In the beginning, when God created all that is, first darkness reigned.

Then came wind.
The wind was Spirit.
Over the waters it swept.

God said,
“Let there be light,”
and there was.

God saw that the light was good.
So God separated the light from dark.

God then got to naming, calling –
– The light Day, and
– The dark Night.

There was evening.
There was morning.

The first day.

Birth
In the beginning, when the divine descended down, darkness was all around. There were shepherds, a flock, fields afar.

God said,
“Let there be light,”
And there was.

This light was angelic, illuminating the night sky.

The light brought with it –
good news,
of great joy,
for the people.

The light told of –
a savior nearby,
wrapped in cloth,
lying in a manger.

The multitude sang –
Glory to God in the highest!
Peace on earth among all!

The light left. Darkness descended again.

The shepherds pondered.
What to do?

Sure, they could stay in the darkness.
Or they could journey towards more.

Let us go, they decided.
Let us see what the Lord has revealed.

They went.
They found –
The source of this light.

Laying there, in the manger.

It is a light that –
would guide them,
hereon out,
every step of the way.

Kings
In the beginning, before epiphany, darkness covered all. There were magi, eyes lifted heavenward, seeking a sign.

God said,
“Let there be light,”
And there was.

This light was star.
Just one, shining bright.

Seeing the star,
In the east,
The magi followed.

They went.
They found,
They gave.

Gold,
Frankincense,
Myrrh.

For they knew,
this light they’d found,
would guide them too,
hereon out,
every step of the way.

Water
In the beginning there was a messenger, wilderness, water.

The messenger baptized.
People confessed sin.
It was a moment to behold.

The messenger promised,
Another soon would come,
More powerful than he.

The messenger proclaimed
that they
would baptize,
not with water,
but with Spirit.

The same Spirit,
that moved,
over the waters,
that fateful first day.

And then it happened!
The messenger pointed, saying,

There is the light!
And there was.

For the light was Christ.

The light
was baptized,
by the messenger,
in the river.

As the light rose,
from the waters,
the heavens opened.

The Spirit descended,
like a dove,
upon the light.

God said,
“You are my Son,
The beloved,
With you I am well pleased.”

This light, those present realized, if they let it –

Would guide them,
Hereon out,
Every step of the way.

Today
As we begin two thousand twenty-four it may feel as if darkness is all around.

Political vitriol is seemingly everywhere,
Wars and rumors of wars abound, and
A mass school shooting in Perry, just three days ago.

In this moment let us remember who we are.

God created the light and called it good.
God brought the light, to us, in the form of Christ.
God revealed the light to magi, who sought it out.

Let us also remember our baptism. For –
we are awash in the light of Christ every single day.

We are called to follow the light.
We are called to be the light.
We are called to show the light to others.

For we are the people of the light.

This light we’ve found,
will guide us too,
hereon out,
every step of the way.  Amen.

A Christmas Eve message based on Luke 2:1-20.

Recently, my wife and I sat down one evening to watch a Hallmark Christmas movie. This is one way we wind down during a season filled with hustle and bustle and todo lists quite long.

By chance we found ourselves instead watching a Hallmark Hanukkah film, Round and Round. With most Hallmark holiday movies the main plot is familiar: two strangers meet – that first connection called a meet-cute I recently learned – and slowly fall in love. Rachel and Zach’s meet-cute happens on the seventh day of Hanukkah. Which is one day short of the holiday’s conclusion, known as the Festival of Lights.

This film has a funky twist: Rachel keeps living the 7th day of Hanukkah over, and over, and over. The movie title, it turns out, is a play on words. The dreidel spins each day that repeats; round and round it goes.

Known as a time loop, the fictional plot device finds the main character experiencing the same day repeatedly. All in the hopes they break the cycle and can move on.

Have you seen the classic 1993 movie Groundhog Day? That’s a time loop. Bill Murray had to figure some things out to get to the next day. Basically, how not to be such a selfish jerk 😉.

Early in this time loop Rachel tells Zach what she is experiencing, hoping he can help her escape it.

