St. Luke Ev. Lutheran Church

Sermon delivered by Pastor Anthony E. Schultz

Easter 5 Series A. April 24, 2005 John 14:1-6

”Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

People of God—rescued from the flaming lake of fire in hell by the innocent blood of the very Lamb of God:

Pastor Gartner—last week—talked about the man who found $2,000 in the pocket of a shirt at a Goodwill second hand store. Remember? They were talking about that on the radio the other morning—what would you do if you found $2,000? One lady called in and said she found a $1 in church when she was little. She took that $1—she stole it—and went out and bought some candy. And now—today—years and years later—she still feels guilty about that $1! How sad is that? But do you know how that feels? Is there something you did when you were little—and you still feel regret and remorse? Some time when you told your parents that you hated them? Some time when you were a teenager and you drank a whole bunch of alcohol or tried some drugs or had “hugs and kisses” with someone and now you are painfully ashamed? Some time when you were on a business trip far from home—or in the military and were stationed far from home—some time when you marriage was going through a rough patch—and you were unfaithful—some time when you were at work—and a bunch of money was just sitting there—and you jammed it into your pocket and never ever told anyone? Do you know how it feels—to have something in your past—and your mental DVD player replays that scene again and again? Today—God’s Word is powerful pure Gospel comfort:

Don’t Let Your Heart Be Troubled!

1. Jesus is the Way

2. Jesus is the Truth

3. Jesus is the Life

Today and with Jesus’ permission the last two Sundays of Easter, too, we have Gospel readings that are words of comfort, encouragement and instruction that Jesus spoke to his disciples on the night Jesus was betrayed. With undeniable passion Jesus must have spoken these words—knowing full well what was next. His disciples sleeping when he asked them to watch and pray. Judas’ betrayal, his arrest by the Jews—his disciples running away in the night in plain panic. Then John and Simon Peter—staying just close enough to see what was going on. Simon Peter—in spite of his great self-confidence—cursing and swearing—“I don’t know know the man!” Soon there would be the trial before Annis, then Caiaphas, then Pilate, then Herod, then Pilate again. There would be terrible physical abuse—beating and scourging and spitting. The crown of thorns and the cross itself would not be the worst of it. The worst would be the heart ache and heart break from bearing all our guilt and shame! Even as all this suffering and agony were just ahead—Jesus’ concern remained his disciples! And that makes perfect sense—in this—all that Jesus was about to suffer—was because of his great love for the 12 and for us!
”Do not let your hearts be troubled.” A troubled heart is a terrible thing! Troubled is like stress! Look up stress on the Internet and you will learn there have been more than 300 studies conducted over the last 30 years—all reaching the same conclusion—that stress can be very bad for your immune system—stress can be very bad for your health! Did you know that? I did! What I didn’t know—was that scientists have a really hard time trying to explain what stress is. They “define stress as circumstances that most people would find stressful, that is, stressors!” What they do agree on is—there’s all kinds of stress. It’s stress that causes your body to increase the delivery of oxygen and glucose to the heart and the large muscles. Stress causes that “fight or flight” debate to happen. Am I going to have to stand here and defend myself—or should I run for my life? Is my stress acute—time limited—like public speaking, or the dentist’s drill or at the hospital going into some tube where I get claustrophobic—or the behind the wheel driver’s test. Is it stress event sequence—like our spouse dies or there is a Tsunami or a tornado—and now there are going to be a bunch of troubles for days or weeks or months or more—everything is going to be different and we wonder how are we going to cope? There is chronic stress—the kind so basic and fundamental—it’s like you have to reinvent yourself. The kind of stress that maybe it will go away—or maybe it won’t—or maybe you know it won’t ever go away—like you are in a horrible car crash—and lose a limb or lose your sight. Maybe your spouse has severe dementia—and it’s only going to get worse. Or maybe you are a refugee forced out of your country by war! There are distant stressors—like something horrible happened when you were little—someone did something unspeakable to you—or you witnessed the death of a fellow soldier during combat—or you were a prisoner of war! Compared to that—company dropping in—and your house is messed up is pretty small potatoes. Traffic tickets and a stove that’s on the fritz are pretty small potatoes—don’t you think? To people confronted with stress Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.”

In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. Jesus promises us a happy ending—a home in Heaven. We finished our first volume in the Lemony Snicket books—a Series of Unfortunate Events. About 5 pages from the end it says—if you want a happy ending—stop reading here—because to go to the real end—is to read a sad—unpleasant unhappy—a tragic end. Our life will have a happy ending. We will live happily ever after—in heaven. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. We have a permanent place in heaven—not a place to sleep on a couch. Not a tent in the back yard. Not a pop-up camper in the driveway. We have a home in Heaven—because Jesus made one for you and for me.

