“Entertaining Angels Unawares” (Hebrews 13:1,2)

Hebrews 13:1,2

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Pastor Tom Johnson, August 28, 2016

Our Scripture says, “Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” The author of the letter to the Hebrews makes frequent mention of the Hebrew Scripture. He assumes a wealth of knowledge of the stories and teachings of the Bible beginning with Genesis. This reference to entertaining angels unawares is a clear reference to the story of Abraham’s nephew Lot who moves to Sodom.

Two angels are sent by God to Sodom. We know they are angels but they appear as ordinary men. Lot is the first to extend hospitality to these visitors. He invites them over for a meal, to spend the night, and then to be on their way in the morning. But other citizens of Sodom threaten them with violence. Everyone thinks that the two angels are two men not angels. That changes when the angels strike those that threatened them with blindness and rain down sulfur and fire upon the city and deliver Lot and his family to safety.

Hospitality to strangers is still a sacred value that many cultures in the Middle East. Marcus Lutrell in his book Lone Survivor talks about how he was almost killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan. But the Pashtun people protected him in the village. Their code to befriend perfect strangers saved this American soldier’s life. There is a similar value in the hearts and minds of individuals who stand by the shores of Greece to welcome strangers fleeing from the violence in Syria.

What is so remarkable about this kind of hospitality is that this kindness is extended to people whose stories, character, and intentions are completely unknown. Instead of crying “stranger danger” they are given the benefit of the doubt. Let’s be realistic. Who would know—who would care if many of these people's needs were ignored? And yet food, clothing, and shelter is given to people even if no one thanks them, rewards them, or puts their good deeds on the evening news. This is integrity: doing the right thing even though no one is watching—even if others may be indifferent, apathetic, or even hostile to strangers who come across our paths.

It may seem like a better strategy to assume the worst about people we don't know. They could be criminals or terrorists. The new hire at your workplace may threaten your long standing position. The people who moved in next door might disturb your peace and lower the value of your home. The individual walking through the doors of our church for the first time may be here to judge us to see if we are worthy to be their new church home.

But our Scripture says to show mutual love—to live by the Royal Law or Golden Rule to love our neighbor as ourselves. And not just our familiar neighbor but to the stranger, foreigner, and people of unknown repute. Here we are called to treat such people as potential angels not devils in disguise. God invites us to assume the best about others not the worst. The Holy Spirit wants to open us up to the blessings that are hidden in a new relationship not the dangers.

The word angel in Hebrew means messenger. God sends angels into our lives to bring us a message. That means that each person that comes across our path—even the needy ones—are there potentially to teach us something about God and ourselves. So you didn’t sign up for the church picnic. You did not even know about it. But you are welcome. Come join us. Be our guests. God wants to enlarge our world through your company. There is a blessing awaiting each new friend. Think about our guests at communist meals every Saturday. What Jesus said can become true every week: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Because when we live by grace we witness and participate in the work of God.

God loves surprises. He wants us to be poised for those hidden blessings behind every bush and every corner. This is what it means to entertain angels unawares: to open ourselves up to believe that God is at work often secretly and covertly to increase love, acceptance, and the experience of his grace in our daily lives—to assume the best about strangers—but even more importantly—assume the best about God and the message he is teaching us. God is sneaking his grace upon us. He brings us through difficult times, frightening experiences, and dark valleys. And he loves it when we look back and see his hand at work. We weren’t alone. He sent his angels. Maybe you were one of them.

Even though we may not recognize it at the time. We can say, “Look at how God was with me.” “Or look how God used me to assure someone of God’s love and presence.” He sends his angels into our lives even though we may not see it at the time. This is how the Gospel works. The good news of a person whose origin is unknown to us who crosses our path—like the teacher from Nazareth. Scripture says he came to his own but even his own did not receive him (John 1). “He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by people…we esteemed him not,” the prophet Isaiah says (53:2,3). But he is God’s Angel veiled in human flesh. He divinity is hidden behind his humanity. The eternal has invaded the temporal. And once our eyes, hearts, and hands are open to this peculiar God, we are surprised again by his amazing grace.

“Blood Speaks” (Hebrews 12:24)

“Blood Speaks,”

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Tom Johnson, August 21, 2016

“But you have come…to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” Hebrews 12:24

One of my professors in seminary was teaching about ministry in the parish, homes, and hospitals. He said, “Raise your hand if you’re squeamish.” Several of us raised our hands. He said, “Don’t become a pastor.” I suppose the same could be said for those training to become doctors, nurses, or first responders. The sight of blood can knock us over—to make us quickly depart the land of the conscious into darkness and unconsciousness. Blood not only carries a message; it can have a profound effect on you. Blood has a profound effect on God.

