The Lutheran Hour
-
"What Is Precious, Holds"
- Download MP3 Reflections
-
Text: 1 John 1: 1-3
-
Grace, mercy, and peace from our real, present Lord Jesus, Amen!
In the movie “Castaway,” Tom Hanks plays a character named Chuck Noland who works at FedEx. His job is to travel the world resolving productivity problems at various FedEx Depots. On an ill-timed Christmas trip to Malaysia, flying through a violent storm, his airplane crashes into the Pacific Ocean. He clings to life, floating in the middle of an ocean on a life raft and is finally washed up alive, though exhausted, on a deserted island. For four years he survives all alone on that island in the middle of nowhere. But, after years of unsuccessful attempts to escape, miraculously a gift of a makeshift sail washes up on shore, and he is finally able to make it out to sea. Even there, he almost dies, but somehow drifts into international shipping lanes, finally to be discovered by an ocean liner sailing back to America. Chuck, who was presumed dead, now may actually get back to Kelly, “the love of his life” and the life he once lived.
But, it’s at this point that the real human drama begins, I think. For upon returning to civilization, Chuck learns that he has long since been given up for dead; his family and friends held a funeral, Kelly finally got through her grief, and remarried, and now has a daughter with her new husband. The most dramatic scene in the movie is when Kelly receives a phone call, and can’t believe the voice on the other end. She answers, listens for a moment and then faints, falling to the floor. Chuck is really alive. It’s almost too hard to believe. Hearing his voice was overwhelming, But, later, seeing him is almost too much to bear. He’s right there. Chuck, the one whom she thought was dead, he is alive. She can see him, touch him, hear him, even kiss him again. Hard to believe, but true.
Almost beyond belief, but true. Can you imagine the emotion of that kind of reality? Can you even fathom the joy in the midst of that wonder? Well, I think that is merely a glimpse of the emotion of our Bible text for today. The Apostle John, one who literally walked with Jesus, sat at His feet, listened to His voice, this John writes to this church back in the first century, but even more importantly, to us, too, telling us about this Jesus, who is unique in all the world. He was not only a real Man; He was “God in the Flesh.” He was not just a Teacher or a Rabbi; He was the Word of life, this world’s only Lord and Savior.
This John, the last living apostle to witness the fullness of the life of Jesus, face to face, literally in the flesh, he writes this letter to encourage Christ’s people in the world.
He writes, to make his joy, their joy complete (1:4) as they share their common faith in Jesus; he writes to warn Christians then, as well as now, about false teachings, false leaders who would deny the uniqueness of this Jesus and lead people away from the grace that only He could give (2:26); He writes to give us what he himself has received….eternal life (5:13) and fellowship with God the Father through His Son Jesus.
And that’s what makes the beginning of this letter so unique. It is not a call to a unique piety. Lord knows there were many people then as now who have some new, secret, special plan to help you get your life in order with their advice and your best efforts. There were already people in John’s day saying that they had a secret knowledge that went beyond Jesus, a really Spiritual One, One that went beyond the message of mangers, crosses, and Saviors who come in the flesh.
John will have none of that. God’s Good News from heaven literally was born into our flesh, walked this earth, lived our life, died our death, and gives us His mercy, His grace, His life as a gift. God’s Good News is about Him, about who He is for us and for all.
John says, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched-this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.”
You might say that John is looking for a variety of ways to make sure that you hear what he’s saying about Jesus and His message for you. He talks about being in the presence of Jesus, but if you look at how he says it, it sounds kind of crude or at least it’s in a down to earth way of speaking. Why?
Well, because he wants you to know that concerning God’s life and salvation, this is as real as it gets. And this precious, Good News of God is something that you can truly, really receive.
Have you ever held something truly precious in your hands? That’s usually one of those experiences that you will never forget. Precious things that you are able to touch and hold; things that you able to bring near to your heart; wow, that’s very special!
