THE WORD 4 ev 1

Today’s Reading is Luke 12 (click here for link).

Perhaps I have mentioned this before, but I am an avid gardener. I mean it! Much to my wife’s dismay, I have transformed more than half of our back yard into garden soil. In fact, Pam was making fun me last night for spending half an hour looking at heirloom seeds online. (Call me a dork if you like, but I just couldn’t decide which ones I wanted to grow this year.)

Well, those who know me best know that if it hadn’t been for the Lord calling me to ministry, I would have wound up a farmer of some sort. And, while getting out and getting dirty is one of the most relaxing things I can think of to relieve a stressful week, nevertheless, gardening and church work don’t always go well together. Why? Well, the busiest times of the year in the church—Lent and Easter—just so happens to coincide with the busiest time of the gardening season—Spring! All this beautiful weather has made getting dressed and heading into the office particularly difficult these days. But I am sure all of you outdoorsy people in understand my struggles. Spring is just an addictive, period.

However, there is no better time to celebrate the highest season of the Church year. It is Easter now. Easter and spring go together like seeds and soil. The new growth of flowers and plants and the spring birth of animal life in one sense is a great reminder of our gift of life in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His emerging from the tomb of death into glorious life means new life for each of us. Let me repeat that again… It means new life for each of us… NOW! Easter is not just about eternal life, it is about NEW LIFE. REAL LIFE!

Now, while we must as be careful not to let little bunnies and eggs and the silliness of the secular world overshadow our true reason for celebrating Easter, nonetheless, take joy in the beauty of spring and never forget that new life is yours in Christ—life which will always emerge from death and darkness.

But let’s explore this a little bit more:

In our reading today, Jesus gives his disciples (and all who hear) a lesson on resurrection living—even though his resurrection has not yet happened. Jesus understands that death and darkness are yet to come. He says, “I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed” (vs. 50). In fact, this world is—and will always be—characterized by death and darkness. And while baptism does mean we have the hope of eternal life, we must not forget that our baptism does not release us from death but rather, forever connects us to death—Jesus’s death (Romans 6). Like winter is necessary for spring, so death now, because of sin, is necessary for life in God’s salvation plan.

He calls us today to have eyes that see life even in death, light even in darkness. Our baptism promises life even in death. Thus our lives are now lived seeing life even in what seems hopeless death. How else could Christians deal with the evil things that happen in this world? Therefore, Jesus, says be watchful and be ready! Don’t worry, even when the darkness in life seems great. Troubles and worries and calamity will always seem eminent. Every day has its own set of problems. But God calls us to see beyond the events of days and directs our attention to eternity. In God’s great time, the darkness of winter will give way to the eternal life of spring.

Yes, Jesus has much to say to us today. Resurrection life in this world is not going to be easy. Living for life in a world of death never is. But don’t be afraid. No amount of death or darkness can separate you from Him. He is risen! Alleluia!

Now, I wonder how long those seeds are going to take to get here?

Have a great day,
Pastor Aaron