When the Cain killed his own brother, he spilled his blood on the ground. It was  the very first capital crime against humanity—just one generation past our first parents, Adam and Eve. Abel offered up an acceptable sacrifice. Cain didn’t. Cain was jealous of Abel, played God, deceptively led his brother to a hidden place, and permanently eliminated him. Cain felt he could keep his evil deed a secret.But God is all seeing and all hearing. He saw the crime. He heard Abel breathe his last. Cain could not hide, muffle, or silence his brother Abel’s blood. God said, “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.” Abel’s blood continued to speak, to tell a story, and to cry out. His blood cried out for justice, vengeance, retribution, and punishment. Sadly, the world has not changed much since that time.

The voice of blood still cries out death, calls for judgment and a yearning for the crime to be dealt with. That is the experience of the human struggle all around the world. The blood of the fallen is crying out all around the globe. God hears the blood crying out in the streets of Chicago and Syria. Even when it has little impact on some of us, it has a profound impact on God. He not only recognizes the voice of those who fall; it deeply moves him to grief. When blood cries out it often guarantees further cruelty, vengeance, and bloodshed. That is the human response: eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, blood for blood. Blood crying out keeps homes, neighborhoods, and entire nations and peoples trapped in a circle of violence.

This summer, multiple children have been caught in the crossfire—between rival gangs whose vicious circle of violence grows and claims the lives of more and more innocent children. Each gang takes their own vengeance back and claims more lives. The senseless death of a child produces a deafening cry of anguish. Just this week, a picture of five year old Omran in Syria covered in dust and blood produced worldwide outrage. His 10 year old older brother died when their home was bombed. Police have killed suspects. Shooters have killed police officers. And their blood cries out for justice. Senseless death demands explanation. The waste of human life is itself a call to do what we can to prevent it from happening again. Blood speaks. Something stirs in us. Something should stir within us. We should hear the blood. It says, “Something needs to be done. Justice needs to be done. This must stop. This cannot be allowed.” Innocent blood should call leaders, communities, churches, and individuals to action. If we are not careful, the blood will cry out for more senseless violence, vengeance, and retribution. But God says, “Vengeance is mine.”

That is the amazing thing about how God responds to the cry of Abel’s blood. Cain fears retribution and someone killing him for his crime. But even though God hears this cry for justice and bloodshed agains Cain, he spares Cain’s life and extends an extraordinary measure of mercy and love. And if that is not amazing enough, when God’s own Son, Jesus Christ is crucified—when the whole world puts him to death—when his blood is spilled after a mock trial and gruesome crucifixion, God hears the cry of his Blood.

Our scripture says, “You have come…to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” “You know that you were ransomed…not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18,19a). Do you also hear the cry of Jesus’ Blood? It still speaks today. It pleads for you. The cry of Jesus’ Blood is, our Scripture says, a better word. The Blood of Jesus does not escalate the cycle of violence, it ends the cycle of violence; his blood cries, “It is finished.” The Blood of Jesus does not demand vengeance or punishment but forgiveness: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” The Blood of Jesus does not cry out for justice and further death but eternal life: “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”

“God’s shattering Word,” Jeremiah 23:29

Jeremiah 23:23-29

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Pastor Tom Johnson, August 14, 2016

Earlier this year, those of us in the church office began to hear a knocking sound coming from the ground. Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat… It started early in the morning and continued until late at night. And it went on for days. And then for weeks. We put two and two together when walking by where the Jewel grocery store used to be. Pock-pock-pock-pock-pock-pock… It was deafening if you stood right by it. I caught a glimpse of this huge jackhammer which our structural engineers call a breaker—a large hydraulic hammer on the end of an excavator. We learned later that neighbors that live next door were compensated tens of thousands of dollars for the inconvenience. We at First Saint Paul’s received no such compensation. These huge hammers are used to break up concrete and rock. The old concrete and the embedded rock are removed. The noise and the disruption may at the time may seem disordered, chaotic, and a nuisance.

The Lord God says in our Scripture today that his Word is “like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces.” And, as we heard in our readings, God’s Word can be a bit troubling and disruptive to our lives. It can be confusing and painful to experience the hammer of God’s Word. Scripture pounds away at our hearts of stone. God breaks apart embedded sin deep within our lives. He challenges entrenched lies that deceive us. He tears apart bad alliances. He excavates debris that clutters and confuses us. He chips away at unbelief in our minds. He clears away wrong thinking. In the truest sense of the word, God deconstructs our lives. He dismantles old structures. He tears down dilapidated edifices. He stirs things up so that those things not needed may be more easily removed. Sometimes we hear the faint rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat… in the background of our lives. There are other times we experience the deafening pock-pock-pock-pock-pock-pock… up close and disturbingly close. But we should not be afraid. We should not fear. We should not demand compensation for our troubles. This is not divine vandalism. God’s Word is hammering away, yes. But he is dealing directly with our hearts of stone and our rocks for brains.

