By Contrast...Let Us Be Guided By The Spirit

The Rev. Kathi Johnson

Lectionary 13, Year C – 26 June 2016

Text: Galatians 5:1, 13-25 and Luke 9:51-62

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Grand Prairie, Texas

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Our lesson from Paul’s letter to the Galatians today includes one of the most famous parts of the New Testament: the list of the fruit of the Spirit. They are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

But before we get to this list of the fruit of the Spirit, Paul writes about the flesh. When Paul talks about “the flesh” he is referring to our sinful selves – that part of each of us where we are self-focused and self-absorbed. Paul gives a whole long list of the works of the flesh: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.

Paul makes it clear that while we have the freedom to do these things, these are not the types of behaviors that build others up. These are not behaviors that show our love for our neighbor. Since loving our neighbor is to be a priority, Paul urges the Galatians toward the fruit of the Spirit instead. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Generosity. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self control. This is the fruit that is borne when we are guided by the Spirit, and following the Spirit’s ways.

Contrast the fruit of the Spirit with the enmity shown in our gospel lesson today. Jesus is traveling with his disciples and he’s going through Samaria. Luke says that the Samaritans refuse to host Jesus because his face is set toward Jerusalem.

Please realize that the Samaritans were religious people who just happened to practice their religion differently than the Jews. The Samaritans mixed Jewish religious practices with pagan practices. The Temple in Jerusalem that Jesus is so determined to reach isn’t a holy place for the Samaritans. Their temple is located right there in Samaria.

Luke 9 gives us a little view into the strife between these two peoples.

On one hand, the Samaritans don’t want to host a religious leader who’s heading toward a sacred place that is not their own. On the other hand, when Jesus’ disciples hear this, they ask Jesus, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”

Now, Jesus was a Jew. He could’ve said, “Sure! Let’s do that.” But instead, Jesus turns and rebukes his disciples. And then, they travel on. And no one is consumed by fire from heaven.

The few verses of this story show us that if it is left up to us, our very human desire can be to wipe our enemies off the face of the earth.

I’ve talked before about one of my favorite TV shows, “The West Wing,” a political drama that was on about fifteen years ago. In one episode, one of the staffers is meeting with a Russian delegation, preparing for the U.S. President to travel to a summit where he will meet with the Russian President.

Tensions over this meeting are very high. One of the topics to be discussed is the proliferation of nuclear weapons around the world. And as the U.S. President’s staff is trying to figure out how to raise concerns about Russia providing nuclear weapons to other countries, the Russian President sends a message through his staff to the U.S. government: “We must lead the way and stem the tide of nuclear proliferation and we must start with ourselves, for why should two nations still possess power to destroy each other ten times over; surely, once is enough.”

In this fictional story told from a secular point of view, what the Russian President is urging is moderation. He’s suggesting that they meet in the middle of the extreme feelings of fear that are felt on both sides. This restraint stands in contrast to suspicion and panic.

It seems to me that this restraint is what Jesus is going for, too, in today’s gospel story. Sure, we can call down fire upon the heads of our enemies. But the kingdom of God that Jesus is ushering in – this kingdom isn’t brought about by cruel subjection, and it’s not brought about by wiping anybody off the face of the earth. The kingdom of God is a reign of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

Paul says that there is no law against these things, and, in fact,  he says that the law is summarized in one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Martin Luther used to describe sin as being curved in on oneself. In Luther’s view, when we are curved in on ourselves, we use every gift that God has given us only to benefit ourselves, only to build ourselves up. When we are curved in on ourselves, we contemplate only ourselves, whether an individual, a group, or an entire nation. What is best for me? What will make me feel the best about myself? What will best eliminate my fears?

“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self- control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit,” Paul writes.

Paul understands that to live by the Spirit is steadfastly in juxtaposition with how we want to live ourselves, and certainly with how the world wants us to live. That’s why he starts off with the two words, “By contrast…” When we curve in on ourselves, we don’t see others, we don’t care about others, we can’t love others. When we follow the Spirit’s leading, we see others, we care about others, and we love others.

