September 26, 2021 by achristoffels

Have Salt in Yourself

Readings for the day (Lectionary 26, Sunday, September 26, 2021):

Dear friends in Christ, grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Have you ever had an embarrassing stumble or fall? If you have, isn’t always worse when it happens with spectators around? When other people see just how clumsy you really are.

One winter, I stepped out of the church after leading a men’s Bible study. There was no precipitation coming out of the sky when I entered the building, but there was certainly something coming down when we were departing. I took a step on the sidewalk and before I could even realize what was happening, both of my feet came out from under me, and I was on the ground. Thankfully, I didn’t injure myself, but of course everyone from the Bible study was already outside and saw the whole thing happen. They saw my clumsy fall. Embarrassing. Maybe you have a similar story.

Today’s story picks up from where we left off last week, with Jesus continuing to get blunter and more direct with His disciples about the events that will soon unfold when their journey comes to an end in Jerusalem. As they near the city, Jesus realizes that His disciples are still not understanding why they are headed to Jerusalem and what is all going to happen when they get there. Last week, they were arguing about who was the greatest disciple and Jesus corrected them to say that those who wish to be first, must be last.

Do you ever have that moment where you just don’t understand something, and then you get the metaphorical 2×4 across the back of the head, and then everything just makes sense? Well, that’s the text for today. The disciples were not getting it, at all. So, Jesus gets about as blunt as He can to get them to wake up and to have some sense knocked into them. This text seems harsh, with being told to amputate body parts if they cause us to sin. But Jesus isn’t talking about literally cutting off parts of our bodies. He is trying to get us to wake up and listen to what He is actually saying to us. And sometimes we need something so bizarre, so strange, to jolt us awake, to knock us on the head with a 2×4, in order to be receptive to what we are being told. So, what is Jesus trying to tell us?

Very bluntly, don’t get in the way. And don’t be the reason that others trip or stumble. The disciples bring a situation before Jesus. They are concerned because there is this man who is casting out demons in Jesus’ name, but he’s not one of them. The man might not be doing it the way they want it done. Maybe he’s casting out demons in a way that’s never been done before. This concerns the disciples because they have their way of doing things and this man is doing it all wrong. And yet, Jesus tells the disciples it’s okay. “Whoever is not against us, is for us.”[1] It’s okay if someone does something different than the way it’s been done in the past; as long as it’s done for the good of God’s kingdom.

Then Jesus takes this a step further and talks about stumbling blocks. Our feet and our hands and our eyes don’t always do what we want them to do, do they? We run into things and stub our toes. We slip or trip over objects. We drop things. We mishandle other people’s possessions. Our hands can cause us to stumble when our parents tell us not to touch the pan on the stove because it’s hot, and yet we touch it anyway. Our eyes can cause us to stumble when we know that we probably shouldn’t engage in that debate that we saw on social media, and yet we do it anyway.

Maybe this what Jesus meant when He said that if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. Or if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out. Not that we are to literally do this and alter our physical body, but instead purging or removing those things in our life that distract us from our walk with God and cause us to stumble. To fall. To sin. So, if you can’t help yourself from getting into debates on social media, log out, uninstall the app, unfollow the person or the page. Remove the stumbling blocks, remove the distractions that get in the way of following Jesus.

And sometimes that means hearing people out before quickly jumping to a conclusion and telling the person that they have a terrible idea. When Stephanie and I were in the area looking for houses, we drove by many different ones. Some looked interesting. Others were an absolute no. After leaving St. Cloud to head back to Trimont, she found a house online that she really liked. She wanted to turn back and drive by it. We were already 15 minutes out of town. This was going to add considerable amount of time to our trip home. Even though I just wanted to keep heading home, I listened and turned around to do a drive by. And wouldn’t you know it, that’s the house that we ended up buying.

Discrediting or trying to stop someone from doing something just because it is different or new or a change from what we’ve done before, could very well be exactly what the Holy Spirit is guiding us to, for the good of God’s kingdom. When we put up those barriers, we become stumbling blocks to God’s Gospel message, that is only found through Jesus.

So, whether we have our own personal stumbling blocks that need addressing or even realizing that we, ourselves are stumbling blocks for others, Jesus encourages us to lead with grace. He tells His disciples, “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”[2] You’re going to make mistakes. You may trip. You may fall. But cut yourself some slack. Just as grace has been give to you, give yourself some grace.

Even with how harsh Jesus’ lesson is, even with how much that 2×4 across the head hurts, and it might even leave a bump. Even with how embarrassing it is to stumble and fall in front of others, Jesus reminds us, have salt in yourself. Give each other grace. And give yourself some grace too. Because grace has been given and shown to you through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Amen.

