June 26-28, 2021 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Mark 4:35-41 JESUS CARES!

 

PENTECOST 5

June 26-28, 2021

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Mark 4:35-41

 

JESUS CARES!

1. He allows storms when needed.

2. He controls storms for our good.

 

Mark 4:35-41 (EHV) “On that day, when evening came, Jesus said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.” ³⁶After leaving the crowd behind, the disciples took him along in the boat, just as he was. Other small boats also followed him. ³⁷A great windstorm arose, and the waves were splashing into the boat, so that the boat was quickly filling up. ³⁸Jesus himself was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to drown?” ³⁹Then he got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind stopped, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still lack faith?” ⁴¹They were filled with awe and said to one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

 

          Into the lives of every person, storms must come. It is the way of things in a sin ruined world. It may come in the form of the unending drizzle that settles in the very day you planned a garden party or the thunder and lightning that sends picnic and beach goers scrambling for their cars. Every storm is a very visible reminder that this world is broken by sin. And that reminds us of some others storms that must come into the lives every person—storms caused directly by sin, ours or another’s. And so you think of how a marriage or family or friendship relationship gets ruined by careless words or actions, or words spoken in haste, anger or hurt. Or you think of the storms that serious accidents, illness, death or financial loss can bring. For those that know the Almighty God is the Almighty God there is almost always a faith struggle when storms enter their lives. “Don’t you care? Don’t you care about what I am going through? Don’t you care how I am feeling?” Good News brothers and sisters, Jesus cares. And He shows He cares. Run with me to God’s Word and have your faith built up. You’re going to need it for your next storm.

          Mark’s Gospel records, “On that day, when evening came, Jesus said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.” ³⁶After leaving the crowd behind, the disciples took him along in the boat, just as he was. Other small boats also followed him.” We are picking this up in the middle of an account. That day Mark is talking about had been a busy one for Jesus. He had been doing many miracles of healing and teaching and fending off jealous Pharisees with their accusatory questions. It was time for some rest and a new place for Jesus to serve. Some tried to follow. “A great windstorm arose, and the waves were splashing into the boat, so that the boat was quickly filling up. ³⁸Jesus himself was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.”  Into the lives of every person storms must come. This was not just any storm, a great windstorm feeding waves so high they were swamping the boat. All the while Jesus is sleeping.

          You can picture it, can’t you? Experienced sailors working the oars or sails, trying to keep the boat aimed correctly, using every trick in the book to prevent their boat from sinking, tacking back and forth, bailing water. And in the midst of all that work they were doing what do they see? Jesus. Sleeping. You know what’s coming. We would have said it too. They woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to drown?” Don’t you care! Spouses say it to each other when they feel left out. Children say it to parents when the children don’t get what they want. Believers say it to their God when they don’t understand why the Lord has allowed storms into their lives. Car accidents. Deaths of children. Financial disaster. Tropical storms when you are trying to sit on the beach. We ask that question because we know something. Jesus is in control. He sends storms. He stops them. We wrestle with the why. Why is He allowing this to happen? Doesn’t He care?

          It’s important that as we wrestle we never get tricked into forgetting our Lord’s great love for us. You heard what happened when Job forgot that it was a loving God allowing all of his troubles. “Then the LORD responded to Job out of a violent storm. He said: ² Who is this who spreads darkness over my plans with his ignorant words? ³ Get ready for action like a man! Then I will ask you questions,

and you will inform me.” (Job 38:1-3) I don’t know about you  but I’m not signing up for that one. Friends, when the Lord allows or sends storms into your lives it’s for a reason and not just any reason, a good reason. Those storms are needed by you, by others. This particular one Mark tells about may have been sent so too ardent or inquisitive people would stay home where they belong. The disciples needed another lesson on putting faith into practice. Every Bible reader needed more evidence that Jesus is the Son of God. We need to learn how to handle storms in such a way that we give God glory. Jesus allows storms only when they are needed. So if you are going through one right now understand this. It is needed. When your next one comes, and it will come, hold on to this truth, Jesus is only allowing it because it is needed. And Jesus cares!

          Friends, how rude it is to turn on the one who takes Hell for us. How disloyal to call into question Jesus’ care for us when we know for a fact we are the ones who often care too much about ourselves and too little about our Lord Jesus. In the face of the storm of unfair criticism and stinging questioning of love Jesus cares. And he shows it. He controls storms for our good.

          “Then he got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind stopped, and there was a great calm.” There is absolutely no question. Jesus is in control of storms. There is absolutely no question. We are not. Chris and I vacationed on the beach last summer with friends. There was a tropical storm. My first one. When it subsided a little we went out to see what it was like. Lean into the wind. Sand stinging your ankles. I’m a little bit of a risk taker but I wasn’t going anywhere near those waves. I’ve been pummeled by them before when the flags were only green or yellow. If any of you have been caught out on the water in a boat when a storm came up you know. You felt the fear. You are not in control. Jesus is. “Peace! Be still!” and the wind and waves obeyed. We can’t get our kids to that. Jesus did with a few words to a powerful storm. Jesus cares. He controls storms for our good. He did that with the storm Paul went through in our second reading.

          He used this one to help the disciples. “He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still lack faith?” Look at when Jesus said this. After he had stilled the storm. He saw their hearts. They have been following Jesus. They had seen a day full of miracles. They had just seen another one. Why so afraid? Do you still lack faith? Yes. But Jesus didn’t push them away in disgust. He didn’t stomp off across the water because He was surrounded by incompetent weaklings. Jesus’ words had the effect that the miracle did not. “They were filled with awe and said to one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!” Jesus controlled the storm for their good. Their faith and their awe were built up.

