Sunday 11/24/13 Freeville/Homer Ave
UMC’s
Sermon Title: “In pain he served and loved”
Old Testament Scripture Lesson: Jeremiah 23:1-6
New Testament Scripture Lesson: Colossians 1:11-20
Gospel Lesson: Luke 23:33-43
Good morning again
my brothers and sisters and greetings in the name of the risen Christ, on this “Christ
the King” Sunday. This is the Sunday in our calendar where our church and many other
Christian Churches celebrate our Lord and king, Jesus Christ. In some Christian
Churches, this day is a “feast day” of great celebration over Jesus Christ the
King.
How fitting
that we have this Sunday in our calendar, in light of the Advent Season
beginning next Sunday. For next Sunday we prepare for the birth of the savior,
but today, we talk about the love and the service of the savior. On this
Sunday, we also reflect upon Jesus’ crucifixion and what it means to us today. So
before we begin to prepare for the birth of the savior starting next Sunday,
let us focus on our loving and suffering king on this Sunday.
With this in
mind, the title of the message I am giving this morning, is called “In pain he
served and loved.” You see as Jesus hung on that cross so long ago, “In pain he
serve and loved.” In my short 32-years of life, I can think of countless times
that people were in pain, that they were suffering, yet they still thought of
others. Even amidst their pain, they said, “what can I do to help people?” This
inner drive to serve and love all people, despite our pain, despite our own suffering,
is something that Jesus Christ modeled time and time again. That even “in pain
he served and loved.”
I can think of
people in this very church, that despite their own and own pain and suffering, they
continually seek to serve and to love others. I have visited people who were
ill and who were sick, yet there focus was not on themselves, but often was on
others. This selflessness, this love for God’s children, is exactly what Jesus
taught us. For this is why he came to this earth, to teach us how to better
love each other, how to care for our neighbor, how to live upright before God
almighty, and most importantly to die for the sins of all of humanity.
Jesus also called
people constantly to repentance. He challenged them to be holy and just, and he
challenged them so much that those who soon opposed him had killed him. For
Jesus scandalized there disbelief and he exposed their self-serving and
un-loving ways. Imagine a world, if even for a day, we all lived for each
other. Imagine if our sole concern was the wellbeing of our neighbor, to spread
the love and truth of Jesus Christ. What a day that would be.
You see in the
early Christian Church, every member of the body, or the congregation was not
only concerned with each other, but they were also concerned with the whole
church. Not only this, but the early Christian Church (who lived in fear and
persecution), was concerned with all people. The early church feed the poor,
took care of sick, and the church grew like wild fire because people lived like
Jesus lived. On this “Christ the King” Sunday, we should be encouraged to live
like Jesus Christ. For not only did Jesus Christ change the world, he then encouraged
us to change the world in his image.
In this
morning’s scripture reading from the prophet Jeremiah, the prophet Jeremiah
tells us, “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my
pasture! says the Lord!” Remember, that the prophets of old that God raised up in
the Old Testament like Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah, called people to holiness.
They were called to protect God’s people, and they were called to push God’s
people to be honest, to love others, and to be just. The prophet Jeremiah
continued in this reading, how God will protect the devoted people of God, and
how God will raise up shepherds over them. In fact, Jeremiah even said,
prophesying about the coming of Jesus Christ, “The days are surely coming says
the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign
as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the
land.” You see soon, very soon the savior is coming, as prophet Jeremiah
prophesized long before the birth of the savior, but today we focus on our
suffering king.
When looking
at our reading from this morning, from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church
in Colossae or the Collisions, which was located in what is the modern day Middle
Eastern Country of Turkey, the Apostle Paul encourages the church to be “strong
with all the strength that comes from his glorious power.” In fact, the Apostle Paul tells the church in
Colossae to “be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully
giving thanks to Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the
saints in the light.”
The Apostle
Paul continues to tell the church in Colossae that people who have faith in
Christ have save and rescued “from the power of darkness and transferred us
into the kingdom of his Son, in whom we have redemption , the forgiveness of
sins.” The Apostle Paul then tells us that Christ is the head of the church,
and that we have peace and salvation “through the blood of his cross.”
In the gospel
of Luke reading from this morning, Luke tells us of that day so long ago, that
“Good Friday,” when Jesus gave it all up for us. For, “On a hill far away,
stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame.” Luke said, “When
they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there
with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.” Yet my brothers and
sisters, as Jesus Christ hung in pain, as he had already be scourged and
whipped, as he barely recognizable as a man he was so beaten, as was in the
greatest of pain he served and loved. For the gospel reading says next, “Then
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do now know what they are doing.”
Then they “cast lots to divide his clothing.” Then the leaders and the Roman
soldiers that were present mocked and ridiculed him, and said if this so called
savior is so great, then let him here and now, save himself. Let him get down from that cross. Yet one of
the criminals being convinced of Jesus Christ being the Messiah, said to Jesus,
“Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” The Lord replied, “Truly I tell
you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Even as he was ridiculed, scorned,
mocked, and hung in pain, he served and loved the rightly condemned criminal on
the cross next to him, who was repentant and had faith. You see this condemned
criminal was saved, because his faith saved, nothing else. Even in the worst of
conditions, Jesus loved that condemned criminal so much, that he saved him. You
see “Christ the King,” as he hung on the cross in pain, “served and loved.” In
the gospel of John 19:25-27 it also says, “Meanwhile, standing near the cross of
Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and
Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple
whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your
son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from
that hour the disciple took her into his own home.” We don’t know for certain,
but we think that this beloved disciple could have been John. You see, in the
gospel of John, it talks about how Jesus is on the cross, and as he hung in
pain, he was concerned about his mother wellbeing. He was concerned about who would
take care of his mother Mary, after he went home to be with the Father. You
see, “In pain he served and loved” his mother, as he asked his beloved
disciple, won’t you look after my mom when I depart from this earth to be with
my Father.
You see brothers and sisters, on this
“Christ the King” Sunday, not only do we celebrate Christ the King, we see how
that “In pain he served and loved.” Not only did he heal people, cure them,
raise the dead, and change the world, but up until his last breathe, he served
and loved all people. The savior of the world in the greatest of pain thought
of nothing but you and me, as many of you in your pain and sickness have
thought of and loved others. For when we suffer and when we still serve, we are
re-visiting the cross of Jesus Christ.
I would like to close this message this
morning with a story called “the gift.” Here is how it goes: Two men, both
seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up
in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.
His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his
time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their
wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their military service, where they
had been on holidays and vacations.
Every afternoon when the man in the
bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his
roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to
live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened
by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a
lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their
model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a
fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described
all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close
his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the
window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the
band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window
portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed.
One morning, the day nurse arrived to
bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the
window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the
hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the
other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to
make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself
up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained
to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had
described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that
the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he
just wanted to encourage you."
Brothers and sisters, there is
tremendous blessing from God in making others happy, despite our own
situations. You see we serve a savior that we remember on this “Christ the
King” Sunday, who hung in pain for the sin and the evils of this world. Yet as
he hung “in pain, he served and loved.” Let us this week, seek to be like “Christ
the King,” and let us serve and love all people. In the name of our most
blessed Savior, Jesus the Christ, Amen.
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