The Lutheran Hour
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"A Surprising Life For You"
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Text: Luke 7:1-10
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Grace, mercy, and peace to you in the Name of Jesus who brings life and salvation to life for all who believe in Him. Amen!
There are times when life can surprise you, can’t it? There are people who can surprise you as well. You know, they are the kind of folks who do things a whole lot differently than others.
Like David. He was a man who lived in the same small house for nearly forty years. He and his wife built it in 1957. It overlooked a simple orchard. The living room was modest even by 1957 standards. The simple furniture had been around for a long time. In fact, the kitchen’s old linoleum looked antique compared to the designer kitchens of today. No one would ever have imagined that David was a billionaire, yet that’s what he was. When David Packard died in 1996, he left his $5.6 billion estate to a charitable foundation. You see, David Packard helped found a little company called HP, Hewlett-Packard, the computer giant.
This man wasn’t flashy, self-absorbed, or arrogant. He didn’t gather around him all the trappings of success. It was counter to what people might expect from a billionaire. But that’s what made him such a good leader. As James Collins points out in his book Good to Great, solid leaders tend to live surprising lives.
Surprised? Well, then, what do you think about Ken? He helped grow his steel corporation into a multi-billion dollar, Fortune 500 Company. But, instead of fancy corporate headquarters, the tiny corporate staff used a rented office space the size of a small dental practice. Instead of an executive dining room, Ken and his executives entertained dignitaries at Phil’s Diner, a small sandwich shop right next door. In his personal life, Ken lived in a small simple house that he had had for a long time. It only had a carport, so, from time to time, he had to scrape his windows with a credit card when the weather got chilly; just like us. That’s the surprising life of Ken Iverson-one-time head of the Nucor Steel Company.
Surprised? I am. Those two lived very surprising lives, didn’t they? Their lives make us think, they cause us to ponder the deeper things in life.
And in Luke chapter seven, we meet another very surprising individual. He was one that even surprised Jesus. Luke tells it this way: (Jesus) entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.’ And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Jesus, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.’
The centurion led a surprising life. He was a Roman official, but he showed love to the locals.
The elders called him worthy, but he sent word to Jesus that he wasn’t worthy at all to have Jesus come under his roof. He was a master of hardened Roman troops, but he had a tender heart toward his young servant. He understood the chain of command and the facts of military life, but he believed that Jesus could work a miracle that was beyond explanation.
Luke tells us that Jesus marveled at this man. He was blown away by such a surprising life.
Isn’t it wonderful to meet people who have surprising lives? They call us to attention. They make us look at our lives in comparison. They may even challenge us to change the way we see things and do things!But our text for today says even more. Today you get to meet the most surprising life of all, the One who astonished the centurion in our text. The Man’s name? Jesus, God in the flesh, come to save you and me!
The Bible testifies that He is truly and completely God, but set such status aside for a time, becoming not only a human being, but a servant who gave His life for us all, unworthy sinners. He deserved a palace, riches, and all the world’s praise, but He passed it all by to heal the sick, take time for children, hang out with outcasts, and give His life on a torturous cross for the forgiveness of our sins. He should have reveled in all heaven’s glory as the Creator of the universe, but He sacrificed it all to be born in a humble manger, to live a common life as a carpenter, to suffer wounds that healed us, and die like a criminal so that we may live brand new lives by His grace.
Now that’s a surprising life! And the life of Jesus doesn’t just call us to marvel or merely imitate Him, His life calls us, like the centurion, to believe in Him, to put our trust in Him for everything!
So, what about our lives? What about your life? What about my life today?You know, it’s funny, with all the technologies, with all the choices, with all the opportunities of our so-called modern world, many live very bland, predicable, eventless lives. In fact, our world and culture do not move in the direction of creating surprising lives. If anything, our world is always trying to make each life very predictable. We are taught to strive for what the world defines as success and fulfillment. We are told to look a certain way and dress a certain way. We are directed to spend money on the latest things. We’re even taught what happiness means. It’s not long-term relationships today, it’s fun, it’s excitement, it’s whatever makes you feel happy at the moment, no matter what it does to others or to your relationship with God, the One who created you for an eternal, purposeful life. Our goal today is supposed to be personal happiness and comfort.
So, driving that must-have car that projects your image, rather than living within your means, that’s not surprising. Socializing with people who are in the social level you desire, rather than really caring for the people in your life, that’s not surprising. Thinking of yourself first is not surprising. Telling a few white lies to keep your image intact is not surprising. Speaking negatively about someone else to make yourself look good is not surprising. In fact, we have whole TV shows designed to teach you just how to do that!
What I think is so tragically amusing today is that people think that somehow this shocks God or shocks godly people. Nothing could be further from the truth. None of this is surprising at all. The Bible states it plainly: “There is none who does good, not even one” (Psalms 14:3). When we live sinfully predictable lives, when we live lives hell-bent on rebellion, we actually live down to our sinful heritage; since Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden, our sinful selfishness has been very predictable. Even Jesus knew His disciples would abandon Him. No surprise.
