Sermon Easter 7A
Grace Lutheran Church, Lakeland, FL May 24, 2020
Acts 1:6-14 Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36
1 Peter 4:12-14,5:6-11 John 17:1-11, 20-23
There is a wonderful chronology found in our lectionary readings that is instructive for us in the Christian Church, the ELCA, Grace Lutheran Church today as we live out our calling to be Christ’s Church at 745 South Ingraham Avenue, Lakeland.
The first in the chronology is our Gospel reading. This is often referred to as Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. He is praying this immediately before he is betrayed by Judas during his last night with his closest friends and followers. Let’s pay close attention to these couple of verses that are crystal clear. “Protect them Father SO THAT they may be one as we are one.” And, “I ask that all those who believe because of them may also be one as we are one SO THAT the world may believe that you have sent me.”
Here’s the bullet point – Jesus prays that his disciples and the generations of believers following them may experience and live a unity, a one-ness, that reflects the divine relationship between Jesus and the Father. This is a divine call on our life lived together in the family of Christian faith.
The second in the chronology is the reading from Acts. This is an account of the Ascension of Jesus. But it takes us a step beyond it. I’d like you to imagine some interesting artwork. Here is the first (it is a blank white poster board) – “It’s called Cow Eating Grass.” Do you see it? No? Well, you might wonder, “Where’s the grass?” Well, you see, the cow ate it. “Where’s the cow?” you might ask. She left because the grass was gone.
And here’s the second another (a sky blue blank poster board). It’s titled “Disciples Watching Jesus Ascending to Heaven.” Do you see Jesus? No? Of course not… he ascended! “Where are the disciples?” you might wonder. They left – they had work to do!
And what was that work? Jesus told them this – you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth. That was their charge. And the reading from Acts continues – they left this holy ground, went back to Jerusalem to the room where they were staying together. And they devoted themselves to prayer. This happened a short 50 days (7 weeks +1) after Jesus had been executed, buried, and raised; 53 days (7 weeks + 4) after they heard Jesus praying that they be one just as he and the Father are one. And then Jesus begins making surprise appearances. Now they were all together and he was getting ready to leave. Can you imagine the confusion? The many mixed feelings? The wondering about what is next?
Here’s the bullet point – The Holy Spirit will give us not merely ability, but POWER, to do the work we are called to do and we need to hang out together and pray a lot.
The third in the chronology is the Epistle reading in I Peter. This letter was written after the eyewitnesses of Jesus’ ministry had pretty much died. It is in the second generation of the church. Rome is an even greater enemy; any favor that Christians enjoyed because of their Jewish heritage has faded with the ravage destruction of the Temple in recent years past. Rome is increasing its attacks on this “new” religion that replaces the deity of Caesar with the Divinity of Jesus Christ; Christians who don’t pay homage to the Roman empire; Christians who don’t conform to the norms of society. Christians who are different. These Christians were suffering because society ostracized them, the government persecuted them. Like the first disciples, they had mixed feelings, wonderings, questions, and their friends and neighbors just seemed to see things very differently than they did. These Christians were suffering not because of what they believed – but because of what they did! The things that their neighbors and fellow-citizens saw.
This Scripture tells them to hang in there, don’t be surprised that you are suffering – Jesus did and so will we. And they are told some very specific things to do. Cloak yourselves with humility – God’s exalting is coming. When you are anxious – and we all know that we will be – take all of that anxiety and cast it on to God because God really cares. Be alert to God’s presence in your life. Stand steadfast in your faith.
You see, that isn’t the end of the story. What is coming is that you whom God has called to his eternal glory will be restored, supported, strengthened and established forever.
Here’s the bullet point – yes, it’s difficult right now, even for us as we quarantine under “safer-at-home” practices. Yet we stay connected with each other. Be vigilant and attentive to the Christian practices that hold us together. And remember, the best is yet to come.
So to summarize, here are the three main points:
Jesus prays that his disciples and the generations of believers following them may experience and live a unity, a one-ness, that reflects the divine relationship between Jesus and the Father. This is a divine call on our life lived together in the family of Christian faith.
The Holy Spirit will give us not merely ability, but POWER, to do the work we are called to do and we need to hang out together and pray a lot.
It’s difficult right now. Stay connected with each other. Be vigilant and attentive to the Christian practices that hold us together. And remember, the best is yet to come.
How do we translate these into our life here at Grace?
First, people watching us can expect to see a unity, a one-ness, a togetherness, that is unequaled in anything that the world has to offer. One of the early Church Fathers observed that society looked at the early church and said, “Look at these Christians… See how they love one another.” This is our witness to the world around us.
Second, we are able to do this not because we try real hard or grit our teeth to do the hard work. We are one because of the power of the Holy Spirit in and among us as a family of faith and within each of us and our families. And it is the Holy Spirit that continually and consistently enlivens us. It is through our life together and our devotional prayer, prayer that is persistent, consistent, repetitive, continual, never-ending, never-failing that we connect with the power that the Holy Spirit gives us SO THAT we can do the things that God would have us do.
I suppose that this sounds a bit like pie in the sky right now as our life together looks so different from what it has in recent times. Yes, things are different and we will continue to build our connections with each other and with God in new ways, some that we haven’t even yet imagined. We don’t do this on our own – we do it because we are empowered by the Holy Spirit and we do it together.
In these times in which we are weary of it all, these times when we yearn for each other and the joys of worship, these times of isolation, I urge you to read the whole of the prayer that Jesus prayed for us in John 17. Feel the comfort and the encouragement of Our Savior’s words.
Thanks be to God!
