“An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.”  Mahatma Gandhi

“Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”   Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”   Luke 10:37-42

When Jesus tells the lawyer (the one who wanted to justify himself from the parable of the Good Samaritan) to “Go and do likewise” – Jesus is telling him to show mercy to people regardless of their religious, cultural, ethnic or gender identity. The lawyer believed that there were only certain people to whom he should be kind, accepting, and merciful. And, not allowing him to justify himself, Jesus put him in his place. Showing mercy can mean many things to different people, especially depending on the situation. But immediately after this parable, Jesus enters into the home of Mary and Martha. Martha complains that Mary is not helping her out as she would prefer, and Jesus supports Mary that “She has chosen the better part” by not “going and doing”. So, what does it mean to “go and do”? In one instance Jesus implies that it means “Go” – in the other instance it seems to mean “Sit”. The secret to living the Christ-like life is finding a balance for both “going and doing” and “sitting and listening”.

There are certain ways that we Lutherans believe that we receive the Holy Spirit – through hearing the Word, reading the Word, and receiving the Word in the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. If we are always “doing”, we will eventually run out of the strength to continue to “do the works of G-d” because we all only have so much in our Spiritual Tanks. There need to be times when we sit at the feet of Jesus, or in the worship service, to receive some preaching, and to take part in the Sacraments, so we can fill up our Spiritual Tanks, and then continue to “go and do”. 

My friends, find time to be filled by G-d’s word and the Holy Spirit through participating in worship, bible study, Word and Sacrament. And when you feel your strength has been renewed, remember the words that Jesus spoke to the lawyer – “Go and Do likewise”.

Pastor Dave

“Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” (The Lord of the Rings)

“There is the story told about a King who had a problem.  The King needed someone to help solve his problem.  Word spreads that the King has a problem, and the tallest, smartest, and fastest people in the kingdom think that they can solve it. But, as it turns out, none of those, the tallest person in the kingdom, the smartest person in the kingdom, and the fastest person in the kingdom cannot solve his problem.  However, it turns out the problem is that his crown fell under his throne, and none of them are able to reach it. But the smallest person in the kingdom can solve the King’s problem.  The King realizes that the smallest person in the kingdom can fit underneath the throne and reach it. The smallest person in the kingdom retrieves the crown, and saves the day.” (The King’s Problem)

The bible is filled with people who, though small in stature or position, do amazing things for G-d and for G-d’s people. The little story above speaks to the amazing things that can be done even with the smallest among us.

So why don’t we talk about some contemporary examples of people who were small in stature, but were bigger than life. The first person who comes to mind is Mother Theresa. Standing all of five feet tall, she was a formidable figure in her missionary work, particularly in Calcutta.  She was not universally loved, but Pope Francis canonized her at a ceremony on September 4, 2016.  Another person who comes to mind would be Mahatma Gandhi, the focus of tomorrow’s devotion. Standing a statuesque five feet, four inches, Gandhi used nonviolent civil disobedience to lead India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

If you think about your life, I am sure there are so many people you could list who have proven that you do not have to be big, to make a big difference in the lives of others. My wife’s paternal grandmother was all of four feet tall, and had lost most of the fingers on her right hand in a meat grinding accident. Yet, she was the chief cook, launderer, and bottle washer in her family. She did everything. She was a model of strength, wisdom, and support for my wife. 

Although the media and even the Marines think there should be a certain height for people to be respected and accepted (at least according to the world’s standards), this is not true for the kingdom of G-d on earth. Even if you are bent over with arthritis, are cut down by some accident or disability, or are just short, you already are big in the eyes of G-d, because G-d created you. Let the Word of G-d be your support, your platform shoes, and your soap box to stand out above the rest of the world, and “live large” the Christ-like life.

Pastor Dave