Text:  Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32            Fourth Sunday in Lent            March 14, 2010

A man checks in at the airport, “I’d like this bag to go to Berlin, this one to California and this one to London.”  “I’m sorry sir, we can’t do that.”  “Are you sure?  That is what you did the last time I flew with you.”  Sometimes the airlines can be reckless with your luggage.
In this well known and critical story we see some recklessness.  Prodigal is a common title for this story, literally that means recklessly wasteful, to squander, extravagance.  The Scribes and Pharisees were muttering about the recklessness of Jesus associating with sinners no less. If you ate with them that meant you approved of them.  It doesn’t stop Jesus, he tells stories about a lost coin and a lost sheep to explain why he ate with those accused by sinners of being sinners.  The stories indicate that God is eager to recover what is lost, and all three end in a celebration.
First we have the reckless younger brother.  Some might call him a brat demanding his share of the inheritance, after getting his half he squanders it in reckless living.  Out of money and food he ends up slopping hogs when he comes to himself.  “My father’s servants are eating better than I am,” so he practices his repentance speech after his reckless experience.
Now we move to the reckless father.  Dear old dad is sitting on the porch after giving up everything, wondering what his young son is doing.  Wasn’t that kind of reckless on his part, to do what he did for his sons?  Someone called him “foolishly generous.” Then one day it happens, was it a mirage?  There is only one way to find out, and down the road he runs.  That was reckless also, he could trip on his robe, and men just didn’t run to meet anyone.  He recklessly shared his love for his reckless son.  So he throws a party.
The other son is obediently working in the fields; he hears a ruckus and naturally wonders what is going on.  He hadn’t given permission for all this drinking, dancing and eating; how could there be a party without him.  His servant tells him that his reckless brat of a brother had come home and his dad had been extravagant and started a party.
Some families have what is called a ‘pouting chair’, that is where you go if you are naughty.  We don’t know if the older son joined the party or stayed outside and pouted.  Dad tried to explain things, but to no avail.  But this son had the reckless idea that he could make it on his own.  He had been faithful and obedient, he had earned his father’s love, grace is never a product of actions, and grace is a product of God’s love. He didn’t understand this kind of extravagant and reckless love.  Nothing had changed for him, he hasn’t lost anything, money, property, or his father’s love, but he still pouts.  Underappreciated and over worked, like so many church volunteers.  He had this reckless idea that the forgiveness given to his younger brother was taken away and now he couldn’t have any.  This son is beginning to sound like the Scribes and Pharisees.  Unfortunately it also sounds like us, do we begrudge the younger brother, those who are different from us and still loved?  Can we be as gracious and extravagant as the father?
We have a reckless younger son, father and now older son; could it be that we have a reckless and extravagant God.  Could Jesus be saying that those who live recklessly deserve the kingdom of God as much as we do?  Does this story remind you of the recklessly wasteful love of God, welcoming sinners into the kingdom?  Look around you and who he has invited to the celebration.
During Lent we journey to the cross, the cross reminds us we are sinners.  We are forgiven, not because we are forgivable, but because God is recklessly wasteful with love. How does this happen?  Our second reading explains it so wonderfully, “So if anyone is in Christ, everything old has passed away, (that’s the lost, the sinful part) and everything has become new, (that’s the found, the party, the forgiveness) and all of this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ.
All people yearn to be loved and forgiven. Maybe this would have been a good Sunday to invite those who have this yearning and need to hear this message.  All this is from God.  Come home, to the table, come to the celebration.  God never gives up, God never stops waiting for the wayward.  This is how reckless and extravagant our God is.
Everybody wanders away, gets separated and needs God to come to the rescue.  This love is infinite, lavish and reckless for all God’s children.  God is determined and will not rest until all are resting in his loving arms, at the table ready to party and celebrate.
My friends in Christ, bless you for your faithfulness, your desire to do what is right, there is a joyous party underway, so don’t miss it.