Several years ago my daughter visited her maternal grandfather. He was a veteran of WWII who had literally hit the beaches at Normandy. He brought her over to the case where he kept his medals from battle. He took them out and put them in her hands. She was able to see history right there before her eyes; she was able to hold them gently in her hands. She said to me, if granddaddy left her anything, that would be the one thing that she would cherish, medals that he earned fighting for freedom, freedom that we enjoy today. Precious.
Or maybe it’s a special heirloom from your grandmother, grandfather, mom or dad, maybe it’s a special letter from the one you love. One that may have been written years ago, but that speaks clearly of a real love, a love that you can see in words, a love that’s real because it’s right there in your hands. Precious, wonderful.
Or, maybe it’s that newborn baby in a new mother’s arms, or that newborn grandchild in granddaddy’s hands. Now we’re really talking precious, aren’t we? That is the child that has been in a mother’s womb for 9 months, kicking, moving, and growing, but now there the child is, living and breathing on its own, yet still safe in a mother’s arms. Or that grandfather whose heart is melting because he literally is seeing life from both ends. As one get’s older, the real precious things become even more magnified in their realness in our lives.
You don’t just want to hold such things. You want to hold them dear! Such things are precious. Heirlooms, beloved trinkets, that have a special place on your mantle or a special place on the shelf in the living room. And the people who are precious in your life, you hold them dear in your heart.
But as true as all this is, the even greater Good News of this text is that God holds you dear in His hands, in His heart, through the Person and work of Jesus. John talks about having fellowship with these fellow believers but this is no general talk about relationships.
This is God’s offer to bond us together in the real Presence of His Son, our Savior. Fellowship with God is a reality that requires something spiritually tangible at the center, at the core, something from God, Himself, to hold us to Himself and to each other.
It is not a fellowship of our common memories or our common emotions, no matter how powerful they might be. It’s not even a fellowship of our common commitments. This is a fellowship that God, Himself, offers and creates in us and through us as we receive Him through common things like words, water, bread, and wine. It’s a common receiving of the real present Lord who forgives us each the same, who lives truly in us the same, and whose Spirit empowers us to be His people for others. Jesus is the Message and this Message can be received.
John is saying, that’s what’s most precious, almost too much to be believed, yet true.
Even in this modern world of brazen pride, where people often feel that all their problems are to be solved at the altar of their best efforts and wisdom, there are yet people who yearn to know what love is, what peace is, what forgiveness can really be in their lives. I pray that you are one of those people yearning to know such truth, such Good News.
That’s why John says it so plainly to us. He says, “We saw it, we lived it, we experienced it, we received it.” God’s love, mercy, grace, and peace has a Name, Jesus, the Christ, who actually walked our walk, breathed our air, ate our food, and gave us His life!
Kathy Troccoli, in her title song from her album, “Love Has A Name”, says this so beautifully in music. You know, the great thing about music, about psalms, hymns, and Spiritual songs, is that they say so beautifully, so clearly incredible Bible truths in the power, the joy that the garment of music can bring. She sings in well when she says,
“Love has a name, Love has a face
And when you know love, You know you’re not the same.
Love never dies, Love never leaves
And when hope is gone, Love will believe
Love every day, Gives love away, Love has a name….
Love came from heaven, and died for us all.
Now we are forgiven, By the Savior of the world, the Savior of the world.”I think that John would have loved it if someone would have put this text to music too. I think He wouldn’t have just said it, he would have sung it.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched-this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it, testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
So, be amazed anew with the Apostle John this morning. In fact, why not read the whole letter; it’s very short, but powerful. With John, then, “Look, touch, hold this incredible Messiah, Jesus to yourself in faith. He is God in the Flesh. He is the One who died, yet now He lives. He is the One who forgives, empowers, and blesses you as only He can.
Trust Him. Get to know Him through His Word; there is no Person like Him, there is no Savior like Him, there is no God like Him. Do you wish to know God? He wants to know you. Do you wish to find God? He wants to be found. He is a Savior who is coming to you today in the very words of this lesson, in the very words on this radio station so that you can know the One who wants to be known by you.