Zach suggests she might need to change something to move on.

“My life is going perfectly,” Rachel responds. “I can’t think of anything I need to change.”

Over the course of the film we learn otherwise:

A boyfriend breaks up with her. “I’m going to get dumped every day for the rest of eternity,” Rachel laments. She learns to let it go.

Rachel is unhappy with her job.
That, too, needs to change.

And the young adult manuscript Rachel wrote a decade ago, and filed away in a box? It’s time to dust that off and finish her dream.

Learnings complete, Rachel finally wakes up to the next day. Rachel and Zack also fall in love as you might guess. This is a Hallmark holiday movie, after all 😊.

More importantly, perhaps, she can now light the eighth and last candle of Hannukah.

The symbolism is clear.
Light always defeats darkness.
Even if it takes some time.

Along the way Rachel found herself on a new, unexpected path.

It is a path that allowed her to move on.
It is a path that led to something.

Stuck for so long she has been freed.

With this path she finally found peace.

She
As a betrothed young woman Mary had so much to look forward to. With marriage in this era came certainty, status. Friends, family, community would soon be secured. With it too came hope; of love, of children, of being part of something greater than herself.

Then out of nowhere an angel appeared.
What do you mean I’m pregnant?
Mary had no reason to think she was.

She was, however –
Surprised,
Perplexed,
Afraid.

Her future plans were now in doubt.

Yet the angel spoke with confidence.  Do not be afraid, they announced.

What the cherub claimed this child would be amazed her.

She pondered. This would be a path radically different than what she had once planned. But there was so much potential. So much to be gained. Could the role she played in this moment really matter that much?

She realized it could.

She prayed. And prayed some more. And then came to the conclusion that made all the difference in the world.

Here I am Lord, she said. Let it be.

Mary chose the path less travelled. Why?
She wanted peace.

He
This news surprised Joseph too. Mary, you’re what? Trying to avoid embarrassing her, Joseph planned a quiet separation. He wanted this unexpected drama to just go away. With that things could get back to normal. At least some semblance of it.

Besides, his carpentry shop was busy enough. Joseph didn’t need this.

Yet his future plans were also in doubt. What would be of his hopes for love, family, a legacy that lives on? Joseph couldn’t help but wonder too.

But then –
a dream,
an angel,
a familiar refrain.

Do not be afraid.

The angel sounded so sure.

He pondered. How do you parent a deity adopted from beyond? How on earth could he explain this to friends? Like an episode of I Love Lucy he’d have some ‘splaining to do.

He prayed. God, is this your will? It asks so much. Yet deep down Joseph knew.

Ok Lord, he said, taking Mary as his wife. Let it be.

Joseph chose the path less travelled. Why?
He wanted peace.

New
Travelling, for Mary and Joseph, was far from done.

Their hearts had been strangely warmed.
Their heads aware of what was to come.
Their feet now prepared for an upcoming trip.

The pair then went, by government decree, to a land not their own. Ninety miles from home, even on a donkey, would not have been fun. For Mary’s pregnancy was quite far along.

Away from all they knew, labor pangs begun. Now what? Their options for overnight accommodations were limited. Finally, something.

Stay with the animals, a local resident offered. Make yourselves at home.

The pair settled in as best they could.
It was there, amid humble beginnings,

Mary gave birth,
Wrapped the baby in cloth,
And laid him in a manger.

Their trip, a destination birth if ever there was one, had indeed delivered. The pair found themselves staring into the eyes of nothing less than the Prince of Peace.

They
It was just another shift for the shepherds, tending their flock at night. They walked, they wandered, they gathered. Amid the darkness that surrounded them they wondered: is this all their lives had become?

It was all so –
Mundane,
Predictable,
Non-descript.

But then, amid the monotony of the same –
a bright light,
an angel,
a familiar refrain.

Do not be afraid.

The angel sounded so sure.

The angel spoke of good news and great joy for all people. For a savior had been born, this very day. Could this great joy be for them? They, the lowly shepherds, who slept outside, without homes, under the stars at night?

