“How Jesus Saves People”


Sermon Delivered By Rev. Dick Stetler – December 27, 2020

Centenary United Methodist Church

Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:21-35

     

    Luke's Gospel this morning mentions the first person to recognize Jesus as the Savior of people all over the world. This recognition took place at the Temple in Jerusalem where Mary and Joseph took baby Jesus to experience the ceremony of purification.  This ceremony had to take place 40 days after Jesus' birth.

    Shortly after Mary and Joseph arrived, an elderly prophet named Simeon noticed the baby.  He took the baby into his arms, looked into his eyes, and immediately connected with the spirit inside of the child.  Apparently, Simeon believed that he had been promised by God that he would live long enough to see
the Messiah.  Because of his connection with the baby, Simeon believed that he was holding the Messiah in his arms.  Simeon uttered this prayer:

Lord, you have kept your promise.  Now, I may die in peace.  With my own eyes I have seen the process by which your salvation will be accomplished, a salvation which you have prepared for all people.  You have given the world a light to reveal your will for the Gentiles and to bring glory to the people of Israel. (Luke 2:29f)

     As we enter the New Year, this is an excellent time for us to revisit this ancient insight.  The process of salvation has to do with everyone on this planet, not just a select group who refer to themselves as Christians.  Jesus came to save everyone by teaching them how to stop sabotaging their lives by their thoughts and emotions.

     While various Christian groups struggle with each other over the truth, we forget the basics of what Jesus taught.   In fact, rather than referring to what Jesus taught, we are more likely to refer to what later Christians said about Jesus.  The Dutch theologian, Erasmus, recognized this when he wrote:

Truly the yoke of Christ would be sweet if petty human institutions added nothing more to what he, himself taught.  He commanded people to do nothing more than love each other unconditionally.

     The proof of our faithfulness is not found in our beliefs but in how we behave toward one another.  Jesus knew that love was within us because he believed that we were created in the image of God. All that we needed to do was to allow our true identity to show up in all of life's circumstances.  This reality is true for all humanity regardless of how people cloister around their own religious beliefs. 

     An illustration of this universal truth has come from the teachings of a tribe of Native Americans.  One day a Cherokee Chief was teaching his grandson one of life's universal lessons.  As the two were hiking around the rim of a lake, the wise chief spoke: 

A mighty struggle is going on inside of me every day.  It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.  One wolf is filled with anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, deception, laziness, neediness, and arrogance.

 

The other wolf is filled with joy, peace, forgiveness, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, trust, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.  This same fight is going on inside of you and inside of everyone in every nation on the earth. 

     The grandson thought about this struggle for quite some time. Then he broke his silence and asked, "Grandfather, which wolf will win the struggle?"  The Cherokee Chief turned toward his grandson, placed his hands on his shoulders, looked at him squarely in his eyes and answered, "The one you feed my grandson! The one that you feed!"

     The mistake that many Christians make is to believe that Jesus saved believers by dying on the cross for their sins.  Believing in such a teaching is something Jesus never even remotely mentioned during his ministry.  That teaching arrived from later believers who needed an explanation for Jesus' death. Believers who became the followers of the Way of Jesus, understood Jesus' death as the sacrificial lamb who takes away the sins of the world. (John 1:29-30)

     Jesus, indeed, does this for people by teaching them that it is their responsibility to love one another with the same spirit he used while on that cross.  Every choice reveals who lives inside of them. No one is cleansed by Jesus' death on the cross unless they choose to forgive others unconditionally in the same forgiving spirit that Jesus did for the men who drove nails into his wrists and feet.  

     We often hear testimonies from people who are praising God for saving them because they have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savoir.  Their words are empty if they do nothing more than talk. Some of us may remember when two men went to the Temple to pray.  The one said:

I thank you God that I am not greedy, dishonest, or an adulterer like everyone else.  I thank you that I am not like that tax collector who is standing some distance away from me. I fast two days a week and give you one tenth of my income. (Luke 18:11f)

     With his head bowed in humility, the tax collector prayed, "God, forgive me for I have missed the mark with my thoughts and feelings so many times." (Luke 18:13)

     As we listen to the spirit of this proud Pharisee and the humble tax collector, we can hear the echo of the Cherokee Chief when he told his grandson which wolf would win the struggle going on inside of him, "The one you feed my grandson.   The one that you feed."