          So it is with you. If you are going through a storm of some family upheaval or relationship mess or threatened disaster hopefully you realize how out of your control it is. Don’t fight that or get frustrated. Rejoice. Rejoice that there is someone better than you in control. Jesus. And Jesus cares! You can try every trick you know like the disciples did but it takes Jesus to control the storms and if He has not stilled yours yet there is a reason, a good and loving reason. You don’t have to be afraid. He’ll set it still at the right time. And if you are feeling ashamed at how you have handled it and your lack of faith know this. Jesus does not reject you or push you away. He sees your weakness. He gives you this, His word, to still your heart, to build your faith. Jesus cares! And whenever Satan whispers in your ear to try to get you to doubt, run to the cross and see your Jesus giving His life for you, because He loves you. Jesus cares! Always. And He always works for the good.

          Last week Chris and I were at the beach again. And again a tropical storm, Claudette, moved in. Are we sensing a pattern? Hoping to have some family time with our girls on the beach you know what we wanted. No storm. You know how we felt. Disappointed in God. Doesn’t He care that we want this good thing? But that same storm that kept us off a beach moved a lot of moisture to parts of the country that have had drought. Jesus cares. We can trust Him. Into the lives of every person storms must come. Let’s learn to thank God for them. They are only allowed when needed. They are controlled for our good. How do we know? Jesus cares! Amen.

June 12th-14th, 2021 Pastor Waldschmidt Genesis 3:8-15

https://youtu.be/bh9NT7tfS4M

Genesis 3:8-15   They heard the voice of the LORD God, who was walking around in the garden during the cooler part of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 The LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”  10The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” 12The man said, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13The LORD God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14The LORD God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all the livestock, and more than every wild animal. You shall crawl on your belly, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. 15I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel.

The Biggest Mess The World Has Ever Seen

I.  With Damage Mankind Could Never See

II.  With A Fix Only God Could See

     I’ve seen some messes in my day.  Like the time I ran out of dishwasher detergent and thought  dishwashing soap was the same thing or maybe the time when the Christmas tree fell over or the time the clothes washer overflowed two days before the confirmation gathering at our house.  I’ve seen pictures of messes too.  Like the tornado that went through Oakfield in 1996 or Hurricane Katrina that flooded New Orleans in 2005.  This week, on the anniversary of D Day, we were reminded of the carnage on the beaches in Normandy.  As bad as all of those messes were, the Bible takes us today to “The Biggest Mess The World Has Ever Seen.”  I.  With Damage Mankind Could Never See  II.  With A Fix Only God Could See.

     “They heard the voice of the LORD God, who was walking around in the garden during the cooler part of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.”  When I’ve gone to the zoo or walk through Whitnall Park I’ve often thought of how cool it would have been to walk through the Garden of Eden with God “during the cooler part of the day”- to hear God give fun facts about all the animals and the plants in the garden.  But there would be none of that when God came into the Garden after the first sin.  Adam and Eve had disobeyed God and brought on the biggest mess the world had ever seen.  There was more damage than mankind could ever see. 

        I wonder how obvious the change from perfect world to sinful world was to Adam and Eve.  Did sharp thistle weeds shoot out of the ground for their bare feet to step on?  Did the mosquitoes suddenly become biting pests in the garden?  Could they suddenly feel their bodies lurch toward the day of their death?  Even it wasn’t obvious yet to Adam and Eve’s eyes right away, it’s clear that that there was terrible damage in God’s perfect world-damage that went beyond what they could see.  Sin brought damage on the inside.  It was the biggest mess the world has ever seen.

        I don’t know how much of the damage was clear to Adam and Eve, but looking through the camera of God’s Word we can see some of that inside damage.  When Adam and Eve heard God in the garden, rather than running toward God they ran away.  They tried to hide from God.  The Bible says, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God.”  The wall was up.  There was a separation from God on the inside.  Their first thought was not, “Let’s run to God” but rather “let’s run away from God.” 

         Part of the big mess is that sin is not smart.  In the cartoons sometimes the characters try to hide behind a tree but it’s always obvious where they are. Did Adam and Eve really think that God would not be able to see where they were?   “The LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”    The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.”  Sin is not smart.  The best that Adam could come up with was a lie?  What a mess!  And now Adam was lying to God to whom all hearts are open. 

     It gets worse.  Now in the middle of this mess with sin and guilt all over, the blame game starts.  “God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?”  God gives Adam a chance to at least admit what he had done.  But instead from the mud and muck of sin, Adam spits in God’s face.  “The man said, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”  At first it seems like Adam is blaming Eve.  He could be blaming “anyone but him.” But listen again, “The woman you gave to be with me.”  Adam was blaming God.  According to Adam, this whole big mess was God’s fault.  If he had created Eve, this whole mess would not have happened.  So it was God’s fault.  Sin is not smart.  What a mess!

     Adam wasn’t the only one affected by sin.  Eve plays the blame game too.  “The LORD God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”  What a mess!  With more damage than Adam and Eve could have seen at the time. The damage sin went beyond Adam and Eve could see that day.  Wars, disease, suffering hatred, famine would make their mess  through the ages.  Sin had spread from Adam to Eve and would be spread to all people. In their immediate family there would be a murder.  Their oldest son Cain killed his brother.  That sin disease passed to all of us.  When we are little no one has to teach us to be naughty.  It comes from inside.   That trait of blaming others for one’s own sin would be passed on to future generations.   The Bible tells us that even though Adam and Eve were created holy and perfect, since that day of disobedience in the Garden “the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth and that all of the thoughts and plans formed in their hearts were only evil every day.  Have you noticed how when we are confronted by our own sin, the very first thought that goes through our mind is to deny our sin, lie about it, blame someone else or minimize the wrong we have down?

       Some might wonder how eating a piece of fruit could cause such a mess.  But remember what was behind eating that fruit- disobedience.   By doing what God had told them not to do, Adam and Eve were saying that they knew better than God- that they were going to listen to the devil rather than their loving creator.  The wages of sin is death.  That disobedience brought sin and death pouring into God’s perfect world.  That first mess brought all of the other messes into the world through the ages.  More damage than Adam and Eve could ever have seen. 