[1] Mark 9:40, NRSV

[2] Mark 9:50, NRSV

September 19, 2021 by achristoffels

The Perfect Fit

Readings for the day (Lectionary 23, Sunday, September 19, 2021):

Dear friends in Christ, grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Last weekend, I helped my wife rearrange her office at the church. She wanted the desk in a different spot, but no one at the church would allow her to move it because of the work that she’s already doing in growing a baby. There was one spot in the office where the desk would have been perfectly positioned – between the door and the window, with an eye on whoever enters the office and a great view of God’s beautiful creation looking out the window. It was the perfect arrangement with balancing function with a nice view. Except there was one major flaw to this plan, it didn’t fit. The desk would not fit in the spot we wanted to put it. Without putting the desk through the window, it ended up blocking the door from fully closing. So, we either needed to cut off part of the desk or find a different spot for it. And since I didn’t bring my woodworking tools along and assuming that the church would not be pleased if I just sawed off a portion of her desk, we decided to find a different spot.

Fitting into a spot is incredibly important. It doesn’t feel good when you pull into the parking lot and find a parking spot, only to realize that someone in the spot next to the open one parked their vehicle too close. You might fit your car in there, but you also might not be able to get out of your vehicle either.

Fitting in is more than just finding the right spot for a desk or that open parking spot for your vehicle. We yearn to fit in and feel accepted at our place of employment, at school, in our community, and even here at church. We don’t want to be left out or alone. We wish to be connected, to be accepted, and ultimately to fit in with the group.

So, we’ll say and do things that make us feel part of the group. Children do this all the time. They strive to fit in because by our very nature as humans, we don’t like being alone. We don’t like the feeling of loneliness. We need a sense of belonging. A belonging to a group or a community of some kind. But children are not the only ones who do this – saying and doing things just so that the group will accept them. Adults do this too, because let’s face it, adulting is also challenging. Adults desire to fit in just as much as children desire it. We wish to feel welcomed and accepted.

Now sometimes we will go about this in a natural, organic sort of way – where we just naturally fit in to the mold of a group. Other times, though, our approach is not as natural nor is it all that nice. Times like these, we end up acting like the disciples do in our story for today. We belittle others in order to make ourselves look better. The disciples were arguing among themselves. They were fighting over who was the greatest. Who was the best disciple? On a scale from 1 to 12, where did they rank? They were fighting for that prestigious title of being Jesus’ favorite and number one disciple.

Being welcomed and accepted into a group drives us to ensure that we have a place, that we fit in with the group. But this desire to fit in can cause us to drive a wedge that divides and separates us. We all yearn to be welcomed and accepted, and yet the divide in the community and around the country continues to get deeper. We spend so much time arguing with each other over who is right and who is wrong. Who is the greatest and who just doesn’t fit in to “our” group. We argue about masks and vaccines and who is red and who is blue, all so that we can say that we are better than our neighbor who happens to be on the other side of this great divide.

Guess what…God doesn’t care what color or side you are one. God doesn’t see whether you are red or blue because I think God is color blind!! I don’t know that for a fact, but knowing who God is, that would be my guess. And if, God can see colors in us. He probably only sees purple.

In talking with His disciples, Jesus reverses our understanding of right and wrong. In fact, Jesus flips the whole thing on its head. Turns it upside down and says, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all.”[1] Fitting in and being accepted by one group or another might be done in this world by belittling or arguing with another side and saying that I’m right and you’re wrong. But that’s not how God’s kingdom operates. For residents of God’s kingdom, we put others ahead of ourselves. We welcome each other in God’s name, even if we don’t agree on everything. Because I doubt that God agrees with everything that we do, and yet Jesus shows us how we are welcomed and accepted by God.

The disciples were concerned about who was right, who was wrong, and who was the greatest. But Jesus showed them what matters to Him, by bringing forth a child. God’s kingdom is not about figuring out who’s on top, but caring for our neighbor, and that includes the children in our midst.

For Jesus took a little child and sitting among them, took the child into His arms and said, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”[2] And you are that child. You are a child of God. Claimed through the waters of baptism. You are embraced by Jesus. You are welcomed and accepted by God. You certainly doesn’t deserve it, but then again, neither did the disciples deserve it. And this is who God is. This is who our God is. God loves and cares for you so much, that He welcomes and accepts you for who you are. In the kingdom of God, you have a place here. You do belong with God. In God’s house, there is not only a place for you, for God’s house is the place where you fit in, perfectly. Amen.

[1] Mark 9:35, NRSV

[2] Mark 9:37, NRSV

September 12, 2021 by achristoffels

Losing and Winning

Readings for the day (Lectionary 24B – Sunday, September 12, 2021):

Dear friends in Christ, grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Do any of you enjoy losing? As in, playing a board game and not being the winner. Or having your favorite team lose a game or worse, a championship. Anyone get excited, being filled with great joy when you or your team gets defeated by someone else who is better than you?

