ASH WEDNESDAY

Places of the Passion: A Place at the Table for You

Wednesday, February 25, 2004

Rev. Ronald Burcham

Typed from audio transcript

He sits down, and he looks around him and all he sees is the slop and the mess and the mud and the sewage and the pigs running happily through the whole thing. They're delighted, you see. He just got done feeding them. But for him, his stomach tightens up because he hasn't eaten for days. He looks at their mess, and it almost seems enticing to him. But then he pauses for a moment, and he starts to remember. He starts to think back. And although he's surrounded by the stench of the hogs and the sewage, he can almost smell, he almost catches a whiff of the odor coming from the kitchen as the meal was being prepared. He sees in his own mind's eye the family room and the dining room and there the table is all set. In the background, he can see his father and his brother. They're joking together in one corner. The table looks magnificent, and he remembers what Sunday nights were like, to sit down to a wonderful meal, to enjoy some conversations with Dad and Mom and his brother, to joke around a little bit, to feel the love and the warmth of that place, to have that special connection that seems to only happen at the family table. Somehow, it just sort of takes place when you're gathered around food and drink and, all of a sudden, family becomes real to you.

As he sits there among the pigs, he wonders how did he get this way? What happened? How could he be so far away? It seems like it was only yesterday that he was sitting there at the table, but it wasn't yesterday. It wasn't last week. It wasn't last month. It seems like a long time ago that he sat there. What happened? He comes to the conclusion that it all began really because of his own fear, because he was afraid. He was afraid that life was passing him by. His fear was that, while he was still yet young, he wouldn't be able to experience the world and all that it had to offer for him. He was afraid that, because of his father's strictness, because of all of his rules, he'd miss out; he'd be robbed of his youth and all the fun and excitement that the world had to offer. It was because he was afraid, afraid that he was going to miss out, that he'd be robbed of something that should be his. He remembers how that fear was an open door. It was an open door for the deadly foe, the devil, to step in. And the devil convinced him and rationalized all of his decisions, told him that he was exactly right in all the things he wanted to do and told him it was his privilege, it was his right, it was his obligation to go out into the world. He even tried forcing his father, telling his father, demanding of him that he's going to go out. He didn't care about his rules. Even to the day that he decided he would demand his trust in whole. He knew the trust that had been set up. He knew how it was supposed to be divvied out, so he told his father he'd had enough. He wanted his fair share, and he wanted it now. And he took the money and he turned his back and he walked out.

And now he sits among the pigs. What began with fear has now turned into a different kind of fear. He was afraid at one time he was missing out, and now he's afraid that he can never return. He's afraid that he'll never know again the smell of the cooking coming from the kitchen. He's fearful that never again will he sit at the table and know the warmth of the love of his family. What began with fear goes full circle, comes back to a different kind of fear.

It began for fear for the chief priest and the teachers of the law. Scripture says that they were afraid of the people. Afraid of the people? These are the chief priests, the teachers of the law. These are the leading citizens of Jerusalem. These are the head people in the religious community. These are the folks who walk around with their flowing robes and their tassels hanging from the tops of their heads. These are the ones who were respected by all. These are the ones who were experts at the law. So when people saw them coming, they dodged in fear because they knew God's law inside and out. They could quote it, chapter and verse, to every situation. They could cut a person to pieces just by saying the right thing at the right time. They afraid? These were the people who stood out in the temple courts, raised up their hands, and openly said, "Thank God I'm not like all the other sinners." And yet scripture says they were afraid. What were they afraid of? They were afraid they were going to lose something they had. They were fearful that something was going to be taken away from them. People no longer were coming to them. People were going to this Jesus. People were listening to Jesus. People were being healed by Jesus. People were traveling around the countryside following this Jesus. No longer did the people look to them for their teachings. Instead, they looked to Jesus to point out all of their self-righteousness and all of the contradictions in their lives. They were afraid. They were afraid if this Jesus went on too far, the whole life they knew, everything they valued, could be taken away from them.

That was an open door for the foe. That was an open door for the devil to come in and the devil to tell them they had to do something about that, and you better believe they rationalized it all out in their mind, that they were doing the right thing, they were doing the godly thing. They were going to rid the people of this false teacher, Jesus. You can believe the devil convinced them down to their soul that what they were doing was a godly act, but it was the foe at work, twisting things, rationalizing, justifying actions, even to the point that, if they had to use force, so be it. Did you notice when Judas came in, who greets him? He's greeted by the temple guards, officers of the temple. They would get rid of Jesus one way or another. If it meant by force, then so be it by force. But Judas took care of that, didn't he? It was just simply a financial matter at that point. For a few shekels, Judas would betray Him. The crowds would not be around, and they would have their way. Jesus would be taken care of. So it finally came down to just finances.

