Growing Deep in God’s Word

John 8:31-36
31Then Jesus said to the Judeans who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?” 34Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. 36So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

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This gospel reading turns on one of those classic, Gospel of John, “I-know-you-think-you-understand-what-I’m-talking-about-but-you-don’t” Jesus misunderstandings. With Nicodemus it was about “being born”; with the woman at the well it was about “water”; here it’s about “freedom.”
These Judean disciples hear Jesus’s offer of freedom and are unimpressed.

“Freedom? Is that the best you can offer? We’ve always been free! E pluribus gee-golly unum!” These disciples seem to think that “freedom” is of use only to those who are in political, or perhaps, economic slavery. The irony of their confusion is compounded by their denial of—or is it hyperbolic bluster about—their own history. Have they forgotten, oh, I don’t know, Egypt? Assyria? Babylon? Rome?
Whatever the case, Jesus takes them to the deeper place. As always in the Gospel of John, the literal simple words (“birth,” “water,” “bread,” “freedom”) are metaphors for layers and layers of deeper meaning. If, as Paul claims, everyone sins; and if, as Jesus claims, everyone who sins is a slave to sin; then this offer of freedom has universal relevance. And I think the “truth” that sets us free does so in two ways.
First the truth points to and names the leg irons and manacles that have us bound; it shines a light so that we can see the fences and walls that that constrict our movement and vision; and it uncovers all the ways we wish for the “leeks and garlic” that we used to eat at every meal back in Egypt. After all, leeks and garlic are good for us, aren’t they?
Second, the truth encourages us that the road of freedom is harder, less sure, and in many ways darker than the pains of slavery. The truth reminds us that the things that hold us in bondage are rarely evil. At worst, our captors are morally neutral or ambiguous; more typically our captors are good things—leeks and garlic.
But no matter how much we love leeks and garlic (or charge cards, Facebook, motor cars, overtime bonuses, the Green Bay Packers, or plopping down to watch “Two and a Half Men”) Jesus wants us to understand that the hand that provides them is not that of your friendly corner grocer. And no matter how austere and un-entertaining the road to freedom looks the promises of resurrection joy are known only by walking with Jesus down that road.
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PRAYER: You are the one, O God, who hears the cries of slaves and comes in powerful weakness to set them free. Awaken in us sense enough to cry out from this land of enslaving freedom and luxury. Help us to embrace the freedom of having nothing to lose except our lives. In Jesus’s name. AMEN
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Hank Langknecht teaches preaching and communication at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. He and Shirla have two sons and two cats. Hank enjoys bicylcling, reading, and solving the New York Times Crossword Puzzle (but he can quit that anytime he wants … really).

Mark 10:17-31

For many weeks I have thought about what I wanted to say about this text from Mark. I remember preaching on this text on internship the lights were blazing, the Sunday crowd was big, and I was nervous. It was one of the first sermons I gave as an intern and I felt the world’s weight upon me. Would I fail or would I hit a home run as it were? Well, I won’t tell you how it turned out, but I will say this I learned something that day which I’ll never forget. I learned that though I felt empty God was there all along to fill me up. To give me the support I needed to preach the Word and live to tell the tale.
This really is what seems to be at the core of the gospel message I think. The recognition that God is what we search for our whole lives for. What we search to make us complete. So many in this broken world, at least here in America, think that in order to have a full life you need money, fame, a great number of friends, possessions – these things are what will make them complete these things, these are what will fill the void making us whole. Now I will admit these things make one feel good. I write this as I celebrate breaking the 400 friend barrier on my facebook page, but if I think about it where its nice having these things – where is the substance, where is the concrete love? We look good on the outside; we are empty on the inside. Of the 400 friends there are only a handful I know I could call in a “pinch” and even less that would sit up with me at all hours to comfort me, and maybe two who would pray with me.  Yet, on the other hand I know I have Christ. I know I have the love of a God who would and did give it all so I could know what true freedom is all about. When I look at it that way, I often wonder how could I not find continuous blessings everyday in all that comes my way. I cannot deny it. With God I am complete.
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Prayer: Lord, so often we seem to lack that one thing. We seem to search for what will fill in that last gap of our lives. Though we search this world fruitlessly the answer always has been standing in front of us, it is you. Be our guide so we can let go and live in you, filled by you, make us whole. In Jesus name. AMEN

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Andrew Gookin. Pastor at Messiah Lutheran Church Roscommon, Mi. I have two kids and have been married for ten years. Graduated from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in 2005 and have been ordained just over four years. Love to brew beer and love the Lord.

