The Keys of St. Peters

Text: 1 John 5:9-15
The Sunday After the Ascension, Series B
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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

A group of four blind men heard that a strange creature wandered into their town. None of them knew anything about its shape or form. Out of curiosity, they said: “Let’s go and inspect this creature and try to figure out what it is.” So, they sought it out, and when they found it, they started to grope about it with their hands. The first blind man felt something and said, “The creature must be like a tree because it is large and round like a pillar.” The second man replied, “Actually, the creature is like a rope because it is small and coarse.” The third man contradicted the others and said, “No, no, the creature is like a fan because it is flat and thin.” The fourth man was confused and said, “The creature is not like any of those. It is like a thick snake because it is long and curves.”

This parable is used by many to try to resolve the conflict between different religions. The creature is an elephant, and each one of the blind men had drastically different descriptions of the elephant because they were all feeling other parts. So, some claim that they were all correct. The elephant has all the features described by the four blind men. In the analogy, the elephant is God, and the blind men represent different religions in their attempt to describe the unseen God. Some claim that no religion has the whole truth, only part of it.

That parable tells us why many people today no longer accept the claims of Christianity, especially the claim to be the one true religion. We live in a multi-cultural melting pot here in Canada. Our cities have a variety of religious views: Christians, Jews, and Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and Sikhs, and those who are just vaguely spiritual and not religious. In other words, Jesus is presented today as one of many equally valid options, depending on your preferences and lifestyle choice. Jesus is merely another blind man with only part of the truth. But, is Jesus of Nazareth simply one option among many in the path to God? With so many voices, who are we to believe? How can we be sure that what Christianity claims about Jesus is true? Read More

Text: Acts 1:1-11
The Ascension of our Lord
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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

The Ascension often feels like the poor cousin among church festivals. It is often overlooked and passed over without being missed. There are a few congregations that will worship today. Some congregations will observe the Ascension on this coming Sunday, but that will bump the Sunday After the Ascension off the calendar. Most, I suspect, will simply not observe it at all. This seems like poor treatment for one of the feasts of Jesus, and an event that appears in our Creeds and that St. Luke thought important enough to narrate twice. Maybe we really don’t like good-byes, and we don’t know quite how to celebrate this one.

We understand the reason why we celebrate Good Friday: Jesus’ sacrificial, atoning death on the cross for the salvation of the world. We understand why we celebrate Easter: Because of Jesus’ resurrection, the tomb is empty, and death is defeated. He is risen indeed! Alleluia. But Ascension Day? There are no Ascension Day parades, no Ascension Day sales at the mall. I have never heard anyone say, “Sorry, we can’t make it to church, we’re going to Grandma’s for Ascension Day.” When compared to Christmas and Easter, Ascension seems not to be very important. So, why the Ascension? What does it all mean?

Text: John 15:9-17
Sixth Sunday of Easter, Series B
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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Human friendship is beautiful and precious. If we didn’t have the affection and sympathy of friendship, our lives would soon be uninteresting and burdensome! Every type of friendship is different. Some friends share their hobbies and interests. Other people form friendships around common principles or occupations. We may form friendships around telling stories of bygone years. These are examples of the power and the beauty of friendship, even among flawed beings like us. Who here is not grateful for friends? Could you live without them? Friendship is a relation between two parties. On both sides, it is voluntary. It is mutual and reciprocal. So, this morning we will look first at how Christ shows his friendship towards us. Then we’ll look at how we demonstrate our friendship towards Christ.

Text: John 15:1-8
Fifth Sunday of Easter, Series B
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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

One of many areas in which I possess near-total incompetence is gardening. I am not a gardener. But I can mow the lawn, pick berries, and maybe even keep a cactus alive for a bit. After I bought my first house in Windsor, it was time to cut the grass for the first time. I decided that the flowerbed was not worth the effort, so I mowed it right over and left to be grass. My wife thinks I’m a terrible person. Thankfully, the picture of the Vine in our Gospel reading isn’t an instruction manual for gardening. The image of the Vine takes us out to wine country. Think of Niagara-on-the-Lake with its rolling vineyards lush with grapevines. Fruitful branches thick with grapes growing on an old, gnarled vine with roots that reach deep into the ground. Jesus is that true Vine, the only Vine planted by God. You, baptised Christian, are one of the branches. This is a metaphor, a story that describes the nature of our relationship with Jesus.