        God had the ability to destroy the whole world from a distance.  He could have fried Adam and Eve with a lightning bolt from miles away.  But yet the Holy God trudged through the sinful mess of his broken world to go looking for the selfish disobedient people who had made all of this mess.  He didn’t go hunting for Adam and Eve to destroy them nor close the distance in a millisecond to get right in Adam’s face as he had every right to do.  Instead he walks into the garden.  He doesn’t break Adam and Eve’s eardrums with a God scream.  He speaks in measured tones, about the greatest mess the world had ever seen.  He speaks about the fix only God could see. 

     “The LORD God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all the livestock, and more than every wild animal. You shall crawl on your belly, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.”  It sure might have seemed like Satan in a snake’s costume won that day.  But the Lord gave some permanent reminders for people that Satan did not win the war that day.  Satan’s defeat was sure.  Rather than being admired for its smarts, the snake who was more crafty than all of the other animals the Lord God had made, would bring a reaction of disgust.  Because the devil had used a snake to deceive and tempt,  the serpent would spend all of its days with its face in the dust. 

     “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel.”  The root word for hostility is a wedge.  God saw that the people were on the same side as the devil against him, but God would send the Savior, the wedge who would put the people back on God’s side.  Only God could see a fix for the mess of sin.  Only God could bring the fix for the biggest mess the world had ever seen.  God would come himself.  The devil who  looked so scary and so smug there in the garden would have His head crushed.   Jesus, the God man lived perfectly in our place  and had his heel crushed paying for sins on the cross.  But his death was not a head crushing blow,  Jesus rose again.  The relationship would God was perfectly restored. 

       Can you see the huge mess sin has made in our world?  In our life?  Jesus is the one the  Bible points to and says, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” Those who push him away in unbelief have only that separation from God Adam and Eve felt a taste of  in the garden to look forward to.  But those who trust that Savior will live in paradise with him.  Those who push him away in unbelief It was a fix only God could see. 

     Have you made a huge mess out of your life?  Is there a huge mess facing you in your life right now?  Come again and look what God can do.  He showed his love for you in the Garden and at the cross.  He can fix things no one else can fix.  Trust in Him, His love, His power. Amen. 

June 5-7, 2021 PENTECOST 2 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Mark 2:23-28 “WHEN JESUS IS LORD…”

 

June 5-7, 2021

PENTECOST 2

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Mark 2:23-28

 

“WHEN JESUS IS LORD…”

 

          In 1 Peter 3:15 the Holy Spirit had the Apostle Peter write these words, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.” It was in a section where Peter was encouraging Christians who were experiencing unjust suffering to still be winsome witnesses for Jesus as Savior. The key to doing that was to have Jesus as Lord of your heart not something or someone else. His words remind us of a key truth: if Jesus is not Lord to you than nothing you do or accomplish or try actually matters and you will mess up everything that God has given.

We have a great example of that in the word of God before us. We have some familiar players. Jesus and the Pharisees. People familiar with the Bible kind of spit out that word, Pharisees. If someone calls you a Pharisee it is no compliment. They are calling you pompous and arrogant and someone who thinks they are better than everybody else. Please remember that the Pharisees started out as the good guys. They were a religious sect of the Jews that tried to be very zealous for God. They accepted the Old Testament as the words of God. They cared very much that God be honored and His laws kept fully. They even added all kinds of protective laws around God’s laws in an effort to really, really keep them and they demanded that everybody else keep them too. Now how can people who are trying so hard to get things right get it so wrong?

 

1.     You know who Jesus is.

 

It’s because for them, Jesus was not Lord. They didn’t know who he was. “Once on a Sabbath day, Jesus was passing through the grain fields, and his disciples began to pick heads of grain as they walked along. ²⁴The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath day?” You see Jesus walking with His disciples and your first impulse is to question him. The implication was clear. “Jesus, why are you letting your disciples break the law of God? Don’t you care about God’s laws?” Why? They saw Jesus as a rival teacher of the law and not as the Savior from sin they needed. They saw their way to having a relationship with the Almighty God was by doing the right things. In their minds they could do those right things so they didn’t need a Savior and so Jesus was not their Lord.

Is He your Lord? Do you know who He is? Maybe for a summer project you decide to reread all 4 Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. If you do that notice how focused Jesus is on His mission. He doesn’t stop people from sinning but He talks plenty about sin. He doesn’t try to overthrow the Roman government or wipe out crime, poverty or injustice. Instead he carefully obeys all laws and slowly but surely marches into Jerusalem to give His perfect life on the cross. He is Savior from sin. The one God had promised back in the Garden of Eden who would crush the Devil’s head. And when Jesus is Lord you know that.

Do you know that? Obviously you do. You are here worshipping Him or doing so online. And yet we have to work to keep knowing that. Remember those Pharisees? Remember they started out as the good guys, accepting the Bible as God’s Word and zealous for His commandments. Hey, that kind of sounds like us today, doesn’t it? While so many of our fellow Americans don’t accept the Bible as God’s Word, we do. While so many are rejecting the commandments of God we do accept them as absolute right and wrong. Do you see the danger for us? The Devil could trick us into becoming Pharisees. Some things to think about. If you are watching the news and you see God’s holy will rejected over and over again is your first thought, “I wish God would strike them down,” or “Good thing we have a Savior,” and “Come Lord Jesus!” Is Jesus your go to guy when you want to use His “Love your neighbor as yourself” to manipulate someone to follow rules established by man or your own opinion or is He your go to every morning and every night as your earnestly pray, “God have mercy on me, a sinner,” fully expecting Him to because Jesus is your Savior. Is Jesus primarily the fixer of all earthly ills or the one who lets you have a smile on your face in the midst of earthly ills because He has saved you for heaven? When Jesus is Lord, you know who He is, Savior.

