Where is God when bad things happens?

Where is God when I am hurting?

Where is God when I am in pain and I am suffering?

Where is God when my dreams get shattered?

Have you ever asked that question? Or, similar questions?

Maybe you asked similar questions this week after hearing some of the top news stories.

Maybe you asked, “Where was God when that student in Colorado shot two school administrators and then killed himself?”

Maybe you asked, “Where was God when that woman in Nashville killed 3 students and 3 teachers in that church’s school?”

Maybe you asked, “Where is God as China and Russia make a pact to initiate a new world era, one that, in their words, ‘exists to do things that haven’t been seen in 100 years?’”

Maybe you asked, “Where was God when that shoplifter in Virginia was being chased down and ended up shot and killed?”

Maybe you asked, “Where is God while North Korea continues to test long range weapons and is now talking about detonating an underwater explosion that will result in a radioactive wave barreling towards the shores of its enemies?”

Maybe you have asked, “Where is God when the statistics show that the numbers of people burdened with feelings of sadness, helplessness, and hopelessness are ever increasing?”

When life is interrupted by events that cause pain and suffering, both Christians and non-Christians often ask the same questions—

“Where was God?,”  

“How come He didn’t stop this from happening?,” and

“If God is all-powerful and sovereign over all things, why would He let this tragedy unfold?”

In this morning’s text from John’s biography of Jesus, chosen for us by the lectionary, we encounter a situation in which similar questions were asked about God’s whereabouts when bad things were happening.

Let’s here from John 11.1-45 together now.

John 11:1–45 tells us this:

[1] Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. [2] It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. [3] So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” [4] But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

[5] Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [6] So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. [7] Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” [8] The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” [9] Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. [10] But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” [11] After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” [12] The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” [13] Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. [14] Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, [15] and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” [16] So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

[17] Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. [18] Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, [19] and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. [20] So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. [21] Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. [22] But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” [23] Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” [24] Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” [25] Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, [26] and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” [27] She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

[28] When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” [29] And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. [30] Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. [31] When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. [32] Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” [33] When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. [34] And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” [35] Jesus wept. [36] So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” [37] But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

[38] Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. [39] Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” [40] Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” [41] So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. [42] I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” [43] When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” [44] The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

[45] Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, (ESV)

About 2000 years ago, when Jesus’ close friend Lazarus passes away, we see the question, “Where was God?,” being asked not once, not twice, but three times by three different people.

First Martha, who runs to find Jesus when tragedy strikes, approaches Jesus on the road and says: “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother would not have died!”

Secondly, Mary, who stays behind to mourn, weep, and grieve, says to Jesus when He calls her to come to him:  “Lord, if you would have been here my brother would not have died.”

And thirdly, some of the Jews who were present and watching the tragic situation unfold, asked: “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”  

As Lazarus was sick, dying, and then dead, questions arose about God’s love, God’s goodness, God’s care, and God’s concern for those He claimed to love—

the questions being,

“Where was God when I was anxious and worried watching my brother get progressively sicker?,”

“Where was God when my brother died at a young age?,” and

“Where was God as I was forced to deal with grief and loss of a loved one?”

In all three statements we see Jesus being accused of not being present when tragedy struck.  And in the same vein, of not caring about those whom He loved and who loved Him in return.  

In this text from John 11.1-45, Jesus answers the question, “Where is God when we are suffering and hurting because bad things happened?”

But, Jesus answers the question of God’s presence in suffering differently than humanity ever could or would.  

Because of sin, when we don’t get a perfect life with all of our desires, wants, and wishes perfectly met by the “Genie-in-a-Bottle” god, we say that God is no longer there or has left us when we needed Him most.

But, Jesus’ answer to the question of God’s whereabouts in tragedy, suffering, and pain, points us to the truth and good news that He is most present with you at those times.

Psalm 34:15–18 says this:

[15] The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous

and his ears toward their cry.

[16] The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,

to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

[17] When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears

and delivers them out of all their troubles.

[18] The LORD is near to the brokenhearted

and saves the crushed in spirit. (ESV)

Jesus is there with you, speaking loudly to you in the most difficult moments of life.  

That may seem like an odd statement because when we think about God, we want to think “happy” thoughts like joy, peace, rest, and heaven.  We don’t want to hear or think that God comes closest in the hardest and most painful moments of life. We want God to eradicate pain and suffering instead.

But this is the truth of scripture.  It is only when sin shows its full power—to kill, destroy, damage, and hurt—that we are able to understand the predicament of humanity.  It is in suffering that we see the brokenness that needs to be fixed.  It is in pain that we realize our imperfection.  And it is in those moments that we recognize our need for a fixer, a healer, a rescuer, and a giver of perfect and unending life.

David Kinnaman, president of The Barna Group points out that 

“National and global events can get our attention for minutes and weeks, but personal crises—divorce, losing your job, death, and economic instability—really can recalibrate spiritual priorities.”

