Whose Child are You?

All Saints Day, 2011

1 John 3:1-3

“Whose Child are You?”

 

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

 

             They say that if you really want to know what a preacher is all about, or what is at the heart and center of his teaching, or if you really want to know what a church believes, teaches, and confesses, attend a funeral service at that church. Watch what happens at that funeral. Look at what the pastor does and listen to what he says. What hope is given, and on what basis? What doubts are alleviated? What does it all mean—life and death? What joy is expressed in Christ Jesus in the midst of the sorrow of the loss of a loved one? Are the bereaved family members left uncertain about the eternal destiny of their loved one—or worried if he or she did enough to earn heaven—or are they comforted by the Gospel? Are they directed to the good life, the good deeds, of the deceased or are they directed to the work of Christ? These are the kinds of things for which you’ll find a variety of answers, depending on what the preacher really believes deep down, or what a church really believes, teaches, and confesses.

             These kinds of questions are also relevant for us today as we observe All Saints’ Day. It’s a time of year when we think about those faithful departed who have gone on before us to be with Jesus. Since the third century, Christians have gathered together on a special day to remember and give thanks to God for those who’ve won the victory by faith and have gone on to rest from their labors in paradise; in heaven. But as we think about those saints who are now in heaven, we should also remember that the issues of life, death and salvation are relevant for us right here and now too.

             Where is your hope? Like many of you I have been to funerals at many different churches of many different denominations. It is unfortunate and sad that at many funerals I have come away thinking to myself “where is the hope?”

             One of the main issues goes back to the great Reformation and the Biblical teaching of Grace alone. The way we see things is to say “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” We think in terms of revenge or getting even…or in terms of justice being served. We believe that people should pay for their wrongdoing and that the punishment should fit the crime.

             All people are sinful and we all find a way to get locked into the vicious cycle of sin. When we do something wrong and realize it…we think we have to make up for our sins…we have to do something to pay for what we’ve done. But the more we struggle and depend on ourselves…the more deeply we find ourselves mired, sinking even more deeply. It’s like watching an Indiana Jones movie where Indy gets himself stuck in quicksand. The more Indy struggles to free himself from the quicksand…the deeper he sinks. That’s us when it comes to sin.

             But Grace isn’t about what we do. Grace isn’t about our actions. Grace is about God and what He does. The truth is that God the Father’s love for us is beyond human imagination. Listen again to the opening words of our lesson: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1) That love is hard to understand because we aren’t able to love like God. How can God love us when we reject Him, when we break His commandments, when we worship ourselves or our wants, when we do such evil and wicked things to one another or towards God?

             The world doesn’t understand Christianity. Often Christians are called “hypocrites” because we call ourselves “children of God” while sin is still evident in our lives. The world cannot understand how God can call us His children. This world doesn’t get us…and it doesn’t get God. “The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 John 3:1b) When you don’t know God…you cannot understand His love…love that is so marvelous that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) That is a God whose love for us is beyond comprehension.

             The bottom line is that God is the one who provides all things including “grace through faith” and a hope in things eternal that is sure and confident. Hope is a funny little word for us because we use it to mean something more akin to wishful thinking. We might say… “we hope mom brings pizza home for dinner” or “I hope the Cubs win the World Series next year.” Sometimes we lose sight of God’s promises and our “hope” turns to hopelessness.

             “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3)

             Hope in Scripture isn’t merely the power of “positive” or “wishful” thinking, but is really a spiritual gift, because it is based on something outside of us. God gives us true hope. Hope is ours because God has called us His children.  Hope is ours because we are not just called to be God’s children but have been made God’s children through Christ. Scriptural hope, therefore, is waiting for something with certainty!

             Our hope is certain for our hope is centered and built on Christ. Of this we are certain: Christ has died and is risen! We can boldly proclaim that all who have died in the faith are in heaven. There is no doubt…for they have been baptized into Christ Jesus and made children of God. “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:3-4)

             So on this All Saints’ Day, we have the answer to life’s—and death’s—bottom-line issues: seeing God for who he really is. We see him as a loving God, whose love is incompressible to those who don’t know him. He is a God who gives us hope. Not just a wishful thinking kind of hope, and not a hope in some utopian fantasy, but hope in the sense of an eager expectation that’s ours because we know we’re called and indeed are God’s children for we have been baptized [just like Luke Michael Stoll this morning] into Christ Jesus. Amen.

 

Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.