At the time of Jeremiah, a hammer was in the hand of a stonemason may have also seemed to be only a destructive tool. But it is a necessary step in building. It is not the end but the beginning of a project. Stonemasons took hammers to rock to clear a way for a stronger foundation. They chiseled away at stones so that they would fit tightly together—block upon block—fitting each piece together to make a secure wall.


So God’s Word hammers away. It takes aim at the lies in order to speak the truth in love. He pounds away at the old to prepare for the new. He takes away the debris to give us something better, more useful, and for our good. God’s hammer removes obstacles that are in the way of better things. He will lay a more solid foundation in its place. The uncomfortable work of the Law serves to bring the comfort of the Gospel.

Ironically, just as we were driving up LaSalle this morning to worship, we saw and heard another one of these jackhammers pounding away. Even though much smaller, it reminded of the work being done just one block away for those weeks. Since that breaker was pounded away at the concrete and rock—soon after the oversized jackhammer stopped its assault on the ground and our eardrums, there was much quieter activity. We could see concrete trucks moving in and out of the area. We could hear workers speaking loudly over their machinery. And because of that deep and firm foundation, it seems like floor upon floor has just sprung out of the ground.

So Jesus says he makes all things new. He takes out our hearts of stone and puts in a heart of flesh. He sends his hammer but also the mortar to bind us together. He lays the foundation of his perfect life, death, and resurrection. He secures the foundation with the cornerstone of forgiveness as the true Messiah. And prepares a place for us—a place for us to come together as the Body of Christ—the Temple of the Holy Spirit. And he assures us that we have a place to call home now. The hammer will no longer need to strike at the rock and stones in our lives. Jesus will have made all things new. We will dwell with him—and he with us—forever.

“By Faith” (Hebrews 11:1-16)

Hebrews 11:1-16

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Pastor Tom Johnson, August 7, 2016

There are thousands of voices all around us every day calling us to live our lives by faith. All you need to do is drive down the expressway and read the bulletin boards calling you to live your life by faith. Or turn on your television or radio. And you will hear the many calls for us to live by faith. The call to faith is always joined with a promise—a promise in something not yet seen so that we will look forward to a greater reality. Get your education here and you will have a well-paid, happy career. Drive this car and you will experience great comfort and prestige. Put this perfume on—put this deodorant on and people will be drawn to you.

But this call to faith in a promise of a greater reality may betray us. The time and money we invest in higher education may not give us our dream job. The transmission may fail while we are still making car payments. People seem no more attracted to you now than when emitted your own “natural” body odor. We all live by faith in someone or something—there is some promise of a greater reality that we are living for and living toward. We may live by faith in the promise of wealth. We may live by faith in a promise of better health. The artist lives by faith in greater creative genius. The musician lives by faith in greater musical expression—the athlete in greater physical domination—the politician in greater public approval and influence—the student in greater academic performance—These are all promises that we live by faith in and live in the hope that we will soon see realized. As the writer of Hebrews says, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

God’s call to live by faith can be difficult. We may never see the complete fulfillment of God’s promise—generation after generation of Christians never have realized and experienced God’s promise to bring about complete world peace. Abraham and Sarah lived their lives by faith and hope in God’s promises. Our Scripture reminds us that they died before seeing the fulfillment of what they lived for and lived toward. Because the promise God transcends this life and lifetime. And so God is calling us to live by faith. He is calling us to live our lives believing that he is Creator of heaven and earth—that everything in the universe is designed and made by him—he wants us to live our lives in hope of a promise—the promise he has made. This is no promise on a billboard—that may or may not happen—this is no promise that may be here today but gone tomorrow. This is the promise of his Son, Jesus Christ. It’s the promise of the forgiveness of sins—something that is invisible—immeasurable—but something we receive by faith. We have that peace that surpasses understanding because we know that God accepts us even though we are broken and fall short of who we are called and meant to be. We believe and experience—in part—this restored relationship.