When everything around us says to live our lives according to the fear, hatred, anger, and jealousy of the world, by contrast, let us be guided by the Spirit. Let us love as we are loved. For Jesus’ sake, and in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Clothed With Christ

As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

The Rev. Kathi Johnson

Blake Maxwell’s Confirmation – 19 June 2016

Text: Galatians 3:23-29 and John 8:31-36

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Grand Prairie, Texas

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A few years ago, I preached a sermon series in which I preached about the epistle lessons, rather than focusing on the gospel lessons. One of the biggest points that I tried to drive home was that the epistles are [letters] – and that whenever we read Paul’s letter to the Galatians, for instance (like today), we are basically reading someone else’s mail.

Have you ever read someone else’s mail, either by accident or – confession time – on purpose?

When I was a church office administrator for a large church in Austin, I was tasked with opening the mail. I would put private mail marked for employees in their boxes without opening it. Every so often, though, there would be mail for someone else that would cross my desk – like if the pastor was asking me to follow up on a letter he’d received – and I would have to read someone else’s mail.

Reading someone else’s mail, I’d get some insight – both into the letter writer and the recipient. I also might gain some insight into their relationship – was it friendly or professional? Was it an easy relationship or a strained relationship?

So, today, we’ve heard part of the epistle that the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Galatia. Even though you can’t really tell from today’s snippet, this is a difficult letter. Paul is writing to the Galatians because he’s taught them about true faith in Jesus Christ, namely that we are saved by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ. Some other teachers have come after Paul, trying to sway the Galatians away from that true faith, and the influence of these new teachers is setting in.

Paul is concerned about them because the Galatians have turned following Christ into following a list of laws in order to earn God’s favor. They aren’t trusting in the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives to build their faith, but rather in their own works. Paul reminds them: “We know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” And then, right before today’s section of the letter, Paul really ramps up his anger: “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?”

If Paul had been texting this, it would’ve been in all-caps.

In the reading today from the Gospel of John, Jesus tells his disciples that if they continue in his word, they are truly his disciples. Jesus’ word is a word of love. So when Jesus tells his disciples to continue in his word, he is asking them to continue to love God and to love one another. The idea is that loving God and loving one another are parts of our every day lives. True faith in Jesus, and living as his disciples, are meant to be an every day thing.

Paul says it this way: that true faith in Jesus means that – at our baptisms - we have clothed ourselves with Christ.

And, Blake, the faith that was placed within you at your baptism has never gone away. You continue to live in that faith to this day.

One thing that I remind both confirmation students and their parents is that confirmation day is just one step of many in the journey of faith that we are all taking. If you take a look at the bottom of page 5 of your bulletin – you will see the baptismal covenant. Blake, your parents and godparents made this covenant for you when you were baptized as a baby. You are affirming this covenant for yourself today. But do not think of this covenant as simply a checklist to follow. Think of this covenant as a way of life, so that your life shows how much you love God and love your neighbor.

If you look at the covenant again – the first two lines (to live among God’s faithful people; to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper) – those are things that largely take place here or in other church-type settings.

Now look at the last few lines – (to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed; to serve all people, following the example of Jesus; to strive for justice and peace throughout the earth) – these are things we do mostly outside of these walls.  These are the things you’re already doing in some ways – for example, as you serve at Briarwood these next two weeks.

I will ask you if you intend to continue in all these things, and then comes your answer: I do, and I ask God to help and guide me. So from whom do you get the strength to live as a true disciple of Jesus – to love God and love others?

It is the work of the Holy Spirit in you that helps you live out this covenant. You were given the Spirit at your baptism, and as you go forward from this day, never forget that Christ has claimed you as God’s own forever.

But also never forget that on this day – just like on the day of your baptism – those gathered around you will promise to support you and pray for you in your life in Christ. You are a part of something that is more than you, it’s more than me, it’s more than your mom or dad – you are a part of a community of faith that loves you, and continues to love you along your way.

When you come forward in a few minutes, we will surround you – quite literally – with our love and prayers. We are your brothers and sisters in Christ, and together, we are called to give thanks and praise to God and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to all the world.

Amen.