But be careful here my friend. Remember, the great Apostle John isn’t cajoling us to hold on to Jesus tighter. This isn’t some moralistic call to be a more concerned Christian about the things of Jesus, so that hopefully then and only then will Jesus bless you.
This is a message proclaiming the utter joy of knowing that Jesus wishes to come to you through His gifts, gifts put in your hands, into your eyes, into your hearts and minds to bring you to the joy of faith, to bless you by the power of His Spirit, to give you life, abundantly, now and forever.
In fact, the real power of the Christian life is to know that faith’s power is the strength of His grip of grace, His hold on your life. Don’t ever confuse the confidence that God wants for you to have in your walk of faith with Him with the power of your decisions, don’t ever give into the temptation that it has to do with the strength of your commitment to Him for whether you are weak or whether you are strong, remember, it is because of Jesus that you are the Lord’s. Even growing up and maturing in your walk with Him, is a daily call to remember the strength of His grip of grace in your life, the power of His mercy in your life.
And, sometimes it’s really good to know that my grip isn’t the key, isn’t it? Sometimes I’m just thankful that I’m still hanging on, or better that He’s got me even more strongly when I feel weak and overwhelmed. It takes the pressure off, doesn’t it? To know that our joy, our forgiveness, our peace is in His hands.
So, with eyes that can read His word, with a mind that can be led by His promises, with a mouth that can taste His grace in His supper, and with confidence that He holds on to me by the power of His Spirit, I can strive to live life faithfully, boldly, even courageously for His glory and for my neighbor’s good. This confidence doesn’t mean that Christians are content to be lazy or slothful in their lives of grace, but it is good to know that as we grab a hold of our lives of grace and try to live that life in God’s Spirit, it’s good to know that even there the strength of our grip isn’t the key!
Our light grip of faith, His sure grip of grace in action, in life, that’s the way to live life to its fullest. By God’s grace, don’t let go. Grab hold of your life confidently, joyfully, and lightly. Don’t grip too hard with a death grip or a vice grip as if God is trying to somehow take it from you even as He gives it to you. No, grip it confidently, lightly, because God’s got a hold of you surely. And, to use a golf metaphor, “Swing away.”
That was great advice given to one of the greatest golfers of all time, who sadly, may never be recognized as such. Why? Because at the most dramatic moments of his career. He faltered. Greg Norman was one of the greatest golfers to ever have played the game. Early in his career, the swashbuckling star burst on the golf scene from Australia with a game that many thought would land him someday in the same discussion as Nicklaus, Palmer, and Hogan. But that was not to be. Several times in his career, freak things began to happen to him or against him in the final rounds of major tournaments. Finally, one fateful day, he fell apart on the last round in one of the biggest tournaments of his life.
Jack Nicklaus, who many believe was the greatest golfer of all time, was rooting for him to succeed. He noticed that despite all of his talent, one thing continued to happen to him under pressure. That smooth, powerful swing suddenly was full of tension. So before the final round at the Masters, he was said to have told him, “Greg, don’t grip the club so hard. Lighten your grip; let the club do its work.” Well, sadly, whether he couldn’t or wouldn’t, Norman’s grip tightened that day and he lost it all.
The joy of our life in Jesus Christ is not even the strength of our faith grip of His grace; it is the real, present grace grip of His message in our lives. Nicklaus may have urged Norman to lighten his grip so that the club could do its work; John would tell us today to lighten our grip so that the cross, the Word of life, literally and truly in our lives, can do its work for us and through us to others.
John is proclaiming to you today a Word of life for your life. But it’s not merely a word on a page or a thought in our minds, this message is about a real Lord and Savior, one that John literally saw, touched, hugged, and held. It was precious in His hands. But the greatest news of all is that this Word, Jesus, came literally for John, to John. This Savior held on to him, preciously, graciously, mercifully, eternally, in words he could hear, water in which he could be washed, and bread and wine that he could receive. Let Jesus hold you today the same by His grace, receive all that He has come to give you by faith. Because He, the Precious One, the unique Savior for the whole world, He will never lose His grip on you! For that which is precious holds!
Amen.