Jesus begins, before Lazarus passes away, by telling His disciples that Lazarus’ sickness was for the purpose of ensuring that they and others would believe that He was in fact the Son of God sent to save men and women from their sin.

And, to show them the hope that they had during this time of loss, Jesus demonstrates His power, right there, on the scene, in the very moment, to turn mourning into dancing, to bring life out of death, by raising Lazarus from the dead so that God our Father in Heaven would be glorified and people would come to faith through repentance of sin and belief in God’s Savior.

Jesus, God in flesh, simply calls Lazarus’ name and he comes walking out of the tomb, raised back to life, for all to see and hear about.

You can even imagine that as Lazarus is making his entrance back into the world of the living, House of Pain’s Back From the Dead is playing as the soundtrack with the lyrics:

“Erase my name from off the tombstones

Alive and kickin’, breathing the air

Call out my name…and I’ll be there

…’Cause I’m back from the dead.”

The historian Paul Veyne calls himself an “unbeliever,” and yet he extols the message of human dignity that we find in the sacrificial love and death of Jesus. Veyne writes:

“[In the gospel, a person’s life] suddenly acquired an eternal significance within a cosmic plan, something that no philosophy or paganism could confer … The pagan gods lived for themselves. In contrast, Christ, the Man-God sacrificed himself for his [people] … Christianity owed its success to a collective invention of genius … namely, the infinite mercy of a God passionate about the fate of the human race, indeed about the fate of each and every individual soul, including mine and yours, and not just those of the kingdoms, empires and the human race in general.”

For Martha and Mary, Jesus was present in their suffering, pain, grieving, and mourning.  He was with them, listening, comforting, and healing.  The text says that “when Jesus saw [Mary] weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.”  And when He visited the place of burial with the family members, “Jesus wept.”

In their moments of sorrow Jesus was there.  

In their moments of questioning the pains of life Jesus was there.  

In their moments of weeping Jesus was there weeping with them.  

He was troubled by the brokenness of life because of the effects of sin on humanity and Jesus stood by those suffering to have compassion on them, comfort them and provide hope that this is not over, this is not how life will end.  

And, the same is true for you!

In the threat of radioactive waves there is always the promise of resurrection and eternal life.

This life, often defined by death and destruction is not all that there is.

With Jesus, we are not nihilists.

With Jesus, we are awaiting our resurrection and Heavenly home where we are promised that there will be no more pain, no more sorrow, no more suffering, and no more tears.

In your moments of sorrow Jesus is there.  

In your moments of questioning the pains of life Jesus is there.  

In your moments of weeping Jesus is there weeping with you.  

He is always troubled by the brokenness of life because of the effects of sin on humanity and Jesus stands by you to have compassion on you, comfort you and provide hope that this is not over, this is not how life will end for you who have faith.  There is meaning and purpose in everything that happens even when you don’t understand.

Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Believe in him and even though you die, you shall live.

The is the Word of God for you.

This is the Grace of God for you.

Amen.

Pastor Fred Scragg

March 26, 2023

Have you ever been accused of being a bad person or of doing or being evil because of the way you think, speak, or act?

In a humorous article that Buzzfeed posted a few years back, they listed what they consider to be “26 Everyday Habits That Make You An Evil Human Being.”

Topping that list was:

• Leaving clothes in a dressing room after you are finished trying things on.

• Pretending to text so you don’t have to awkwardly start a conversation.

• Secretly getting joy out of cutting someone off.

• Letting clothes fall off hangers, then proceeding to leave them on the ground.

• Becoming frustrated with slow-walking old people.

• Screening calls from your parents.

• Using all the toilet paper, and leaving the empty roll for someone else to take care of.

• And, not returning your shopping cart to the cart corral in the parking lot.

By these definitions of evil, each one of us here, now, is a wicked, wicked human being.

According to these definitions of evil, we are all someone’s villain or monster.

Beginning a few years ago, we began hearing a lot about a movement called “cancel culture.”

Those behind cancel culture are the people who try to eliminate, block out, and boycott people and organizations who have done wrong or failed according to their understanding of the culture’s values.

Simply put, many in today’s society think that they are the judge, jury, and executioner, always working to label those that don’t think, speak, and act exactly like them as “evil.”

Everyday that I peruse the news and my social media sites, I hear about another politician, celebrity, local teacher…you name it…being canceled or living in fear of being canceled.

In our text this morning, we are going to hear that both Jesus’ family and the Jewish scribes wanted to cancel Jesus by calling his words and actions evil.

Let’s hear about this attempt to cancel Jesus found in Mark 3:20–35.

The text reads:

[20] Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. [21] And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

[22] And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” [23] And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? [24] If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. [25] And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. [26] And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. [27] But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

[28] “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, [29] but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—[30] for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

[31] And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. [32] And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” [33] And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” [34] And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! [35] For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” (ESV)

This text contains the passage that I can say is the most frequently asked question from young adults and teenagers during my 20+ years of ministry.

