All Authority

Jesus says that “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). In the word authority, we normally hear echos of power and permission, like calling the “authorities.” The police show up, order is restored, and peace in the community resumes. That is certainly part of what Jesus is saying, but there is a whole other level to Jesus’ authority that is closer to that of an author of a novel, who writes and creates the story. Even more than enforcing peace and protecting freedom, Jesus has the authority to create an original peace, and to bestow freedom upon those bound in sin.

This is the work of the triune God, the Holy Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God comes into creation, which God created and called good - even though we experience it as sometimes bad - to redeem us from all that would hold us captive. Jesus is the author and giver of life, light, peace, and freedom to all who are powerless against death, darkness, chaos and bondage and by his creating word he sends us out to bring his creative and redeeming world to all in need.

That’s called the “Great Commission” (Matthew 28:19). Sent out to proclaim the kingdom of God, God’s new creation in Christ, not on our authority, but on Jesus’ authority. For he promises to be with us always, to the end of the age.

The Frozen Chosen

Holy Spirit Coming by He Qi, 2013

This weekend we celebrate the festival Sunday of Pentecost.  As you will note from its etymology, the word Pente-cost comes from the Latin or Greek root words for “fifty.”  Thus, it symbolizes the fullness of fifty days after the Passover/Easter events, when the Spirit of the risen Christ descended upon the disciples who were gathered together in Jerusalem, and then filled-to-the-brim with the Geist (“Spirit”) and gusto of Christ – to share his saving, gospel word.  Ten days prior to Pentecost, before Jesus ascended back into heaven, he had prepared his disciples hearts with these words of promised presence and divine direction: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8; RSV.  Cf. Matthew 28:18-20).

And so, as you’ve probably already inferred, Pentecost is often referred to by biblical scholars as “the birthday of the church.”  Note how Dr. Luke depicts the Pentecost event for us in our reading for this coming Sunday, in Acts 2.  I mean, it’s a real Barn-Burner!  Dr. Luke is drawing upon imagery here from Exodus 19 when God gives the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mt. Sinai: the wind is whipping, lightning and fire is flashing, the mountain top is enveloped in clouds of thick smoke.  And now, some 3500 years later, we see the disciples in the Acts 2 account so jazzed by the power of the Holy Spirit that they come down from their upper room apartment, running-out into the crowded streets of Jerusalem, and appearing as though they’d drunk a whole case of Red Bull with Tequila chasers!  They’re speaking in foreign tongues, waving their arms with joy, and sharing the gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sin and new life – with total strangers!  Just like any typical Lutheran congregation.  Right?!  However … there’s another account of Pentecost in the New Testament that we too often gloss-over, because it’s, well, too familiar.  Or maybe we just don’t pay close enough attention to the gentle breath marks of the score …

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This second account is not as hopped-up on adrenaline or full of bravado as most 21st century dramas go.  It’s not entertaining enough.  And … let’s be honest, it’s perhaps just too personal.  This second account of Pentecost I’m referring to is in our Gospel text for this weekend: from John 20:11-23.  It’s about locked doors and disciples hiding in the dark.  They’re frozen stiff.  They’re afraid of death.  I mean, look what happened to Jesus! … And so there’s a chilling silence of guilt and shame (as they had abandoned Christ, and had not yet heard anything more than just rumors of Jesus’ resurrection).  They felt like dirt.  But more importantly, through those locked doors and hearts enters the risen Christ, whose very presence begins to create a new body. Drawing here upon the imagery of Genesis 2:7, where God blows life even into the dirt of the earth – John’s account speaks of the dirt of sin and death that Jesus has also pushed back on that Easter morning.  And then, from out of nowhere … Jesus appears there … in the very midst of his cowering disciples, saying gently: “Peace be with you … as the Father has sent me, so now I send you … receive my Holy Spirit.”  And Jesus breathed on them.  And the Church was born.  Even among these Frozen Chosen.  And they are moved to tears of joy … melted for mission.

“People are the words through whom God continues to tell his story of  salvation.” (Edward Schillebeeckx; Church: The Human Story of God, p.xiii) 

 j.r. christopherson                                                                                                                                        

God’s Work, Our… Hands?

Arbeit Macht Frei [Work makes {you} free]. These words were found at the entrance gates to Nazi concentration camps in Europe during WWII. They were meant to instill a false sense of hope for the Jewish people brought to the camps – if you worked hard while there, you could earn your freedom. We all know how that turned out…

After Jesus ascension, the early church began to get the idea that by working to live according to the Law of Moses, you could earn your way into God’s favor (righteousness). The Apostle Paul writes his letter to the church in Galatia reminding them righteousness does not come by works, but that freedom comes through faith by what they have heard. That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul reiterates that through the work of the Holy Spirit, freedom is only found when in faith we trust in God’s promises received in baptism and through hearing His Word.

