October 9, 2022 – Pentecost +18C

¹On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. ¹²As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, ¹³they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” ¹⁴When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. ¹⁵Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. ¹⁶He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? ¹⁸Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”Luke 17:11-19

I was talking with a pastor the other day, and he was telling me the story about a woman he went to visit while she was in the hospital. He went to visit her because she was diagnosed with cancer. He told me that he was with her and her mother, and prayed with them on the day that the doctors told her that she had no more than two months to live. He also told me that he went to visit her one year later – at her home. One year later the pastor was visiting her in her home – and she was cancer free. This woman, told a year prior that she was dying, was now living without a trace of the disease that had brought her so close to death.  The amazing part of this story is that she was also living without something else – she was living without G-d. Once she had been “healed” of her disease, she stopped coming to church. 

It seems that ten lepers were on a journey one day. We don’t know anything about these ten except that at this point in their lives they were considered lepers – and as such were in desperate shape. Our text tells us that Jesus was continuing his journey toward Jerusalem – in which the ending was to be an arrest, a trial, a crucifixion, and thankfully a resurrection. So their collective journeys, Jesus and the ten lepers, intersected in spectacular fashion. And in the end ten lepers were healed by Jesus. But the story doesn’t end there. Only one of the lepers stops to take stock of what has happened – to realize that something wonderful and dramatic has occurred that has changed his life – only one goes back to thank Jesus.

Ten lepers recognized Jesus – called him master – understood his authority – placed their lives in his hands – heard his words of healing – only one returned to bow and worship and submit again to that authority. G-d’s love is relational – is about relationships. In our relationship with Jesus we have opportunity after opportunity to hear about the love, mercy and grace of Jesus Christ that we experience in G-d’s word and sacrament, and then go forth out in the community to be in relationship with others – family and stranger, friend and enemy, Jew and Gentile, Leper or Samaritan or Aids patient – and will also have unlimited opportunities to share Jesus’ love, mercy and grace.

Pastor Dave

October 8, 2022 – The Holy Spirit is Calling, Will You Answer?

“He said to me: O mortal, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you. And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me. He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me;” Ezekiel 2:1-3a

“Have you ever felt God calling or leading you to something that you weren’t sure how you were going to do? Perhaps it’s to start a food bank at your church or to share your faith story. It can be terrifying when God calls us to come and follow. That’s what God did to Ezekiel. “Stand up on your feet. I am sending you.” But here’s the interesting part. Ezekiel didn’t stand on his feet by his own volition. The Spirit entered him and set him on his feet. I find courage and strength in knowing that even as God calls me, I do not go alone. God will always send the Spirit to lead me.”   Luther Seminary devotions, June 29, 2015
Jennifer Beil — St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Portland, Ore.

Trying to start something new at the church is so impossible sometimes that many quit before they even begin. They give up for several reasons usually including, but not limited to: push back from those who say “we tried that before and it just didn’t work”; others who say “we don’t have the money to do that”; and still others who say “we don’t want “those” people in our church”.

It is a daunting task to take on a new ministry. It is hard to fight against history and fear of “new things”. But the church is not static – just like the word of G-d is living and active. And when we answer the call “to follow”, we do not go it alone. The Holy Spirit is always there not only to confirm our calling, but to support us when the “nay sayers” begin to throw up road blocks. And there will be those who try to stop new ministry — out of what they believe are “reasonable words of advice”. But, remember, G-d calls us to comfort the afflicted, and to afflict the comfortable. Anything new, a new ministry, a new program, a new group to serve, a new direction will afflict those who do not like change.

Remember, Ezekiel did not stand up on his own, the Holy Spirit entered into him, stood him up, and said “Off you go”. If you have the Holy Spirit, nothing can or will stand in your way. Oh you may get a lot of push back from those who fear change, but trust the Holy Spirit to fight your battles for you.

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, you call us to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Give us the strength every day to follow your call. Amen.

Pastor Dave