Text:  Luke 13:31-35            Second Sunday in Lent            February 28, 2010

I read this week about a chicken hawk going after its prey.  The mother hen is often aware of the chicken hawk so she will gather her chicks under her wing.  She makes a big fuss by squawking until her brood is safe by her side, until they are “Safely Gathered.”  Jesus uses that word twice in one sentence, “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.”  “Safely Gathered,” that is his desire.
He gathers because just like the hen he is aware of danger, aware of the hawk.  “Some Pharisees” come to warn him about Herod wanting to kill him.  You could say, ‘Some Norwegians’, well not all Norwegians, are the same; likewise there were different types of Pharisees, and we don’t know who this “Some” refers to and that makes a big difference in what their motive was behind their warning.  Were they really concerned about him or were they trying to intimidate him, a sly attempt to force him underground.  Most would have cowered at such a threat.  Yet it appears they have good intentions, and even if they really are concerned about his safety, it’s too bad because they would then be interrupting what God’s plan was for Jesus.  We just don’t know where they were coming from by offering Jesus this tidbit of advice.
I love Jesus’ response, “Tell that old fox to stick it in his ear,” that’s from the King John’s Translation.  By ‘fox’ he could be referring to Herod as being cunning or that he is a destructive predator, kind of like that chicken hawk.  Something I read indicated that Jesus didn’t really think he was sly but inept, that he was unable to carry out a threat; he could talk trash, but not back it up.  Herod considered himself a Lion; obviously Jesus did not, so he was cutting him down to size.  The bottom line though is that Herod is a powerful ruler, so Jesus is treading on thin ice, this is the same guy who had ordered John the Baptist beheaded.
He moves on to show his determination.  “I don’t have time for him right now, he will get his chance. I have been doing ministry, I’ve got more to do, then I will wrap things up with the resurrection, that’s what I have been called to do.”  At this point the disciples might have had a smile on their face, “You go, Jesus.”  He knew he was about his father’s business, so he knew he could be bold and confident.  We have all experienced those times when we know we are doing the right thing, and we are determined to carry through.  Jesus makes it very clear what was the driving force in his life, and I would hope that we make people aware of what the driving force is, what it is that enables us to do what we do as Christians.  Jesus stayed focused on the goal of his life no matter what was happening around him.  I don’t know about you but focusing is where I tend to have problems.
Jesus had that amazing determination, “I am willing to sacrifice my life, knowingly going to Jerusalem to die, when I am good and ready to die.”  This threat will not stop his resolve and determination, this destination cannot be avoided.  By mentioning the 3rd day he is making it clear that he is not running from the danger of Herod, he is a mere fox, no lion.  He methodically kept going, working the game plan that had been set out.  “On the 3rd day I finish my work.”

Joggers run up and down the steps of a large Cathedral in New York City.  They get to that door but never go in.  They are so close, this is the same lament that Jesus has about Jerusalem, “so many times I wanted to safely gather you and you were not willing, so close!! And you won’t see me again until Palm Sunday.”  How can these people not want to be gathered in and sheltered by God?  He laments because it is not apparent he is making any difference in their lives.  Pastors lament over their failures, over their inability to safely gather the brood.
Jerusalem looks like us.  A holy city, but yet with evil.  This lament is also an appeal to us.  I can hear God, “How often have I gathered John in and he has pushed me away.  I want to provide safety and you want to do it yourself.  I don’t understand it.”    In this lament he is rooting for you, appealing to you. God’s help is available, available to the unfaithful, and to the faithful who are unfaithful, to the church, to you.  It’s like this Jesus says, “You know how a hen gathers her chicks when there is trouble, well, that is my offer to you.”  Seeking, searching, gathering, longing, this is God; God persists, looking the predator right in the eye.  If the fox wants the chicks, he’ll have to kill the hen first.
A chicken’s wings are useless for flying; you know that if you have seen them try to get up on their roost.  The hen’s wings serve a practical and important function:  protection.  The squawking takes place, she spreads her wings and under they go for cover.  Safely gathered.  A chicken generally lays one egg a day, after a certain number she will begin to incubate them, and at that point she becomes a broody.  When danger approaches she will spread the wings and protect, same thing after they’re hatched.
Some breeds such as Leghorns and Rhode Island Reds have had the brooding gene bred out of them.  Fortunately for us, God has never lost the ability and desire to safely gather us.

