Roger's Postings

Saturday, July 29, 2006

John 6:1-15. Is the gift more important than the giver?? 30/7/06

(1) Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), {2} and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. {3} Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. {4} The Jewish Passover Feast was near. {5} When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" {6} He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. {7} Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" {8} Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, {9} "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" {10} Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. {11} Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. {12} When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." {13} So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. {14} After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." {15} Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

What a miracle we have here in the feeding of the five thousand! What a tremendous feat to feed so many with just one little boy's lunch! And not just give them a light snack, but fill then right up and have heaps left over. Far, far more than they started out with. This surely has to be a great miracle - something special. Certainly it was that, despite the fact that many today would only say that it is a great story. It never really happened like that. “No one can tell me that that sort of thing could really be true. At the very best it was a display of how one little boy who was willing to share his lunch encouraged all the others to do the same.”

However here we need to be certain that this truly was a great miracle beyond this sort of thinking. The peoples reaction before and after this miracle are a good indication of authenticity of its happening. Nobody, far less a great crowd, goes roaming all over the countryside into remote and out of the way places following someone, if there is no substance to Jesus’ miracles. Certainly they wouldn't have wanted to make him king if he wasn't capable of, and have shown that he can, do extraordinary things.

That then is where the real crunch comes in the reporting of this event. Here we have a damning shot at the people who were out there that day; and which must surely make us sit up and start thinking. Because we today are no different than the people way back there in Jesus day. They see a miracle and off they run trying to get a piece of the action: So that they and we can get the sorts of things out life that we want and think are good for us. For all of us there is the danger of the gift being more important and valuable than the giver. The giver becomes important, only in so far as he can give us what we want.

We love to see miracles, so that we can sit back and enjoy life and know that we have someone there who is going to see to it that everything goes well for us: so that we can sit back and enjoy life, doing what we want, thinking we are OK because God has done all these great things in life for us. Once again, we see the me, first, last and only, syndrome coming
into play.

When are we going to wake up? When are we going to understand that those miracles that Jesus performed, are signs. Signs which point us away from ourselves to the direction that we should be looking and going. Signs
pointing us to the One who is all important. Here again in this miracle we have a sign which clearly says; “I am the Almighty God who loves you and cares for you. I am here in your midst to help you to see that I and what I am about to do on the cross is what is all important for you. Repent, and believe the Good News that I have for you. Trust in me alone.' 'I am the One who is most important in life, not the gifts I give.' The gift itself, means nothing, if it doesn't lead us to faith in Jesus Christ and the importance of his death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. The miracle is nothing if doesn't lead us to believe and trust solely in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. It is nothing if doesn't awaken in us true faith.

So we see that these miracles are given for a purpose, and that is not just to help us out and make life easy for us without taking us to another level in our thinking and living. They are an important way that God shows that he is for real and that he has come to help us out of the mess that we have made for ourselves. His miracles assures us God is the Almighty Lord over all things and that he wants us to look to and trust in him.

Here today we need understand that there are many miracles happening around us every day. Many miracles. Not just the big spectacular ones like healing from some incurable disease or escape from some disaster, as we hear of again and again. But what about the fact that God has been very good to us for many, many years, here in this country. We are still doing very well thank you - despite the drought. We have all got a good roof over our heads and enough rags to cover our bodies. We still get a lot more than three feeds of bread and dripping. And here, don't tell me it's because of how good we are and how hard we have worked, that we have these things. We don't deserve to be in the position we are in. We don’t deserve to have the baskets full of riches left over, that we have. It is a miracle that God should give us all of this and more. It is the goodness of God that enables us to enjoy these many things; which is way in excess of what most people in the world have.

Now what have we done in response those many miracles. We seem to be far worse than the people of Jesus’ day: at least they wanted to make him king. In this country, all we seem to want to do is ignore him and pretend that he is not there. That is until we get into some sort of trouble; and then we expect him to perform some great miracle to help us out once again.

Yet despite all this, we see that Jesus continues to take the initiative. Even though he knew that the people were, and still, only seem to be following him because of the miracles; he again takes the initiative and gives them and us another chance. Out of his love for us, even though we do not deserve it, he gives us another chance – he performs another miracle as a sign that points us to him and helps us to see the giver as the one who is important and valuable.

Then he goes on and performs an even greater miracle to give us more than another sign that helps to believe in him as the all-important One. Through this sign he makes it quite plain who he is and what he is on about. On his own initiative he does become king and takes his place on the throne. There on the cross he shows us what his kingdom is all about. There on the cross he shows us what is all important and truly needful in life. There we have the sign which lights up our world and leaves us, surely, in no doubt as to the extent that God is prepared to go for us. There is the sign that says; 'I forgive you all your sins:' the sign which says; 'I am the way and the truth and the life, and that no one comes to the Father but by me.' 'God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.' Once again he has given us the opportunity to turn to him and believe in him as the only way of salvation.

