1030am Sunday 1-31-20

The good news according to Mark in the first chapter.

They went to Capernaum. And when the Sabbath came he entered the synagogue and taught they were astounded at his teaching for he taught them as one having Authority and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with unclean spirit and he cried out. What have you to do with us Jesus of Nazareth. Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One of God. But Jesus rebuked him saying be silent and come out of him. The unclean Spirit convulsing him and crying with a loud voice came out of him. They were all amazed and they kept on asking one another. What is this a new teaching with authority He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him. At once his Fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee. This is the gospel of Our Lord.

So far in this Epiphany season, we have had a number of Quick really quick Snippets of how Jesus got ready for Ministry. We heard first of John the Baptist and it's called of the people to repent and to prepare for the coming of the Messiah and then we had Jesus's baptism in the River Jordan and we know between from then on he went into 40 days 40 nights in the wilderness and he went there to pray and to prepare himself. He was sent there by the spirits and he was tempted by the Devil Himself. But still he came again quickly to find his first four disciples according to Mark. He is really more effective disciples. It seems to start his ministry and it seems immediately in Mark, but she uses a lot. Jesus goes to the synagogue with his disciples to teach astounding the elders with his authority as he expounded upon the scriptures and the meaning of them.

It would be much like for them as it would be for us. If we were to have a book club and say get together into overall the the reasons why the author said this and that the meaning behind the words only to have the author show up and then to express to us what the other was doing why the author wrote what he or she really had written? And his words are her words would be quite weighty and certainly believable and full of authority. It was the author himself or herself so too much. He's reading the scriptures in his interpretation of them the people understood that he newest stuff. Why wouldn't he? He is the word incarnate according to St. John. He is God in the flesh made manifest before their eyes. And we are told by the gospel martyr Mark nothing about what Jesus has done. We have only our imaginations to draw on and I imagine what Jesus said was full of grace and truth according to God's own self. Not a word of law upon blah at the scribes and I do but full of the radical saving nature of God and God's people not full of do's and don'ts at a matter of Soul Grace love. We are going to live by his kind of Truth. Jesus has the Salvation that comes through him as he gave up his life for us at calvary's Cross and the husband conditional love that. He has bestowed upon us. God has given us to the Sun. So I asked what is it like to live according to God's way of truth and life has offered to the Sun. How are we to bring God's truth to bear in our lives sometimes when we seem so confused by all of it. Well in our new testament reading from 1st Corinthians to where the early church was faced with a religious and cultural dilemma. Should a Christian eat meat sacrificed to idols? And the social situation of that day is that in Corinth? There were a large number of pagan temples and lots of sacrifices going on sheep schows goats oxen. It was in the marketplace that the meat was found and available to be sold. And if one wanted to be able to feed their family even once a week meet, which was the standard they had to go to the market to buy this food sacrificed to idols. Now some Christians. They had it all straight. They were a little puffed up in their thinking and their knowledge of God and what God would want them to do that. They thought they could eat the meat. Sacrifice to Pagan idols and because Pagan Idols don't exist. The others in the congregation at the church, they were not so sure. They were worried that they might fall into sin. The sin of worshipping Idols probably came from families and histories where the pagans were worshiping and sacrificing in their previous lives. But because the good fresh vegetables that they had turn to being there Mainstay of food. We're not as available all year round their diets were not all that great. But the puffed-up ones unfortunately be little little ones who avoided eating those the tainted Meat Saint Paul himself even said that he would have no problem eating meat sacrificed to idols. But he had compassion care love for those who could not the weaker members of the congregation. So refer to in the letter probably a word brought up by the current church. He overall dreaded being a stumbling block to new Christians ever. He would not do anything through his writings. You can see to not cause anyone a new believer to be afraid or lost. Having learned this from godson this generosity of God because it was God's son who met him on the road to Damascus. And certainly when Paul was all hell-bent on taking out every Christian he could he was given the grace and love of God by Jesus converted to become a Christian himself a follower of Christ. He had clung to the law himself over and against the love of God and Jesus. And then still was saved brought to be a leader in Apostle of sorts to the new church because of it. T'pol new Believers needed to know God's love and the mercy of God. Most of all. And someone responds to those in the Corinthians Church who would ask him what to do in this situation. How are they going to live according to this religious and social divisive issue that was hitting the church. And he spoke to what? Builds a strong community of Believers and disregarded what puffs up those who seem to have the knowledge of how God would handle it. He spoke with care and concern for the weaker ones who were confused how to live according to God's better way of truth and life still getting their feet down as new Christians. He followed the way of Jesus who had cared for the outcast than the directed them hurting the sick and the needy throughout his ministry. So st. Paul did as Jesus had done for him no longer clinging to the laws of Jewish laws, but clinging to the greater law of love. Love God first. Love your neighbor, as you have been loved he became a proclaimer of God's love over hypocrisy and self-righteousness something that digs in all of us. Jesus, you know asked lots of questions who is my mother who are my brothers? Who do you say that I am? Today we are asked the question. Who is your neighbor? And how are you going to take care of their tender needs? Principal addressed his letter to the Corinthian Church dealt with the issue of eating meat or not and dealt then more deeply with the deeper issue that was happening in Corinth itself the meaning of how to love one another. And how to be a community together. He says whether we eat the food or not to these pagan gods we must first live up to the truth. The center core of God's love for us as found in Jesus Christ to out of his love for us has taken our sinfulness upon himself right to the cross of Calvary and died a horrible death for us and yet has loved us through the resurrection called us to New Life is available to all who believe in him and follow him in his way and truth and unconditional love unconditional love it is and so we are to love as we've been called and loved by God. That means that if something like Pagan meat causes the other to stumble. Don't eat the meat don't hold it over them Lord it over them the fact that you do and thereby you show love and concern for the other. In our lives, we are met with lots and lots of shoulds the outside world presses in on us, Austin. And yet we must treat others with the love that we ourselves seek to receive. And in so doing the community itself will Christ your community. Our communities are churches do such things as welcoming The Stranger people of all sizes and shapes colors sexual orientation all people just as it says under your reconciled and Christ declaration. And God's called a love love all kinds all types of people.