You also know how to use the law. The Pharisees sure didn’t. “The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath day?” ²⁵He replied to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry (he and his companions)? ²⁶He entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the Bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for anyone to eat, except for the priests. He also gave some to his companions.” The Pharisees had high respect for the law. But because Jesus was not Lord they didn’t know how to use it. They saw the law and their ability to keep God’s commands as their way to heaven. They thought that was why God had given it. In other words they thought that God came up with the law and then He created people to serve it. Jesus pointed out it was in fact, the other way around. “Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. ²⁸So the Son of Man is the Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Let’s go back to when the Sabbath was set aside to begin with. It was in the perfect world before sin. In the creation account we are told. “On the seventh day God had finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had been doing. ³ God blessed the seventh day and set it apart as holy, because on it he rested from all his work of creation that he had done.” God set aside the Sabbath after Adam and Eve were created. It was to be a blessing for them. It would serve them by letting them get rest. It wasn’t to be used to keep hungry people from eating. That was the point of referencing what happened with David. Only the priests by Old Testament law could eat the Bread of the Presence which was bread that had been set offered as a sacrifice to God. But when David and his men came and were hungry and that was the only food available. God’s laws were there to serve people not people to serve the law. The law was a blessing and since Jesus is Lord He tells you how to use His laws.

 

2.     You know how to use the Law.

 

And when Jesus is your Lord you know how to use the law. As a blessing. It’s first purpose is to show us our sin. Can I suggest another summer project? Pull out your Luther’s Catechism and review one commandment and its meaning per week. If you do that you will discover you are sinning a whole lot more than you are aware of. How can that be good? It will help you hold on to Jesus as Savior. It will help you appreciate all that Jesus has done for you. As one sainted Seminary professor used to put it, “You make your sin small, you make your Savior small. What size Savior do you have?” I have a big one. So do you. And using the commandments to make us conscious of sin does that. The law is a blessing. The second thing you will see is that all of God’s laws for all people were given with our best interests in mind, to bless us. Whether it’s the laws that point us to God first and using His name properly or valuing word and worship or protecting property and marriage, they all make earthly lives better.

And other’s eternal lives better. In 1 Peter 3:15 Peter followed, “But in your heart set apart Christ as Lord,” with “Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” When you get into those religious conversations about what is right and wrong don’t have the law as Lord but Jesus as Lord. Don’t merely answer the right and wrong question. Then it’s just a matter of rules. Christian rules, Jewish rules, Muslim rules, Lutheran rules. Get to the one who is Lord, Jesus. After answering the morality question, acknowledge there is a lot of sinning going on and by you and that’s why God sent Jesus, your Lord and Savior who is big enough for both of you. Amen.

May 22-24, 2021 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: John 14:25-27 “NO WORRIES!”

 PENTECOST

May 22-24, 2021

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: John 14:25-27

                                         “NO WORRIES!”

1.     The Holy Spirit provides the teachings we need.

2.     The Holy Spirit provides the teachers we need.

 

John 14:25-27 (EHV) “I have told you these things while staying with you. ²⁶But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I told you. ²⁷“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not let it be afraid.”

 

          Perhaps you have had an experience like this. You are in a class or a presentation for work or school. The teacher or presenter fills you with loads of information. As the class wraps up the teacher says, “OK, I hope you took good notes. You can use them for the test tomorrow.” What? Why didn’t you let us know that at the beginning? I would have taken notes. Your heart sinks. To be sure, you should have taken notes whether the teacher told you to or not. That is your responsibility. But at that point, it’s too late!  Now if you have had that type of an experience or feeling I’d like you to try to imagine being one of Jesus’ disciples in the Upper Room on Maundy Thursday evening. You have been following Jesus for nearly three years. You have seen things that have astonished you. You have heard things that confuse you. Clearly He is the Messiah, the Promised one from God. He is the Anointed one. He will rule Israel. Yes, He has talked before about being put to death and leaving you but you never really believed it. Here in the Upper room, on this night, things are different. Jesus speaks bluntly, clearly, about betrayal, death, and leaving you to go back to the Father. “Oh, there’s one more thing, dear disciples,” Jesus says. “You will take over teaching the people everything I have told you.” What? Why didn’t you tell us that at the beginning? We would have taken notes. To be fair if they had tried to do that, they would have had a wagon load of scrolls to pull around. I imagine their mouths agape. How are we going to do that?

          No worries! Jesus swooped in. He promised to send the Holy Spirit. Today we observe the church festival of Pentecost. It celebrates the 3^rd person of the Triune God, the Holy Spirit, and the gifts He brings to believers. That reminds us of our secondary emphasis this weekend as we say good bye to one retiring teacher and four teachers who will be leaving to serve God elsewhere. No worries! No worries for people moving to a different place. No worries for one finding new ways to serve. No worries for St Jacobi congregation. Why? The Holy Spirit provides gifts for believers, gifts we need.

          He provides first of all the teachings we need. That’s what was promised. “I have told you these things while staying with you. ²⁶But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I told you.” It’s like that dreaded test became an open book test! “No worries disciples. You don’t have to remember everything I taught you. The Holy Spirit will take care of that for you.” And that, my friends, is exactly what happened and how we got the New Testament of the Bible. As you heard in the Acts reading the Holy Spirit filled these disciples now called Apostles. They received special gifts to rapidly spread the Good News that Jesus is Savior for all. They knew how to speak languages they never studied before so when they went to different countries they could speak God’s truth in the language the people would understand the best. They were given the ability to do miracles to authenticate that God was behind these teachings. And they were given total recall, the ability to remember the teachings and even exact quotes of Jesus. And they wrote them down. Matthew, Mark and John’s Gospels. Or told them to someone else, Luke’s Gospel. And the Holy Spirit continued to work in them and through them inspiring the words of God that we now have in the Bible.

