Isaiah 58.9b-14                                                                                                                      Carol A. Solovitz

Psalm 103.1-8                                                                                                                        Pentecost 13C

Hebrews 12.18-29                                                                                                 August 26, 2007

Luke 13.10-17

Bless the Lord, O My Soul!

 

Silent Prayer before Worship:

Who is like you, O Lord?  You are Creator and Savior; you call your people and make us holy.  How do we, your creations, say ‘Thanks’ and serve you with gladness?  As we spend this hour in worship and meditation, fill us with your bountiful Spirit and send us forth in love.  Amen

 

Boy, oh, boy!  If the leader of the synagogue got so upset because Jesus healed a woman on the Sabbath, he would have been very angry with us the past two Sabbath Days!

It was two weeks ago yesterday that we lost Dave Schowalter in a tragic head-on collision near Camp Olson, but I won’t soon forget the blessing of being with Karen and their daughters at the Crosby, MN, hospital.  As we prepared to leave the hospital on that Sunday afternoon, there were many members of their extended family, friends, and hospital personnel who surrounded the vehicle where they were to ride.  We read scripture and had a prayer and then shared many hugs before getting on the road in a caravan of 7 vehicles. As I hugged the nurses and all the people who had been present for the family, I thanked God for their healing ministry and the way they had served the Schowalters for over 24 hours straight.

I wonder, What would that leader of the synagogue say?

         Last Sunday, we didn’t have the usual crowd in worship because so many people were dealing with water in their homes.  As I walked in Zumbro Lutheran’s south door, I was greeted by 5 of our members who had been here since 2:00 a.m. for the Red Cross Shelter Team.  Later on that Sabbath, while getting ready to host an open house to thank Kristin Engbrecht for her ministry here, I got a call from Lisa Kipp reporting that another Zumbro family’s home was flooded and that she was pulling together a team of youth and parents to help with the clean-up.  They responded enthusiastically, as did many of you for other relatives, friends and neighbors.  Many of you worked hard throughout the day and evening and the following days. 

I wonder, What would that leader of the synagogue say about us?

         More importantly, What would Jesus say about our “abuse” of the Sabbath?  In Luke 13, we hear exactly what Jesus would say, “When someone is in need and you are able to help, do not hesitate another day – or another hour!  God will judge you more harshly for observing the Law so strictly that it causes someone else to suffer.”

            How should God’s people show that they are faithful believers?  Should it be by trying to observe with perfection the Ten Commandments and the 613 other laws of Leviticus?  Or should it be by observing the two commandments Jesus taught: 1) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your mind and all your strength, and 2) You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  When you love the Lord with everything you have, you also love all that the Lord loves.  But what happens when the commandment to love the Lord – so much that you dedicate an entire day of the week to worship and prayer – comes into direct conflict with the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself?  It means that if you have any understanding of what it is to be in immediate need and feeling helpless, then you will be willing even to risk your own “points for Paradise” in order to meet that need.  It is not a small thing to set aside a commandment, but when it seems to stand in the way of another commandment, Jesus shows us how to do it.

            He healed on the Sabbath.  The woman had suffered for 18 years, and he could have healed her on any day of the week.  He just happened to meet her on the Sabbath, though, and he decided that one more day was too long for her to stay crippled. He did this without shame, and the entire crowd rejoiced.  What made them so happy?  Jesus gave healing to the woman, but he gave hope to the crowd.

The Lord our God never slumbers nor sleeps, and Jesus boldly and perfectly reflected his godliness and gave the glory to God.  The people looked at Jesus and saw God the Father in the Son.  They shouted, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless God’s holy name!”

            We are going to have a baptism this morning, and we celebrate the acceptance of another young life into this congregation and the body of Christ.  We love baptisms, especially for infants, because the babies are so cute and the ritual is so lovely.  But how often do we think seriously about the power of the sacrament?  In the Small Catechism, Martin Luther teaches that Holy Baptism is water connected with God’s Word and by God’s command. He goes on to teach that in Holy Baptism, we receive forgiveness of sins, deliverance from death and the devil, and eternal salvation.  Then Luther asks, “How can water do such things?”  I’m afraid that we often neglect to give that question the attention it deserves.  How can water do such things?

            If you look at the past month’s events and think about the role that water has played in lives around the world, you see how water can do such powerful things.  The withholding of water kills people, crops and economies. The collapse of a bridge over dangerous water captures the attention and fears of people around the world. Too much water all at once – whether as typhoons, monsoons, hurricanes, and flooded rivers and streams and basements – can destroy and kill, too.  Water is extremely powerful, possibly the powerful force we know.  Yet in Baptism, we are shown how the Holy Spirit harnesses the power of water to save our sorry souls.  And what’s more is that God usually does it on a Sabbath day!  Yes, dear people, God is at work 24-7 to bring us salvation, to as the prophet Isaiah says, “satisfy the needs of the afflicted,” giving light and refreshing water and restoration and delight.  The psalmist lists all of God’s benefits - forgiveness of sins, healing of disease, redemption from death, steadfast love and mercy, renewal of strength and youth, vindication and justice, compassion and slowness to anger.  Why?  Because God has chosen to love us and claim us as God’s own children!  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God’s holy name!

It is told that in January 2000, leaders in Charlotte, North Carolina, invited their favorite son, Billy Graham, to a luncheon in his honor. Billy initially hesitated to accept the invitation because he struggles with Parkinson's disease. But the Charlotte leaders said, "We don't expect a major address. Just come and let us honor you." So he agreed.

After wonderful things were said about him, Dr. Graham stepped to the rostrum, looked at the crowd, and said, "I'm reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time magazine as the Man of the Century.  Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger.  When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets. It wasn't there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn't find it. The conductor said, ‘Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about it.’  Einstein nodded appreciatively.

The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket. The conductor rushed back and said, ‘Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't worry, I know who you are. No problem. You don't need a ticket. I'm sure you bought one.’

Einstein looked at him and said, ‘Young man, I too, know who I am. What I don't know is where I'm going.'"

Having said that, Billy Graham continued, "See the suit I'm wearing? It's a brand new suit. My wife, my children, and my grandchildren are telling me I've gotten a little slovenly in my old age. I used to be a bit more fastidious. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion. You know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I'll be buried. But when you hear I'm dead, I don't want you to immediately remember the suit I'm wearing. I want you to remember this: I not only know who I am... I also know where I'm going."

How does a great person such as Billy Graham become so confident in where he is going?  It is not because he is extremely intelligent or pious or has an overinflated ego because he has kept all the commandments all his life.  No, it is because he has met Jesus and entrusted his life to Jesus, and in doing so, he has met the Lord of all and entrusted his life to God. It is in knowing the Source of all life and love and mercy that we know our ways in this world.  No wonder we, too – no matter what happens to us – are able to cry out with joy and praise, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless God’s holy name!”

Shall we pray?  O God of creation and Sabbath and salvation and water, teach us to live in awe and reverence of the power you hold to give us life, strength, hope and joy.  In Jesus’ holy name we pray, Amen.