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In Christ, Freed to Love Others

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

The Rev. Kathi Johnson

C Lectionary 13 – 30 June 2013

Text: Galatians 5:1, 13-25

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Grand Prairie, Texas

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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ…to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.[1]

Last week, because of VBS, we took a week off from Galatians so that we could hear the stories about Paul as told in the book of Acts. Today, we pick Galatians back up again.

When we last met our letter-writer, Paul – that is, before Vacation Bible School – he was writing to the Galatians in chapter 2 about God justifying us through his grace. In the lesson from Galatians 3 appointed for last Sunday (the one we didn’t hear), Paul says the following (in summary):

•         We are baptized into Christ.
•         We are clothed with Christ.
•         We are one in Christ.

In today’s lesson from Galatians chapter 5, Paul keeps going – talking about freedom – specifically, our freedom as Christians.

In today’s reading from Galatians, Paul shows us two opposing forces: the flesh and the Spirit. What he calls “the flesh” is not simply our flesh-and-bone bodies – what he’s referring to is our sinful selves: self-serving, discontent, divisive. An example: what’s best for you might not be best for me, and if all I’m worried about is me, then I’m not worried about you one little bit. That kind of attitude is what Paul means when he talks about “the flesh.”

Here are what he includes as the works of the flesh: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. And so while I certainly don’t recommend it, these are all things that we can participate in because of our freedom.

What Paul is trying to express is this: if in exercising our freedom, these are the behaviors that we choose to exhibit – how are we helping others? How are we building others up?

And so, Paul gives another list – a list of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self- control. He then adds, “There is no law against such things.” And why is there no law against the fruit of the Spirit? Because the entire list is nothing but a demonstration of the love that we have for others. Freedom in Christ, then, has less to do with always focusing on ourselves and more to do with loving others.

Paul goes on to say, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.” Another translation is this: “If we live by the Spirit, then let us keep in step with the Spirit.” That image is from the military: soldiers, keeping in step with one another, showing that they are organized and that they know what they are doing. Paul uses this image of a military formation because it was something quite familiar in the ancient Roman territories. And it describes how our own formation with the Spirit should be. In step with the Spirit, we are unified with the Spirit and also with each other.

As we are called to walk with the Spirit, we are also called to look outside of ourselves – to love others. Paul reminds the Galatians – and us – that one of God’s greatest commandments is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” A colleague, Dr. Bruce Epperly, puts it this way: “Grace enables us to become large-souled persons who see our own well-being and the well-being of others as intimately connected.”[2]

Our Redeemer has the opportunity today to take some bold steps in learning and growing as individual Christians. But also, these steps will enable us to learn and grow as a Christian community – to learn about and grow into what it is that God is calling us to here in Grand Prairie and also beyond. We are called to look forward. Jesus uses the image of plowing a field in today’s gospel lesson – and so, if we are plowing, we are focused on what is ahead.

We are also called to live our lives in freedom. In that freedom, we are certainly called to love others. Let us, then, my brothers and sisters, keep in step with the Spirit.

Let us pray:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen.[3]

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

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[1] Galatians 1:3, 5

[2] UCC Pastor, this quote from www.patheos.com

[3] Prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi.

Isn't Grace a Gift Worth Sharing? (Galatians 2)

The Rev. Kathi Johnson

C Lectionary 11 – 16 June 2013

Text: Galatians 2: 15-21

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Grand Prairie, Texas

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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ…to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.[1]

With the decision to focus on three of the epistles – or letters – this summer, I’ve been thinking about letters lately. I have a confession to make: I have boxes of mail - cards, post cards, and, especially, letters. Some of them are mine – meaning some of them were sent to me from someone, or from me to someone. The majority of this mail, however, actually belonged to other family members: my parents and grandparents, in particular.

Back in the “olden days,” mail was how family news was shared. I have the letters from my mother to my father (who was in SE Asia with the Air Force) giving him the good news of her pregnancy. I have the letter that my father wrote to her in response – plus many of the letters that swirled around the family as the news of my impending arrival circulated.

My grandmother Inglis – my dad’s mom – was a masterful letter-writer. She, like my father, loved the written word – loved putting pen to paper to express viewpoints or to tell stories. Granny’s letters were always chock full of news, opinions, and advice  - to the point where reading her letters is like reading mini-newspapers about whatever was going on in the family at any given time.

But what I remember most from Granny’s letters is the artwork with which she would decorate them. When I was a young child, especially, she would often cover her letters, including the envelopes, with funny, witty, clever drawings. These letters and envelopes, then, became an expression of whatever it was she was trying to “put out there” – her enthusiasm, her creativity, and her love.  The way she decorated her mail showed her strong desire to share all of these things with us.

In today’s lesson from Galatians 2, Paul puts his thesis statement “out there” – What’s a thesis statement…? [It presents the argument or idea that you are putting out there.]

Paul’s thesis to the Galatians is found in verse 16: “…we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law.”

Paul then spends much of the rest of this letter breaking down what all this means, and we’ll be breaking that down, too, as we continue to look at Galatians together. What does it mean, for instance, for Paul to say that a person isn’t justified by works at all – but rather by faith in Jesus Christ?

We don’t really use the word “justified” much outside the church. We can think of being justified in this way: as sinful people, we are muddy. To say that God justifies us is to say that God gives us water and the soap, and then washes us clean. And God does this like any loving parent does with their own child – God does this over and over and over again. And when our sinfulness muddies the water, God gives us fresh water, and more soap, and then he washes us yet again.

What Paul is trying to express here is the good news that it is God who justifies us – we do not justify ourselves. We can try to follow every law, every rule, every commandment – and we will surely fail. Paul’s argument is that our ability or inability to follow laws, rules, and commandments really isn’t important because it is God who justifies us.

What a relief! What a relief to know that we are justified – we are washed clean – by God himself, who loved us and gave himself up for us!

Knowing this, and trusting in this, what do we then offer to others? What is it that we “put out there”? Do we live our lives with the grace that has been shown to us by God? Are we offering grace to others?

We have, of course, the perfect model of grace in the life of Jesus Christ. He himself has shown us what grace looks like by the way he lived his life – such as in the story in today’s gospel lesson. A woman, who is very helpfully labeled “a sinner” for us by the gospel writer Luke. She goes into a dinner party anoint Jesus’ feet. The other guests at the dinner judge her actions, and then they judge Jesus for not pushing this “sinner” away from himself.  What Jesus does, in fact, is show God’s loving grace to the woman by first, forgiving her of her sins, and then second, by sending her away with his peace. Both the forgiveness he offers and the peace he bestows are gifts to her.

This is the model from Jesus that we have for ourselves. Jesus: offering grace, shown through forgiveness and peace given away – given away openly – given away extravagantly.

And so I ask again, what do we offer to others? What is it that we “put out there,” especially as the community of Jesus followers that we are here at Our Redeemer. Do we offer grace, shown in our hospitality to others – maybe even those who are different than we are? I think we do, and VBS is a prime example – we get kids of all ages, shapes, sizes, and temperaments. VBS is most certainly a ministry in which we have shown ourselves to be open and welcoming!

But in another week, VBS will be over. How will we take that same spirit forward after VBS is over – that same open, gracious, loving spirit? VBS makes it so easy for us to invite others to come here and be with us for the week…and maybe beyond. But after VBS – our lives should continue to reflect that same grace and peace, offered to others. After it’s over, we should still be inviting – and I mean that as a verb! We should be inviting!

It seems strange for me to say we “should” be doing something – after all, I just finished saying that we are not justified by the good works we do, and that it is God who justifies us. But since this grace from God is truly a gift, isn’t it a gift that is worth sharing? Isn’t it a gift that keeps giving?

In your mind’s eye, think of someone specific in your life whom you know can use some grace. Or some forgiveness. Or some peace. Imagine yourself gifting one of those to that person. Imagine yourself offering hospitality to them here, and giving the rest of us the opportunity to welcome them, too.

May we have the strength and courage to “put ourselves out there,” to offer grace, to be forgiving, to give peace, and to be inviting.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters.[2] Amen.

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[1] Galatians 1:3, 5

[2] Galatians 6:18