Verses 28-30 contain what is often referred to as, “The Unforgivable Sin.” 

Verse 29 says, 

[29] but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—

The confusion is that this verse seems to go against everything else we know about God—we know that God forgives sin through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

But, here it is saying that there is an unforgivable sin–something God won’t forgive.

And, the questions arise…

What is this unforgivable sin?

And, if there is an unforgivable sin, have I committed it?

I have to say that this week, after spending several days with this passage, God opened my eyes to something that I have never seen or put together in this text.

Let me take you through this.

The first thing we have to notice is that Jesus’ family wants to remove him from the public eye because they think he is crazy, out of his mind, and a danger to others.

The second thing we have to notice is that the Jewish scribes want to remove Jesus from the public eye because they think he is crazy, out of his mind, and a danger to others.  

The difference is that we are told the Jewish scribes go as far to call Jesus evil.  They do that by accusing him of being one of Satan’s helpers or minions.

After those two pieces of information and the confrontation recorded in this text, Jesus responds with information about what is called, “The Unforgivable Sin.”

When we take, “The Unforgivable Sin,” in the context that is was originally presented, we see that, “The Unforgivable Sin,” is simply not having faith in Jesus’ words and work.  Not having faith in Jesus is not believing that Jesus is God in the flesh here to save us from our sins and give us eternal life.  What that denial of Jesus says is that you believe he is wrong, crazy, out of his mind, a danger to others, and therefore, evil.

So, those who live their entire lives and die not having faith in Jesus as the Savior have committed the unforgivable sin.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise because elsewhere we hear things like last week’s text which says:

[16] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. [18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3.16-18, ESV)

The Word of God, the Bible, is living and active.  

What that means is that it causes us to look into the mirror and see who we truly are.

When we read this morning’s text, we are forced to look into the mirror and ask the question, “Am I like Jesus? Or, am I like Jesus’ family and the Jewish scribes who through Jesus was crazy, wrong, and evil?”

If we answer the question honestly, there are many points in our life where we are like Jesus’ family and the Jewish scribe who thought Jesus was crazy, wrong, and evil.

PBS’ The Great American Read is an eight-part series that explores America’s 100 best-loved novels. Some of the episodes explore specific trends. One of which is that “Americans can’t seem to get enough of novels with notorious villains and monsters. 

Why are we drawn to these stories about evil-doers? What do they reveal about our own dark impulses?”

Just think of the villains in these novels: Frankenstein, Crime and Punishment, The Godfather, Stephen King’s The Stand, Game of Thrones, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Harry Potter.

Various literary critics made the following comments on why they’re drawn to evil characters: 

-“There are villains in literature because there are villains in life. They allow us to see a little bit of what it might be like go beyond the edges of accepted society.”

-“The monster is very human. You can almost sympathize with the monster.”

-“We identify with the villain. You can understand a little bit about what has made them and what has shaped them. Their monstrosity doesn’t seem foreign.”

We are a bit obsessed with villains and monsters in literature and on film because:

There are villains in real life.

We sympathize with the villains and monsters.

We identify with the villains and monsters.

And, their evil and monstrosity doesn’t seem foreign.

As much as we may like to characterize Jesus’ family and the Jewish scribes in this morning’s text as the bad guys, the villains, the monsters, the presence of evil in the world, we have to realize that there have been times in our lives and will continue to be times in our lives that we are the bad guys, the villains, the monsters, the very presence of evil in the world.

And, “Why is that?,” you ask?

It is because of the sin that dwells down deep inside of us.

It is because of the rebellion against God that we are born into and continue in as we struggle with the broken and corrupt flesh that we are tied to in this world.

Walt Whitman, one of the greatest American poets, who grew up right here in Huntington Station, writes in “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” of his capacity for evil:

I am he who knew what it was to be evil,

I too knitted the old knot of contrariety,

Blabb’d, blush’d, resented, lied, stole, grudg’d,

Had guile, anger, lust, hot wishes I dared not speak,

Was wayward, vain, greedy, shallow, sly, cowardly, malignant,

The wolf, the snake, the hog, not wanting in me,

The cheating look, the frivolous word, the adulterous wish, not wanting [in me],

Refusals, hates, postponements, meanness, laziness, none of these wanting [in me]….

What the world with its “cancel culture” doesn’t offer is grace or forgiveness. And, that is because many in today’s society don’t look in the mirror and see their own need for grace and forgiveness.

However, what Jesus always offers you is grace and forgiveness.

When you look in the mirror and see that you have been like Jesus’ family and the Jewish scribes in this morning’s text, Jesus does not come in with a judgment that says you are guilty and condemned to be separated from God forever.

No, Jesus comes with the judgement that says, “you are guilty and deserve to be condemned and separated from God forever, but I took the punishment on the cross that your sin deserves and I exchanged it with my perfection and righteous for you.