What God has ultimately promised is something very concrete and clear. The end of our scripture passage says, “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, indeed, he has prepared a city for them.” I could not help but think of Jesus similar words in John 14, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” God has prepared for us a city—the New Jerusalem—a city full of riches, feasts, and restored relationships—a mansion with many rooms—a place where God will wipe away every tear from our eyes and we will no longer live in sadness and have to cope with a broken world full of broken promises. We are citizens and occupants of this far-off city. We are tenants in this new building project Jesus is building in heaven. But we do not yet live there by our presence there—we live by faith. Our joy and excitement are still high, because the Builder of our new home and city is the same Builder of the universe. We have new life. We have a new city that awaits us. We live by faith now. We trust in the one who is faithful. We already experience the faith-filled joy. We will not be disappointed. We have the assurance that we will soon live in the full reality of his new creation.

“Rich toward God” (Luke 12:13-21)

Luke 12:13-21

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Pastor Tom Johnson, July 31, 2016

It’s not the response the person wanted from Jesus. Jesus will not tell the man’s brother to divide the inheritance with him. Instead of solving the argument, Jesus will reveal the source of conflict. Jesus warns the man and the crowd of the danger of greed. “Watch out,” Jesus says, “Guard your hearts and minds from the deceptive power of greed.” Greed has a way of sneaking into our hearts, Jesus warns. Greed can keep us from living life meaningfully. “One’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Life is not about the stuff we own—material wealth—our money or belongings. Life is not a game or a race to see who gets the most stuff. And so Jesus tells a parable to illustrate his point. A rich man has such a good harvest that he does not have enough room to store it. He decides to tear down the old barns and build larger ones. Seems harmless enough. The problem is the inner dialogue that God hears—his heart which God knows. “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” “You’ve got it made now,” he says to himself, “you are can look forward to a long life of plenty, pleasure, and happiness.” “You fool!” God interrupts his thoughts, “This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?”

Jesus tells this story point out the rich man’s poverty. He, in fact, is not rich in life—he is poor. He lives in poverty. And he will soon die in poverty. He is poor in relationships. He is so lonely that all his conversation is with himself. He has no business partners to negotiate with. He has no friends to consult with. God’s words, “The things you have prepared, whose will they be?” is a disturbing question. It seems that he has no family—no one to give his things as an inheritance. He is so self-centered that has no friends or family or he has driven them all away. He is not unlike the man who began this conversation. He also seems to have the same poverty of relationships. He is fighting his brother over the stuff left behind presumably after their father or mother died—two children torn apart by greed. The rich man is poor in wisdom. He does not seem to realize how short life can be. He takes his good health for granted. He does not invest his money but hoards it. He seems to think that this one year of plenty is a guarantee of years of plenty to come. The rich man is poor in generosity. He is not concerned with sharing his wealth with family, friends, or strangers. Those who may be starving or hungry for his surplus of food do not even seem to cross his mind. The rich man is poor in faith. That is, he does not trust in God for his things and his future but his good fortune. He is poor in humility—giving himself credit and himself the pat on the back. He is poor in thanksgiving to God for all his blessings. He is poor in praise—he does not give God the glory for richly providing for his needs of the body. He is poor in prayer—instead of speaking to God he speaks to himself without realizing that God knows every thought and intention of the heart. He is poor in mission—he does not seem to know that we are all called to be a blessing to others.

You’ll remember that Jesus tells this parable to the man who had a dispute with his brother over an inheritance. He tells this parable to the crowds. And now Luke includes it in his Gospel so that we all can be warned about the deceitfulness of riches. James in his letter gives the same warning:

“Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up, and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away” (James 1:9-11).

That is not to say it is a sin to be wealthy. It is not a sin to build barns or save. It is a warning that riches are fleeting, life is short, and we should not be so preoccupied with things of this world that we forget about the things of God. “So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God”—rich toward God. Jesus ends his lesson on this profound phrase “rich toward God.” But what does it mean? And how can I amass this wealth toward God? It is already ours in Christ. It has already been given. God has enriched this world. God continues to enrich us. God has made us rich in his Son, Jesus Christ.

God enriches our lives with wisdom. We realize how short life can be. God enriches our lives with generosity. We want to give back because of all we have been given. God enriches our lives with faith. We trust in God to take us through years of plenty and years of want. God enriches our lives with humility. We know that it is only by God’s grace and mercy that we live and love God and our neighbor. God enriches our lives with thanksgiving. We have all we need for this body and life because of him. God enriches our lives with praise. We give God alone the glory for enriching our lives now into eternity. God enriches our lives with prayer. We have someone to talk to—our Creator and Redeemer in a daily, hourly, minute by minute relationship. God enriches our lives with mission. We get to enrich the lives of those around us. We are so richly blessed. In Christ, we so richly bless. We are rich toward God.