Luke
11:1-13
Jesus
Loves Me – This I know
Jesus
loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.
Little
ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong.
Yes,
Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me.
The Bible
tells me so.
Was it a book? Or a bumper sticker? Or merely a moment of honest reflection which
served to remind us all that “Everything I needed to know, I learned in
kindergarten?” How old were you when you
learned the words to “Jesus Loves Me”? I
can’t remember not knowing this song. It
has been with me from the very beginning.
Everything I learned in seminary or from reading books has only served
to reinforce the undeniable truths revealed in this simple children’s
song. Jesus loves me, this I know….
My hope and prayer for this final
sermon I preach as your pastor, is that nothing else I have said or preached or
taught has implied that anything is more important in understanding what it
means to be a Christian. Jesus loves
us. Loves us so deeply that he steps in
and takes the pain and suffering upon himself which was intended for us. The whole of what it means to be a follower
of Jesus is to know that we are loved and loved this deeply.
I did not pick the lessons for this
farewell sermon, but I could not have picked a better one. Luke 11:1-13 is all about being loved. The giving of The Lord’s Prayer and the
content of The Lord’s Prayer reinforce an understanding of relationship built
upon love.
The Lord’s Prayer is shared with
the disciples when one of them comes to Jesus and says: “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught
his disciples.” Jesus tells them to
speak to God as they would speak to a loving parent.
We don’t know the style or content
of the prayers that John taught his disciples.
We do know some of the things that John preached. We would have to wonder whether the things he
said in his sermons impacted his prayer life and his instructions on
prayer.
John is the fiery preacher who
warns everyone to repent. He regularly
greets those who come out to him with questions like “Who warned you to flee
from the wrath to come?” We do not
know the style or content of the prayers taught by John, but we do know the
style and content of the way Jesus says his followers should pray.
“When you pray, say: ‘Our Father’…..” And every petition which follows is an
invitation and an instruction on what it means to have a God who loves us and
cares about us and is attentive to the cares and concerns and celebrations of
our lives.
“Our Father in heaven……”
Again, we don’t know the content of
John’s prayers nor do we have the content of the prayers which would have been
heard in weekly worship. But we do have
what Jesus says about the religious elite who liked to stand in public places
and impress others with their long prayers and self-congratulatory expressions of
piety.
This is not good, nor is it the
model one ought to follow. When you
pray, you need not have lofty expressions of religious zibber-zabber. Speak to God as you would speak to those
whose love you have the opportunity to experience every day.
Look back at your bible, or the
printed verses in your bulletin. Luke
follows the giving of the words of The Lord’s Prayer with instructions from
Jesus on how this prayer might be lived out or experienced. There is the story of the friend who has need
– even in the middle of the night! There
is an acknowledgement of what earthly parents will do to provide for their
children. Luke then asks, “If you
then, who are evil (perhaps a bit of an overstatement), know how to give good
gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to those who ask him!”
Everything every preacher might
want to say or attempt to say you have already learned. You had it down pat, memorized, as soon as
you could sing, Yes loves me, this is
know…..
I don’t mean to take swats at paper
tigers, but I would like to devote a few paragraphs to how easily this core
affirmation is placed in peril. It is
way too simple. And, as a result, there
have been and will continue to be attempts to add just a little bit more or to
pretend there is another side to the coin.
“Jesus loves you – but do you love
him back?”
“Jesus loves you – does your life
reflect that love?
“Jesus love you – therefore he has
to punish you when you fall short or back-slide.”
It is true and it is undeniable
that when we know we are loved and when we receive the gift of love our lives
are changed. There ought to be a change
or many alterations in the life of someone who is loved by God and experiences
that love. Now, it is possible (and does
sometimes happen) that even when someone is loved, they are unable or unwilling
to receive that love. When love is not
received, it is often possible to see the ill effects of that rejection in the
life of the one for whom the love was intended.
But what the intended recipient of the love does has no effect or
capacity to alter the love being offered or the lover who freely gives.
God does not love us only if we
love in return. God does not punish us
for failing to recognize the gift being extended to us. It is a missed opportunity. And those who live without the constant assurance
that they are loved break the very heart of God. Never do they anger God and result in God’s
withdrawing that love.
At the core of this theological
movement and tradition associated with the name of Martin Luther is that one
simple message: God’s grace is freely
poured upon all the earth. That grace
will continue to come to us, regardless of how we receive or respond.
Jesus loves me.
Another retiring preacher wrote: “As
I grow older I believe fewer things, but I believe them more fervently.” It is tempting to try to pour as much
information and knowledge as possible into the hearts and minds of one’s fellow
congregants. But as with last week’s
message to Martha, “Only one thing is needful.”
Know that you are loved.
My hope and prayer for this farewell
sermon is you will remember how deeply I have loved you and how grateful I am
for your love of me and Laura and our family.
It is a gift, to be asked to serve
as “Pastor.” The gift is the opportunity
to spend every day and every moment and every exchange basking in the ability
of God’s love to change lives and to change the world which God has created.
Thank you for giving me this
gift. My hope and prayer is that my
words my actions my work has made it possible for you to know…..
Jesus
loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.
Little
ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong.
Yes,
Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves
me. Yes, Jesus loves me.
The Bible
tells me so.
Amen.
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