I take your evil and give you my good.

Believe in me, become part of God’s eternal family in Heaven, and be saved!”

So, I bring you to Psalm 1 and encourage you to pray to God asking him to give you faith and to strengthen your faith so that you are always included as the blessed man or woman who thrives and lives.

[1] Blessed is the man

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

[2] but his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

[3] He is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

[4] The wicked are not so,

but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

[5] Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

[6] for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish. (ESV)

And, I leave you with the exhortation from Hebrews 3:12–14:

[12] Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. [13] But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. [14] For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. (ESV)

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Pastor Fred Scragg

March 12, 2023

Have you ever been misunderstood?

Has anyone ever questioned your thoughts, words, or actions?

Has anyone ever questioned your motives and morals?

Has your quietness been misunderstood as weakness?  When, in actuality, your quietness is just your way of listening and thinking through things so that you can be stronger and more confident when you speak and act.

Has your friendliness been misunderstood by the opposite sex as an unwanted relational advance?  When, in fact, you are just genuinely concerned for everyone’s happiness and comfort.

Has your spouse or significant other ever misunderstood your mood, tone, or inflection?

Have your parents ever misunderstood your mood, tone, or inflection?

Misunderstandings happen all of the time.

And, misunderstandings often lead to strained or broken relationships.

A few years ago, Garth Brooks hit the stage in Detroit wearing the jersey of retired Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders. 

However, the photo he posted backstage confused some of his fans. Because of the name “Sanders” and the jersey number 20, they thought the shirt was meant to convey support for Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, who at the time was embroiled in a race with former Vice President Joe Biden for the right to run against President Trump as a Democratic challenger for that year’s presidential election.

“Good grief,” responded one Instagram user. “Can’t you just do what you get paid to do? Why, why does it have to involve politics!!! So sad. We don’t pay good money for anything other than to watch you perform. Thought you were different.”

While there were plenty Garth Brooks fans online to correct the mistaken assumption, there were also more than a few Bernie Sanders supporters happy to play along:

“Welp. Looks like @garthbrooks just became my favorite country singer!” wrote one user, concluding, “#FeelTheBern2020.”

Even Barry Sanders himself got in on the fun. “Hey @garthbrooks you wanna be my VP? #Number20for2020.”

I am not sharing this story to make any kind of political point.

I am sharing this story to make the point that everyone is misunderstood at one point and everyone misunderstands at some point.

In this morning’s text we are going to listen in on a conversation where misunderstanding led to a strained, tense, and even broken relationship.

Our text this morning, from the lectionary is John 3.1-17.  Let’s listen in on this conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus now.

[1] Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. [2] This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” [3] Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [4] Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” [5] Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ [8] The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

[9] Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” [10] Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? [11] Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. [12] If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? [13] No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. [14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, [15] that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

For God So Loved the World

[16] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (ESV)

In this back and forth exchange between Nicodemus and Jesus, we see that Nicodemus was misunderstanding Jesus on many levels.

First, Nicodemus misunderstood who Jesus was.

We see in this in the way he addresses Jesus. Nicodemus calls Jesus, “teacher.” Nicodemus lumps Jesus in with all of the other Jewish scholars around him. 

Nicodemus doesn’t recognize Jesus as God’s Messiah, the Anointed One, the Savior.

Second, Nicodemus misunderstood the things Jesus did.  

At the point of this meet up, Jesus had been traveling for some time, speaking about the Kingdom of God and doing miracles.  Nicodemus witnessed some of the unbelievable things Jesus was able to do and he certainly heard about most of the others.

Jesus was baptized in the Jordan river by the seemingly crazy homeless man John the Baptist with the voice of God speaking audibly afterwards for all to hear.

Jesus was getting successful businessmen, fishermen to be exact, to walk away from their means of income in the blink of an eye to follow him from town to town as he taught and healed people.

Jesus turned water into wine for all of the hosts and guests at a big blowout wedding party.

Nicodemus knows these events are out of the ordinary but has no reasonable explanation for how they could happen.

Third, Nicodemus misunderstood how a person enters the Kingdom of God.

When Jesus mentions being “born again” Nicodemus was confused.

Nicodemus was under the impression that a person entered the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven, through hard work, perseverance, and doing the things God’s Law commanded a person to do.

In all of this, Jesus doesn’t leave Nicodemus lost in his misunderstanding of who He is and what He is on earth to do. 

Jesus doesn’t walk away from Nicodemus saying, “I am sorry, you are too stupid to figure it out right now. But, if and when you put the clues together and figure out the riddle, then you can come and see me and then God’s love will be yours.”

In an act of complete grace, Jesus cancels Nicodemus’ misunderstanding.

Jesus lays it all out on the line so that Nicodemus can understand, believe, have faith, and enter into God’s eternal Kingdom.

Jesus explicitly reveals who he is first through saying that he is the Son of Man.  

