“Not Orphaned” John 14:15-21

John 14:15-21

Listen to Sermon

Pastor Tom Johnson, May 21, 2017

Jesus prepares his disciples for life after his death and resurrection. This is life in Christ after his resurrection. This is life in Christ that flows from the strength of his resurrection. It is a profound life in Christ. He gives many assurances of his continued grace and presence. He includes the Father, himself, and the Spirit. He wants us to know just how secure our life is in him. He tells us what he will do. But he also tells us what he will not do. “I will not leave you orphaned.” He will not abandon us. He will not leave us as motherless and fatherless children.

The great standard for justice in the Old Testament is not to oppress the widow and fatherless but to care for them. He calls on God’s people to feed, clothe, and nurture orphans. I was surprised to learn who the widows and fatherless are in the Bible. They are the most vulnerable in society—mostly, they are single moms and their children. And they are alone and uncared for for the same reasons today. One or both of the parents may not be ready the responsibility of raising a child. A parent may not be capable of being the nurturer and provider. It could be due to illness, death, incarceration, addiction, neglect, or apathy. For whatever reason, the parent does not show up for the child.

You may have heard that Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois have to close nine of their social service organizations. One of them is Lutherbrook. These are children who are in the foster care system. Most of them have been in a dozen or more different foster homes. Members of our congregation and I have been partners in this ministry for years. And now, because the State of Illinois is not fulfilling its pledge to fund Lutherbrook, they believe their only option is to close. These kids are the fatherless and orphans. One of the heartbreaking things I hear from the kids is their prayer requests when I do chapel and ask how I can pray for them: “That God would help me find a family.” “That my mom would stop drinking or doing drugs so I can go home.” “That my dad would get out of prison soon.” These parents love their kids but in many cases are struggling to be the parents they want to be. Lutherbrook is planning to close. But, thankfully, Lutheran Child and Family Services still plans to help the kids. They will not leave them as orphans. We as the people of God have this same call to care and nurture the young and vulnerable. When we receive a small child in Jesus’ name, we receive Jesus himself, he says. And the truth is—on some level—we all live with fear and anxiety of abandonment. At our core we are wounded children looking for a place to belong. Sin, death, and our spiritual enemies threaten to cut us off from our families. The African American song from slavery resonates with all humanity: “Sometimes I feel like a motherless child.” Jesus says, “I will not leave you orphaned.”

Jesus is the fulfillment of the proverb, “There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother” (Prov 18:24b). And another proverb, “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in” (Prov 27:10). God calls us to love one another—to be community together. We are the body of Christ. We are God’s family. Just moments from now, we will pledge to assist parents to support and pray for Harrison’s new life in Christ. In Baptism, God adopts us as his children and together we are members of the family of faith.  Jesus’ words here are so profound and comforting. He gives us a peek into the mystery of the Holy Trinity—the Father who sends his Son and the Holy Spirit. He calls the Spirit the Advocate who is with us forever. Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in him. Jesus is in us. And we are in him. All this to say, he is with us. We are not alone. We are accepted. We are forgiven. We are adopted. We are family. We have a reliable, heavenly Parent flowing from the mystery of our Triune God. He will not leave us as orphans.

Fast bound in Satan’s chains I lay;  
Death brooded darkly o’er me.
Sin was my torment night and day;  
In sin my mother bore me.
But daily deeper still I fell;  
My life became a living hell,
So firmly sin possessed me.

To me He said: “Stay close to me,  
I am your rock and castle.
Your ransom I Myself will be;  
For you I strive and wrestle.
For I am yours, and you are Mine,  
And where I am you may remain.
The foe shall not divide us.         
            (“Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice” LSB 556 vv. 2 & 7)