Pentecost 2 (year C proper 7)- Luke 8: 26-39

The Gospel for this Second Sunday after Pentecost is from Luke 8:26-39. Jesus and the disciples sail across the Sea of  Galilee into the Gentile region of the Gerasenes. When they land, Jesus encounters a man possessed by multiple demons. When the demons are cast out, they enter into a herd of pigs which are driven mad and drown. The people of the region do not have a positive reaction. They are terrified and ask Jesus to go away.

The man healed from demons has a very different reaction. He becomes a healthy and positive person. He is clothed and in his right mind. In gratitude, he wishes to accompany Jesus. But Jesus gives the man another kind of mission. The man is called to return to his home in order to witness to God's work in his life. In Luke 8:39 (ESV), Jesus says, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And the man went away, telling everyone he met how much Jesus had done for him. The healed man continues the work of Christ in his own local.

As Christians, we too receive healing from our worst spiritual infirmities. We want to follow Jesus and serve Him. Sometimes, He asks people to follow Him into new and strange places. However, at other times, He simply calls people to return home and tell family, friends, and neighbors what God has done for us. Wherever Jesus Christ calls us to serve Him, our vocation and mission is to be faithful and witness to God's redeeming work through Christ.

Trinity Sunday (year C)- John 8: 48-59

 Emphasizing the Holy Trinity on the Sunday after Pentecost is fitting because the powerful descent of the Holy Spirit disciples marks a final step in the Trinitarian revelation. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity tells us about the nature of God and summarizes the whole Biblical message. Although this doctrine is a high mystery that transcends natural human understanding, it also has practical implications for Christian faith and practice.

There are numerous New Testament texts (such as Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 28:19, John 3: 1-16, Ephesians 2:18, 2 Corinthians 13: 14, and 1 Peter 1:2) which show a Trinitarian understanding of God's revelation to humanity. This Sunday's Gospel from John 8:48-59 emphasizes one aspect of this revelation, the divine nature of Jesus. Together all Scripture affirms the love of God the Father, the Incarnation of God the Son in our Savior Jesus Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit in giving a new spiritual birth to those who believe in Christ.

A belief in the Holy Trinity was expressed in ancient Christian baptismal questions about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These questions and answers became the basis for creeds such as the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. So even though the Trinity can be discussed using complicated theological concepts, Christians affirm or confess this basic doctrine for reasons of living faith. The doctrine of the Trinity is a biblical Christian belief that is deeply rooted in the experience of redemption and in Christian worship and prayer. The God we worship and pray to is Triune. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit share one divine essence and work together in perfect love to redeem poor sinful human beings. The doctrine of the Trinity is really at the heart of the Gospel!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

Pentecost (year C)- John 14

 This Sunday is Pentecost. The name Pentecost from the Greek word for fifty or the fiftieth day was applied to the Jewish Festival of Weeks. At this festival, the Holy Spirit descended upon Christ's disciples in a powerful new way (Acts 2). We can say many things about the Holy Spirit, but one of my favorite verses is from the Gospel of John. In John 14:26, Jesus tells the disciples, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." (ESV)

As Jesus looks toward His return to the heavenly Father, He promises His disciples that they will continue to be aided and guided by God. God the heavenly Father will send the Paraclete, Advocate, or Helper to the disciples in Christ's name. As long as they remain in this world, Christians will still need to be taught and guided. They will continue to need to be reminded of Christ's teachings and how to apply them. Although the Holy Spirit has worked and continues to work in many ways, the central work of the Holy Spirit among Christians is to help them remember and apply the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, there have been many misunderstandings and distortions of this work of the Holy Spirit among believers. People have gone to extremes, and many have neglected Scripture and Christ's Sacraments in favor of some nebulous "spirituality." However, true spirituality inspired by the Holy Spirit cannot be separated from the written and living Word of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit never contradicts the revelation in Christ. Rather the Holy Spirit brings Scripture to our remembrance, makes it alive, and helps us apply it in our situations!

Ascension Sunday/Easter 7 (year C)- John 17

 This Sunday after the Ascension is also the last Sunday of the Easter season. It looks back to the Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord, and it looks forward the the new outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon believers. The gospel from John 17:20-26 is related to both these themes. This reading is a selection from Christ’s Farewell Discourses in John’s Gospel.  More precisely, it is from the chapter sometimes called Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. In this prayer, our Lord looks to the time after His Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension. He prays to the Father in the disciples’ presence. He prays for their faith, perseverance, and unity. Notice in John 17:20 that Christ does not merely pray for the Twelve “but also for those who will believe in me through their word…”  (ESV) That means that Jesus prays for all His followers, including us. That was true when He was on earth and is still true.

Let us notice some aspects of Christ’s Prayer. 1) Jesus prays that His followers may be one, may be unified. However, His words in John 17:21-22 make it clear that Christ is not talking about some man-made organizational or political unity. While greater fellowship and acceptance among denominations and congregations can sometimes be very good, especially when rooted in common faith and convictions, true unity is more spiritual and moral in character. True unity among believers is rooted in the eternal, holy, and loving unity of the divine Trinity. 

2) This unity among believers has a missional side. This aspect is mentioned in the second half of John 17:23, “so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” When Christians sincerely love one another, we not only honor God and help one another, we also witness to our faith before an unbelieving world. Loving one another does not mean that we have to agree on every minor detail or practice. However, we should be kind, be willing to acknowledge our own imperfections, and seek to speak the truth in love. This is what God expects, and it is good for the Christian mission to the world.

3) In the final verses of our Gospel, Jesus emphasizes the heavenly goal. In John 17:24, He prays, “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am…” (ESV) This refers to vibrant and eternal life with the Father and the Son, based on divine love. In popular language, the goal is going to heaven. Because of the divine unity in love, and the love of Christ for us, we have hope of better and everlasting life.

In conclusion, until Christ calls us to the place He has prepared for us, we are called to repent of our sins, seek divine grace and love, and faithfully affirm the teachings of Scripture and the Creeds. We are to look to our crucified, risen and ascended Lord in prayer. And we are to seek to grow in divine love for God, for people in general, and for our fellow believers in particular.