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SERMON for FEBRUARY 7, 2021
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SERMON FOR FEBRUARY 7, 2021
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Preparation for Worship
We are here to worship God. We are here to be the body of Christ.
We profess: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all. [Ephesians 4: 5-6]
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord and Savior, we gather to:
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LIFTING UP
Texts: Isaiah 40: 21-31; Mark 1: 29-39
Jesus goes to the home of the fishermen brothers Simon Peter and Andrew, along with James and John, to rest and eat, to restore their souls and bodies before launching out on the mission to which Jesus has called them, that is, proclaiming the good news that the kingdom of heaven is at hand – then and there. In Jesus of Nazareth, they hear and see and know that God is with them – lifting them up with power, strength, and hope – blessing and equipping them with resources of faith and life hitherto unknown. Jesus calls the fishermen to follow Him, and they drop their nets, leave their boats, and go with Jesus, like other disciples in their times and since then, to destinations yet unknown and very unclear. They discover that the path of discipleship is life-changing, incredibly challenging yet immensely rewarding.
In the synagogue of Capernaum, along with others gathered there, they see and hear Jesus speaking with compelling authority, unlike that of others. They also witness Jesus casting out an unclean spirit, one of many exorcisms that will follow. Clearly, God’s kingdom is manifest in their presence, lifting up those with eyes to see and ears to hear these signs of God’s power at work in their midst.
Afterward, Simon and Andrew invite Jesus, James, and John to their home. They discover that Simon’s mother-in-law is in bed with a fever. Let us remember that it would be almost two thousand years later before the invention of antibiotics and fever-reducing medications that we take for granted. Penicillin was discovered in 1928, only around one hundred years ago, and then, as now, it took time for that medication to be manufactured and distributed. In biblical times, having a fever could be a matter of life and death.
Jesus takes Simon’s mother-in-law by the hand and lifts her up from the bed. The fever leaves her, and she begins to serve Jesus, her son-in-law Simon, and the other fishermen. News travels fast from that home and from the local synagogue. In their community, the power of God is at work in Jesus of Nazareth, the power to heal the sick, cure the lame, and cast out demons. People gather outside the door of Simon’s home, waiting with hope - to be healed from diseases, to be freed from chronic conditions and demon possession, to be lifted up from despair and darkness into the Lord’s life-changing and love-giving presence.
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40: 28-31
The prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled in their midst in Jesus of Nazareth, the One whose identity and mission have not yet been fully revealed. It is early in His ministry, and it will be approximately three years before Jesus is lifted up high, lifted up on Calvary, where He will bear our sins in His body on the cross, that we might be dead to sin and alive to all that is good. [cf. I Peter 2: 24] The day of Jesus’ crucifixion lies ahead, as does the day when Christ the Lord will be resurrected from the dead.
In the words of the Apostle Paul: “We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death He died; He died to sin, once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6: 9-11
From that time forward and forever after, those who wait for the Lord, with listening hearts and discerning minds, discover how the Lord is lifting us up – to new life, with strength and courage to handle challenges and adversity, with healing power in His wake to resurrect us from death to life, with the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. [cf. Hebrews 11:1] After Jesus lifts up Simon’s mother-in-law and heals her, she begins to serve the Lord and His disciples. After Jesus lifts us up and heals us, with grateful hearts, we serve one another, with Christ’s power, strength, and hope. In the name of Jesus, we bless and heal when we offer the Lord’s grace and mercy, peace and hope, love and joy – to one another, especially to the most vulnerable in our midst and in our world. Gathered outside the doors of our hearts and homes are so many who long to be touched by the Lord’s presence and transformed by His resurrection power. In the name of Jesus, let us love and serve God by loving and serving one another. Amen.
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Preparation for Worship
We are here to worship God. We are here to be the body of Christ.
We profess: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all. [Ephesians 4: 5-6]
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord and Savior, we gather to:
- Embody hope.
- Practice peace.
- Spark joy.
- Shine love.
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LIFTING UP
Texts: Isaiah 40: 21-31; Mark 1: 29-39
Jesus goes to the home of the fishermen brothers Simon Peter and Andrew, along with James and John, to rest and eat, to restore their souls and bodies before launching out on the mission to which Jesus has called them, that is, proclaiming the good news that the kingdom of heaven is at hand – then and there. In Jesus of Nazareth, they hear and see and know that God is with them – lifting them up with power, strength, and hope – blessing and equipping them with resources of faith and life hitherto unknown. Jesus calls the fishermen to follow Him, and they drop their nets, leave their boats, and go with Jesus, like other disciples in their times and since then, to destinations yet unknown and very unclear. They discover that the path of discipleship is life-changing, incredibly challenging yet immensely rewarding.
In the synagogue of Capernaum, along with others gathered there, they see and hear Jesus speaking with compelling authority, unlike that of others. They also witness Jesus casting out an unclean spirit, one of many exorcisms that will follow. Clearly, God’s kingdom is manifest in their presence, lifting up those with eyes to see and ears to hear these signs of God’s power at work in their midst.
Afterward, Simon and Andrew invite Jesus, James, and John to their home. They discover that Simon’s mother-in-law is in bed with a fever. Let us remember that it would be almost two thousand years later before the invention of antibiotics and fever-reducing medications that we take for granted. Penicillin was discovered in 1928, only around one hundred years ago, and then, as now, it took time for that medication to be manufactured and distributed. In biblical times, having a fever could be a matter of life and death.
Jesus takes Simon’s mother-in-law by the hand and lifts her up from the bed. The fever leaves her, and she begins to serve Jesus, her son-in-law Simon, and the other fishermen. News travels fast from that home and from the local synagogue. In their community, the power of God is at work in Jesus of Nazareth, the power to heal the sick, cure the lame, and cast out demons. People gather outside the door of Simon’s home, waiting with hope - to be healed from diseases, to be freed from chronic conditions and demon possession, to be lifted up from despair and darkness into the Lord’s life-changing and love-giving presence.
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40: 28-31
The prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled in their midst in Jesus of Nazareth, the One whose identity and mission have not yet been fully revealed. It is early in His ministry, and it will be approximately three years before Jesus is lifted up high, lifted up on Calvary, where He will bear our sins in His body on the cross, that we might be dead to sin and alive to all that is good. [cf. I Peter 2: 24] The day of Jesus’ crucifixion lies ahead, as does the day when Christ the Lord will be resurrected from the dead.
In the words of the Apostle Paul: “We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death He died; He died to sin, once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6: 9-11
From that time forward and forever after, those who wait for the Lord, with listening hearts and discerning minds, discover how the Lord is lifting us up – to new life, with strength and courage to handle challenges and adversity, with healing power in His wake to resurrect us from death to life, with the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. [cf. Hebrews 11:1] After Jesus lifts up Simon’s mother-in-law and heals her, she begins to serve the Lord and His disciples. After Jesus lifts us up and heals us, with grateful hearts, we serve one another, with Christ’s power, strength, and hope. In the name of Jesus, we bless and heal when we offer the Lord’s grace and mercy, peace and hope, love and joy – to one another, especially to the most vulnerable in our midst and in our world. Gathered outside the doors of our hearts and homes are so many who long to be touched by the Lord’s presence and transformed by His resurrection power. In the name of Jesus, let us love and serve God by loving and serving one another. Amen.