Mark 9:38-50

³⁸John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” ³⁹But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. ⁴⁰Whoever is not against us is for us. ⁴¹For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

⁴²If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. ⁴³If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.

⁴⁵And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. ⁴⁷And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, ⁴⁸where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.

⁴⁹For everyone will be salted with fire. ⁵⁰Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Our Gospel lesson for this week opens with the disciples coming to Jesus like a bunch of kindergarten tattletales – “Teacher, teacher! We saw people do things in your name, and they aren’t part of our group! We tried to stop them, cause they aren’t part of our group!” Maybe they expected Jesus to fly into a rage, as he sometimes does, and use his miraculous powers to smite these unlicensed demon-caster-outers, or at least see to it that they stopped doing things in his name without his permission.

But Jesus surprises them – “don’t stop them, whoever isn’t against us is for us.” The disciples learn that people do not need to be a part of their group to do the work of Christ. The disciples, as they so often do in Mark’s Gospel, come off as petty and silly in this story. Jesus not only corrects them, but launches into a tirade about not putting up stumbling blocks before those who believe in him.

It’s easy for us, reading this story 2000 years or so after it happened, to treat the disciples like the Trix Rabbit; “silly disciples, Jesus is for everybody!” and miss the message that Jesus words to them contains for us. How often do we exclude, or try to stop, or put up stumbling blocks before those followers of Jesus who aren’t part of our group? The history of Christianity is filled with these stories; the interdenominational battles that began 500 years ago alone could fill libraries with stories of violence done by followers of Christ to other followers of Christ.

When observing the fallout in my denomination, the ELCA, over decisions made on a social statement on human sexuality and who can serve as a pastor, one can see the deep divisions that exist within denominations as well. Perhaps we have as much to learn today as the disciples did back then about having salt and being at peace with one another.

Lord, may we remember that those who are different from us, and are not part of our group, can still do great ministry in your name. May you restore us with the salt of your Spirit that we may be at peace with one another for the sake of your gospel in the world. Amen.

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This week’s devotion was written by Rev. Aaron Matson.  He currently serves as pastor of a two point parish – Leganger Lutheran Church in Toronto, SD and Wood Lake Lutheran Church, Astoria, SD.

Mark 7:24-37
²⁴From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, ²⁵but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. ²⁶Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. ²⁷He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁸But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” ²⁹Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go — the demon has left your daughter.” ³⁰So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

³¹Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. ³²They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. ³³He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. ³⁴Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” ³⁵And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. ³⁶Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. ³⁷They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

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It seems these days that many of us suffer from deafness. We are willing to listen to ourselves talk, listen to our point of view, and it often causes great torment and suffering in the end. What if we each considered Jesus’ statement to “Be opened”? What if our ears were not closed to others’ words, and our hearts and minds not closed to others’ ideas?

Consider for a moment being the deaf man and ask yourself why it was the Jesus was able to say one word “Ephphatha” and his ears immediately opened? Do you think it is because no one had ever tried to get him to hear before? Do you find yourself more willing to accept an idea if it is stated by someone you agree with or admire? Why is it that we as a people always feel the need to take a side and listen and uphold that side adamantly? Why does it take so much to try to hear and be open to the other side?

We suffer quite a bit from our unwillingness to open ourselves to others which in turn means we are not opening ourselves to God. God comes to us through every person we encounter. The caring we show each other is a direct reflection of our faith. Our willingness to have open ears, minds, and hearts is part of being a Christian. It is one of the hardest parts because there are times we are truly challenged by the ideas and actions of others.

I have found that there is often validity in both sides of an argument, yet through my deafness I stick to my side. I admire those who are able to put aside their feelings and truly listen. When was the last time you were able to do that without having partiality? My challenge to myself in this upcoming week, and I hope you will join me in it, is to set aside my opinions and “Be Opened”.

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Dear Lord, I pray that you teach us to “Be Opened” and hear and speak with your will in mind and not our own. Help us to accept the differences amongst us and learn to listen and speak in love with each other without partiality.  Amen.

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This week’s devotion from the Gospel of Mark was written by Katharyn Wheeler an active disciple of Christ at Epiphany Lutheran Church.