You are all witnesses of these things

Today in worship we witnessed the baptism of three of God's children, as they were named and claimed by God forever.  We are witnesses to this inbreaking of God's grace into the world, just as the disciples were witnesses to the risen Christ who came to have a meal with them!  See...taste...touch...hear...and speak the God who comes to have a meal with us, who sends us to share his meal with others...

3^rd Sunday of Easter (Year B) – Sunday, April 22, 2012

Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lancaster, PA

Texts: 1 John 3:1-7, Luke 24:36b-48

Sometimes I wonder, “what was Jesus' favorite food?” You have to figure he lived in first-century Judea, along the Mediterranean, so maybe he was a hummus and pita guy. Did they have gyros and falafel back then? Maybe he digged figs. Or olives? But if, indeed, broiled fish was Jesus' favorite food, man was it his lucky day! Back from the dead, hungry like a man who's been through hell and back, literally, and he's got his favorite thing served up for dinner! Not a bad deal.

Here in Pennsylvania Dutch country people love to eat. As far as I've been able to tell, the biggest crowd-drawing places in Lancaster County are smorgasbords and sprawling food extravaganzas. Green Dragon, Roots, anyone? I'm pretty sure making it from one end of the buffet at Shady Maple to the other is considered a sporting event around here. In the city, we have the Central Market, so we keep time by how long 'til the next market day. Food is our culture. If we want to forge a relationship with new people, we have a meal together. Food is our community, it sustains our life, and shapes it. 

 

So when Jesus wants to show his disciples that he's really back, that he and the resurrection are very real, that he's not some ghost appearing and then vanishing into thin air, he asks them if they have something to eat. Just like he did in last week's story from John's gospel, Jesus, risen from the dead, first greets his surprised disciples, saying “peace be with you,” and he shows them his hands and feet. So far in the resurrection stories we've heard, when the disciples see and touch the risen Jesus, they believe. Not these guys, though, says Luke! What Luke says is just great - “while in their joy...they were disbelieving and still wondering.” Seeing and touching him weren't enough, they had to eat with him.

All of you who are already baptized, Josue, Rebecca, and Sybilla, who will be washed in the waters of God's grace in a few minutes, if you indeed find it hard to believe sometimes, even when you're joyful, you've come to the right place! If any of you are still wondering if God is in your life, if all this God stuff really means anything at all, you are following in the footsteps of these disciples who had the risen Christ right in front of them and still couldn't trust that it was their rabbi and Messiah risen from the dead! Those of you who need a God who meets you in your real life, come and sit down for a fish feast with Jesus! (Sybilla and Rebecca might be hoping for cheerios, Josue, just imagine your favorite food.) Because the God in whom you will be baptized comes to you in a concrete, physical way to bring you God's love in your real life. 

 

I invite all you baptized and almost baptized to meet your risen Lord each day of your life. 

 

See and touch this water over here. Feel the coolness and freshness of God's endless grace and forgiveness for you each and every new morning. Whenever you take a walk in the rain, or get your shower in the morning, feel that grace washing over you, and maybe even make the sign of the cross on your forehead to remind you of the one to whom you belong forever. 

 

Eat and taste the goodness of God here in this bread and wine of the Lord's Supper. Take in the body and blood of Christ so that you might become it. Come to know that you are Christ's body in the world, his hands and feet, his eyes and ears and voice. Remember that Christ's body has many members and that when you take this meal, you are bound together with everyone who will join you at the rail this morning. 

 

Hear the scriptures opened to you by the Holy Spirit whenever we gather for worship or study, and on your own. Listen for God's Word for us, for you, today, which comes to us through these words recorded in scripture. 

 

Cry out in prayer when you need to, and feel free to shout. Ask questions. Share your feelings. God can take it. 

 

Speak words of love to your neighbor, starting with those all around you right now. But better yet, consider acting upon your love in a way that leaves no doubt that you belong to God.

Because you do belong to God. See what love the Father has given you, that you should be called children of God. That is what you are. There is no doubt. You are redeemed, named and claimed in these waters. You cannot fall out of God's grace. Once the cross is on your forehead, nothing, nothing ever, can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Whether you like it or not, you belong to God, and you are witnesses of these things you will see here today. 

 

So go ahead and live your life. There's nothing else you have to do to be a Christian, or to earn God's grace, or to keep yourself in it. Christ has done it all. There's nothing you can do to make God love you more than God already does. But know that you ARE a witness to Christ. Christ has made you one and there's nothing you can do to change it. You can forget your neighbor, you can hold grudges, you can speak ugly things about people, you can lash out in fear and anger, and you will, but God's promise that comes in this water will be there waiting for you. You can run away, and you probably will, and maybe even sometimes you have to, but God will find you. The beauty of this is, the more you and I mess this up, the more powerful, and the more lovely, God's grace in Christ becomes. But the more we witness by displaying just how far God will go for us, our witness becomes more costly for our neighbors. And so as witnesses to Christ's endless love and grace, you're invited to extend to others the grace that's being given to you. You have the opportunity to carry on Christ's mission as a member of his body in the world, to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to all who are captive, the forgiveness of all sins in his name.

As a baptized witness to Christ, you can still have your favorite food. If Jesus offers us any hints, when we join him in the resurrection to come we might be able to chow down even then. God has claimed you all, and God will hold you and keep you as the person God made you to be. But slowly, and surely, beginning here in this water, God is making you like him, for there will be a day when you will see him as he is. For this we give our thanks, and praise. Amen.