June 10, 2007
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The Norwegian
Lutheran Memorial Church We are in Christ’s parade of victory! Is it so that we Norwegians love to be in a parade? Three weeks ago, many of us had the pleasure of walking in the Syttende Mai parade in the neighborhood around the church here. Perhaps I was one of them having the most fun, as for the first time in my life I got the chance to play the bass drum! It was also fun for us who took part, to see the reaction from people in the neighborhood, being witnesses of the parade, the flags, the national costumes, the “hurra” shouts and the music. It was obvious that our joy caught onto our neighbors, even if they didn’t know anything about 1814 and our constitution. So other people could see that Norwegians have the ability to show passionate joy, at least once a year. In fact, our text for today describes an encounter between two parades. Luke starts this story by telling that the disciples and a large crowd went with Jesus towards Nain. So a people’s parade is accompanying Jesus. There was nothing negative to say about the mood! He spread enthusiasm by his mighty words, his care and his good deeds, gathering people around himself. I think he also had a sense of humor, that he made people happy, made them laugh. Many of his speeches and parables contained humor, like the one about the speck and the log in the eye. There were surely both laughter and happiness in the parade of people on their way to Nain. The whole way until this parade of Life met the other parade. A dead man being carried through the city gate. There is a meeting between the parade of life and the parade of death at the city gate. The contrast is enormous. In the front of the parade on its way out, we find the dead one. He is not in a coffin but on a stretcher, with a cloth around him. His mother is walking next to it. And with her was a large crowd from the town, we find out. In addition to neighbors and family members, there also were musicians and weeping ladies. The grief was loudly outspoken in the antique Mediterranean area. To us living today, such customs can seem both strange and nearly disgusting. But in a mental hygienic way, the custom with weeping ladies, still alive in many cultures today, has a positive effect. As the grief is expressed, the pressure is lowered. One gets discharge. Since the young man in today’s Bible story was the only son of his mother, it made this death extra tragic, and the weeping even louder. The local community took part in the grief together with the widow. It is a quality of a society that the grieving are not left alone. Back in Norway we see the same. People are active participants in the grief. Neighbors are present and helpful. Especially in rural areas and smaller communities, there are many participants in funerals. If Norwegians can be accused of being bad church goers, they are good funeral goers! Even if people have to take some time off work to go to funerals, but have free to go to church on a Sunday, there are often more attendants at funerals than at Sunday services. Back to Luke’s story. We see here that the Master is especially compassionate with the grieving mother. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her. The medical doctor Luke, who lets us know this, obviously has noticed Jesus’ engagement with the grieving, the lonely, the unhappy, those who were on the outside. A “social profile” we can name it. For example it is only Luke out of the 4 evangelists that tells about the friendless Zachaius, about the sinful woman that anointed Jesus’ feet (the text for next Sunday), and the parable about the prodigal son. We notice this, Jesus’ compassion and presence for the suffering and grieving. At one of the other resuscitations that the Bible tells us about, at the tomb of Lazarus, it is told that Jesus wept. The Bible calls us who believe in Jesus, also to weep with the weeping. But in addition to this, the text for today is a mighty message about a Lord that has conquered death. Jesus touches the stretcher and stops the parade of death! He interferes with his mighty arm and turns the sorrow to happiness. He changes the Parade of Death to a Parade of Life. When I go to Norway this summer, I will stay one week at the Christian Sandom Retreat Center. I look forward to that, as I have had so many good experiences there from earlier times. One simple sentence from one of the beautiful liturgies at Sandom can sum up for us the message for this Sunday. Towards the end, after the communion, one of the Sandom liturgies goes: We are in Christ’s parade of victory, and we have made a rest stop on our way to Heaven!” That is a truth that is beautifully expressed, I think. He who raised the young man in Nain, he has the power to change lost sinners on their way to death, into heaven bound. At our baptisms, our lives were given a new direction, and a new future. We are buried with Christ in our baptism, and we are raised to a new life with him. We are no longer on our way to death. Jesus has given us a completely new perspective. He has conquered the power of death. We are in Christ’s parade of victory. When Jesus returns on the last day, he “will raise me and all the dead, and will grant everlasting life to me and to all who believe in Christ,” as Luther boldly declares in the Small Catechism. Before this happens, we should not just wait and let time pass. No, we are invited to do like the people in Nain, spreading the good message about Jesus, and witness about all of God’s mighty deeds. Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God.. God has looked favorably on his people, and the word about Jesus spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country. What good things has God performed in our lives? Even if we have not witnessed the raising of the dead literally, still the good God has done great things in our lives and our families. We Norwegians are not so verbal and confident in our witnessing. We have a low score when it comes to “Passionate Spirituality”. We do not blow horns about our Christian faith. But we would gain something in being inspired by the people of Nain, to take part with more confidence in spreading the message about life’s conquest over death. God has looked favorably on his people. Every time we gather in Jesus’ name, this becomes reality. He comes to be in our midst. As a church we believe in a great and mighty Lord. Death has not the last word in this existence. Hatred will not win. Love’s power to recreate is stronger. The resuscitation in Nain is an omen about Jesus’ own resurrection, and about the total resurrection that will happen on the last day. Let the joy of being part of Christ’s parade of victory be visible and loud speaking, so our neighbors want to join us! Even if you will not remember much else from this sermon, I wish that you at least bring this with you: We are in Christ’s parade of victory! And we have made a rest stop on our way to heaven!” Every Sunday service, every time we gather as Christians and share God’s word, it is a break, a meal to strengthen us on our way towards the eternal goal. Glory be to the Father and the Son and The Holy Spirit, who was, is, and shall always be, one, true God from eternity to eternity. Amen |
The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church · 924 E. 21st St, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 · (612)874-0716 |