          Do you understand what this means? No worries! We have the teachings we need. There are all kinds of things that you and I may want to know about heaven or resurrected bodies or why God let the Devil continue to exist, but we don’t need to know them. We have what we need. We need to know we are sinners who can’t save ourselves. So you will find as you read your Bibles, the laws of God that are absolute, no matter what the laws of our country say. Murder is murder whether you pull a gun and shoot someone who cut you off driving or tear apart a little baby in its mother’s womb. Sexual sinning is sinning whether it involves heterosexual or homosexual. Trusting first in anything other than God who has revealed himself in the Bible is idolatry. Thinking you can do anything yourself to get to heaven is arrogant blasphemy that denies that Jesus is the Christ, the only way to heaven. We need to know those things so we repent in our own lives. And then you have the Good News, the Gospel, that tells you God loves you anyway. That He has sent His only Son Jesus who is your Savior. Your sins are forgiven. While you can’t get yourself forgiven or to heaven Jesus already has. So no worries. Don’t worry about questions you have that aren’t answered in the Bible. You don’t need them. Do concern yourself with understanding what’s in the Bible.

          Which takes us to our second Holy Spirit blessing. Not only does the Holy Spirit provide the teachings we need. He provides the teachers we need too. A few weeks ago you may remember we had the reading from Acts about Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. Remember the guy was riding in his chariot and reading from the book of Isaiah. He could not understand who it was talking about. Do you remember what happened next? The Holy Spirit sent Philip to explain it to him. That’s what the Holy Spirit does. He provides the teachers we need, teachers of God’s word.

          Listen again. “I have told you these things while staying with you. ²⁶But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I told you.” YOU! Over and over again Jesus was speaking directly to the disciples. They would be the teachers that time needed to teach God’s people God’s holy will. To help them keep their eyes fixed on Jesus no matter what. To remember that their true purpose in life was to be witnesses for Jesus wherever they were at and whatever they did. The disciples called apostles did just that. They started in Jerusalem and then went further and further out, guided by the Holy Spirit. They were the teachers that were needed so they were provided by the Holy Spirit to teach the people back then. Over time these disciples called Apostles died. What then? The Holy Spirit provided more teachers.

          And He has been doing the same thing since, also here at St Jacobi. Those of you who have been at St Jacobi a long time have seen a relatively few pastors. Some remember the first Pastor Eckert and then of course the second. Some remember Pastor Henning and then all of you know who you’ve been stuck with lately. On the teacher side you have seen many different teachers as we have a large school. If you are relatively new to St. Jacob and you heard throughout the school year that teachers were leaving for various reasons you may have been a little worried. No worries! The Holy Spirit provides the teachers we need and he has. We are ready to go for next year. Thank you, Holy Spirit!

          Just like the teachers who are leaving were the ones we needed at the time. We thank, Kari Falck, Paul Frisque and Jeff and Sarah Roloff. You will be going to new places where the Holy Spirit has provided you to serve others. We thank you for your service here and pray for God’s continued blessing on your new endeavors. Mrs. Sue Saatkamp, you have chosen retirement which means you get to do work without getting paid! We thank you for your service over the years. The Holy Spirit provided you as a gift to us. So now what? Are you worried what you will do, how you will feel next school year when you won’t be going back to school? No worries!

Listen to the voice of your Savior! “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not let it be afraid.” That’s another one of those teachings we all need. Jesus gives peace. Not like the world’s peace which only lasts until the next crisis. His peace is a calmness we get to have because He is with us always through thick and thin, good times and bad, working or retired. Jesus is with you. The Holy Spirit provides what you need. Always. No worries! Amen.

May 8-10, 2021 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Acts 9:36-42 (EHV) “SHOW AND TELL!”

EASTER 6

May 8-10, 2021

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Acts 9:36-42 (EHV)

 

“SHOW AND TELL!”

1.     Show the love of Jesus

2.     So you can tell the love of Jesus!

 

Acts 9:36-42 (EHV) “In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was always doing good deeds and acts of charity. ³⁷At that time she became sick and died. After they had washed her, they laid her in an upstairs room. ³⁸Since Lydda is near Joppa, when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, who urged him, “Come to us without delay!” ³⁹Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothing that Dorcas made while she was still with them. ⁴⁰After Peter sent them all outside, he got down on his knees and prayed. Then he turned toward the body and said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ⁴¹He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. After he called the saints and the widows, he presented her to them alive. ⁴²This became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.”

 

          It’s another one of those fun things you get to do in school. Show and Tell. Maybe you got your first chance in kindergarten. Remember how excited you were to bring your own thing from home to show and tell. Maybe you had a special collection or grandpa’s war medal. Fun thing to do. I’ve brought something today for Show and Tell. It’s called Spirit Lifters. Some of you have heard me talk about it before. It was a gift from my mom to all her children. For every day of the year, even Leap Day, to has an encouraging or inspiring Bible passage, hymn verse or saying designed to—you guessed it! Lift your spirits. What is also interesting is who made these little beauties. St. Paul’s Dorcas Society, Brownsville Wisconsin.  A Dorcas Society. A group of women who got together to serve and make nice things. Now where do you think that name came from? You know. You heard about it in our reading. “In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was always doing good deeds and acts of charity.” A disciple, a believer in Jesus. Tabitha, also known as Dorcas. And why is her story in the Bible? She’s going to teach us how to Show and Tell.