They pondered.

And they could go, and see this savior with their own two eyes?

They pondered some more. It would mean leaving their routine, in search of the new, yes. But the potential was so great. They tired of the conflicts in their towns, their synagogues, among their politicians. Was it possible that could change?

And then, a multitude of the heavenly host shone all around them, lighting up the night sky, singing:

Glory to God in the highest heaven!
Peace on earth among all!

That settled it. They would leave the familiar in search of the child.

So they went.
And they found.
Mary, and Joseph, and child.

The shepherds chose the path less travelled that night. Why?
They wanted peace.

Us
I’d suggest that, as practicing Christians, we find ourselves in a time loop of sorts at the end of each year.

Some of this loop is pretty awesome. Each Christmas Eve we gather in beautiful spaces like this, celebrating the birth of the savior of the world. We listen to the same scriptures. We hear sermons with similar themes. We sing the same sacred songs, Harkening the Herald Angels to Sing, wishing a Silent Night to all.

Each year the pattern repeats our hearts are strangely warmed.

We then celebrate with our own traditions, be it with family, neighbors, friends. At our house, right after the midnight service we’ll head home, open one gift before bed – just one kids – and read a short book. Lately that’s been the Cajun Night Before Christmas, and that is all kinds of fun.

Then the next morning for us it’s the opening of stockings while the cinnamon buns bake for breakfast. Then the opening of presents under the tree, enjoying family time together. My wife and I, somewhere in there, enjoy a mimosa or two, yum 😊.

Other parts of our Christmas time loop leave us unfulfilled. We celebrate the Prince of Peace breaking into our world, each and every year. But we don’t always experience the peace Christ came to bring.

We desire –

Peace in our hearts,
Peace in our homes.

Peace in our communities,
Peace in our churches,
Peace in our country.

And yet we must confess often we’re just not there.

We pray for peace between –
Israel and Palestine,
Russia and Ukraine.

And peaceable solutions at our borders.

Each year we go, round and round, waiting, hoping, yearning, praying for peace.

Doing the same things,
Getting the same results,

Every time.

To break out of that loop, to better live into this peace Christ brings, just might ask something of us. It is the only way to disrupt this cycle of violence and enter a new day. To do that just might require we change.

Hear friends, the voice of the angels.

Do not be afraid.

Behold, today brings with it good news and great joy for all people. For a savior had been born, this very day. This great joy is for you.

Go now, to the manger. Worship the Christ child. He was sent to challenge all we thought we once knew. But don’t just go to manager today and tomorrow.

Take that path less travelled out of your comfort zone each and every day.

Why?

Because we want peace.

Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Merry Christmas, beloved.  Amen.

As many of you know, last Sunday we voted to extend a call to our hoped-for next Associate Pastor here at St. John’s. It is an exciting time to be part of this congregation. So much hoped for good news seems near. While there is no formal news to share just yet, plans seem to be coming together nicely for this possible call. Waiting for a formal acceptance of call, for a Pastor, during Advent, a season of waiting, seems, well, apropos.

Two weeks ago, to help us prepare for this hoped for addition to the team, our church treasurer Kathy McIntyre drafted the accompanying call compensation package. This fairly mundane task involves built-in calculations residing in an Excel spreadsheet. Much of which is predefined by Synod guidelines. Kathy asked me to take a quick look at her work, giving one more set of eyes to it before hitting send.

This, plus this, equals that;
That, times a percent sums just so –

Everything seemed just fine.
But then, something popped.

That social security offset?
It needed an update.
I was sure of it.

I picked up the phone to tell Kathy.
Just calculate it from this row, not that.

Are you sure, Pastor Ryan, she asked?

The directions, Kathy continued,
suggest it be done –

that way,
not this.

Oh, I’m sure of it, Kathy.
It’s a quick fix.

Ok…she replied…I’ll update it. In retrospect, she seemingly sounded somewhat unsure.

I was right, wasn’t I?

This is a standard form.
I’ve used it many times.

I must be right.