While all of Jerusalem was making preparations for the Passover, they were making plans for murder. It's a deadly combination. You have fear. You have the foe. You have force. And you have finances. You put them all together, and it's deadly. It all begins with fear, though, doesn't it? It begins with fear for you and me, fear that we're going to miss out, fear that we're going to lose something. It's the father who drives up to pick up his son from soccer practice, and he remembers back when he used to pick him up, his son would come trotting across the field, waving his hand, couldn't wait to get in the car with Dad. And from the moment he got into the passenger's seat, he was just nonstop babble, talking about his teammates, talking about practice, talking about the upcoming games, and all the way home, they would laugh and talk about everything to do with soccer. But now the father pulls up, and he thinks, "Most days, I don't pick him up because he wants to catch a ride with somebody else. He wants to ride home with his friends or go over to their house." And when he does drive by to pick him up, he darts across as quick as he can, he ducks inside the car, and he slouches down in the seat because he doesn't want his friends to know that he's with his dad. All of a sudden, the father is fearful and he's afraid. He's afraid he's losing his son. He's afraid he's losing this special relationship with this boy. He doesn't want to lose that. He wants to hold onto it, so he resorts to force. "You are going to tell me what's happening in practice. I want to know. How did the game go? Who scored how many points? What was their defense like?" And then he'll resort to finances. "You know, I paid for your equipment." And the foe comes in, and the devil gets into the mix of all of it. And pretty soon there's anger and there's harsh words. And all of a sudden, there's a bruised relationship between father and son. And now there's a deadly silence on the way home. It all started with fear, and it led for an open door for the foe. And then we use force, and we might even bring in finances. And then it ends with fear, because now we're afraid we went too far and the relationship will never be the same as it was before.

What has fear done in your life? What have you been afraid of losing? What have you been afraid that's going to be taken away from you? How often have you tried to use force to hang onto it? How many times have you opened up the door for the foe, for the devil, to come in and to rationalize and justify every action you do? Sure, you knew what you were doing was wrong but, after all, you had no choice you tell yourself. You had to do this. You had to say that. You needed to make that point. Doesn't what starts with fear usually end with fear because then are you afraid you've gone too far, that the relationship is broken? Or maybe even have you been afraid you've gone too far for God and you can't return back to Him?

Fear. The foe. Force. Finances. It's deadly. And yet, in the midst of all of that, in the midst of our fear, in the midst of the working of the foe, even in the midst of force being used all around Him and finances taking place, God is at work. God was at work even when the chief priests were plotting to kill him and Judas was sitting there to betray Him. In the midst of all of that, God was at work. Jesus sends Peter and John ahead to make preparations for the Passover, the Passover which symbolized for the Hebrew nation God's greatest act of grace and mercy, His great saving act of taking the people out of 400 years of slavery, delivering them out of the hands of the Egyptians, and taking them to the Promise Land. That night when the angel of death passed over and no harm befell any of the Hebrews, that meal they celebrated every year to remember God's grace and mercy to them, to remember God's love, in the midst of all the work of the devil, in the midst of all the plotting that's taking place, Jesus prepares a table and He prepares a meal.

Did you ever think that while the chief priests were plotting for murder, Jesus was making preparations to bring life? That while Judas was preparing to betray Him, Jesus was setting a place for him at His table? That even though Jesus knew Judas would betray Him with a kiss, but yet He set out a place for him at His table that night and He expected him to be there. But Judas chose not to. He chose to leave early.

Tonight Jesus sets a table for us again. He sets the table for us, and we can come to Him with all of our fears and all of our anxieties, and He wants us to know that we're expected and that there is a place at the table for you tonight, that you are always welcome at Jesus' table. He makes the invitation sincerely to you this evening, to come to His table and to partake of what He has to offer to you. No matter how much you have feared in the past, He wants you to come to the table. No matter how much the foe has had his way with you, no matter how many times you have turned to force or you have turned your back on God and you've given in to the schemes of the devil and you've turned yourself away from what God wanted you to do, Jesus still has a place at the table for you. He says you can always come back home, that there'll always be a spot reserved for you. Because at Jesus' table tonight, there's more than just physical food that's being offered to us. There's spiritual nourishment. For Jesus tells us that in, with, and under that bread and wine is the very body and blood of Jesus Himself, the very sacrifice He made for you and for the forgiveness of your sins. Jesus comes to you to demonstrate to you in a personal way His love and forgiveness and to show you just how welcome you are at His table.

You know, the son was pretty surprised when he returned home and he left the hogs behind. But as he came up the driveway, he didn't know what to expect. He didn't know whether he'd be let in the front door or not after what he had done, but he had to give it a chance. You can imagine his surprise when the door flung open and the father rushed outside the door and embraced his son. And then, in the middle of that embrace, the son could smell, coming from the kitchen, dinner was being cooked and it was all of his favorite dishes. And imagine his surprise when he walked through the door and he looked over at the table and there was a place that was set for him because he was expected and he was welcome. He was home.

Tonight, when you come up to the table, there is a place that's set for you. You're expected and you're welcome because you'll be home. Amen.

Copyright 2004 Gloria Dei Lutheran Church