The Son of Man is an Old Testament name for God’s Son who would save people from their sin through kingship and conflict.

When Jesus used this term in his conversation with Nicodemus, Nicodemus, being well versed in the Old Testament theology, would know right away that Jesus was referring to Himself as God’s Savior.

Jesus next explicitly reveals what He is going to go through in order to make God’s promise to humanity a reality.

Jesus says that He will be lifted up on a cross and all that have faith in his death for them will be forgiven of sin and granted eternal life.

And, then, Jesus sums up who he is and what he is going to do and what it is going to accomplish with what I would say are the most famous words in the Bible.

Jesus says to Nicodemus:

[16] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3.16-17, ESV)

In late October of 2022, Erin Hatzi reported to police that her red Subaru Impreza had been stolen out of her driveway—according to her surveillance footage, “a woman [had] calmly enter[ed] her car and [drove] away” with it. Calmly, indeed: In fact, the woman had sat in the car for a couple minutes. “We were really confused because it didn’t seem like the normal actions of a car thief,” said Hatzi.

The next day, “[p]olice stopped a woman attempting to return the car outside of Hatzi’s home.” The driver offered up this explanation: The night before, “she had been sent to the neighborhood to pick up her friend’s car and accidentally took Hatzi’s vehicle instead.” The friend did not see the car until that morning, and upon realizing the mix-up, left a note and gas money inside the car and sent it back to its rightful owner.

So what happened? According to police, “older Subaru keys are interchangeable and can occasionally be used to open different cars.”

Because of sin which corrupts our thinking and understanding, many people in our world misunderstand God’s forgiving love and replace God’s forgiving love with the idea that you can live anyway in this world that you want while believing whatever you want about who God is and how God acts.     

The common belief is that all roads lead to Heaven.

However, that very way of thinking and living causes you to get into the wrong car which will only take you to a place of trouble and imprisonment.  

Believing the wrong thing about who Jesus is and what Jesus has done leads you away from God’s forgiveness and love.

When Jesus met Nicodemus, Nicodemus misunderstood Jesus and was in the wrong car, headed for the trouble of being separated from God forever.

However, Jesus, through the grace of God that chases after and rescues those headed in the wrong direction—the direction that takes one away from the Kingdom of Heaven, clearly points Nicodemus to the right car that will take him down the road, the narrow path, that leads to God, his forgiveness of sin, and his eternal love.

Jesus does the same for you!

Jesus doesn’t want you to misunderstand him and the thing He has done for you.

Jesus lived for you. 

Jesus died on the cross for you—to forgive you of your sin—the sin that often causes you to misunderstand him.

Jesus rose from the grave for you.

If you ever find yourself confused and misunderstanding who God is and what God has done for you in the person and work of Jesus, return to Jesus’ words that make everything clear for you which are found in John 14:1–6.

Jesus says to you:

[1] “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. [2] In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. [4] And you know the way to where I am going.” … [6] Jesus [says to you], “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (ESV)

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Pastor Fred Scragg 

March 5, 2023

Anger makes us do crazy things.

When we get to a place where we are blinded by how upset we are, our judgment often goes right out the window.

In February 2009, a 27-year-old woman from Fort Pierce, Florida, walked into a McDonald’s restaurant and ordered a 10-piece McNuggets meal. You know how it is when you’re hungry and you have a taste for something particular. Your imagination starts working and you can almost taste those McNuggets now.

Well, that’s when things got really tough for this hungry woman. The person behind the counter took the order and received payment. The McDonald’s employee then discovered that they were out of those bite-sized, warm, tasty McNuggets. 

The employee told the customer that the restaurant had run out of McNuggets, and she would have to get something else from the menu. 

The customer asked for her money back. 

The employee said all sales are final, and she could have a larger priced item from the menu if she wanted.

The customer got angry. She wanted McNuggets—not a Big Mac, not a McRib, not a Quarter Pounder. She was angry, this was clearly an emergency, and she knew what to do in an emergency: she took out her cell phone and called 911 to complain. Apparently the 911 workers didn’t take her seriously, because the McNuggets-loving woman called 911 three times to get help!

She never got her McNuggets that night, but she did later get a ticket from police for misusing 911.

Anger twists our perspective. It skews our judgment. Anger makes small things big and big things small. When we’re angry, having to eat a burger instead of McNuggets is a disaster, and calling 911 is not a big deal.

Besides causing us to call 911 to help us with our fast food emergencies, anger can lead to murder.

Right now, you may be saying, “Pastor Fred, how the heck did we get from McNuggets to murder?”

Well, as our text for this this morning shows us, in God’s eyes, when anger takes over, there isn’t much difference between McNuggets and murder.

The lectionary has us returning to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount for the third week in a row now to spend some time hearing about God’s desires for us when it comes to life and love.