Beginning to feel a bit unsettled I decided to recheck.
Perhaps, this time, it would help to read the directions.

As Kathy suggested, the directions said the calculation should be done that way, not this. Hmm…

Following directions now, I rechecked, confirming a sneaking suspicion.

My pulse quickened.
A lump in my throat soon formed.

It was pretty clear what I needed to do.
I picked up the phone to call Kathy again.

Hey Kathy!

It’s me again, Pastor Ryan.
You know that calculation?
Apologies, my friend.

I WAS WRONG.

This is my confession 😊.

Wilderness
Our text this second week of Advent begins with the beginning of Mark. It is the beginning of the good new of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. With this opening we are pointed back to the prophetic voice of Isaiah.

A messenger is being sent,
Who will prepare the way.
A voice from the wilderness, saying –
Prepare the way of the Lord!
Make his path straight!

This text serves, too, to introduce us to a New Testament prophet with some Old Testament bona fides.

He was clothed in camel hair.
With a leather belt around his waist.
And he ate locusts and wild honey.

I can’t help but think –

He’s got electric boots, a mohair suit,
You know I read it in a magazine.
B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets.

J-J-J-John the Baptist.

This wild child, cousin to Christ, couldn’t help but stand out in a crowd. He didn’t just stand out. Crowds flocked to him. People came from the countryside, and the big city of Jerusalem. What exactly were they drawn to? What caused them to leave their daily routines, drop everything, and head to the wilderness to meet this man?

Why was it he, who claimed to be unworthy to untie the sandals of his cousin Christ, could cause such a stir?

Release
Perhaps it wasn’t John that they were interested in. Perhaps they needed to let something go. Perhaps they had been holding on to conflict, with a neighbor, friend, relative, coworker, spouse or child. Perhaps, like me, they had been wrong about something. And yes, that does happen with some frequency. Just ask my wife 😊.

Perhaps they needed to confess something.
Perhaps this need to confess had been brewing for some time.

Perhaps they needed to name this conflict and their role in it.
Perhaps they needed to have a difficult conversation, long overdue.
Perhaps their pulse was quick; their feelings of guilt strong.

Perhaps they desired absolution, to receive God’s word of forgiveness, making them whole with God and neighbor once again.

Perhaps.
Perhaps.
Perhaps.

Whatever their reason for being there the people came from near and far. They confessed that which separated them from one another.

Oh, there would be more ahead for the people gathered there that day.

John prepared the way,
John was not the way.

And yet this act of confession and absolution, in the waters of John’s baptism, had done something.

They had been cleansed from that which soiled them.
They had been released from that which held them down.
They had been prepared for he who was soon to come.

Today
Just as John prepared the way for Christ, so too are we called to prepare.

May we too recognize that which separates us from God, from neighbor.
May we too confess what needs confessing.
May we too seek to make amends.

For it is in these cleansing waters of restoration where we find peace.

May we ready –

Our hearts,
Our minds,
Our souls,

Forgiveness is ours for the taking.

Right relationship? It’s just around the bend.

Let us prepare for the divine to dwell among us.
May Christ’s path to us be made straight.

Come, Lord Jesus, come.  Amen.

A retelling of Matthew 22:1-10.

Once upon a time there was a king, with a son he very much loved. The king’s son was to be married, with no expense spared. For when a king plans a wedding you know it’s going to be good.

The venue would be grand, the best in all the land. With the resources of an entire kingdom at his disposal, there was no limit on what this day could be.

Weddings of course require invitations, lists must be made. In this way the wedding would be like any other. Family was asked, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, grandkids aplenty. And the friends list? It was a sight to behold. The list was filled with VIPs, people to see and to be seen: kings and queens, princes and princesses, dukes and duchesses, diplomats, rabbis, priests, merchants of means.

List now finalized invitations were sent. The king hoped all invited could attend.

The decorations, clothing, music, drink and food were planned to perfection. A favored son of the kingdom was to be married, and what a banquet it would be. This celebration would be legendary, lore passed down from one generation to the next.