Then following that comes the greatest of all miracles -the rising to new life. The power of God here works the truly incredible. Now we know that there is a living, loving, saving, all-powerful Lord at work in our lives. There is life and salvation there for us in connection with this Jesus Christ. Now then we can look away from ourselves to the Lord Jesus and glorify him. In the time left here on earth, he now gives us what is necessary for us to spread that message of his love: to help us to help other's to see that the Giver is far more important and valuable than the gift. Therein we receive the greatest blessings of all.

So again we see why miracles occur. Always – ever, helping us mere mortals to lift our eyes from the here and now; and focus them on the One who is all-important: on Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. There it is that we find and are a part of that which is truly great for this life as well as for the next. In Jesus God Almighty has come to us. To him alone then be all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba

Saturday, July 15, 2006

Amos 7:7-15. Straight up and down?? 16/7/06

(7) This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. {8} And the LORD asked me, "What do you see, Amos?" "A plumb line," I replied. Then the Lord said, "Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. {9} "The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam." {10} Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: "Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. {11} For this is what Amos is saying: "'Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.'" {12} Then Amaziah said to Amos, "Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. {13} Don't prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king's sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom." {14} Amos answered Amaziah, "I was neither a prophet nor a prophet's son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. {15} But the LORD took me from tending the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'

What do you see? What have I got here? A piece of string with a weight at the bottom. Now, what is that all about you might say. What has this got to do with us here today? Well, with this little illustration here, God is making a very serious point. And it is not just something that was for Amos and those of his day. God’s standards are just as relevant to us here in the twenty first century. In fact this message is very real for us here in this country at this time, as well as for me as your pastor.

Now the plumb line was the spirit-level of that day and for much of history. It was the device they used to ensure that the building they were erecting was straight up and down. If not they would pull the building down and start again. The reasons of course are quite obvious: not only do you have a shoddy looking building if its walls are not straight up and down; but can you imagine if you are building a skyscraper today, and at the low levels you are not truly upright, when you get up to high levels you are way off and the building becomes dangerous. So the plumb line and its modern equivalents are very important in the construction industry. Anything less than straight up and down is not acceptable.

Now we can understand that, when it comes to the building industry. In fact if we were the owner – investor we would be very particular in this regard. Yet I am sure that we all will ‘buck’ when we hear God’s application of this illustration. How dare he be so critical and exacting when it comes to you and me. In this regard we want to be Herod’s wife in the Gospel reading, and the church leaders here in this reading. We not only don’t want to hear this message, but we want to get rid of those who might make life uncomfortable by pointing out that we are crooked.

Remember though, that here it is God who is saying that he is holding his ‘plumb line’ up against his people. He is checking to see if we are ‘straight up and down.’ Through his spokesmen he is holding up his plumb line against us and calling us to the truth. Are we living in accord with him and his Word? Are we ‘fair dinkum’? Or are we so far off, that we have to be destroyed? Are we so bent and crooked that we are turned in our ourselves and don’t want to even know that we are in trouble? Are we too, prepared to ‘shoot the messenger’ rather than heed the message? This is serious stuff!

But surely it is not that bad, you might say. Surely that is the extremes. Surely that is not for us today. Surely we, and I in particular as pastor, must focus on the positives. Surely it is not good to speak out against other peoples choices and to decry that which is popular thinking. We are to be open and tolerant. We are to speak encouragingly and please people if we are going to draw them into the Church. We surely are to bend and be all things to all people if we are going to be effective: we need to fit God’s message into the prevailing culture of the time. Yet, what is God saying here: Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people... ; I will spare them no longer.

His rules; his Word; his standards of right and wrong, are the criteria that is being held up in our midst. Here there is no closing a blind eye to shonky practices, or ‘greasing of a few palms’; or having the right positions or knowing the right people; or just being as good as the next bloke. The line is set, straight up and down. Yes, that is exactly it; and we are found wanting. None of us can stand straight and tall. Without God’s help we are in big trouble.

But that is where the greatest tragedy of all comes. Not only do we not line up, but we have become so self-centred and self orientated that we will not accept the help that is extended to us. Instead of receiving and living in light of the fact that Jesus has died as punishment for our sin and that he wants to now freely adopt us into his family, as the second reading reminded us of. Instead we still want to live to our own glory and by our own rules. We want to put all the emphasis on ourselves and our own desires and feelings, rather than on him who has saved us. Even in our worship we place all the emphasis on what we do for God, rather than on what he has done and does for us. We still want to be the centre of it all.