Jesus promised, “I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Once again the disciples didn’t get it. Once again Thomas is the one to ask. It was like Jesus telling Nicodemus—you must be born again—and Nicodemus wondering how am I going to get back inside my mother’s tummy and be born again? Thomas was thinking this is a map quest question—and we don’t know what destination to punch in. Notice how patient Jesus is. He doesn’t call Thomas a Charlie Brown blockhead. Jesus explains with gentleness. “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

I am the way. Jesus is the way—not one way—but the way—the only way. There are in this world of 6 billion people—literally billions of people who are looking for heaven in all the wrong places. If you go to Madison—you will this symbol, ornament, decoration that looks like a tracing of a left hand with a design in the palm of the hand. It’s the symbol of a religion called Jainism. Jainism began come 420 years before baby Jesus was born. It began in India with a guy named Vardhamana—the last Jina in a series of 24. He claimed to have achieved enlightenment—after 13 years of depriving himself. He committed the act of salekhana—fasting—starving himself to death… He taught that you will be reincarnated. His followers practice fruititarianism. Do you know what that is? Fruititarianism? It means only eating that which will not kill the plant or animal from which it is taken. So milk and cheese are ok—but not meat. You can eat apples and peaches—but not radishes or beets or potatoes or sweet corn. They practice ahimsa—non-violence—to the point that slapping a mosquito creates bad karma. Did you know that? There are literally billions of people on the face of the earth—in India and Africa—in South America—and in Watertown—who don’t know that Jesus is their Savior. You don’t need to graduate from the Seminary—to tell your friends, your co-workers—your relatives and in-laws that Jesus is the only Way to Heaven. In simple, fundamental essential terms you can tell them about Christmas, about Good Friday and Easter, about Ascension and Pentecost—about Moses and Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah—about God’s Word. You need to read your Bible. And the powerful truths you learn about law and Gospel will change your heart, your life, your family, your friends.

Jesus said, “I am the truth.” The truth! Remember the cynical Pontius Pilate? “What is truth?” On April 13^th the Boston Globe published an article by a lady named Barbara. It was an article that recounted in painful detail the harvesting of baby seals off Newfoundland. It talked about the color of the ocean water as some 300 boats picked up the little baby seals. It was horrible! The problem is—the weather was so bad on Tuesday—that it was rescheduled—rescheduled for Friday! Apparently the newspaper knew their reporter wasn’t there. It was enough for her to report what she was certain was going to happen—in a way that would please their readers! How terrible is that? The truth? It’s hard to know where to begin! Sometimes there is not much truth in Washington or in Madison. There isn’t much truth on TV—people lying, committing adultery, taking human life—and you don’t see the painful consequences. You see people abusing drugs and alcohol and tobacco—and there are no painful consequences. You see people mocking and ridiculing Jesus—and there are no painful consequences. Jesus is the truth—the truth of the Gospel. Jesus is the Son of God who will come again in power and great glory—to judge the living and the dead. That’s the truth.

Jesus said, “I am the life.” Life—quality of life—quantity of life. You hear about that all the time! Maybe you know this—in England you can get an abortion—no questions asked—up until a baby is 24 weeks old—in their mother’s tummy. After 24 weeks—there is the distinct possibility that you could make it outside your mother’s tummy. After that you can get an abortion—only when “there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped.” Seriously handicapped? There was an abortion in England the other day—because it was determined the baby would be born with the smallest flaw—the tiniest flaw in its lip! The truth is—every single one of us is flawed—not just flawed on the outside. Quantity of life is so important—so precious—so much in need of protection—because the quantity of life is our time of grace. Jesus makes us strong enough to endure—when the quality of our life isn’t the quality we would like. Our time of grace is our time of grace is the time Jesus gives us—to come to faith and to share our faith. No one—no one except Jesus has the right to cut that time short! Immortal souls are at stake!

Jesus said, “Don’t let your heart be troubled…” Attitude! Attitude! Attitude! God’s Word is all about attitude! Jesus lived and died and lives again—washing away all my sins. This is both reason and energy to live for Jesus. Did you hear about the guy who wants to get a driver’s license? He can’t read so he has to take an oral exam. He can’t read the rules of the road—so he learns by trial and error what the right answers are. 271 times he fails. Over a period of 5 years—271 failures—before his 272^nd try—he gets the minimum score. Next step? Passing the behind the wheel test! What’s he discussing with his wife—what kind of car to buy when he gets his license! Here is a humble gentle confidence. Don’t be discouraged! Jesus is with you! Don’t give up! Jesus is with you! Don’t be worried and don’t be afraid. Jesus isn’t just preparing the way to heaven for you. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Amen!

To God alone all glory!

Rev. Anthony E. Schultz