Today’s Scripture
Psalm 146 Acts 6:1-9; 7:2a, 51-60 1 Peter 2:2-10 John 14:1-14
While on a
vacation in the mountains, a Midwesterner got up very early to watch the
sunrise. It was then he found out that
you do not see the sunrise until much later in the morning. The mountains to the east blocked the actual
view of the sun for those first couple of hours.
So many
things in our lives are like that. We
keep looking for things but other things in this world stand in the way,
blocking the clear vision. That morning
the sun came up quite early. Its view
was just blocked. In the episode with
Stephen, he was stating clearly what Christ is all about. The temple leaders could not see the truth in
the message because what was in their minds stood in the way. The peer pressure among them stood in the way
of seeing God’s work of salvation.
The things
in this world and the struggles in life interfere with our view of
purpose. The lure of activities whether
sport, recreation, finances, hobbies, family and group activities, work, home
upkeep, and leisure often stand between one and the most important thing, God’s
love for you and God’s love for your neighbor in Jesus Christ. Easter focuses us beyond these temporary
things to the permanent and eternal things in heaven. But this is the fifth Sunday of Easter. The week of Jesus’ suffering and death and
the day of the resurrection are now glimpses in the rear view mirror and not
quite as up front as the first “Alleluia!
Christ is risen! - He is risen
indeed! Alleluia!” greeting
exchange.
This event
with Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is recorded so that today, you and I
can see through the events in our lives as Stephen saw through them in
his. He was boldly and confidently
following his Lord and Savior. He was
eager to proclaim the risen Savior to anyone and everyone. He knew that in many circles it was not popular nor acceptable to speak against false teachings
and practices that stood in the way of the truth of the Gospel. He knew that there is one path to salvation,
faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God who became man, suffered and died and
rose again, and ascended into heaven.
This Jesus is the one and only Messiah.
This Jesus is the one and only Savior.
This Jesus is the single gate to heaven.
This Jesus is the one shepherd of our souls. There is no other way. There is no other truth. There is no other light. There is no other way to the father except
through him because Jesus and the Father are one. And any and all who reject this message
reject the Savior and reject the one who sent him. And being rejected by God is an eternity in
Hell. Hell is just as real a place as
heaven.
As Stephen
was about to die, God gave him a special grace for all people to learn
from. God allowed him for that brief
moment to actually see and to tell those around him what was really
happening. He saw heaven open with the
glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God [v. 56]. Those around him refused to believe this
truth.
You and I
find it hard to see this truth at the time of a person’s death. We get caught up with the events that
surround a death. A childhood friend’s
wife just died in a motorcycle accident.
Rita’s cousin just died at age 58 after a struggle with Parkinson’s for
many years. Billy Schlaich
drowned just before we started our 7th grade year. Those earthly occurrences were like the
mountain at sunrise, keeping eyes from seeing what was really happening at that
moment. Instead, each one experienced
what Stephen did, heaven opening and Jesus standing at the right hand of
God.
We live by faith and not by
sight. We know the sun rises behind that
mountain range. We know that the waters
of baptism do wash all sins away and continue to each moment throughout a
person’s life. We know that Christ is
truly present in the bread he breaks and in the cup of wine he shares. We know that the message of one Lord, one
faith, one baptism, one God and
Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all, [Ephesians 4:5-6] is
not accepted as the one and only true faith that it is. That truth is hidden by so many other
thoughts and philosophies and teachings as Satan is so active trying to hinder
and break God’s will, that all who look to the son and believe on him will have
eternal life [John 6:40].
These
mountains stand in the way of living out and proclaiming faith in personal and
congregational lives. Each year we plan
budget which means mission and ministry in this place. Some of the mountains that block our vision
include the financial status of the congregation, some of our traditions, some
of our pet projects, some of our history, some of our fear of doing something
that isn’t like how we Lutherans always did it here, some of it is somebody
does it different there therefore we must do it the same here.
In Kankakee
County is a spot called Pilot Hill. The
local relief is a mere 100 feet. It does
not block sunrises and sunsets. But it
is visible for many miles. It is the
highest land form between Chicago and Springfield. A mere spot compared to the mountains out
west, it was named Pilot Hill as Indians and early settlers used it as a
landmark across the flat Illinois Prairies.
A hill
called Golgotha was not a very prominent spot, In fact, today we are not for sure
where it was/is. Nor do we know the
stable or house in Bethlehem, or the place in Egypt or home in Nazareth or the
tomb in the garden. But we do know what
happened in these places. And we can see
heaven open with Jesus preparing our places in the faith he gives us by the
Holy Spirit. We can see and read and listen
to the word. And in a couple of weeks
each one will remember his/her confirmation vows as Breanna,
Caitlyn, Jacob and Primarose state that they will
suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from this one true faith.
Let’s not
lose sight of Stephen. Let’s not lose
sight of what saved him and saves each one here, Christ who now sits at the
right hand of God and will come again in all heavenly glory to take all
believers to be with him.
In Jesus’ undying love. Amen.