Text: John 10:11-18
Fourth Sunday of Easter, Series B
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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

One of my wife’s favourite icons is the picture of the Good Shepherd carrying the wayward sheep on his shoulders. We have it hanging in our house. My wife also grew up hearing that little children’s hymn many learned in Sunday school. In fact, when my kids are fussy, tired, or need a little comfort, Laurin and I will sing this little hymn to them:

I am Jesus little lamb;
Ever glad at heart I am.
For my Shepherd gently guides me
Knows my need and well provides me
Loves me every day the same
Even calls me by my name. 

LSB 740:1

The image of Jesus as the good shepherd might seem quaint and cute to many. Something we tell our children. It has a warm, gentle glow of safety and warmth about it. If we think we’ve outgrown that little song, we need to spend a little quality time with image of Jesus the Good Shepherd. We may have grown from little lambs to big sheep, but we’re just as much in need of a shepherd. “I am the Good Shepherd,” Jesus says. This is more than a nice little figure of speech for the children. It’s a solemn revelation of who Jesus is. This morning we’ll look at what this revelation says about us, and what is says about Jesus.

Text: Luke 24:36b-48
Third Sunday of Easter, Series B
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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

There is a book out there entitled All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.  The title is a bit of an exaggeration, but the point it’s trying to make is quite true. The skills we need to get along with others in the world, are learned in Kindergarten. If you can share, refrain from hitting, clean up after yourself, apologise when you hurt someone, and so on, you will be well on your way to becoming a kind and productive citizen.

How would you respond if I told you that everything you need to know about Jesus Christ is found in our Gospel reading from Luke? Now that’s also a bit of an exaggeration, however this text does serve as an important summary of Jesus’ life, ministry, and the very gospel message we proclaim. This means this passage will help us to discover how all of this Jesus stuff applies to us.

Text: John 20:19-31
Second Sunday of Easter, Series B

In the name of Jesus. Amen. 

Imagine for a moment that you have applied for a job at a pharmaceutical company. You’ve already been interviewed, but now management wants to have a meeting with you. Now, imagine that instead of offering you the job you applied for, management offered you the one above it. A senior position in the whole company. You would be running an entire department. A huge budget. Lots of benefits. Overseeing much of the company’s operations. You may think that you’re simply not up to it. ‘I couldn’t possibly do that!’ You may say. ‘Well,’ says the owner, ‘we think you can. Of course, there’s going to be a lot of responsibility. But we think you’re right for the job, and we’re going to change some things around so you get the right assistance. You’ll have everything you need to succeed.’  An unexpected job offer! Read More

Text: John 20:1-18
The Resurrection of our Lord
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Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 

It was Sunday, the first day of a new week. It was still dark. A woman has broken through her fear in order to tend to the dead body of her teacher and friend. In the dim light she saw the stone door had been rolled away, the grave was open. The woman assumes the logical worst – someone had taken the body of her friend and teacher. That was the reasonable thing to think. Dead men don’t rise. Someone must have moved the body. Nevertheless, she runs back to tell others what she believes has happened. “They’ve taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have laid him.” The body of Jesus of Nazareth is missing.

Text: John 19:4-7
Good Friday
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We find ourselves on a Friday morning, on the sixth day of the week, looking at the Roman governor and his peculiar new prisoner. This prisoner has been scourged. He lets the soldiers dress him up as a king—of sorts: the crown of thorns, and the slapping about the face, tell you what they thought about such a claim. And Pilate says the words that still haunt us: ‘Behold the man!’ Pilate is not saying this to the scribes, the Pharisees, the chief priests and rulers of Israel. Pilate is saying “Behold the man” to you, to me. Pilate is asking us what we will do with this Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. The same Jesus who was displayed by Pilate to the people of Jerusalem is set before us who hear his gospel, and these words are addressed to all to whom the Word is preached: “Behold the Man!” This morning, on the Friday we have called “Good,” we will behold the man.