In this morning’s portion of Jesus’ sermon, Jesus is talking about God’s desires for us when it comes to murder, anger, the words we use, and finally, reconciliation.

Let’s hear together from the disciple Matthew’s biography of Jesus, specifically, Matthew 5:21–26, now.

The text has Jesus’ preaching this message:

[21] “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ [22] But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. [23] So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, [24] leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. [25] Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. [26] Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

When we read this part of Jesus’ sermon, we hear words that make sense for those of us that know God’s 10 Commandments as well as for those who understand the basic rules of right and wrong.

We hear the 5th Commandment which says, 

“You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20.13)

When we hear those words, we think, “Yes! Of course! That makes perfect sense, murder is wrong.”

So, how many people have you murdered in your lifetime?

The majority of the human race would answer, “Zero. I have never physically stopped another person from living.”

So, far, most of us are on track and in agreement with Jesus’ words thinking, “I have obeyed this commandment of God, put a check next to the ‘completed’ box on the list.”

But, then Jesus says something a little strange.  He goes on to say:

“[22] But I [also] say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”

When we hear these words, we think, “Say what?,” or using the words of Arnold Drummond from one of my favorite childhood shows, Different Strokes, “What you talking about Willis?”

In these words, Jesus is equating our anger—the anger that often leads us to use our words to put down, make fun of, and insult the one or ones that we are upset with—with murder.

Do you see the gravity of Jesus’ words in this part of his sermon?

Jesus is saying that every single word that comes out of your mouth matters to God.

That means if you use your words for anything except encouragement, support, thanksgiving, and building others up, you are guilty of breaking God’s command for your life.

If you use your words to make fun of someone, you are guilty of sin and deserve to be punished eternally in Hell.

If you use you words to tear someone down, you are guilty of sin and deserve to be punished eternally in Hell.

If you use your words to spread gossip, you are guilty of sin and deserve to be punished eternally in Hell.

If you use your words to tell dirty jokes, you are guilty of sin and deserve to be punished eternally in Hell.

It is not uncommon to hear the misconception that God is love and would never send anyone to Hell.  Many even claim that Jesus never talked about Hell.

Well, as this morning’s text shows us, these are nothing but lies.

At this point, we may be thinking, how can Jesus equate some silly like the words that come out of my mouth with murder?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Lutheran Pastor who lived in the first half of the 20th Century, is best known for his opposition to Adolf Hitler, the Nazi regime, and their genocidal persecution of the Jews.

In one of Bonhoeffer’s books, The Cost of Discipleship, he comments on the text from Matthew 5 that we are hearing from this morning and answers that questions about the equality of murder, anger, and words in God’s eyes.

Bonhoeffer comments this:

“The judgment [the murder] passes on others falls on the murderer himself.  In this context “brother” means more than “fellow-Christian”: for the follower of Jesus there can be no limit as to who is his neighbor, except as the Lord decides.  He is forbidden to commit murder under pain of divine judgment.  For him the brother’s life is a boundary which he dare not pass.  Even anger is enough to overstep the mark, still more the casual angry word (Raca), and most of all the deliberate insult of our brother (“Thou Fool”). 

Anger is always an attack on the brother’s life, for it refuses to let him live and aims at his destruction.  Jesus will not accept the common distinction between righteous indignation and unjustifiable anger.  The disciple must be entirely innocent of anger, because anger is an offense against both God and his neighbor.  Every idle word which we think so little of betrays our lack of respect for our neighbor, and shows that we place ourselves on a pinnacle above him and value our own lives higher than his.  The angry word is a blow struck at our brother, a stab at his heart: it seeks to hit, to hurt and to destroy.  A deliberate insult is even worse, for we are then openly disgracing our brother in the eyes of the world, and causing others to despise him.  With our hearts burning with hatred, we seek to annihilate his moral and material existence.  And the murderer will himself be judged.

When a man gets angry with his brother and swears at him, when he publicly insults or slanders him, he is guilty of murder and forfeits his relation to God.  He erects a barrier not only between himself and his brother, but also between himself and God.  He no longer has access to him: his sacrifice, worship and prayer are not acceptable in his sight.”

Jesus’ brother James also speaks to this issues of the power of words to both give life and kill in the letter that he wrote that is now including in the New Testament part of the Bible.

James 3:4–12 says this:

[4] Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. [5] So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! [6] And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. [7] For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, [8] but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. [9] With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. [10] From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. [11] Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? [12] Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. (ESV)

In fact, the importance and power of words to give life and to kill, to build up and tear down has been pointed out by God’s people throughout  history and recorded for us from the beginning to the end of the Bible.

Listen to these texts:

Proverbs 18:6–7:

[6] A fool’s lips walk into a fight,

and his mouth invites a beating.

[7] A fool’s mouth is his ruin,

and his lips are a snare to his soul. (ESV)

Proverbs 18:21:

[21] Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

and those who love it will eat its fruits. (ESV)

Ephesians 4:29–30:

[29] Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. [30] And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (ESV)

Colossians 4:6:

[6] Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (ESV)

And, 1 Timothy 4:15:

[15] Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. (ESV)

Here is the flow of Jesus’ thought so far.