     Simeon had other words to say to Joseph and Mary about their newborn son:

This child has been chosen by God for the destruction and the salvation of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God which many people will speak against and so will reveal their hidden thoughts.  Sorrow, like a sharp sword, will pierce you own heart.  (Luke 2:34f)

     What was Simeon saying by using words like destruction and salvation.  Once again, we are forced to look at our attitudes that will define the spirit by which we live.  Simeon was saying that people have free will to be compassionate or judgmental toward one another. The first choice is to reflect the qualities found in the Kingdom of God. The second choice will define someone who is anchored to matters in the physical world.

    A number of years ago there was a restaurant waitress who discovered that one of her customers had left an envelope on the table containing $3,300. She immediately took the money to the manager for safe keeping until someone reclaimed it. What made her story so remarkable was not only her honesty but the circumstances surrounding her life.

    The waitress was struggling financially.  Her son had a congenital heart defect requiring surgery the day after he was born. The expensive procedure was not successful and the couple was told that their son would not live much longer. To make matters worse, when her husband asked to take time off from work for a couple of days to be with his family, he was fired from his job.

    When the community learned about the honesty of this woman coupled with the family's financial circumstances, her story began to spread over the news networks. Eventually, ABC News had the family appear on Good Morning, America.  Money has continued to pour in for the family ever since. The couple was referred to a surgeon at Stanford University Medical Center in California who performed another procedure on the couple's son that was successful.

    What was happening to the spirits of people when they learned about this family? Was God rewarding the waitress for her honesty?  Some people think so. Yet, Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God is within all of us. Our spirits can be awakened, stimulated, or inspired when we learn that by extending the love within us, we can brighten someone else's world.

    Charles Dickens understood this.  It took the three spirits from Christmas past, present, and future to awaken the spirit within Ebenezer Scrooge.  Such an understanding could not have been stirred into waking up had his spirit not been there from the beginning of Ebenezer's life. 

    This universal truth within each of us is what Jesus pointed to during his ministry.  For many people this universal truth is hidden from them and remains undeveloped. Jesus understood this when he quoted the Prophet Isaiah. (Matthew 13:14)

    By letting go of $3,300, her honesty, and unfortunate family difficulties, people everywhere were inspired to help a son and his parents.  These were people who were perfect strangers that possessed attitudes, beliefs, habits, and life styles that were miles apart.  Collectively, however, people sent more than enough money to cover all of the young family's debts with a lot more money to spare.

    What part of these complete strangers was being inspired?  Simeon provided the answer when he said, "With my own eyes I have seen the process by which salvation will be accomplished, a salvation which God has prepared for all people." Everyone has the potential to awaken their spirit, even when their compassion has remained dormant for many years.  

     Such love is within all of us. Now and then, something awakens us to reverse the energy flow of our living from life being all about me to being all about others. Suddenly, our world is a lot brighter because we have brought hope and light to someone else.  In the New Year, we may have a new habit to develop.

      

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER

Eternal and always faithful God, we thank you for moments of anticipation coupled with times of reflection.  We can dream about where we are going while recalling where we have been.  Throughout our journey, we have slowly discovered our meaning and purpose.  The New Year always provides us with moments to change uncertainties into opportunities.  Please give us the vision that will guide us to stretch by letting go of what cannot serve our growth.  As we leave our guilt and regrets behind, help us to remember, O God, that it is never too late to awaken to the reality of who we really are as your sons and daughters.  Amen.

     

PASTORAL PRAYER

Loving and always faithful God, how grateful we are that your signposts of guidance still direct the paths of those of us who choose to remain attached to your vine.  Truly life is much different when perceived through trust and faith in your abiding presence.   

During Christmas, we were reminded that you came to us through a form we could understand.  Your Son spoke in a language and used symbols that helped humanity to understand that each of us is related to you. The signposts during Lent remind us of the value of restraint, of reflection, of meditation, and of remembering who you called us to be.  The signpost of Good Friday lifts up the truth that we humans can radiate love's vast control over life while facing very challenging circumstances. Easter gave us a pearl of great price – the truth that our lives continue.  Nothing in our spirits can ever be threatened by the powers that have their origins from our illusion-filled material world.  

As we face the coming New Year, we thank you for the understanding that comes from learning from our mistakes.  We thank you for how our emotions and spirit can be drawn closer to you when others forgive us, when others love us, when others call us "friend," and when others glow around us because they enjoy being with us.  We thank you, God, for being exactly who you are and for giving us the vision to experience your revelations when they come to us. We pray these thoughts through the spirit of Jesus, the Christ, who taught us to say when we pray . . .