February 13, 2023 —  “Positive Trust brings Positive Results”

“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse—who can understand it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings.” Jeremiah 17:7-10

“The call today is to put our faith and trust in God for He is a shelter in the time of storm, a very present help in the time of trouble and our refuge and strength in times of weakness. When you have truly put your trust in the Lord, your praise and worship to Him is unconditional and ever increasing, even in the midst of life test, trials and fires of life. Trusting God does not mean that you are in denial of truth or danger, but that you have placed the issue before God and you have faith in Him to work it out on your behalf.” (tellthelordthankyou.com)

When Luther had a papal bull placed upon him, he burned it on December 10, 1520. This act resulted in his being called to the Diet of Worms, in 1521, to defend his books and other writings. When Luther went to the Diet of Worms, his friends not only tried to deter him from going, they also accompanied him to protect him. In fact, when the Elector Frederick the Wise asked Luther if he was willing to go to Worms, Luther said: “If I am called, I shall go; and if I were too sick to go, I shall have them carry me.” The “trial” went as expected – the emperor Charles V wanted him to recant his writings, and Luther refused. He was soon “kidnapped” and taken to the Castle in Wartburg to “go into hiding”. 

Now, these events could have put the brakes upon Luther – but the opposite happened. He would take the time while he was in hiding to translate the bible into the vernacular, into the German language so that all could read the scriptures. In his unwavering trust in his understanding of Grace and his faith in the Word of G-d, Luther used his time to bring “Positive Results from Positive Trust”. And this kind of trust can be seen not just from Martin Luther but from many a theologian and prophet throughout the millennia.

Our positive trust in Jesus Christ, that brings about positive results through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, should lead us to live into and to live out that trust in all our relationships. It is our challenge to continue in the footsteps of so many theologians, martyrs and teachers who lived their lives in that trust, no matter the troubles it brought them along the journey.

Let us pray: Dear G-d, give me a heart that I know you will test daily – with opportunities to share your love. When I trust in your Spirit I know you will lead me just as you have guided so many Saints before me. Amen.

Pastor Dave

February 12, 2023 – Epiphany 6A

[“Jesus said to the disciples:] “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. “Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:21-37)

I was listening to NPR the other morning, and I heard them tell the story of Hugh Montgomery. Hugh was a 17^th century Irishman who fell from his horse onto a fence, opening a hole in his chest. Although expected to die, he got better, but he still had this hole in his chest that exposed his inner workings.  His father fashioned a metal plate that he could use to cover the hole in his chest. He toured Europe selling out theaters to people who paid money to see him remove the metal plate, and expose his insides, which they initially thought was his lung. Then a famous cardiologist, Sir William Harvey took a look inside his chest and he realized it wasn’t his lung, but his heart he could see. This was the first time anyone had actually seen an actual working heart.  Mr. Montgomery would let people reach in and touch his heart – and the fascinating thing was, he couldn’t feel them touch it. The heart, as it turns out, has no feeling – and if you have had a heart catheterization, you know this to be true. 

What is the point we should take away from this text from Matthew 5 today?  It appears Jesus wants his disciples, which includes you and me, Jesus wants us to consider whether we hear the hearts of our neighbors beating in our ears?  The law is important, vitally important to our Christian teachings, including “You Shall Not Murder”, “You Shall Not Commit Adultery”, and “You Shall not Bear False Witness”, among the more well-known commands like “You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me”, and “Remember the Sabbath”.  But the Gospel of Jesus Christ compels us to consider more than the law, we must consider what is at the “Heart” of the matter. Yes most of us have not murdered anyone, but if our heart is filled with anger, how can we serve the other in our lives? If our heart is filled with “porneia”, or being untruthful, or unfaithful, how can we truly love our spouses with our whole heart?

Although the experience of Hugh Montgomery taught us that the heart has no feeling, we know just the opposite is true – at the heart of being human is every feeling from anger, to hate, to love, and lust and everything in between.  And if we are truthful with ourselves, we will admit that there is a pounding in our ears that will drive us to confess that most of the time we fall short of this kind of living Jesus calls us to – to love without limits. We confess that we fall short, that we fail most of the time in living according to the heart of Jesus’ message. But that is why we come to hear the Gospel of Jesus. We fill our ears with gospel medicine that fills us with grace upon grace. And then we meet Jesus at the table, where forgiven and fed we go out into the heartless world – seeking reconciliation, letting go of our anger, and loving with a pure heart.

Pastor Dave