All Saints

Sermon 2022.11.06 All Saints Sunday

Grace Lutheran Church Upland, California

Pastor Wesley Menke

This past week at Bible Study we finished reading the book of Leviticus. That really is an interesting book. It’s like a handbook for priests who functioned like public health experts, as well as keepers of religious rituals, and civil law. So there is very little story in the book of Leviticus. It is dry reading to be sure, but near the end of the book there is a story. It says that one day there was a man whose mother was Israelite, and father was Egyptian. This fellow got in a fight with another man who was Israelite. At some point during the altercation the man with mixed heritage blasphemed God. That means he used offensive language either about God or about the man he was fighting using God’s name to do so; or maybe both. The case was brought before Moses; and before God. The command was given to take the man outside of the camp; for all the witnesses to lay their hands on his head; and then to stone him to death. Can you believe that? 

Its texts like this from the Bible which cause us to wonder why there aren’t more atheists. How could we in this situation say that God is love? Where is the grace of God? Furthermore it seems like this man is being scapegoated, partly on the account of his marginal ethnic status; and that’s ironic because the ritual of the scapegoat is articulated earlier in the same book of Leviticus. The ritual of the scapegoat was supposed to be humanitarian insofar as it spared punishing humans, but accumulating all of their sin on a goat which would be turned out into the wilderness at least having a chance. But that doesn’t spare the man who was stoned for blaspheming God. No scapegoat saves him. He is the scapegoat. 

It occurred to me then, and remains true now, that this man was a lot like Jesus. Jesus was not regarded as a “normal” person. His parentage, while sacred to us, would have been very suspect during his lifetime. His mother was Israelite and his father was unknown or unaccepted by many of his contemporaries. When he was bold in his ministry to call himself the Son of God; he was accused of blaspheming by both Romans against Caesar and by certain religious leaders claiming he blasphemed the God of the Israelites. He was publicly executed and functioned like a scapegoat. In fact he is the ultimate scapegoat: he is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. 

Jesus didn’t do anything wrong; and yet was killed for it. Again how can we say that God is love? How could a loving father demand the death of his son who did nothing wrong? Seems cruel and abusive; not loving. There is of course an answer. The answer is that Jesus was God as clearly as any human could be like God. So if we regard Jesus as God; and Jesus died on the cross; then our whole notion of God is more fragile and vulnerable than we would perhaps like to admit to ourselves. 

Consider the resurrection of Jesus. After the resurrection he still left. Some people have briefly seen him. But he still left and everyone had to figure out how to get by without him. That is the “duelo” or grief we feel when we miss someone. There is just one consolation; the Holy Spirit. This is like a personality made up of a contagious set of behaviors. 

You know that both good and bad behaviors are contagious? Abuse is a contagious behavior. When we think about people who have died we might remember both good and bad behaviors. We might act like our spiritual ancestors. Their Spirit lives on in our actions. So does Jesus’ Spirit: the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a practical sign of the resurrection. And you know what? The Spirit is freely given to you constantly if you wish to have it. There is also a physicality with resurrection. We carry physical genes. We are the resurrected Christ. Holy Communion is a physical spiritual nourishment by and for the resurrected Jesus. 

The fact is, when we talk about being saved by Grace, we mean that this life in and of itself is a miracle beyond which we can fully comprehend. We are living the resurrection. We are the body of Christ resurrected.

According to astronomers we’ve got about a billion years left on planet earth until it will naturally break down and not be inhabitable. The question is: what are we going to do with this time? Each of our life spans is so short; so extremely short, but if each generation works together then what might we be capable of? 

We might be able to accomplish the beatific vision: that which Jesus described in the gospel reading this morning. 

Luke 6:20-31

20Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. 24“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25“Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. “Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. 26“Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

27“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Religion is a kind of practically constructed eternal life. On All Saints Sunday we think about and feel for people who have died. Where have they gone? Their soul goes to heaven. Then what, and what does it have to do with life here on earth?

A couple of weeks ago I went to Arizona for the funeral of my aunt Dottie. There were a lot of people missing. Where did they go? We carry our ancestors in us spiritually, physically, and mentally. We have some limited choices in terms of what we choose to carry forward, and what we choose to leave behind. There are some behaviors I’m guessing you observed in your ancestors that you admired; and some others that you didn’t. What difference does resurrection make if it makes no difference in the living? This is the primary theater of our concern. 

Make the most of the time that you have by learning from your ancestors. Remember and emulate the best of what you have inherited. Change what you can. Don’t worry about anything; Jesus’ Spirit is there to guide you. Amen.