No, we don’t want God’s help: we don’t want him to straighten us out. We want God to let us go on by and for ourselves. Even in our ‘christianity’ we want to do it our way. We just want him to give us what we want, when we want it.

So all along it would seem that we are seeking to build our own tower. However because we are sinful human beings we can never do it the way that it should be: it will never be straight up and down. The selfish, self-centred life needs to be demolished, because we can not stand up to God’s plumb line.

The only hope that we have: the only way that we can stand the test, is that we cling to Christ. Only as we hide ourselves in Christ that we can stand. He is only one who is upright and straight, and he has made it possible for us to stand in his righteousness through his death on the cross and his resurrection. In our baptism he clothes us with himself so that we can now be sons and daughters of God. Now day by day we constantly look to him and trust in him alone. There in Jesus we are enabled to stand straight up and down: that we can go forward with confidence and certainty.

So now Jesus becomes the centre and basis of our lives. He and what he says in his Word becomes what is all important for us. His word and his truth is what we live by and speak; even if it makes us unpopular and means we loose our head. Nothing is to be compromised, even if it means we are called to leave the country. God is all important not what I think or feel. Divine Service week by week is when we gather in his presence so that he can keep us in his shadow: his righteousness, so that we can maintain the upright stance. Here alone we stand: surely we can do no other. Tough as that might be.

So we join with Paul in our second reading from Ephesians 1:3-14. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. {4} For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love {5} he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- {6} to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. {7} In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace {8} that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. {9} And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, {10} to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. {11} In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, {12} in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. {13} And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, {14} who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.

Straight up and down. In Christ the plumb line measures true. To him the be all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Ezekiel 2:1-5. Difficulty facing a Christian!!! 9/7/06

(1) He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you." {2} As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. {3} He said: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. {4} The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' {5} And whether they listen or fail to listen--for they are a rebellious house--they will know that a prophet has been among them.

We are living at a very difficult time in the Church here in Australia. We are being challenged with all kinds of thinking with regard to the teachings and practice of what it is to be Christian. Every individual, it seems, can have his or her own version of what the truth is, and we are to accept that they are right. Everyone wants to be free to do their own thing, but at the same time they are willing to blindly follow the mob/crowd. Yet nobody really wants to hear or know what the truth really is.

Along with these problems in the church, we live in a society that has no regard for God or any sense of religiosity. Even though we are still in the midst of the worst drought on record and our dams are running dry, we still stubbornly want to find our solutions to the problem in our technologies and ingenious theories, without even giving God any consideration whatsoever. Also we want to be able to get away with doing whatever our heart pleases, without regard for anyone or anything. Now are beginning to reap the rewards of this thinking.

All this is making it very difficult for us as Christian, who seek to be true and faithful to God Almighty. It would be very easy for us to crawl into our shell and hide, or to simply go with the flow. Yet here God tells us also: I am sending you to ..... to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' And whether they listen or fail to listen--for they are a rebellious house--they will know that a prophet has been among them.

This along with the other two readings this morning, remind us that doing this is going to be tough. There will be rejection, rebellion, stubbornness and weakness. Jesus himself, faced rejection as he sought to help those around him see what was important. Paul struggled with his weaknesses, insults and persecutions. Ezekiel faced people who were rebellious, obstinate and stubborn. But nevertheless they got on with the task that was set before them.

So also is there this task for us as well; even though we may feel that we are up against it. We here are called to go out to those who are around about us and to do the best we can - despite the difficulties of the task in our present environment; and despite our weaknesses. Sure, we are living at a time when it is not easy to be a fair dinkum Christian. Sure, we are facing all kinds of pressures in a church which is struggling to know what it is on about. Sure, not too may people are interested in taking God seriously any more, but instead they are looking to the stars; to the society around them, our sinful desires; and all the rest for guidance. As well there is a push by some to ignore the basic teachings and doctrines of Christianity and proclaim them as being irrelevant or not to be taken too seriously. They would sooner ‘shoot the messenger’ than have to take the message seriously. So to stand up and be counted is not easy. But that is what God is calling us to do.

Here God says 'mortal man, stand up.' Weak, frail, faulty people – you and me - stand up. Stand up and be God's people- be God's messengers in the midst of a society that is stubborn and has no respect for God: of a society that is openly rebelling against God. Stand up! Stand up and be prepared to first of all listen to God and be strengthened by him. Learn from him what is good and important. Then receive his help and encouragement to share God's Word with those out there who are stubborn and disrespectful rebels.