          First show the love of Jesus. We aren’t told a whole lot about this woman named Dorcas. We aren’t told if she was married or had kids. Was she widowed or working? No, the Spirit draws our attention to what we need to see. She was a disciple, a believer in Jesus. She knew the love of Jesus. Like you and I do as well, she understood Jesus’ great love for her, a love that moved Him to take care of her greatest need at greatest cost to Himself. He took her sins on Himself and paid the awful price of Hell. This changed Dorcas. She understood her purpose in life. Show. Show the love of Jesus. Kindly meet the needs of others at cost to herself.

          “In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was always doing good deeds and acts of charity. ³⁷At that time she became sick and died. After they had washed her, they laid her in an upstairs room. ³⁸Since Lydda is near Joppa, when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, who urged him, “Come to us without delay!” ³⁹Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothing that Dorcas made while she was still with them.” Dorcas showed the love of Jesus by making robes and clothes for widow women. Back then, there were no retirement pensions, no investments, no Social Security. Widowed women often found themselves poor and dependent on their church and others to survive. Dorcas saw a need and she showed the love of Jesus.

          Now remember all Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. What does the Holy Spirit want us to see? A woman showing the love of Jesus in a way that she could. Why? To encourage and motivate us to do the same. How many years of training do you think Dorcas received before she started showing the love of Jesus? What degrees did she hold? No, Dorcas was just herself. She obviously had skills as a seamstress but there were undoubtedly many seamstresses. Why does the Spirit focus our attention on Dorcas? She showed the love of Jesus. She saw a need and met a need. She was kind.

And you know what? Every one us can do the same. We know the love of Jesus. We have experienced it. Through faith we see Jesus loving us sinners and suffering for us sinners and happy to do so. We can show how Jesus has changed us. What nice things can you do for others? Neighbors need help with the garbage can? A ride to a store? You know one of the loneliest groupings of people in our society are the elderly. Kids you could make a card, sing a song, take a flower. So many ways to show the love of Jesus and on a weekend like this we have to think of how moms and grandmas do that. Show the love of Jesus as they raise kids and grandkids.

          But friends we need to dig a little deeper here. Why is the Spirit putting the spotlight on Dorcas? Surely there were other people who did nice things too. Well the book of Acts is the history of the early Christian Church. It’s put in the Bible to show how the living Lord Jesus was with the early Christians and how the fact that He lives changed the way they lived, their priorities, their purpose, and how Jesus used that to bring more and more people into the family of faith. It’s there so the fact that Jesus lives will change the way we believers live, our priorities and our purpose. Let’s see how.

          “After Peter sent them all outside, he got down on his knees and prayed. Then he turned toward the body and said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ⁴¹He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. After he called the saints and the widows, he presented her to them alive. ⁴²This became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.” We’re not told but somehow Peter knew what Jesus wanted him to do. While all these people were gathered at the death of this beloved woman Tabitha it was time to use the power Jesus had given the apostles to do miracles. With Jesus’ power he raised Tabitha from the dead. How cool was that? But that was not the really cool part, was it? This was: “This became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.” Many believed! The purpose for Tabitha’s life and Tabitha’s death and Tabitha’s back to life was the same. Opportunities for her or others to tell the love of Jesus so more believe and are saved.

          And this, brothers and sisters, is how Jesus works through you. When you show the love of Jesus in your daily living you will gain opportunities for you or others to tell the love of Jesus. And the neat part is it does not require any classes or degree. It just requires you to be yourself but always to remember the greater purpose of connecting people to Jesus so they can be saved eternally. Dorcas did nice things for others. Doing nice things built relationships and those personal relationships became to bridge to building the only relationship that matters for eternity, faith in Jesus.

          So go ahead and be nice and do good. Help the poor, feed the hungry, help a neighbor, give a ride, make some cookies, rake some leaves but don’t be content with just being nice. Use nice to get to Jesus. Pray for an opportunity to let the reason behind your nice come out. I believe in Jesus. He loves you too. When it’s right leverage those relationships. Kids, when we start up next year, “Say, I’m going to sing at church, will you come see me?” With that lonely elderly neighbor, “Would you like to come over for Thanksgiving Dinner? How about you come to church with me and join our family for our Thanksgiving meal?” So many opportunities once you show the love of Jesus for you or others to tell the love of Jesus. In your life and in your death.

          You do know that this Tabitha who was raised to life later died—again. She went to heaven. Her body stayed here. What do you think they talked about at her funeral? How many people were there? Your death could do the same. Show the love of Jesus and when you go to heaven we will tell the love of Jesus to everyone there. It’s Show and Tell!

          You know, someone once said that “Everything I need to know I learned in kindergarten.” In many ways that is true. Like Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so. Like I am Jesus little lamb. Like be nice and kind to everyone. And like Show and tell—the love of Jesus! Amen. 

EASTER April 4-5, 2021 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “CERTAIN HOPE FOR UNCERTAIN TIMES!”

 

EASTER

April 4-5, 2021

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

 

“CERTAIN HOPE FOR UNCERTAIN TIMES!”

1.     Easter gives us hope for uncertainty in this life.

2.     Easter gives us hope for a certain life to come.

 

1 Corinthians 15:19-20 (EHV) “If our hope in Christ applies only to this life, we are the most pitiful people of all. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

 

          Uncertainty, not knowing, is the worst. You are left hanging, paralyzed, unable to act and not knowing which way to go. So if you apply for a job that you really want it’s the waiting that’s the hardest part. Did I get it or not? Once I know I can act one way or the other. Or take the biopsy. Is it cancer or not? Uncertainty again leaves you hanging, wondering, what should I plan for. So when you are waiting for some needed news that will be either good or bad it’s better to know. Then you can act. Uncertainty, uncertainty is the worst. We are so glad to be able to worship online and in person this Easter. It was good to know we could plan on having this service but we certainly have had more than our fair share of uncertainty this past year, haven’t we? If you are like me, you felt pulled back and forth by experts. Things that we were told were true one week weren’t true the next week. Things I thought for sure would happen didn’t happen. The waiting was the hardest part. Will the economy tank or bounce back? Will I keep my job or lose it? Will we be able to go back to in person worship, in person school, or not? What keeps you going in uncertain times is hope. Hope that things will get better.