1. Murder breaks one of God’s commands.

2. Anger that leads you to use your words to say things that communicate the idea that someone else’s life isn’t of value or of any worth or is less important than yours is equal to murder because it disrespects another one of God’s creations.

And then we move on to

3. Do everything in your power to seek forgiveness and reconciliation after anger has led you to use unkind and sometimes untrue words.

What this text is ultimately telling us is that reconciliation is of utmost importance to God.

One of the rightfully most respected scholars of the last Century, John Stott, says this about Jesus’ words in this morning’s part of The Sermon on the Mount:

“If you are in church, in the middle of a service of worship, and you suddenly remember that your brother has a grievance against you, leave the church at once and put it right.  Do not wait till the service has ended.  Seek your brother and ask forgiveness.  First go, then come.  First go and be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your worship to God.”

Did you hear that?

Jesus is saying to you that if you are aware that your anger has caused division between you and another person, you should get up from the pew that you are sitting in and go seek forgiveness and reconciliation with that person.  And, don’t come back into this place until that is done.

Reconciliation is of utmost importance to God.

So much so, that the entire Bible from beginning to end is about God’s great desire to be reconciled to you—you who have been disobedient to his commands for life and love over and over again—you who have used your words to make fun of other people, tear people down, spread lies, and pass along gossip.  

Jesus speaks of God’s great desire to forgive you and be reconciled to you when He shares about the reason that God stepped into the flesh to come to you to rescue you from being separated from Him.

Jesus speaks of God’s great desire to forgive you and be reconciled to you in what is probably the most famous words from the entirety of Scripture.

In John 3.16-18, Jesus says to you:

[16] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. [18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned. (ESV)

And, following that good news that God, our Father in Heaven, has no greater desire than to forgive you and be reconciled to you and live with you eternally in His Kingdom of Heaven, regardless of how many times you broke his commands about watching your words, anger, and ultimately the murder that he considers those things, the apostle Paul shares this good news as well in several of his letters to the churches gathered in the Mediterranean region during the first Century with encouragement like:

[21] …you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, [22] he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, (Colossians 1:21–22, ESV)

[10] … while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, [how] much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10, ESV)

And,

[32] Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32, ESV)

Are you guilty of letting things like McNuggets turn into something that God equates with murder? 

Yes, over and over and over again.

But, God’s grace is ALWAYS bigger and stronger than the sin of murder.  As hard as that is to believe and as mind-boggling as it may be, it is the truth.

There is nothing in all of creation that God will allow to keep you separated from him.

Have faith in Jesus.

Be forgiven and reconciled to God.

Then go and forgive and be reconciled to others.

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Reverend Fred Scragg V

February 18, 2023

Our local library has a program called, “1000 Books Before Kindergarten.”

You can certainly deduce that the goal of the program is to instill a love of reading in kids at an early age by encouraging them to read 1000 books with their parents before they enter Kindergarten at the age of 5.  To encourage the kids along the way, at each milestone of 100 books, the library offers a small reward that can be chosen out of a treasure chest — small plastic animals, pieces of candy, etc.

For our first son, this goal posed no problem at all.  He loved being read to and to this day he loves reading on his own.

However, for my second son, this goal has seemed a bit less achievable.  He is active and doesn’t stop moving from the time he wakes up until the time he lays down to sleep.  So, it has been hard to get him to sit down long enough to listen to a full story (and if I am honest, in my older age I have less energy to wrangle him in). 

In order to help my younger son love reading like the rest of our household, we instituted an extra reward program for him. Every time he reads 25 books with us he gets to go to the local candy store and pick out one piece of candy to eat.  

Now, have you ever seen a kid in a candy store?  

They don’t know where to look, where to turn, or what to pick.

They are overwhelmed with the sweet aroma of the sugary delights.

There is milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white chocolate.  There is sweet and there is sour.  There is hard and there is gummy.  

In a candy store, the choices set before us are innumerable.

We often approach our relationship with God like we are in a candy store.  We believe the choices are innumerable.  We believe we can pick and choose what we like and don’t like from God’s Word and walk away satisfied with the goody bag we assembled to make us happy.

However, when it comes to our relationship with God, the choices are not innumerable, there are only two choices.  There is life and there is death.

God speaks those two choices through his prophetic messenger Jeremiah when he says:

[8] “And to this people you shall say: ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. (Jeremiah 21:8, ESV)

Here, God is speaking to his people, the Israelites, and warning them about their ungodly choices.  The Israelites were picking and choosing parts of God’s Word to obey while at the same time mixing in ideas and beliefs from the unbelieving nations around them.  The Israelites were acting like kids in a candy store, choosing what they liked about God while leaving the rest behind.  