Preparations complete, the king sent messengers out, to let the invited know the joyous celebration would soon begin. Dinner was ready. Oxen and calves and the finest of foods, all there to enjoy. And if the wine happened to run out? No worries, the king joked, my son could whip something up 😉.

But then the strangest thing happened. The invited did not come. The friends and family, the dukes and diplomats, the merchants of means instead chose to stay home. They went about their business like it was any other day. They ignored the gathering entirely, as if it was of no importance at all. And worse? Some mocked the wedding, laughed at the king, mistreated his messengers.

Staring out at an empty banquet hall, with invitation list in hand, the king pictured where each person would have sat. Emotions rushed over him; sadness, disappointment, anger. The day was nothing he had hoped it would be.

The dining, drinking and dancing, so precisely planned, would have to wait.

For without guests, a party simply isn’t.

The king’s soul was crushed. Looking down at the invitation list, filled with no-shows, the king realized something. The system he’d relied on, of who’s invited and who isn’t, had failed him.

The New Plan
The celebration must go on, the king realized. Clearly filling the empty seats would require a different approach. Something must change.

For it was a new day.
Which called for a new way.
A John 3:16 moment, through and through.

The king, a creator at heart, was determined to make something out of nothing. He’d done it before. He’d do it again.

So he sent out his messengers, this time with a different assignment. Invite everyone you meet to the banquet. For this king so loved the whole world. There would be no exceptions. No lists made that exclude.

Not this time.

So the messengers went.
The messengers found.
The messengers invited.

On their journeys the messengers encountered all kinds of people not on that first list.

Some were sick, too ill to celebrate much of anything. Get them the finest doctors, the king declared, the best treatments in the land. Heal them, he said. Send the bill to me. Make sure you invite them too, the king reminded. And when they show up? Let them in.

Some the messengers encountered were hungry, living from meal to meal. That’s easy, the king thought. There’s plenty of food at the banquet. Tell them their stomachs will be filled. And they can take as much as they like home. When they show up open the doors. Let them in.

Looking at the old guest list with new eyes, the king realized entire swaths of people had been left off. We didn’t invite the gays and the lesbians the first time around? The king was embarrassed. They’re fabulous, he thought, the life of any good party. Go find them, invite them, and let them in!

A messenger then came back with some troubling news. The king learned, at the borders of his land, there were people being denied entrance. What? The king’s face became flush. Learning of this injustice he was furious. How did this happen? Invite them to the banquet! Let them in!

And all the others, with lives that definitely mattered, yet weren’t initially invited? Find them, the king said. Tell them of the grand celebration. Make sure they know they are wanted. That we hope and pray they attend. And when they show up? You know what to do, the king told the messengers. Roll out the red carpet. Open the palace doors wide.

Let them in.
Let them in.
Let them in.

The messengers did.
The people came.
A celebration ensued.

Before long the wedding hall was filled with guests, each there to celebrate a favored son. This son was, after all, what drew them together.

For it was then, and only then, that the grand banquet, complete with dining, drinking, dancing, unending joy, unending laughter, could begin.

Hereafter
The kingdom of heaven is like that wedding, Jesus reminds.

Filled with people, filled with surprises. Each person there filled with backstories our fallen human selves might initially judge. Therein lies the beauty of God’s kingdom. It is a judgement free zone, designed for all.

Our own wedding celebrations, by nature, have limits. There are bills to pay, mouths to feed, halls that fit only so many. Yet we recognize that it’s better to celebrate the most special of days without restriction, without limit, without exception.

To successfully marry the earthly and the divine, as has always been the plan, getting the invitation list just so might be toughest part of all.

Fortunately, we don’t have to wait until the heavenly hereafter to experience this grand banquet as originally designed. In fact, we’re called to take part in bringing about this kingdom on earth. Right here. Right now.

Today
We are called to help unify a colorful, eclectic, diverse creation that includes those with, those without. Called to live in perfect harmony with the Creator. All made possible thanks to the life, death, and resurrection of the Son. We are guided daily by the winds of the Spirit, pointing us wherever the Creator leads.

