July 25, 2021                                                                                    Text:  Mark 6:45-56

Dear Friends in Christ,

            Have you ever had your back up against the wall?  You have that conversation with yourself that is straight out of a black and white war movie or sports movie.  “Men, we are surrounded.  We have our backs against the wall but we are not going down without a fight.  Who is with me?  All right, let’s go!”  Except in your conversation you stand there terrified.  “Cancer?  It can’t be?”  “He wants a divorce?”  “What did you just tell me about my child?”  “You can’t let me go, I need this job.”

            We are with the disciples this morning and they too have their backs against the wall.  What can be done?  Will it be an inspiring speech or will we see some action? 

“WHEN YOUR BACK IS AGAINST THE WALL”

            Let’s get going.  “Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.  And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.  And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.” (v. 45-47)

            Thousands of people had just been fed and they were satisfied.  This caused them to run after Jesus because they wanted more.  They wanted to make Jesus an earthly king so the Lord and his disciples had to get going.

            Jesus goes to pray.  These 12 men board their own charter.  We are the disciples as we scatter into our own boat or boats.  Where’s Jesus?  Here and there.  Or we give the standard Lutheran answer – “He is in the Word and Sacraments.”  Good job.  Come on up, I will put a star on your paper.  You are correct.  But what about times of sorrow?  What about those times are backs are against the wall?  Is the Lord there?  Does He care what is happening to me?  And if He does, why is He taking so long?

            Listen to David in Psalm 69:  “Save me, O God!  For the waters have come up to my neck.  I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.  I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched.  My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.” (v. 1-3)

            “Waters have come up to my neck.”  Ever have something flooding your life?  Your home or church the last few weeks?  Stress, conflict, upheaval and no foothold.  No foundation.  Nothing of certainty.  Have you been there…at least momentarily?

            As the Lord’s people we cry for help all the time.  If we believe that Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world, then neither is ours.  Our ultimate Kingdom is with Him in heaven.  Entering into eternal life takes us from our troubles.  He finds a way out for us.  He moves through “our backs against the wall” moments and He provides the strength.

            Let’s recall Joseph from the Old Testament this morning.  Siblings who thought it would be fun to sell him into slavery.  Then Potiphar’s wife falsely accuses him of sexual harassment and he ends up in prison.  His back was against four walls as he is left to die.  And God allowed it to happen.  But the Lord intervenes and as fast as you can say, “Interpret my dreams” Joseph becomes 2^nd in command to the King of Egypt.

            Do you recall the words Joseph spoke to his brother’s years later?   These same neophytes who wanted him dead.  “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.  And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life?” (Gen. 45:4-5)

            Where is God sending you?  Do you need to forgive a sibling who got the tea set mom promised you?  Is there someone who put you against a wall, but they repented, and you need to release them?  God has a design.  We get into a boat – a situation – and we need the Lord.  He delivers.  He works it for His purpose.  He works all things to the good.  He does all of this to draw us to Christ and everlasting salvation.

            “He saw they were that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them…He immediately spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart; it is I.  Do not be afraid.’  And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased.” (v. 48, 50)

            Here is our Lord again.  In the midst of our storms.  Like our church sign says,  “Need a lifeguard?  Jesus, our Savior, walks on water.”  Christ’s forgiving love is always there for us. 

            Do you see him when your back is against the wall?  Or is our faith so confused that we think He ought to put us on easy street?  Keep us from problems?  Never let wind or wave bother us?  Always hear, “you are in perfect health.”  That we will never have to be put in a position of having to declare to those who hate Jesus, “I believe?”

            How do we understand it . . . when our backs are against the wall?

                                                                                                                                    Amen.

July 11, 2021                                                                         Text:  Ephesians 1:3-14

Dear Friends in Christ,

            Do you all know the mystery board game Clue?  Invented by an Englishman years ago and still played today.  The object of the game was to solve a murder.  You did this by deciphering clues until you think you had the killer, the weapon and the room it occurred in.  You then announce, “I’ve solved it.”  You look at the answer:  Col. Mustard with the lead pipe in the library.  If those are the three cards then you win.  If not, you are out of the game.  If you just get part of the answer you are perplexed.  “Professor Plum, I was sure it was Col. Mustard.”

            It is fun to solve a mystery.  With 6 characters, 6 weapons, and 9 rooms there are 324 possible answers in the game of Clue.  Did you ever consider the greatest selling book of all time is a mystery?  The Bible.  The Bible tells the story of the wicked twists and turns of Satan and sinful humanity.  Meanwhile, God’s twists and turns exceed those of the evil one as He plots the devil’s destruction and carries it out on a cross.  We marvel at how the love of God is revealed.

            We know ahead of time how this mystery ends.  Ordinarily, when we know the solution, we’re done with the “who done it.”  But not this one.  This mystery captivates us even when we know how it comes out.

“SOLVING THE MYSTERY”

            Today let’s relish the mystery of God’s love in Christ.  The mystery is kept hidden from unbelievers and we cannot solve it on our own for these reasons:  We are sinners divorced from God and in disharmony with our fellow human beings, and that makes it a mystery as to how God could ever love us.  We close our eyes and minds to God.  We turn away from godly deeds.  An elementary deduction, wouldn’t you say?  We cannot comprehend the mind and will of God.

            Jesus has revealed the mystery.  He is the solution.  Verse 9 says, “making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ.”  Jesus kept his eyes on the Father and did His will.  He sacrificed for those of us who deserved only punishment.  He and the Father are One.  He didn’t purchase us with gold or silver but with his holy, precious blood and innocent suffering and death.  That is how the mystery came out – Jesus on the cross giving His life – it is a happy ending, we’ve read the clues, won the game, received the crown of life.

            This is a mystery we can tell others about.  We are not spoiling the fun.  We are proclaiming the great deeds of our Savior.  We want to spread the message of this newfound harmony with God.  The mystery of God’s will is our salvation and we want to focus others on the source of this salvation.  We have been chosen by God, predestined for adoption through Jesus Christ.  We have the riches of His grace.  We desire Christ’s blessings of Word and Sacrament.  In a profound mystery, the Holy Spirit demonstrates His work in us.  We use our gifts to tell about the gift.  No need to wait for the end of the novel or the movie. 

            In my junior year of high school I was in a drama class.  We were divided into four groups of 7 people and were given the task of writing, producing, directing and acting in a one-act play that would last 15-20 minutes.  The group I was in was assigned a mystery.  Somehow, we pulled it off.  We wrote a “Columbo” type of detective story that was interesting and funny.  That morning I had broken my finger while pitching and I spent the afternoon in the emergency room.  I made it to the production just a half hour before we were to go on.  A day I won’t forget.  We had wonderful collaboration and a great story.  The mystery was solved and we brought some joy to people’s lives.

            Do you see yourselves in this great story presented to us today?  You are part of the plot.  You come to the production with your own injuries.  Maybe you get there just in time.  This mystery isn’t about someone else.  This is our story.  Christ died for you so that you might live.  Christ lives for you that you might die to sin.  Christ removes your worries and gives you peace. 

            This is the mystery:  “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us.”  This is also the solution, for “in him,” we “become the righteousness of God.”  (2 Cor. 5:21)

                                                                                                                                    Amen.