Here remember, God knows that we are weak and sinful human beings; and he knows the difficulties that we are facing and will have to face. Yet knowing this, he still sends us out. Despite the frailties and the enormity of the task, he still asks that we stand up and be counted: that we be his messengers: that we get on with doing what he has called us to do.

But we are also reminded here again, that we do not go alone and are never standing on our own, by our own strength. Just as the Spirit of God entered Ezekiel back then - he is with us. As baptized Christian, we have that assurance that the Holy Spirit is with us and enables us to stand and go to do what is asked of us. Again we are reminded that the Spirit is at work when God speaks: that is, when his Word is read, spoken and preached. In our hearing of God's Word, the Holy Spirit is active in getting some action into our lives. So we and others need to be constantly in contact with the Word of God: the Scriptures. Then we are assured that we are not on our own as we go forward to do what he commands of us. But that his Spirit is there strengthening, enabling and guiding us along.

With that, God sends us out to all those people out there around about us: To all those who God wants to see in his kingdom, and that is all of them. We are to go to all of them who have and continue to rebel against God and what he wants of them: To all who have turned against God and who are seeking to push Christianity aside as being irrelevant: To those who are stubborn; and to those who have no respect for God. And that is what God says of those out there who don't think that they need to be here - they are rebels – stubborn and disrespectful people. They might like to think that they are OK; but that is how God sums them up.

It is to these people that we, weak, frail and faulty Christians that we are, are called to help them to see and hear all that God is saying to them. We are called to stand firm in the truth and to share the love God has for them, and that means helping them to know the Good News of Jesus Christ. So that they may know that he has died so that they might be forgiven and that eternal salvation is theirs. To do this is not easy - we are called to a difficult task; but that is what we need to do.

Here we are told that they may listen, but more than likely they will not. We are told that we will get ridiculed and be ignored. We'll hear yes, yes, but see few changes. People will be offended by what we have to say when we stand up for the truth; and they will not want to understand; and will not want to change. They will give us a hard time. Yet we are called to stand up and be a Christian to them: To be God's messenger - no matter what their reaction.

If we do our job, even half well, we are told they will know that prophet has been among them: they will know that we are true Christians and that God is speaking to them through us. They will have heard the truth that God wants them to hear. Then they will have to acknowledge, at some point, that they have rejected God Almighty himself, if that is what they choose to do. And that is as much as he calls us to do - as difficult as that is for us.

But in our weak and feeble attempts to do this, let us learn something from Paul in our second reading this morning. As he set about doing what God had called him to do in the face of his failings and weaknesses he constantly sought God’s help. So also let us call on God in prayer, to get rid those weaknesses, or that might give us the strength go on despite them: But most importantly, that at all times we might see to it that Christ gets all the recognition. To ensure that in everything we do and say, that others do not see and focus on us; but on Christ and what he has done for us and says to us. So that they see that it is God alone who is the one who enables us to do what we are doing, despite our weaknesses and failings.

So in conclusion, let us again, hear God speak to us who are here this morning. "Son of man, I am sending you to the people of this community, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' And whether they listen or fail to listen--for they are a rebellious house--they will know that a prophet has been among them.

Let us now get on with what we are called to do; recognising that it is a difficult task that faces us as Christians in the present times. But let us always remember, that we do go with God's blessing and his Spirit. Through it may all glory go to our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. AMEN

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Mark 5:21-43. Who touched me?? 2/7/06

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. {25} And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. {26} She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. {27} When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, {28} because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." {29} Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. {30} At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" {31} "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'" {32} But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. {33} Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. {34} He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

Who touched me? Or more accurately; "Who touched my clothes?" In a whole crowd of people, what an amazing statement. Yet here again we hear two stories that point out to us just how amazing and great this Jesus truly is. Here is One who is far more than a good example; or even a great prophet. Here is God Almighty himself, letting himself be touched and touching the lives of people who were in deep, deep trouble. He brought peace and life to people who had no hope of either.

And it is this same Jesus who comes to us today with the same words of peace and life: Despite who we are and how terribly unworthy and insufficient we really are. We are in no better a position than this woman and this child in our reading today: unclean, unhealthy and having no further human way out of our predicament. Yet Jesus comes to us as God Almighty and his power is transmitted into our lives; giving healing, life and peace. Now at this, are we too, astonished; or do we simply take it all for granted as a right.

Let as look a little more closely again at this woman with here serious health problem that has impacted her whole life, and left her with no human possibilities or hope. Now we are told that she had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. Not only could the doctors not help her situation, they just added to her suffering. Poor woman! But by now her finances had ran out and there was no Medicare to fill the gap. So now every human source of relieving her from her ailment was gone.