As we have our own grand celebration in the works – our Stewardship Gala on November 3 will be something – it’s worth mention: If you can’t afford to attend no worries. A generous member of St. John’s has offered to cover your cost, because we want all to attend. Just let us know and a ticket, for no charge, is yours. All are welcome, without exception.

As we pray for Israelis and Palestinians in a time of conflict may we be reminded: putting barriers up that separate never ends well. For we are called to invite each other to a shared banquet, at the same table, breaking bread together, drinking from the cup.

Blessed are the Peacemakers, Christ reminds.
For theirs is the kingdom of God.

Until we can sit down at the same table together that peace on earth will elude.

As we look at our own southern border the same is true. To cite President Ronald Regan during an important moment in history, here’s a thought, when it comes to our southern border:

President Biden, tear down this wall!

These walls perpetuate humanitarian crises.
Simply put, that is not of God.

For we are to expand who we invite into the kingdom to include more.

So rip up your lists that separate, fellow messengers.
Head out, tell everyone you find.
Share the good news of a grand celebration.

One we so hope all attend.
And when God’s beloved show up at the palace door,
You know what to do.

Heed the words of the King.

Throw wide the doors. And –

Let them in.
Let them in.
Let them in.

In October of 1983 John Cougar Mellencamp released his seventh studio album, titled Uh-Huh. The album proved popular, and was later ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the top 40 Greatest Albums of the 80s. Uh-Huh features three Top 20 Billboard hits: Crumblin’ Down, Pink Houses, and the aptly named Authority Song.

This latter song got my attention as a kid – I was 8 years old when it was released – well on my way to being a teenager and the testing of limits. One way I did that in high school was by growing out my hair, mullet style, just like Mr. Mellencamp. That’s business in the front (short) and party in the back (long). And that’s about the only thing I’ve got in common with this hip musician 😊.

Over time Authority Song became a mantra for what it is to grow up in the midst of a rule-based, institutional world. Amid catchy lyrics and zippy guitar riffs it is a downright memorable tune. The chorus goes something like this…

I fight authority, authority always wins.
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins.

The video, released back when MTV actually played music videos, shows what John Cougar is fighting.

In it we watch him in a faux boxing match, duking it out with a professional boxer. There’s no way this skinny crooner is going to win this fight. Right outside the ring, various authorities sit in the front row. There is –

A rich woman, dressed to the nines;
A big business corporate type, smoking a cigar;
A military general, wearing official regalia.

Each seemingly rooting for him to lose.

As the fight continues, Mellencamp reaches out for help, asking this:

So I call up my preacher,
I say: “Gimme strength for Round 5”
He said: “You don’t need no strength,
you need to grow up, son”

It seems John Cougar, in this song at least,  is even fighting the church.

At one point in the video Mellencamp play-boxes with a younger version of himself. As the video ends, fight now over, the boy dusts off his shoulders, kinks his neck, looks back at the row of authorities. The boy then gives them a big cheesy grin and walks away. The message is clear. He doesn’t plan to give up fighting authority any time soon.

Scripture is absolutely filled with tussles surrounding questions of authority. From to one person or group pitted against the next and the next and the next, we constantly find ourselves duking it out with others, skirmishing over who is in charge.

It’s an important question – who exactly is calling the shots?

Keeping with the boxing metaphor, let’s consider how Jesus mixed it up with people bound to keep him down. The gospels contain more rounds than there is time to share here; those other bouts stories for another time.

Round 1
(Matthew 21:12-14)
Jesus arrives in Jerusalem. First stop: the temple. There he sees tables set up. Vendors busily selling their warez. The business types are seemingly everywhere. This angers Jesus enough to take action. He turns the tables on them, drives them out, calls them thieves.

My house is to be a house of prayer, Jesus shares. He then heals the blind and lame, making known this house is where we find healing too.

The religious elites and business-types are furious. Just who does this radical Rabbi think he is! We’re the ones calling the shots! Their wallets threatened – religion and business are in financial cahoots here – they realize something must change. As the bell rings Jesus won this round. But still, there is more to come.