But there are still surprising lives in this sinfully predicable world, aren’t there? I guess their lives kind of jump out at us because of that.Think about the dad who works two or three jobs to earn enough to send his kids to parochial school because he wants them to know about the Lord who loves them, now that’s a surprising life.
Or how about that grandmother who spends her days on her knees in prayer for her grandkids, now that’s a surprising life.I’m sure you’ve known that person who trusted in God so much that they didn’t become a statistic, but give up their addiction, struggling victorious to live one day at a time in God’s grace, now that’s a surprising life.
And then there’s that couple who reject the modern-day sexual devolution and libertinism, as husband and wife they tenaciously strive to stay faithful and loving to each other through five or six decades of marriage, now, sadly, that today is a surprising life.
You see, God doesn’t produce the predictable. In Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, He crafts and forms lives that are completely surprising. He produces lives like that and more!
They are lives of self-sacrifice, lives of love, that’s for sure. But they are lives devoted, trusting, and obedient to God for their very lives! And Jesus encountered such a man… one who didn’t have the pedigree of the promised people, one who even set aside his power and position in trusting in Jesus as Lord. Amazingly, it pleasantly surprised even Jesus.
Just think about what the centurion could have done. He could have arrogantly commanded Jesus to appear before him and work His wonders. Or he could have let his servant in his
household just pass away, because, for him, there were more where he came from. Or he could have mustered up his power and connections to buy the best medicine on the market, squeezing others to get what he wanted or needed. Those would have been the predictable paths.
Instead, the centurion surprised a lot of people. He cared about his neighbors–even building their synagogue for them. He cared about his servant more than himself. But, most important of all, he placed his hope in the healer he heard about: Jesus. The elders called him worthy. He called himself unworthy. The elders wanted to bring Jesus to the centurion’s house. This powerful centurion felt unworthy to host the Son of God. The elders thought that Jesus had to visit the sick young servant. This centurion believed that Jesus could just “say the word and what He said would be done!”
So Jesus exclaimed, “I tell you, that not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
The Spirit of God creates surprising lives!
How about you? Could you live a surprising life? Are you tired of living predictably, the way the world tells you or the way your own broken and sinful self keeps telling you to do? Do you want to live a surprising life, a life that is refreshing and helpful and compassionate? Do you want to live a life that makes a difference in this world by God’s grace instead of just blending in?
Such is the life of love that flows from faith in Jesus! To truly love is to trust in Him in all things and live your life with His love towards others, in His Name. You won’t believe what a difference that can make. It surely will surprise you!
You may not even recognize this name. It was Agnes. Do you know whom I’m talking about? She grew up with a desire to serve. She moved away from her home and became a teacher in a Christian school in India. Agnes taught for nearly twenty years. She cherished the children and loved her work. But when she was nearly forty years old, Agnes knew she had to do something completely different. She sensed a call to serve the poorest of the poor in the city where she was teaching: Calcutta, India. So she quit her teaching position, took on Indian citizenship, and moved into the slums. She ate and slept with the unwanted and untouchable. She embraced the ill and the destitute. Hers was a surprising life. You know her as Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
That is the pathway of love. It’s giving up your ambitions, preferences, comfort, and self-importance for someone else. It is realizing that life is not about you. It may not be the grand sacrifice of Mother Teresa, but that spirit of love exists in many of our decisions and actions every day. It’s as simple as a husband letting his wife choose the movie she likes, or a customer giving an extra measure of patience at the store, or the church that really cares about the gifts of Christ and the neighborhood all around them that doesn’t yet know Him. It’s faith in action, striving to serve another out of reverence for Christ!
His love makes our life, our love possible. This life is what He has for you: it’s a centurion in the presence of Jesus kind of life. It’s a life surprising people with His self-sacrificial love.
And that kind of faith in Christ, loving others the way He loves you. That breeds real hope in a world that is full of a lot of hopeless people.
Such was the love of a mother who refused to give up on her sons. The school system labeled them as less than capable. Neighborhood kids weren’t always kind to them. Working with them was an ongoing challenge. But this mom never gave up. She trusted that God had a wonderful plan for her boys. So she stuck with it. Against what everyone else thought, she held on to hope. She held on, loved them, worked with them. This mother isn’t famous. You would never know her name. But both of her sons became Eagle Scouts. Both graduated from school and pursued good careers. Their mom surprised everyone. Her faith in God stuck it out with them in love. Her love literally bred hope into her kids. Do you think that there are a few kids who need that kind of parental love today?
That kind of love is yours today, yours from God in Christ for others. It’s the kind of love that breeds hope. It’s the kind of love that doesn’t buckle under adversity, but perseveres. Why? Because you have a God who loves you that way and more! There’s a perseverance to your love because there is a certainty in your faith! You have a sure and certain hope in Jesus Christ. That’s why the Bible declares: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised it is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23 NIV).