This was the way of death for the Israelites as they were ignoring the God who rescued them time and time again and choosing their own path, away from God, in this life.

The choices on how to disobey God and his rules for life and love are innumerable. We don’t know where to look, where to turn, or what to pick. And, because of sin, we choose the pleasures of this world over the eternal pleasures of God and His Kingdom of Heaven.

This leads to death and separation from God because we are ignoring and denying God’s free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ by choosing to live according to our own rules for life and love instead of the rules of life and love put forth by the One who rescues us from sin and death.

The way of death comes when you assemble a personalized goody bag of beliefs by picking and choosing what you like and don’t like from God’s Word as if you are a kid in a candy store.  

Even though we follow the sour stench that is the way of death, God our Father in Heaven, in an act of complete grace and mercy, has set before us the way of life.

The way of life smells of the sweet aroma of Jesus. It is the forgiveness of sins, which includes treating God and his Word like a candy store, and an eternal place where we are declared righteous in every way thanks to the person and work of Jesus Christ on the cross and at the grave.  This is a free gift by faith, you don’t have to read 25, 100, or 1000 books to get it.  

Death comes from rejecting Jesus Christ as the Savior.

Life comes from faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior.

Today, believe God’s Word and follow the sweet aroma of Jesus Christ to life knowing that the sour stench of death has been overcome for you in his life, death, and resurrection. 

Amen.

We spend a good majority of time thinking.

We spend time thinking about the mundane things that happen on a daily basis.

We think about what we are going to eat for lunch.

We think about what chores need to be done around the house to keep it clean.

We think about what clothes we are going to put on our bodies.

And, we think about the logistics of how we are going to get our kids from school, to their extra curricular activities, and back home in time for dinner and homework.

We also spend time thinking about more serious issues.

We think about how we are going to allocate our salary to pay our bills and meet the needs of our family.

We think about which presidential candidate is best qualified to run our country.

We think about who is going to take care of us when we are older.

And, we think about how we can help those in need after catastrophic events like wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and riots.

In our thinking we have to acknowledge that there are good thoughts that pass through our mind as well as bad thoughts.

In the words of Scripture, the good things that we should be thinking about are laid out in Philippians 4:8 when we are told:

[8] Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (ESV)

However, going against the words of Scripture, we can find ourselves thinking about ungodly things that will bring us pleasure and how we are going to accomplish them.  Things like lying to keep us from getting in trouble. And things like looking at pornography, going out to over drink and get drunk, or posting hateful things on social media to get back at someone that hurt us.

Our minds are constantly thinking about all of the different aspects of life. And for some of us the thinking is so intense that it keeps us up at night.

As we think about our stressful and shaky thought life and thought patterns, let’s turn our attention to God’s thought life and thought patterns.,

In the lectionary lesson text this week, we are brought to the book of Isaiah and told about God’s thought life.

Let’s see what the prophet has to say about God’s thinking.

Isaiah 55:6–9 reads this way:

[6] “Seek the LORD while he may be found;

call upon him while he is near;

[7] let the wicked forsake his way,

and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,

and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

[8] For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

[9] For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts. (ESV)

What does God think about?

What is always on God’s mind?

Well, here in Isaiah, we are told that God is constantly thinking about having compassion on you and forgiving you of your sin.

I would have to say that what is on God’s mind is much different than the things that are usually on our mind. 

God spends his time thinking about how he can meet you where you are at in life and provide comfort and peace.

God spends his time thinking about how he can give you rest by assuring you that your sins are forgiven and that all that is required for entrance into his eternal kingdom has been completed for you in the person and work of Jesus Christ, His Son.

If you see the pattern here, God is always thinking about you and how he can help you.

When we look at the world around us falling apart because of sin, it can be easy to slip into thinking that God isn’t thinking about us or that God doesn’t care about us.

In a song that I heard on the radio yesterday, the band Theory of a Deadman, sang these lyrics

“World’s out there singin’ the blues

Twenty more dead on the evening news

Think to myself “really, what’s the use?”

I’m just like you, I was born to lose

Why oh why can’t you just fix me?

When all I want’s to feel numb

But the medication’s all done

Why oh why does God hate me?

When all I want’s to get high

And forget this so-called life”

The lyricist has the idea that God’s thoughts about him and humanity are thoughts of hate because all of the problems don’t go away.  

Today, I want you to find assurance in Isaiah 55.6-9 that God is not thinking about how he can hurt you or cause you pain.  God is not thinking about how he can make our days more difficult.

God is always and only thinking about you and how he can help you navigate life in an often difficult world.

Today, seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon Him because He is near to you, and rest in his compassion that forgives your sin, including the sin of not thinking rightly about all things.

Amen.

Pastor Fred

September 17, 2020

Matthew 15.21-28

Matthew 14.13-21

Matthew 13.44-52

Matthew 13.24-30, 36-43