Fools for Christ

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A Sermon for Palm Sunday

Yesterday was April Fools Day, the day for pranks. One of the great pranks of all times was the spaghetti-tree hoax in 1957. That day the leading BBC anchorman began the news with a story about the spaghetti growing on trees in Switzerland. He reported that there was a good crop because it had been a mild season, and they had conquered the spaghetti weasel. The newscaster then showed pictures of people taking the spaghetti off the trees. They talked about the problem of growing each strand the same length. It was magnificent because at that time there were many people unfamiliar with spaghetti because it was an exotic food for Great Britain. People watching the news accepted this news story as true.

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Jesus

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A sermon for Maunday Thursday

In 2005 a group of atheists produced a film titled, “The God Who Wasn’t There.” They claimed that religion is oppressive and should be eliminated. In their ad for the film, they say that the Jesus of the Gospels is a myth and bears a striking resemblance to mythical heroes.

A few years ago a report on the BBC said that in England over a billion Easter eggs would be sold to celebrate the birth of Jesus. There were complaints about the report: To celebrate the birth of Jesus? The BBC issued a correction: “To celebrate the rebirth of Jesus.” Finally someone got to them and said: “How about the resurrection?”

There is an appalling ignorance among us about what the Gospel stories are about. (The people behind the film, “The God Who Wasn’t There,” these well-known figures, Dawson, Danet, Harris, and Christopher Hitchens, have a point.) We are unaware of origins and similarities. On the other hand, it is all really old hat. What they are saying today was said at the time of the French Revolution in 1790 where there was a school of thought that said Jesus did not even exist. It was all a myth. This occurred again between 1900 and 1910. This is old stuff. Nevertheless, we can easily be confused because we have not bothered to learn what the Gospel accounts are and how we sort it out.

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Satan

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A sermon for the season of Lent

This week the protagonist we are focusing on is Satan himself. We recall that at the Last Supper Jesus dipped a morsel of bread, gave it to Judas, and then Satan entered Judas (John 13:27). Satan was very much a part of what was going on.

What do we know about Satan? The Old Testament actually has very few references to Satan. There is the talking snake in Genesis 3:1-6 at the fall into sin. Then in an entirely different kind of account Saul lost his kingship; he went to the witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28:3-25). To consult a sorcerer was forbidden. Dealing with evil spirits was part of the pagan religions of that time, and Saul was adopting these practices. Then in Job 1:6 it says Satan is up there in heaven among the sons of God. Satan asks the Lord: How do you know Job is faithful to you? It also says in Zacariah 3:1 that Satan is in heaven as the accuser.

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The Beloved Disciple

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A sermon for the Season of Lent

Today we’re going to look at the Beloved Disciple.

Lutherans are those who take the Bible seriously. As Cromwell said when a painter was painting his portrait: “Paint warts and all.” We take the Scripture as it is, and we still take it seriously. It would be easy to say: “Look at all the difficulties,” and walk away. We take it seriously and ask: “What do we do with it?”

With that comes the matter of tradition. We know the famous song from the musical, Fiddler on the Roof, in which Tevya stands on the roof and sings: “Tradition! Tradition!”

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Mary, Mary, Mary

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A sermon for the Season of Lent

Today we come to Mary. You might ask yourself: Which one? As a matter of fact, there are eight women in the New Testament named Mary. We shall consider three of them.

The three Marys are: 1) Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazareth, 2) Mary Magdalene, and 3) Mary, Jesus’ mother.

It is important to remember in all of this that the name “Mary” in Hebrew is Miriam. We know from Exodus that Miriam was Moses’ sister. Perhaps the earliest piece of the Old Testament which we have is “Miriam’s song,” found in Exodus 15:21, the great song of victory: “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”

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