          What are you hoping for this morning? Do you hope this virus goes away or the vaccines work so life can go back to normal? Do you hope that our nation can somehow heal? Is your hope more personal for something like a job or healing or for a relationship? It’s important to have hope. It’s also important that your hope is well placed. So often the hope people have is no hope at all but just a wish, a dream, “Wouldn’t it be great if..” but there is nothing backing that hope or wish. That’s why it’s good for us to be here, to be listening. We are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and what we shall see is that what happened outside of Jerusalem that first Easter Sunday almost 2000 years ago gives us a sure and certain hope, hope backed by Christ.

          It gives us hope for the uncertainties of this life. Jesus has made many promises to you, promises filled with hope. He has promised never to leave you or forsake you. He has promised you that with Him in your life you never face any problem alone. He has promised to work all things in your life for the good. He has promised that He is ruling all things, including governments of this world, for the good of the church and that means for your good. He has promised that He has all power to provide for you and protect you and He is using it. He has promised to hear and answer all of your prayers based on what is best for you. He has promised you that He loves you unconditionally. He has promised you that His death has paid for every one of your sins in full, that you are forgiven.

          All those promises are meaningless if Jesus’ bones are buried in some cave somewhere outside of Jerusalem. None of these promises can be true. None of God’s promises can be trusted. You have no hope for this life if Christ has not been raised from the dead. But He did rise from the dead! Read all of 1 Corinthians chapter 15 today if you want and rejoice. Rejoice as it reveals Jesus lives! In addition to the eyewitness accounts from Matthew’s Gospel and Mark’s Gospel  and the ones Luke so carefully researched and wrote down in his gospel and the eyewitness account of John in his Gospel, Paul reminds us of the time the risen Lord Jesus appeared to over 500 people at one time and then to Paul himself. Jesus is risen and that means you have certain hope for the uncertainties of this life.

          So go ahead and smile and be happy and have hope, hope in Jesus. Hoping for our lives to return to normal is just a wish, but hope in Jesus gives me confidence that because He lives we get to know that even if we don’t get back to normal He will work abnormal for our good. Hoping I get a certain job I have my heart set on is a wish. Hope in Jesus gives the peace that my living Lord Jesus will provide for me in the best way and if I don’t get that job it’s because my living Lord Jesus has a better one for me. Hope that our country will heal or a relationship will make it is a wish. But hope in the living Lord Jesus gives me the comfort of knowing my part in causing division in our nation and my part in ruining a relationship has been forgiven and I am free to live today in a way that promotes healing and peace. Hoping grandma’s cancer goes away is a wish but hope in Jesus gives me the calmness of knowing grandma will get better.

          Recently I was told of a retired pastor who had just gotten the news that he had an inoperable brain tumor, likely 6 months to live. A relative who did not know of this diagnosis happened to call him and ask how he was feeling. “OK,” he said, “but pretty soon I’ll feel perfect!” How could he say that? He could and did because not only does our living Lord Jesus give us certain hope for the uncertainties of this life but he also, and more importantly, gives us certain hope for the life to come.

          That’s what the Apostle Paul was emphasizing in the section of 1 Corinthians I read to you. “If our hope in Christ applies only to this life, we are the most pitiful people of all. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” I appreciate honesty. Paul’s words very bluntly remind us that a day is coming when hope for this life won’t matter any more because this life will end. That’s not a popular message in an America where many citizens strive to hold on to every last breath but it’s true. The death rate for Americans still stands at 100%. What then?  It’s good to have hope in Christ for this life. It changes attitudes and outlooks. But this life ends. Then what? If there is nothing more we are the most pitiful people of all.

“But” and I hesitate to say this, however, this is a really big “but.” But what? But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Jesus lives! Do you see what this means? We have certain hope for the life to come. Paul called Jesus the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Since we live in an urban area we really don’t focus on what firstfruits are or mean. Firstfruits are exactly what they sound like, the very first part of a crop that is ready to harvest. It’s the first daffodil to break ground, but it’s not the last. It’s the first apple or cherry blossom to show, the promise that more are coming. It’s the first ear of juicy Wisconsin sweet corn waiting to pop in your mouth, but more are coming.

Here is hope, certain hope for the life to come. Let’s go back to grandma’s cancer. You love grandma. She loves you more. Throughout her life she has been there loving, hugging, smiling. She has prayed for you and pointed you to Jesus her Savior by word and example. You pray for her to get better. She will! She will! Because Jesus lives. Whether the cancer takes her or something else she will not end when this life ends. She will fall asleep in Jesus and as He rose from the dead as the firstfruit  she will follow as the second or more likely billionth. You will be with her again. Now if it’s not Grandma you are hoping to see, who is it? Picture them. Easter gives certain hope for the life to come. It’s happening.

Now look at what that does to the here and now. This life can frustrate you but it cannot break you. It can vex you but it cannot defeat you. It can drag you down but it cannot put you out. It can cause you pain and your heart to ache but it cannot control you and does not define who you will be nor will the hurts and pains last. The Devil and the unbelieving world can try to marginalize you as much as they want but they will be the ones on the margins just hoping to get to be what we are, but their hope is nothing more than a wish that will never happen. But you, you will live forever in the glory and joy of heaven where no pain can touch you, no hope goes unfulfilled, no sin can make you feel guilty and no relationship break your heart. Why? Because Jesus lives! Certain hope for the life to come.

          Friends, I am quite certain that if I could tell you and the rest of America for a fact that all Covid related inconveniences would end tomorrow there would be great joy and happiness—for a little bit. At least until the next fear producing crisis came. If I told you, you would get that job that you really want or your house offer would be accepted you would be thrilled--for a bit, until the job or house became one more thing in this life you take for granted as we all find it so easy to do. However I can’t tell you any of those things with any certainty. What I can tell you  is Jesus lives. And because He lives you can always count on a brighter tomorrow. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed! Amen.