Text:  Luke 4:1-13(Lk4-110)                    First Sunday in Lent               February 21, 2010

We begin a special season, articles are written about it, it is anticipated, people talk about it, it is a time of preparation, it is known as spring training.  Every spring baseball players prepare for the season with spring training.  Why shouldn’t we as Christians prepare for the important events of Jesus’ ministry, what he did for us with his cross and resurrection?
Jesus was fresh off the momentous event of his baptism, being filled with the Holy Spirit and affirmed by his Father; now he prepares for ministry with his own form of spring training, a wilderness training, some have even called it boot camp.
Front and center in the wilderness we have the devil offering all kinds of incentives.  The goal: to sabotage spring training, to do anything to interrupt or prevent Christ from being about the work of his father, the journey to the cross and resurrection. One major problem with temptation is identifying it.  The devil can be so subtle, it would really help if temptation would be obvious, couldn’t the devil come complete with a tail, a pitchfork, some horns, fangs and claws?  This way you would not be fooled.  He didn’t fool Jesus.
First, Jesus hasn’t eaten for 40 days.  This reminds us of the 40 days of Lent and the 40 years of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness and complaining about not having something to… eat.  More than likely Jesus probably had water to drink.  The enticement was to turn the stones to bread to alleviate his hunger.  “Bread is not important,” says Jesus, “but the nourishment that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”  God was faithful to the Israelites; this is the same God Jesus will trust for food.
Ok, enticement #2:  “worship me, work for me, be my spokesman and you will have all the glory, authority and power in the kingdoms.”  Once again Jesus quotes scripture, deciding to maintain his reliance upon God, as our Psalm says, “My refuge and my stronghold, my God in whom I put my trust.”  And trust he did.  Foiled again, “how about this:  If you are who everyone says, jump, scripture says the angels will protect you, don’t you trust them?”  Jesus trusts, he trusts God, and because of that feels no need to have to prove it.  He’s not about to jump, he’ll just keep trusting God.  God is near, that’s the promise and there is no need to test it.  It’s like putting your tongue on the railing of the post office on a bitter cold day; I should have trusted what Mom said.  Just trust, no matter what the perks or incentives are. It’s not worth jumping.
Well at least that’s done with now or is it?  “When the devil had finished, he departed from him until an opportune time.”  He’s not done?  You mean this testing will continue, you mean as long as you have faith, there will be testing?  That stinks.  I’m tempted to say something worse.  This is no game.  As a child of God we have no guarantees, we all will be tested.  I know many of you are facing tough ones right now, but fortunately we have a God who can outlast temptation and our falling to it, ‘If we are faithless, he remains faithful.”  Great words from 2 Timothy (2:13) “Will our faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?  By no means.” Paul says in Romans (3:3b, 4a)
Shortly after the Reformation some followers wrote Luther, kind of like Ann Landers, “We are harassed by many temptations, they give us no rest. You don’t seem to be troubled in this way, what is your secret?  Don’t temptations bother you?”  Luther wrote back, “I, too, know something of temptation.  But the difference is that when temptation comes knocking at the door of my heart, I always answer, ‘Go away!  This place is occupied.  Go back where you came from, for Christ is here.’”
So what do we do about it?  Remember it will happen just as it did for Luther, just as it did for Christ.  Don’t be surprised or angry, it goes with the wilderness.  Warren Wiersbe in his book “The Strategy of Satan” says “Our Lord did not use his divine power to defeat Satan.  He used the same weapon that is available to us today: the Word of God.”  Jesus fought temptation with truth.  He fought temptation with the truth of God’s word.  Where you fall down, Jesus succeeded.  Amid his temptations and decisions Jesus clung to the Word of God.
If the devil quotes scripture, then as Christians it might not be a bad idea for us to do it as well.  Then you will armed with the Spirit.  It says Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit, we were filled up in Baptism, with the tools that come with the Spirit; God’s word – read daily; prayer – daily (praying for fellow members); bread and wine and this community of faith, the advantages of worship, weekly worship.                                      Please join the rest of your sisters and brothers in spring training, committing to 40 days of prayer, reading scripture daily and weekly worship.  May that same word that sustained Jesus in the wilderness, with all its power and strength nurture and sustain you during your spring training, preparing you for the season to come.   Who knows how prepared you might be for the season?  It just might be the best season ever.