That’s what I expected. No one. Because no one enjoys being the loser. Or being on the losing team. We like to win. We like to claim victory over our opponents. We teach our children that winning isn’t all there is and that it’s just a game. But deep inside, it still feels better to win, right?

The Gospel story for today is Peter getting rebuked by Jesus. Now Peter often gets picked on for saying things before thinking and letting his mouth get him into some trouble. But put yourself into Peter’s shoes for a moment. Jesus and His disciples are on the move. They are venturing north, away from the Sea of Galilee. And on their walk, Jesus asks His friends, “Who do people say that I am?”[1] What’s the gossip about me? What do you hear people saying about me? What’s the talk around town? Is it good things that people are saying about me? Or do people really not like me? The disciples give a couple answers and then Jesus turns the question on them. Do you believe what you hear? Do you believe the gossip? “Who do you, my closest friends and followers, who do you say that I am?”[2] And Peter responds by saying, “You are the Messiah.” As if to say, we know who you really are. You’re the one that we’ve been waiting for. You’re the star quarterback who’s finally going to bring us to victory. And shockingly, Jesus doesn’t even tell Peter if his answer is correct or not. Instead, Jesus sternly – not even asks or suggests, but sternly orders the disciples not to tell anyone about His identity as the Messiah. I may be your star quarterback, but don’t tell anyone about me.

Because then Jesus goes on to share with them a very personal, intimate story. And this story is no ordinary story. It is a prediction. A prediction of what is to come. Jesus gives the disciples insight into how things are going to end. Their star quarterback is giving His prediction of how the game is going to end. Jesus says that He must undergo great suffering. That He will be rejected and killed. And after three days, He will rise again. No wonder Peter rebukes Jesus and tells Him to stop talking nonsense. It sounds to Peter that Jesus is going to lose. Team Jesus is predicted to lose the game. Who would follow a leader who plans to be rejected and killed? We may say that winning isn’t everything, but it sure doesn’t feel good to lose. It doesn’t feel good being on the losing side, especially if your team leader is the Messiah.

So much of our lives are driven by competition. The drive to win so that you don’t lose the game or competition. The challenge to secure a job over the other applicants. At the time, Peter didn’t see Jesus as a hero but it’s natural for us today to think of Jesus as a hero because He did win. He did claim victory over death.

And yet, Jesus calls us into something more. Something deeper than simply determining who’s winning and who’s losing. Jesus tells Peter that God appointed Him to suffer, die and be raised. And God calls us to follow Him. The question then, is “Are you coming?” Are you willing to follow Jesus? And before you answer like Peter, speaking before thinking, Jesus gives three characteristics of what it looks like to follow Him. Following Jesus is not easy, and He shows that with the characteristic He begins with. Jesus says that following Him requires a denial of ourselves. Meaning that we put the interest of others ahead of ourselves. That’s the one that Jesus starts with, and that one alone is hard to accomplish. Because we like thinking about ourselves and ensuring that we’re happy, and that we’re okay. And yet, Jesus says think more about your neighbor, and if you can do that, then the second characteristic is to take up your cross and follow me. To take up and do what you know you need to do, you just don’t want to do it. Taking up our cross and following Jesus, means to put aside our own interests and instead do what God desires of us. Which leads to the third characteristic, losing. Jesus was appointed to suffer, die, and be raised. His question to us is, “Are you coming with?” Are you willing to put aside your own interests, doing what it best for God’s kingdom, even if that means you will lose according to this world’s definition of winning and losing?

Are you willing to lose? Because in following the Messiah, who by the world’s standards, lost. He lost all control. All influence. All power. Because He died. But because He rose, He actually won. Jesus claims final victory over sin, death, and the devil. So, taking up our own cross and following Jesus is not a burden to bear, but rather a joy to embrace. Reading the Bible, spending time in prayer, caring for others, participating in worship – whatever discipleship looks like for you. This isn’t a burden to bear, but rather a joy to embrace. A life to celebrate.

Our theme, our focus, for this next year at Our Savior’s is New Beginnings. With our theme verse being from 2 Corinthians 5 “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”[3] Through our baptism and because of Jesus, we are made new. The old, the sin, the losing attitude is gone. It has passed away. Because through Jesus, everything. And I mean everything, has become new. And with Jesus claiming victory over sin, death, and devil. With Jesus being the winning team, everything becoming new is certainly not a burden to bear, but rather a joy to embrace and to celebrate. We are winners, because of Jesus. Amen.

[1] Mark 8:27, NRSV

[2] Mark 8:29, NRSV

[3] 2 Corinthians 5:17, NRSV

The Rest for The Weary

Sermons & Thoughts from Pastor Anthony Christoffels

Month: September 2021

Have Salt in Yourself

The Perfect Fit

Losing and Winning

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