April 1, 2021 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: John 13:1-5, 12-17 “HANDS OF HUMILITY!”

 

MAUNDY THURSDAY

April 1, 2021

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: John 13:1-5, 12-17

 

“HANDS OF HUMILITY!”

 

John 13:1-5, 12-17 (EHV) “Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved those who were his own in the world, he loved them to the end. ² By the time the supper took place, the Devil had already put the idea into the heart of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God. ⁴ He got up from the supper and laid aside his outer garment. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. ⁵ Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him…. ¹² After Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer garment, he reclined at the table again. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me Teacher and Lord. You are right, because I am. ¹⁴ Now if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ Yes, I have given you an example so that you also would do just as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Amen, Amen, I tell you: A servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

 

          I’m guessing you have all either had an experience like this or watched it happen. You go to a restaurant. The hostess seats you and says, “Your server will be with you shortly.” You wait. You converse with your dinner guests. After a while of talking you realize no has stopped at your table yet, not even to fill glasses of water. That’s weird. You look around trying to catch the eye of who is supposed to be your server. No one. You go back to the hostess who points out your server to you. You ask for some water. “Sure, I’ll be right there.” More waiting. Uncomfortable. Starting to lead to anger. You hunt the server down. “Can we get some help?” “Sure, just let me take care of this table first.” You head out in a huff. That’s not good service.

          Whether that has actually happened to you or not at a restaurant it has happened somewhere. Poor service just leaves you waiting and frustrated and it is all too common. At the doctor’s office. The grocery store checkout or just trying to get an oil change. Here’s the problem. We all depend on others for needed service. In fact God created people to depend on others. You might be able to do your taxes but can you fix your computer, your car, your plumbing? Good service is so important and often so rare that we are willing to honor good service with healthy tips and enthusiastic referrals.

          And if you are the person who likes to do that then certainly you will want to refer your friends and relatives, and maybe even your enemies, to Jesus! The word of God we are looking at shows Jesus providing invaluable service not just to His disciples but to all of us as we look at his Hands of Humility.

          We join Jesus and His disciples in the Upper Room and the night of what we have come to call Maundy Thursday. They are celebrating the Passover and Jesus has a lot on his mind. “Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved those who were his own in the world, he loved them to the end. ² By the time the supper took place, the Devil had already put the idea into the heart of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God.” Did you catch that? Jesus knew. He knew it was time, time for Him to feel the sting of betrayal by a friend, time for Him to endure the pain and suffering of Hell in order to redeem the people He loved so much. Who would have blamed Jesus if He made the night about Himself, if He had been withdrawn and quiet? But He wasn’t. He was busy serving.

          “He got up from the supper and laid aside his outer garment. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. ⁵ Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” You have to wonder a little bit just what had happened when Jesus and his disciples had first entered the upper room. Remember, these are the guys that Jesus busted arguing about who would be the greatest in Jesus’ kingdom. These are the guys who fought again when James and John’s mother asked for special privileges for them. Normally when you entered a house in that culture someone washed your feet. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say the lowest man on the totem pole got the privilege of handling, sweaty, stinky dirty feet. With no one there to wash their feet were they arguing again? Who would get stuck washing feet? Nose goes! Rock, paper, scissors! Wouldn’t you think one of them would at least have offered to wash Jesus’ feet? Didn’t happen. But feet were washed—by Jesus. “ After Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer garment, he reclined at the table again.” With all that Jesus had on His mind, with the weight of the sins of the world resting on His shoulders we would understand if Jesus let a little of his righteous anger show. But he didn’t. His hands of humility went into action and He served.

          And He served with purpose. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me Teacher and Lord. You are right, because I am. ¹⁴ Now if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ Yes, I have given you an example so that you also would do just as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Amen, Amen, I tell you: A servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” You can teach with words. You can teach with actions. You can do what’s best and teach with both. That’s what Jesus was doing. Without frustration or exasperation, with perfect patience Jesus taught the joy of service.

          Jesus’ hands of humility humble us. Most of the time our service to others falls far short of what Jesus has shown us. Often we base it on the behavior of our neighbor. We shun people who don’t agree with us. We get around to the problem child last. We do the least we can get by with for the most difficult people in our lives and gladly do good to those who are good to us and we justify our poor Christian service by saying, “That’s all they deserved,” And our own words condemn us. What if Jesus worked that way? No one would have gotten their feet washed. Much worse, no one’s sins would be paid for. But that’s not Jesus. He didn’t walk out in a huff over the bad behavior of his disciples and he didn’t walk out on you and me either. He served and gave his life as a ransom for many.

          Maybe we wonder why Jesus took this particular time to teach a lesson on Christian service. So many other things could have been His priority. But the Savior you know always has the best interest of His people in mind. He gives what they need. What we need is to know what will give us joy in this sin filled world as we wait for the glory of heaven. And what we need is the strength to do it. Both of those Jesus provided with His hands of humility. This day we call Maundy Thursday. Many people think Maundy must have something to do with the Lord’s Supper because this is when Jesus gave it to us. Actually the word Maundy comes from the Latin Mandate which means command. A new command Jesus gave that night. Love each other as I have loved you. Love by serving. Find joy by serving. The command is not to wash feet but to serve others needs even if it’s lowly, even if they don’t deserve it. And the strength to do it? Jesus’ hands of humility held out bread and said, “Take and eat, this is my body,” and the cup and said, “Take and drink, this is my blood.” Faith food. Strength for Christian living.

I said earlier that God created people to need the service of others. He also created us to find joy in serving others with our own hands of humility. That’s why Jesus said, “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” Happy serving! Amen.