As allowed in this congregation. It is also called many more to do even more than that and you can see it right before you buy their gifts of money. Gifs of music get some Electronics over there in that moose and over here broadcasting the ability to care for the use in children by supporting your Ministries who leave those things the ability that's so together little pieces of fabric. And make a quilt. To be able to teach all kinds of Ages. and needs to care for those in Need by all of these kits. I think I have health gets out here school kids baby kids all kinds of wonderful kits and yet those have been gathered by people who give their time to collect them to buy them to send them to those. They will never ever have a chance to see Think of the people you have just prepared to touch to this gift. because of God's love we step over the cultural boundaries religious boundary sexual differences familial divisions past present and future foe pause sins and we celebrate the miracle of Our Lord as seen today in the way that Jesus could have walked away in the synagogue for that terrible accusations of that demonic man, but instead he chose to heal them to overcome the demon within to free him as Jesus has freed us of our little demons that dig in us so that we are able to live because all the live as freely able to seek his way of love over and against and above the things that we think might seem to be more proper to do or say two instead always seek his truth his way of the good the unconditional love that he gives us that becomes so infused and us so that no one no one will miss his call to come and follow him as he has done to us. Inclusion, love grace and mercy who's out of his people. And we give thanks for it for it was first Jesus, you know who made sure the least of his followers the blind the weak the poor the Misunderstood the lame the rejected that they were given equal status along with those who had touted their power over them. Jesus was and he has his own authority even over demonic influences even over death itself. It was Jesus who lived and acted in the mines and the ways of the one who had sent him the creator of everything right down to you and I it is this one Cheese's the Christ Son of God on him to light up a piffany shines again today and may we see his light and rejoice in it and then shine his light as you have been doing continue to do so his light of Grace and Truth and others who are in need of it. I have been privileged to stand before you in the last few weeks. I have been moved by the spirit who comes and dwells in this congregation in this church. I feel it. I know it and I know that there are many many more good things that are going to come out of the generosity in the love in the grace and mercy that has filled all of you. Give thanks for it rejoices today with us all I'm just a little sign of it today. I'm in. Thank you, Pastor Marty.