January 28, 2024 – Epiphany 4B

“[Jesus and his disciples] went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.” Mark 1:21-28

A nurse was working her first day at a doctor’s office.  She was puzzled when she heard the doctor yelling something out every so often – loud enough that everyone in the waiting room could hear.  First he yelled “Typhoid!”  Later he shouted “Measles!”  Still later he hollered “Tetanus!”  This continued for several different diseases until the nurse started to wonder about the doctor’s state of mind.  She finally asked the receptionist “Why is doctor so and so shouting like that?”  The receptionist said, “Well, he is the doctor.  He calls the shots around here!” 

Who have been the people in your lives who have called the shots – or who have been the most influential in your lives? Other than my parents, I have two – and their names are Brooks and Bill. These two men are two of the many teachers I have had in my life who called the shots at some point in my life. And their voices are voices I hear in my head over and over and over again, giving me little pieces of wisdom and advice. I still remember how their words carried authority over me all those years ago.

My friends, we all have some “unclean spirits” clinging to us – living inside us – hanging on to us – or we to them. And these unclean spirits can carry authority over us – or we ascribe authority to them, taking away our trust in G-d, our ability to put complete trust and faith in Jesus Christ, G-d’s only son, because we grant them that authority. That, my friends, can destroy us. But every Sunday, Jesus comes to us again and again and again, in Word AND Sacrament, to cleanse us of that which is unclean, and nourish us and strengthen us and remind us that we have been made clean through the One who wants to have the authority to call the shots in our lives – Jesus Christ.

Pastor Dave

January 27, 2024 — “The Most Loved of All Books”

“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.  And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”  And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away.” Luke 4:16-30

There are many places today where the bible is not welcome – and there are plenty of people who have never read the bible. I was talking to a woman the other day about a service for her deceased mother, and I asked her if they wanted a particular scripture passage read at the service. She told me she had her mother’s bible, and then she exclaimed: “The bible is really hard to read – I feel stupid reading it.” And I said, “The bible is hard to read, but that is why we need to keep on trying.”

I know the statistics say that the bible is the bestselling book of all time, and yet, I find it funny how many people have never read it. People have a copy in their home, perhaps it was given to them as part of an estate sale – and yet they have not read it, cracked it open, or even tried because, like my friend listed above, they feel stupid trying to understand it. But we cannot learn to appreciate what is in the Bible by staring at it – or keeping it locked away in a drawer.

My friends, we need to become more Biblically literate so that we can help others become Biblically literate. There are so many translations and Study Bibles printed today that everyone should be able to find a copy that speaks to them – if not is understandable to them. If you are having trouble finding a version of the Bible that is helpful and understandable, just ask your pastor for some help.

Let us pray: Lord you have the words of eternal life. Remind me everyday that I need to read Your word – read it and live by it. Amen.

Pastor Dave