We too struggle with works verses faith today. In recent years, the ELCA has utilized the mantra of “God’s Work. Our Hands.” This slogan encourages the social gospel, faith comes by what we do. In fact, our culture even demands it. As we send graduates out into the world, we tell them their success is measured by what they accomplish – what they do. Running on the hamster wheel of life, seeking freedom through wealth, title, status. What we are really accomplishing is  not freedom, but an early death. Freedom is never found in this cycle because it continues to demand more and more from you. This is success and it is never enough. While we are called to serve our neighbor, serving will never be freedom for you. Serving those you love is never freeing for you. It is the demand of the law.

If we lean into this Galatians chapter 3 text and hear what St. Paul is teaching, we too will turn from ourselves and what we do to chase freedom. We will turn to the work of the Holy Spirit, to God’s proper work. “God’s Work. Our Ears!” Freedom is found through the ear, not through a strong back and calloused hands. Freedom only comes most fully in faith, and faith comes by what is heard; God’s Word of promise made in Jesus Christ.

Thanks be to God! Amen.

Christ who lives in me

When Jesus tells his followers, including us, that we must lose our lives, deny ourselves, and leave our old life behind to find our life in him, we become truly disciples. This isn't because we now understand everything clearly and know just what Jesus means, but on the contrary we are like disciples who hear Jesus' word but quickly move beyond because we don't know what it means. It seems too spiritual, theoretical, perhaps philosophical. How are we to understand what it means to die in order to live?

At the very center of the Christian Church stands the witness of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. That is that he was crucified and died at the hands of sinners, and three days later he rose from the dead to proclaim peace and forgiveness to those same sinners. We know the facts, but we struggle - as do the disciples in every generation - to grasp what it means for us. 

In his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul insists that Christian faith stands not in our understanding, but in trusting in Christ, not in theory, philosophy, or generic spirituality. For we live by faith, by which "it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:11).

No small dissension and debate (Acts 15:2a)

It was now a few months after the Pentecost event (i.e. the birthday of the church; see Acts 2). And already, a “council meeting” had to be called at church headquarters in Jerusalem. Why? Because there was, to use the language of our scripture for today … “no small dissension and debate” (Acts 15:2) … that was stirring in one of the newly created congregations in Antioch. Can you believe it?! Only a few months into this new creation called “church,” and there was already trouble in paradise. Go figure. (Not really.  Whenever human critters are involved – even in church.) And it was brewing to become a real doozy…

O, Jesus’ commissioning of his disciples (Matthew 28:19-20) … and then the creation of the Church as his Spirited ongoing body in the world (Acts 1:6-9) started off rather beautifully … one might even say, intoxicatingly so (Acts 2:13). Again, as our text bears witnesses: “[People] devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). But then, when the proverbial sandal began to hit the road …

So, the apostles and elders have now gathered in Jerusalem to settle what had become a rather serious division … What was the issue? Once more, our text sets the stage: “Then certain individuals (most likely Pharisees) came down from Judea and were teaching the [new Christian] brothers, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved’” (Acts 15:1). Do you agree? What does Scripture say? What do you suppose the apostles and elders are going to say? As with Shylock, in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, the Pharisees certainly wanted to exact their “pound of flesh.”

Peter was presiding as the chairman. (He was after all, the Pope now, right?). “Microphone One, please state your case.” The response: “Ah, yes … Mr. Chairman, we’re here from Antioch. And we have good Bible study groups every Wednesday night. We’ve been studying Ezra. And we believe the Bible and Ezra says, ‘Get rid of the foreigners. Even if you’re married to one. Get rid of the foreigners.’ That’s all I have to say.  Thank you.”

“OK,” said Peter. “Microphone Two, we’ll now hear from you.” … “Well, we also have a nice Bible study group back home in our little fishing town of Capernaum, and we’re studying Ruth. Such a wonderful lady.  She was the ancestress of King David, and of our Lord, Jesus you know. And she was a Moabite. And if our Lord had Moabite blood in his veins, isn’t this OK for us to do this?  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”    

“I see one of our distinguished Pharisee brothers coming to Microphone Three,” said Peter.  “Go ahead …” “Yes, we’re here from First Temple Christian here in Jerusalem. And it’s clear to us from the reading of Torah and the Prophets, that ‘It is necessary for [any new converts to Christianity] to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses” (Acts 15:5).

After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and addressed all who were attending that first council meeting … See you on Sunday (if possible, please read Acts 1-15 beforehand for a better understanding), as we hear how the whole case comes to rest upon God’s grace, in Christ.

j.r. christopherson
Senior Pastor