Her only hope left was now God Almighty himself. But even here, what could she do. She could not go to the Temple, because she was unclean. Here bleeding and God’s command had deemed that. God would have struck her down. She could not afford to buy the sacrifice that was needed, so all avenues here seemed to be exhausted also.

But when she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Here in Jesus, God himself was at work. If she could sneak up from behind un-noticed and touch his garments she would be OK. She wouldn’t have to disclose to everyone what her uncleanness was about, and all would be well. Without being noticed and without a word spoken, she touches Jesus’ clothes, and immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

But then it all goes wrong. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'" But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. She had been caught out, and now would have to ‘face the music.’ She knew she was not worthy or acceptable to receive from God. She knew that she should and would be looked on with scorn.

But to her amazement she hears Jesus say to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." This Jesus; God – had allowed her to touch him and receive what she so desperately needed. He has done far beyond what she was able to even hope to get: not only did he heal her, but he accepted her and gave her his peace. She was now not only whole and healthy physically, but spiritually as well. All by the goodness of God Almighty himself, through this Jesus. Though she was helpless and hopeless, through the touch, she now had healing and could go in peace. To God be the glory great things he has done.

Likewise with the little girl who had died, the touch of Jesus brought life and joy to her and her family. What was laughed at became reality. That which was beyond all human help and hope, God’s touch has again done the impossible. That which was dead has been brought to life. Here in Jesus; great things he has done.

But that was back then; what about here today? Can we expect Jesus to walk into our midst and touch us in our sickness and death? Surely this is laughable to our world around us? Surely we might be tempted to think that this story is only here to give us some psychological encouragement and to point out that this Jesus was in some way special?

But here let us remember that Jesus comes to us today and extends his touch to us in even greater ways. He comes to gives us much more than a healing from a sickness or even raising us to life. Yes in some circumstances he will heal and perform great miracles. But to each of us he comes to touch us and give us forgiveness of sins and the assurance of life and salvation. He comes to extend his peace to us so that we can go through life with that peace which is beyond understanding.

Think about it: we too are again and again at the end of our tether. We too have exhausted all human possibilities of being able to have the wholeness and peace in our lives that we know should be there. No matter how good and great we might be, we often come as walking dead. Too may things in the past week have crushed us and caused us suffering. Many times we also have brought great shame on ourselves and others and left us feeling worthless and alone, beyond human help and hope. Even knowing that we are completely unworthy to come into God’s presence.

Yet we know and hear that this Jesus Christ is the only one who truly can help us and give us what we need. So we sneak in the back and sit in those last pews seeking God’s healing, and long for his touch and his power: longing for the freedom to again go forward and live. We tremble with fear at the prospect of going away no better than we came. But we come because we know that it is he alone who can help us.

As we sit, we look up and see the cross: we see that which reminds us of a God who has suffered in our place: who died our death. Yes here is our God who knows our pain and our hurt. He came to be with us and to help us through.

Then as the Service begins, we are not only reminded of our baptism into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, but here is a reminder that this God is here in our very midst and his name is placed on each one of us.

This surely then makes us very uncomfortable for we are sinful and unclean: unworthy to have God touch us. So we are entered into a time of confession, so that our troubles are laid bare before God, so that he can deal with them. And he does! Through the pastor he pronounces us forgiven: our sin is removed so that we can live at peace with our God here in this service.

From there he leads us into his Word, so that which he wants us to know, can touch us and encourage us forward. He continually leads us through Law and Gospel to see and know Jesus Christ and all that he has done for us through his life, death and resurrection. He reminds us of the healing, hope and power that he has won for us. He encourages us forward into the coming week to again live and be the people that he wants us to be, so that others in the community around us can see and know the Good News of Jesus Christ also. He wants to touch them through us.

Before he does, however, he invites us to a special feast so that he can touch us in a very real way. He invites us to join with him, the angels and all the faithfully who have gone before us. All so that he can give himself: his very body and blood which he shed on the cross, so that we can know that we are forgiven and that eternal life with God in heaven has been won for us.

Then once again before we leave, he places his touch on us. Through the Benediction he gives his blessing to us so that we can go forward with confidence and certainty to face the week ahead. Now, no matter how bad things were when we arrived, we now are healed: forgiven and given life and salvation. That which was sick, dead and unclean, has been made whole. Now we are at peace with God; and we can go in peace once again. Nothing now in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Who touched me? As we came here to seek his help we have come into contact with his touch, and have been given healing and wholeness. God has again touched us so the we can go in peace. To him be all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba