— First Lutheran Church Fullerton

First Lutheran Church

June 25, 2023+ Pentecost 4A

Sermon

Pastor Greg Ronning

Today’s appointed gospel reading features some of those so called, “hard sayings” of Jesus.Jesus proclaims, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:34-39)

Can you hear the good news of the Gospel? Perhaps not, - certainly not at face value. These are just hard words to understand. What in the world is Jesus trying to tell us?

Theologian Debie Thomas offers us some good insight into today’s Gospel text, “It’s important to remember that when Jesus speaks of division rather than peace in this Gospel, he’s being descriptive, not prescriptive.” In other words, Jesus is not commanding us to go out and break up our families, to set fathers against sons and mothers against daughters. Jesus is not calling us to stir up conflict for conflict’s sake. However, Jesus is warning us that those who follow him, those who choose to be his disciples, those who choose to pursue the Kingdom of God will undoubtably, unfortunately, find themselves in conflict with the world around them.Jesus is inviting us into a life of ultimate concern, to a life that is meaningful, to a life that is purposeful, a life so passionate about grace, mercy, forgiveness, justice, peace, and love that everything else - just doesn’t matter. And that reality, that place of faith, often puts us into conflict with “the way things are,”in conflict with a world, with systems, with economics, with politics, with careers, with relationships, that do not ultimately value grace, mercy, forgiveness, justice, peace, and the unconditional love of Christ.

Theologian Willian Danaher comments on today’s gospel reading from Matthew, “To be a disciple is to make a deliberate break with the world we know in order to live according to the new world that Jesus is bringing into being. This break with the old world inevitably involves conflict, even violence. Therefore, the decision to be a disciple is not something that happens organically or in the normal course of events. It is a moment in which we decide to stand with Jesus and for Jesus regardless of the outcome.”

Such is the story ofSaint Francis. Francis was born into a family of privilege and wealth in thirteenth century Italy. His father was a very successful cloth merchant. Accordingly, as such, Francis lived a rather carefree life.(Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous) He was always happy, by all accounts he was charming, and everyone seemed to like him. However, a life of “living it up” was eventually tempered by the horror of his experience in war, a subsequent grace filled encounter with a leper, and a vision in which God called him to rebuild a local church that had fallen into disrepair. Francis’ encounter with the unconditional love of grace, internalized in his experience with others, especially with those in need, compelled him to seek after the kingdom of God first and only, to leave everything else behind for the sake of following Jesus. And this “ultimate concern” led to conflict.

Francis’ new life was not well received by his Father who became extremely angry with his son when he found out that Francis had sold some of his retail goods to raise money to rebuild the church. This led to a public fight in which “father disowned” son, and “son renounced” his father’s riches. In fact, tradition says that Francis stripped off his expensive clothes, laid them at his parent’s feet, and walked away naked from his family, his friends, his home, and his town!

St. Francis discovered that his newly transformed faith and its values had put him in conflict with his community and his family. Yet so powerful was his experience of grace, that he was compelled to literally leave everything behind.

It is also the story of Martin Luther. Luther’s father had high hopes for his son, he invested in his education, he sent him away to school to become a lawyer. Yet Luther quickly became disillusioned with law and became obsessed with trying to understand the nature of Christ and salvation. On July 2, 1505, he found himself in a wild thunderstorm and as a bolt of lightning crashed to the earth and knocked him to the ground - he vowed to become a monk. At a farewell dinner he bid his angry father, his family and friends goodbye saying, “This day you see me, and then, not ever again.” Luther chose to leave his entire world behind to seek out Jesus.

Francis and Luther both experienced the cost of discipleship, they understood the words spoken by Jesus, “Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

Today’s Gospel reminds us that following Jesus is risky business, even dangerous business. Contemporary Lutheran Writer and Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber was once asked what kinds of things, spiritual exercises, she practices in order to deepen her relationship with God, to get closer to Jesus. She recalls that she laughed aloud, and without thinking blurted out, “Nothing! Why would I do that? I wish God would leave me alone half the time. Getting closer feels dangerous. I’m gonna end up loving someone I don’t like again. Giving away more of my money? I don’t know. It just feels like a bad idea.”

Yes, a bad idea, but for those who have been called, those who have been powerfully touched by grace and love, that doesn’t matter.

Nadia goes on to say, “Sometimes Jesus hunts your “you know what” down, and there’s nothing you can do about it!” “God creates faith in us!”And when that happens, radical things happen, your perspective on life changes, your passion changes, your values are reshaped, and you find yourself willing and able to pick up a cross and follow. Suddenly you find yourself not only an advocate but an active part of the kingdom of God that is emerging into this world! And it becomes your ultimate concern, that by which you make your life choices.

What is your ultimate concern? What lies in the intersection of your great passion and the world’s great need? What is that thing that makes a difference and gives you great joy at the same time? Where does the Kingdom make its claim upon you? Where does Jesus hunt you down? Where does God create faith in you? Where do you “stand with Jesus and for Jesus regardless of the outcome.”

May God bless each of us with an ultimate concern, a divine calling, an extra-ordinary life; an opportunity to proclaim the good news of the gospel, an opportunity to make a difference, an opportunity to serve those in need; a place and a people to share in our vocation, a body to affirm us and strengthen us, the faith and courage to count the cost, and finally the peace and joy that comes from following Jesus the Christ, each according to our own unique and gifted way. “Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

I’d like to conclude with the song “Peace Prayer” based on the Prayer of St. Francis. It is a bold prayer, it is a courageous prayer, it is a prayer that flows from the heart of one who has been touched by God’s unconditional love and grace. It is the prayer of one who has been called into the kingdom - to serve the kingdom. May it be your prayer this morning; a prayer that will set you free, a prayer that will bring you life, a prayer that might inspire you; a prayer that might fill you with joy and peace. Let us pray …

“Peace Prayer”

St. Francis of Assisi