what is necessary to turn his brothers from their path, but the parable ends with Abraham's ominous response that not even someone coming back from the dead would be sufficient if they have already rejected God's Word.  Thus the parable of Jesus, while continuing the warning about shallowness of riches, is really a much sterner and more important warning about the eternal consequences of missing out on the call of God to repentance.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: The Law and the Gospel - Luke 16:16-17

What is the relationship between the Law of Moses and the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  Are they partners, adversaries, or something else?  In a brief comment in Luke 16, Jesus indicates both the continuity between the Law and the Gospel in a prologue/sequel type relationship, and the ongoing validity of the Law.  The purpose and role of the Messiah, in God's plan, is not to abolish or even amend the Law, but to be the first and only one to actually keep it.  By keeping the whole Law, Jesus is free of its condemnation, there is no death penalty upon him, therefore he can die for another; because he is the Son of God, he can die for us all (and subsequently be raised to new life).  What are the implications of this understanding of the Law and Gospel as partners and not adversaries?  The Old Testament is thus seen as a prologue to the New, providing the foundation for our understanding of it and the history of God's attempt to reconcile humanity prior to the Advent of Christ.  In addition, the Old Covenant remains in force, Israel remains the Chosen People, and God's work for and through the Church is not a replacement of those previous promises.  Lastly, the relationship between the descendants of Abraham, and those called by grace to faith in Christ, ought never to be an antagonistic one, although to the shame of the Church it has been throughout much of Church history.  Anti-Semitism, prejudice and hatred of the Jews, from the pogroms and expulsions to the horrors of the Holocaust, are categorically and unequivocally rejected by the Church as grave sins against God, sins for which all those who have committed them will answer before God.

To watch the sermon video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: "No servant can serve two masters" - Luke 16:1-13

In a parable given to his disciples, Jesus tells a story where a corrupt business manager is unexpectedly commended after having defrauded his employer because after he was caught initially he continued to defraud his employer but did so by forgiving portions of the debts owed to his boss so that after he was fired he would have the gratitude of those who had benefited from his fraud to fall back upon.  This "shrewd" use of wealth is what is commended in the parable.  Why would Jesus tell a parable where an unrepentant thief is commended for being a shrewd thief?  Jesus uses this parable to illustrate that the "people of this world" understand that money is a tool in a way that the "people of the light", i.e. God's people, often don't understand.  Wealth is not an end in itself, it is simply a means to an end, one that should be directed toward eternal and not temporary goals whenever possible.
The parable reminds us of the needs to use wealth shrewdly, and the words of Jesus following it put the emphasis on being trustworthy as well.  God desires to entrust his people with great things, provided they show themselves worthy of trust in the little things.  The conclusion of Jesus' teaching on wealth leaves no room for Christians to be under the impression that the pursuit of wealth is compatible with our discipleship of Christ: "You cannot serve both God and Money."  We are all servants, we all serve, our pride may insist that we don't, but we do; the only question is, whom do you serve?  God isn't interested in sharing his servants, he desires 100% of our commitment, a level of commitment which is, by the way, the best way to ensure that we are what we need to be in all of our relationships and responsibilities, for the one who serves God fully will also love his neighbor as himself.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

We're not broken just bent: wisdom in a song

Wisdom and Truth are ultimately all derived from God, and are powerfully manifested in his revealed Word, but they can also be found in unlikely or unexpected places.  As I was driving the other day a song came on the radio that I had heard before but whose lyrics really struck me this particular time.  The song was "Just Give Me A Reason" by P!nk, and it contains this chorus:

Just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough,
Just a second, we're not broken just bent,
And we can learn to love again.
I never stopped, you're still written in the scars on my heart,
You're not broken just bent,
And we can learn to love again!

The song is about a couple trying to work through a difficult patch in the relationship and rekindle their love, the imagery of a bent, but not broken, flower pops into my head, something that has been battered by a storm but will stand back up afterwards.  These words also remind me of the traditional vows that I've often utilized when performing a wedding, "for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health..."  Marriage is a long-term, a life-long commitment, one that will have difficult days and seasons, but also one that can bloom again, that can be brought back from life-support and made whole again.
There are a variety of things wrong with relationships between men and women in our culture today, including the confusion of sex and love and the willingness of many to start with sex, hope for love, and some day look for a commitment.  This backwards attitude, for commitment (i.e. marriage) is the only sure foundation upon which love and sex can truly be built, has led our culture to a place where relationships, like so much else in society, have become disposable.  Why work through a difficult phase in a relationship, why learn and grow as a person, why sacrifice for someone else, when you can just ditch the relationship and move on.  Relationships are abandoned when sexual desire fades, relationships are given up on when feelings of love subside, yet these were never meant to be the building blocks of the union between one man and one woman, for they cannot stand the test of time.  There is a reason that a marriage ceremony includes vows and promises, and when these are not taken seriously, or when a relationship is attempted without them, the end result will far too often be to give up when things are bent, to not try to learn to love again, but instead to walk away.
Relationships are disposable in our society, love is just an emotion, and sex just a self-fulfillment.  The answer to these shallow and ultimately damaging attitudes (just ask the kids left holding the bag) has been with us all along, it was the plan of God for us from the beginning: "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.  So they are no longer two, but one.  Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Mark 10:7-9)  If you are bent, you don't need to break, you can learn to love again.