Round 2
(Matthew 21:23-27)

The very next day the religious elites and business-types make their move.

We need to know something Jesus.
We can’t help but ask.

By what authority are you doing these things?
And who gave you this authority?

The goal of their query is simple. They sought to –

Diminish,
Shutdown,
Silence.

If they could back Christ into a corner, they could pummel him into submission. The religious elites and business types were the real authority after all. Right? They were sure of it.

Never shy about answering a question with a question, Jesus turns the tables on them once again, offering two questions of his own:

Did the baptism of John come from heaven?
Or was it of human origin?

Christ’s antagonists argued amongst themselves. If they said heaven, then Jesus was the true authority. Because when John baptized Jesus, they knew the heavens opened and God spoke, saying this is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.

But if they said the baptism was of human origin there was this crowd to think about. The crowd very much thought John a prophet. The religious elites and business-types were afraid of the crowd, afraid of what they might do. This answer was no good either.

Stumped at Christ’s query, the religious elites and business types demurred. We do not know, they replied. Well, if you don’t know, Jesus concludes, I won’t be telling you. Christ had landed the final uppercut right before the bell rang. He had won this round as well. The fight continues.

Round 3
(Matthew 26 and 27)
The religious elites and business types found themselves gripped by fear. They –

Feared loss of power.
Feared loss of wealth.
Feared change.

Most of all they feared being exposed for who they were. Instead of looking out for the widows, the children, the foreigners, the marginalized, the blind, the lame, and those without, Christ made their true motives clear.

They had only been looking out for themselves.

Knowing they must do something, and fast, a plan quickly came together. They formed a new alliance, made up of –

Religious elites,
Business types,
Government.

They were sure that trifecta of power would win the day.

Then, with a –

Bribe,
Garden,
Kiss,

A new plot formed.

Soon it was a –

Denial,
Trial,
Cross.

And that was that. It was a knockout punch. The referee counted to ten. Jesus lay there, on the mat, lifeless. He was bruised, battered, bloodied. Human authority, it seems, had won. The final bell, as far as anyone could tell, had rung.

Round 4?
(Matthew 28)

Wait, isn’t this fight over? As an Easter people we know better.

With –

One gardener,
Two Mary’s,
Three days,

There was revelation.
Jesus was back, baby.

He is risen!
He is risen indeed!
Alleluia!

Clues had been offered that this is how it would turn out. Christ had said destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Now it had happened.

And of this question of authority? Who has it? Who is calling the shots? Overcoming death and the grave settled that once and for all.

Today
Jesus didn’t hold on to this authority, granted from on high, for himself. Instead, he gave it away to the disciples. It is an authority to cast out that which is unclean, an authority to heal the sick. It is an authority, as disciples of Christ, we claim today.

And what that looks like, in the flesh? We need go no farther than the greatest commandment: to love the lord your God, and to love your neighbor as yourself.

It is a call to care for our neighbors who are:

Women,
Children,
LGBTQ+

Immigrant,
Refugee,
Asylum seeker.

Hungry,
Unhoused,
Poor.

It is a call to care for our neighbors –
who are sick.
who are marginalized.
treated as less than.

And on whose authority do we do all these things?

It is none other than the Lord our God.

If you ever hear the –

Religious elites,
Business types,
Government officials,

try and do anything less than care for our neighbors, no matter who those neighbors may be, take note.

They were in cahoots with each other 2,000 years ago; many are in cahoots still.

They’ll sometimes share this alternate message from the –
Pulpits,
Podiums,
Profit centers –

of our day.

When their messaging says hey, treat certain people as less than, the authority they claim is not aligned with the Divine.

John Cougar Mellencamp, it turns out, was right:

I fight authority, authority always wins.
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins.

May we put away our struggle to control what is not ours.
May we recommit ourselves to care for our neighbor, without exception.
May we live into the authority to go, and to do.

It is an authority we have been granted by our savior, Jesus Christ.

For no other earthly “authority” will do. Amen.