Lutheran Church of the Resurrection

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Poor Thomas. Of all of the disciples, only Thomas is branded with a nickname that will never let us forget his mistake. We remember this disciple of Jesus not for his courage, as when he rallied the others to go with Jesus to visit Lazarus knowing that the Jews were seeking to stone him. “Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’” (John 11:16). But we don’t call him, “courageous Thomas.”

Nor do we remember him as the one who was unafraid of asking questions that might reveal his slowness to catch on, as when Jesus said the twelve, “I go to prepare a place for you . . . and you know the way to where I am going,” and Thomas spoke up and said, “Lord we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5). But we don’t call him, “questioning Thomas.”

No, poor Thomas is forever remembered for that time when the other disciples told him that they had seen the Lord, and he replied, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” For that single episode, he will always be remembered as “doubting Thomas.” (more…)

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On Wednesday of this past week, the New York Times reported that Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp. said that they planned to finance two groups of university researchers to start all over and design a new generation of computing systems. On the same day, another article reported on the progress that scientists are making in the development of electric powered cars to replace the 23.5 million gas powered cars on the road today. On the same day, the nation marked the 5th anniversary of the Iraq war. And on the same day, flooding across the central part of the country killed at least 13 people and forced thousands to evacuate their homes.

On Tuesday of this past week, a political candidate made an important speech on racial divisions in our country. On the same day the Federal Reserve cut the Federal Funds interest rate by 1/4 of a point to 2.25% in an effort to stabilize a troubled economy. And the price of oil was $106.56 a barrel.

On Thursday the week before, the EPA set new restrictions on industries limiting the amount of pollution forming particles into the air to 75 parts per billion in an effort to reduce air pollution.

On the Monday before that, it was reported that several new studies on global warming all conclude that greenhouse gases must be cut to zero within a matter of decades in order to avert a dangerous rise in global temperatures.

And somewhere in the midst of all of that and hardly noticed by Mainers was the fact that the first day of Spring arrived. (more…)

“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The suffering Savior of the world lifts up His eyes to His Father in heaven and prays for forgiveness. Not for Himself, but for “them.” The word “them” does not refer just to the small band of soldiers who wrestled with God as Jacob had once done long ago. In his wrestling match with God, Jacob had his hip dislocated, or something like that, and had to say “uncle.” In their wrestling match with God, these soldiers successfully pinned God hand and foot.

An article in this morning’s Morning Sentinel asked whether Christians should be happy or sad during Holy Week. One pastor replied saying that we should be happy, “because after all, we didn’t do it.” According to the Scriptures however, we are informed that we are all born enemies of God. Indeed, that is your hand and mine that is pinning the Son of God to the cross with those steel spikes. To insist otherwise is to suggest that Jesus’ prayer for His Father’s forgiveness was not meant for you, “because after all, we didn’t do it.”

Let this word reach deeply into your ears. The first words of Christ from the cross are not for Himself but for you. These words certainly found open and receptive ears in one of the criminals crucified alongside Christ. And we’ll hear more about that in just a minute.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told His disciples to “pray for those who persecute you.” (Mat.5:44). Here is Christ fulfilling His own word from the cross. Later, when He taught them how they should pray, He said, “When you pray say, Our Father, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us . . .” Even though He has no trespasses of His own, He is praying as He has taught us to pray.

This word of Christ from the cross, made a strong impression on His disciples, and just as they were commissioned to do, they passed it on to others. As he was being stoned to death, Stephen prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7:60). According to the historian Eusebius, when James, the brother of Jesus was thrown down from the pinnacle of the Temple he was heard to yell, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

We should let this word make the same impression upon us also. (more…)

The “new covenant” of which Jesus speaks here is the “new covenant” which the prophet Jeremiah had the privilege of announcing some 600 years before its time. “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah…I will be their God, and they will be my people… For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jer.31:31-34).

It is not that this “new covenant” gives anything different or more than the “old covenant” gave all along. It is not that God changed His mind about the Old Covenant because those stiff-necked, Old Testament people never lived up to it. It is not that Jesus is introducing here a “new and improved” version of the old and outdated version. Or that what God had promised all along was finally going to come to happen as if to say, “Now, this time, I really, really mean it.” (more…)

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The calendar hanging on your wall at home says that today is the 16th day of March. If heaven had walls on which to hang a calendar, (which of course, it doesn’t because there are no walls in heaven and there is no time in heaven for calendars to keep track of), but if it did, the calendar on heaven’s wall say that today is the 10th of Nissan.

That’s the day that Israel in Egypt was to prepare for the great Passover by choosing a lamb, one lamb per family. It was to be sacrificed on the 14th day of Nissan. It’s blood was to be painted onto the doorposts of the house where they lived. They were to remain in the house because that night, the angel of death would pass through Egypt and strike down dead all the first born males in every house. But he would Passover every house marked with the blood of the lamb. All who are inside the house so marked would not die but live.

This lamb was to be roasted over a fire and all of it was to be eaten – head, legs, inner parts. Nothing left lying around for the mice dogs and birds to rummage through. This was holy food and it was to be treated as such.

Today is the 10th of Nissan. (more…)

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What we have said before bears repeating again this morning. In each encounter on His way to the cross, Jesus reveals Himself to us more and more. Each episode along the way is meant to open the curtain further and so that by the time the curtain is torn in two, we will know that we have been reconciled to God.

I. That the Son of Man May Be Glorified. The same is true again this morning. In Jesus’ own words, this encounter with Lazarus at his tomb takes place so that we may know Him more fully. He says, “It is for the glory of God so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Let’s talk for a minute about what it means to be glorified. (more…)

Iona French Memorial Service March 1, 2008 Our Confidence Of Glory Job 19:25

Iona’s French Weinstein was born to Meyer and Ruth Stein on December 15, 1929. Iona died on February 18, 2008. Her obituary accounted for the significant people and events during her 78 years of life in this world. If I counted right, her obituary was 10 paragraphs long. A whole life compressed into 10 paragraphs. If you had just 10 paragraphs to tell the world what you want the world to know about your life, what would you include? You might actually give that question some serious thought, because I can assure you, someday you too will die and a summary of your life will appear in some newspaper. 10 paragraphs. Kind of makes you think about what’s really important and what isn’t doesn’t it. (more…)

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I. The Miracle of Sight. A. Debate vs. Compassion. As we make our way through this season of Lent, we are making our way to the cross of Christ crucified. As we follow Jesus, we know where He is headed and we know why He goes there. Every man, woman and child from the first man, Adam to the last man on the face of this earth, is totally dependant upon Christ crucified for their life and salvation.

As we follow Jesus on His way to the cross, we’re introduced to one person after another for whom Christ is going to the cross. And so far, we have found ourselves in each of them and today will be no different. We are Nicodemus who come to Jesus with our credentials expecting Jesus to be impressed with us and congratulate us for our pious life. We are the woman at the well to whom Jesus came. Like her, we expect nothing more from Jesus than that He make our lives a little easier, a little less burdensome. Now this morning, we will easily find ourselves in the man born blind. (more…)