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The Gospel of Matthew Bible Studies
The Gospel of Mark Bible Studies
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007 Ordination of Louise Christensen
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
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The 1st Sunday in Lent (C) Good morning everyone. Today, as you may know, is the first Sunday of Lent. Lent is the Church season, which spans the 40 days prior to Easter. Traditionally it is a stark and barren 40 days in which we recall these 40 days of testing that Jesus underwent in the desert wilderness just before he began his public ministry. This was a time when Jesus himself apparently made significant decisions regarding what his life was to be about. And so for us, as well, I think Lent should be a time when we, considering Christ’s forty days…take time to assess our direction in life. It is a time of decision making, refocusing, redirecting our lives—a time to focus on discernment—that is, trying to listen and hear what it is that God is calling us to do—by distinguishing between the many voices around us: a time of reflection, repentance—a time when hopefully together we in the church listen to God to see what God asking or calling us to do: Although it is obviously a part of our spirituality as Christians, sometimes this may seem like a hard topic, but one thing that God asks us to do, which we need to look at again and again along our journey, is to straighten up/to do good with our lives/ to participate in God’s righteousness in the world—to live upright lives to the glory of God. Now, for us Lutherans especially, this topic of “righteous living” may tend to make us a bit uncomfortable, for we always must remember, in all humility, that we are sinners and that we are unable (on our own) to free ourselves from the age old human rebellion against God known as sin. But let not the truth of our sin make us feel that our righteousness an impossibility, for this is what Jesus Christ is all about—he enters our lives to make us righteous—to set us in line with the purposes of God in this world. Scripture makes it clear that a person asked by God to be upright is not being asked to do something impossible. Paul writes: Do not say in heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The Word is near you, on your lips and in your heart.” In the same way, Moses is said to have told the Israelites in Deuteronomy, Chapter 30: Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. It in not in heave, that you should say, “Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us that we may hear it and observe it?” Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it? No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe. What this goes to show is that both Moses and Paul believed that God’s righteousness was not set out of our human reach. Biblical Scholar, Joseph Fitzmeyer writes: Just as Moses tried to convince the Israelites that the observance of the law did not demand that one scale the heights or cross the seas, so Paul plays on Moses’ words, applying them in a sense to Christ himself. The heights have been scaled and the depths have been plumbed, for Christ has (already) come down to the world of humanity and has been raised from the dead. To attain the status of uprightness before God, no one is being asked to bring about an incarnation or a resurrection; one is asked only to accept in faith what has already been done for humanity and to associate oneself with Christ [the] incarnate and raised from the dead. So, at the heart of any upright living—or any righteousness that exists, is this little thing known as faith. Somehow it is true. All we need to do is confess (or accept) Jesus as Lord. 2) But wait a minute, say that’s true…How can we confess Jesus as Lord. Jesus is a historical figure. I don’t see what he—this man who lived 2,000 years ago—what does he really have to do with my life today? 3) Fitzgerald: Paul thus introduces his fundamental assertion about Christian faith…Faith begins with a confession of the lips that “Jesus is Lord,” But demands the recognition of the heart that God has raised him from the dead…[this is the] inmost and profound dedication of a person to God in the Lord Jesus. What Paul acknowledges here has become the affirmation par excellence of Christian faith. By his resurrection Christ has become (something much more than a historical figure to be discussed and admired) he has become the first fruits of a new mode of life; he has become a life-giving Spirit. Thus to confess Christ as Lord and to believe in him as the risen Lord, is one and the same thing. Hear what Paul says in his letter to Corinth… 1Corinthians 15:45-49 Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”; the last Adam became a life giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust (think Ash Wednesday); the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will (or many manuscripts say) let us also bear the image of the man of heaven. Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ, the one who defeats Satan and temptation…what really makes him important is that he is alive! He is with us—he has been resurrected—he is not up in heaven somewhere, he is not under the ground in a grave, no…he is near us—we can speak his life giving spirit with our lips and God has given us the privilege of carrying him with us in our hearts. This is where our own human righteousness—our goodness—begins and ends…with Jesus Christ. What’s more is that Christ is open to everyone and anyone and anyone. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” “But [says Paul] how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed: and how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? (that’s you brothers and sisters—sent to proclaim the news with your words and your deeds) As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (And Brothers and Sisters, I know it’s hard to believe, but you too can have beautiful feet) for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of (or about) Christ.” Listen to that last part again, because this is the rubber hits the road part of Paul’s letter…”So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of (or about) Christ.” Amen. I’ve already told you that it is good to be back among you people. I am especially happy to see so many of you excited about this “faith by hearing” project that we are doing together. I encourage you to keep listening or reading scripture during this season of discernment—for there is no sense discerning what God wants for us, without becoming acquainted or reacquainted with God through the scripture, for the same reason, Our “faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of (or about) Christ.” God’s blessing to you on this first Sunday in Lent. -------------------- Joshua W. Magyar, Pella Lutheran Church 418 W. Main Street Sidney, MT 59270
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