June 20, 2004

"Return to your home and declare how much God has done for you."

How often do we take time to consider what God has done for us? How often do we tell others about God’s grace and

presence in our lives and what God does for us each day?

The man from whom Jesus drove out the demons begged that he might stay with Jesus, but Jesus sent him away saying, "Return to your home and declare how much God has done for you."

Our gospel this morning tells about the way Jesus healed a man who was greatly troubled by a legion of demons. It’s a dramatic account of an exorcism.

We seldom, if ever hear of exorcisms today. I’ve never witnessed an exorcism, but I have read that they have occurred and that they are very dramatic. Those of you who have seen the film, "The Exorcist," must certainly remember how dramatically that event was portrayed.

Most events in our lives, though, are, seldom dramatic. But, nonetheless, there is much in each of our lives that we can tell about; much that we can tell about what God has, and what God is doing for us.

All three of our scripture readings this morning speak to us about God’s grace,

Gods steadfast love and forgiveness.

And I believe that God’s grace, steadfast love and forgiveness are all expressions of how God is present with us each and every day. They are something we should declare to others because God, through the cross of Jesus, has made known to everyone His concern and His care for all His good creation, even His concern and care for you and me.

In our first lesson this morning, God tells why He is bringing His judgment on people who deny him; people who considered themselves to be so religious that they even said to God: "Do not come near us, for we are too holy for you.:

It’s hard to understand how people could consider themselves so religious; so religious that they considered themselves holier; holier even than God. How could that be?

It can happen, and often does happen, whenever someone decides that he or she is better than someone else. And, when carried to its ultimate, decides that he or she is even better than God. It’s then that a person can declare that he or she no longer has a need for God’s presence in his or her life --- and then marches to the tune of the song that so proudly proclaims, "…I did it my way."

But even though the people rebuffed God, notice how He deals with them. First, He speaks to the people saying:

"I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, ’Here I am, here I am, here I am,’ to a nation that did not call on my name. I held out my hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices, people who provoke me to my face continually."

Even though God always was present with them, even though God never abandoned His people, the people walked their own way, rather than by the commandments of God. And so, God declared, "I will not keep silent, but I will repay. I will indeed repay their iniquities."

But, God also declared: "I will not destroy them, my chosen shall inherit the land I have given to them and my servants shall settle there." The truth of the matter is that God always desires to turn his judgment into forgiveness. And so he called to His people saying: "Here I am, here I am."

Good people, He never abandons us. He calls us and reveals himself to each of us. In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and throughout all history thereafter, God has made --- and this day makes Himself known to us, and draws Himself near to us. His desire is that we hear His call and follow Him, committing ourselves to Him thereby living in obedience to His commandments.

He calls "Here I am," waiting for our commitment, desiring that we walk in His ways and love Him and trust Him for He promises each of us abundant life and life eternal.

It was that way even to people whom He referred to as "smoke in His nostrils, as a fire that burns all day long." Even to people such as those, He holds out His hand of forgiveness. Certainly God’s constant, gracious, loving power of forgiveness is something we can tell to others in order to make them aware of the good news about what God can do for them.

In our second lesson this morning, Paul writes: "Now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus we are all children of God through faith.

Because of Jesus, and our having been baptized into Christ, we no longer are Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, because all of us are one in Christ. Think how freeing that is!

Because of our baptism into Christ, all barriers of nationality, race, social standing, and sex have been overcome! Because of Christ, the very real differences in nature and history are overcome, and all who believe in Christ, whoever they are, receive forgiveness

through the steadfast love which is poured out upon us and for us --- just as the sacrament of Holy Communion will be poured out for us this morning.

No longer are we to see each other, and others, according to gender, skin color, ancestral origin, or social standing.

No longer are we to see each other according to our physical or mental impairments, our weaknesses, our characteristics. For we are to see each other, and accept each other, as a child of God whom God loves so much that He gave his only Son so that who-ever believes in Him shall never perish but have everlasting life.

This is the good news that makes a real difference in the living of life. This is the good news we can tell to others about how God has, and what God is doing for us today.

We can proclaim the goodness of God whose power of love is greater, greater even, than our rejection of Him; our God who, through His grace, through the power of His steadfast love and forgive-ness, seeks to liberate us from the demons, whatever they might be, that darken and trouble our lives, and that place obstacles before us, keeping us from living our lives abundantly.

Together with the newly restored man of this morning’s scripture, you and I, - all people, can become God’s restored

children. With that restored man of this

morning’s scripture, we too can pro-claim, whoever we are and wherever we are, how much God has done, and how much God is doing for us.

But we are often a timid and vulnerable people. It is often difficult for us to speak to others about what God is doing for us in our own lives.

In his spiritual autobiography, Markings, Dag Hammerskjold, former Secretary General of the UN, recognized this truth in his own life.

"I don’t know who – or what – put the question," he wrote, "I don’t know when it was put. I don’t even remember answering. But at some moment I did answer yes to someone – something – and from that hour I was certain that existence is meaningful and that, there-fore, my life in self-surrender had a goal. From that moment I have known what it means, ‘not to look back’ and to ‘take no thought for the morrow.’"

It is this "Yes" that gives us the courage to journey. It is this "Yes" that gives us the courage to tell about our journey toward the future God promises and prepares for all people.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church ·  924 E. 21st St, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 ·  (612)874-0716