First Lutheran Church

November 6, 2022 + All Saints Sunday

Luke 20:27-3827Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him 28and asked him a question, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; 30then the second 31and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32Finally the woman also died. 33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her."

34Jesus said to them, "Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; 35but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive."

Sermon

“Trusting in the Resurrection”

Pastor Greg Ronning

In what do you place your “absolute” trust?  When things get crazy, when things get uncertain, when things fall apart, when big decisions need to be made, when mortality must be faced, - what do you count on?  When push comes to shove, where do you place your “absolute” trust? This morning Jesus invites us to trust in the “resurrection,” to actually trust that “death” that leads to “life,” and even more specifically, that dying to Christ, that Christ on the cross, leads to this promised resurrection!

In this week’s Gospel reading the Sadducees ask Jesus a complicated question about the resurrection.  They tell a story about a woman who had seven husbands and they are wondering whose wife she will be in heaven. Well, it’s a trick question, the Sadducees don’t believe in the resurrection, and they are hoping to embarrass Jesus with this question. However, Jesus quickly responds with an answer, revealing that the Sadducees don’t understand the true nature of the resurrection from the dead.  Jesus replies, "Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.”  Jesus proclaims that in the resurrection “all things will be new!”  In other words, it’s like comparing apples and oranges.  They will be different, totally different?

So, what does this mean for us?  And what does it have to do with trusting in the resurrection?

Today is All Saints Sunday, a day when we gather to celebrate the promise that we are surrounded by that great cloud of witness’ who have gone before us, and that one day we will be reunited with those dearly departed that we love.  In this week’s Gospel Jesus affirms these promises, - there is a resurrection!  However, he also warns us about, and more importantly sets us free from, undo speculation on the nature of that existence and those relationships.  He invites us into a simple promise, a promise that it will be very good, that it will be beyond our wildest imaginations.  All things will be new! “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’(Revelation 21:3-4)

Yes, there is a resurrection, and it will be good, very good!  However, I don’t think that’s where the gospel for this week ends!  There is a bigger question for us to consider, - what does the resurrection mean for us today? 

As followers of Christ, as the beloved children of God who have been united with Christ in death and raised up to life in the waters of baptism, as people of faith who do not belong to this age but to the kingdom that comes and is already present, what does it mean to belong to the resurrection - today?  What does it mean to trust in the resurrection - today?

The pattern of faith, faithful living, as taught to us by Christ, is a pattern of death and resurrection.

John 12:24-25“Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

Luke 9:23 “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

Mark 8:35“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.”

To trust and live in the resurrection today, is to embody these teachings of Christ!

And that’s kind of radical.  Jesus challenges us to trust “not in the things of this world” not in money, not in power, and not in the flesh. Instead, he challenges us, just as he challenges the Sadducees, to see beyond this world, and to see instead the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of God present right here, right now! And then, to trust in that very real and very present Kingdom; the things of God, the values of the kingdom, the power of love.  Things like loving your neighbor, caring for the poor and the needy, giving instead of taking, sacrifice instead of domination, sharing instead of hoarding, surrendering what we have for the sake of others.  Values rooted in the principles of grace, mercy, forgiveness, hope, and peace.  To trust and live in the resurrection today is to embrace these things, these things that are very different than “the things of this world. ”The kingdom and this world are very different, like apples and oranges.

In between the lines of this week’s gospel Christ invites us to step away from the ways of the world, the way things are, even the clear black and white of the world’s perceived reality, and instead to lay down our life, and to trust that in such a death we will be raised up into the fullness of the resurrection, a life of meaning and purpose, the life of true love, an abundant life now and forevermore.

I would like to end today’s sermon with a song entitled, “Lay Me Down.”  It’s a prayer, a prayer that acknowledges both the truth about “death and resurrection” and just how hard it is to trust and live in that pattern of “death resurrection” on a daily basis.  It’s not easy to trust that in death there is life, that somehow the cross invites us into life, that in dying we are truly born again.  I invite you to pray with me as I sing the song.

“Lay Me Down”

Lay me down, Lift me up into the sky

Hold me close, Let me know that this is life

Gently kiss my teary eyes

It’s so hard,

To step into your broken heart and believe this is love

This is love

Lay me down, Lift me up into the sky

Hold me close, Let me know that this is life

Gently kiss my teary eyes

I am frightened

Standing on the edge but in control wanting to let go

Wanting to let go

Lay me down, Lift me up into the sky

Hold me close, Let me know that this is life

Gently kiss my teary eyes

Love that gives

Begins by taking everything away, I am gone

I am gone

Lay me down,

Hold me close,

Gently kiss my teary eyes

Now I lay me down

To sleep, will I die or will I wake, I don’t know

I don’t know

My eyes,

My tears,

My hopes,

My fears,

I surrender

Lay me down, Lift me up into the sky

Hold me close, Let me know that this is life

Gently kiss my teary eyes …