The crucified and risen Christ gives you a surprising life of love, a surprising life of hope because it is a love and hope rooted in faith!
The centurion trusted Jesus with what was most precious to him. This leader of soldiers knew that all Jesus had to do was to speak a word and his servant would be healed. What a surprise? Well, when you see the uniqueness of Jesus, when you know that He really loves you with an everlasting love, when you know that you really need Him above all things, what else is there to do but believe?
Such is the life of faith! It is when you trust God with all that is most precious to you. You trust God with your life. You trust God with your eternity. And it’s no blind trust. No, the One you trust earned it. He walked this earth. He felt your pain. He suffered as One cast away from the Father’s Presence so you would never have to dread that punishment for sin. He died in your place because He loved you so much. He even defeated death, rising from the grave and ascending into heaven to live and reign forever.
This is the One in whom you trust. This is the One in whom you place your ultimate faith. Jesus Christ lived the most surprising life ever known. He came to live, to die, and to rise again so that you and I might have the greatest surprise of all, eternal life and salvation.
What if today, instead of living a predictable life, instead of living the “youtube” way of life or the “reality TV” way of life, you walked with Jesus and lived a life of faith, and hope, and love that surprised everybody, even yourself?
There’s new life waiting for you right now. Surprising, it’s free, powerful, it’s an eternal gift that God wants you to have in Jesus Christ! May the Spirit of God give you that centurion-like faith today, today and always. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for June 2, 2013
Topic: What About Church Over Summer Vacation?ANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Gregory Seltz responds to questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer. Pastor, a listener has noticed that church attendance drops over the summer. Are Christians abandoning church for leisure?”
SELTZ: We are coming up on that time of year, aren’t we, Mark?
ANNOUNCER: I admit as we go through these summer weeks, sometimes the pews seem a little bit less full.
SELTZ: And you know what’s ironic is that liturgically this is the time of the year when the Sunday Bible readings focus on the people of Christ “In mission, in action” for others.
ANNOUNCER: Well, sometimes church time and summer vacation time are in tension with each other.
SELTZ: Yeah, there are two ways we can look at this. On one hand, we can lament that people are gone for the summer. On the other hand, summer may be a time when we can emphasize our mission to not merely go to church, but to be the church that goes to the world with the message of Jesus Christ! Think about it: summer is when God’s people get a chance to scatter far and wide. And, even in those times of refreshment and rest, they carry with them the Good News of our risen Savior!
ANNOUNCER: So if you are gone from your local congregation, think of yourself as being on a mission trip of sorts.
SELTZ: Absolutely right! And of course, it’s important to worship while you’re away (you can log on to lcms.org to find a local congregation where you are vacationing). But when you travel away from home, you’re also meeting new people, striking up new conversations, and bringing a witness of Christ’s love wherever you go.
ANNOUNCER: How can churches celebrate this more positive view of vacation time?
SELTZ: Well, one way a church can remind its vacationing members about being these kinds of witnesses anywhere, any time is to intentionally send them out with a blessing as they travel. In the prayers of the day, a church can ask God’s blessing on vacationers that they would be active witnesses wherever they go. I’ve heard of some churches asking for mission and witness stories from people’s vacations; then they post them around the building or on a church vacation blog. Summer, then, becomes a time of sending, of witness, instead of a time of loss.
ANNOUNCER: How can we prepare for that mission trip on vacation? People are ready for fun, not necessarily ready for mission.
SELTZ: The Bible does say we’re, “Always to be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks us for the reason for the hope within us” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV). It is important for believers to be prepared to share the most important blessing in their lives: salvation in Jesus. The first way to be ready is to pray. It’s very important to ask God to prepare you for those witness opportunities that can arise. I also carry Luther’s morning and evening prayers with me on a business card for myself but also as a gift for others, too. A second way too is to have at least one Bible verse committed to memory, one that has brought you comfort and peace. For some people that could be their confirmation verse. If you have a special verse that means a lot to you, it is going to be easy to share that hope that you receive in God’s Word to others.
ANNOUNCER: We should point out, though, that witnessing is more than just being prepared to speak you also have to get to know of the needs of others as well.
SELTZ: That’s right. A big key to witnessing is being ready to listen, and listening intensely. Remember, you’re not going out to preach; you’re going out to meet people, to befriend people, to see what relationships God provides. Sometimes the best thing you can do is be a friend and then be willing to point people to places that can help. That’s why it’s always good to have something to give away to help keep the conversation going. It could be a simple business card with a Bible verse on it.
ANNOUNCER: I’ve heard of a woman who carried around emery boards with her favorite Bible verse on it.
SELTZ: Yes, I heard that too, and she gave them away as little gifts. You know, all these little resources can be great helps to people. But, these days, we can do even more. We can literally take the church with us on the Internet, too. In fact, you can even download our Lutheran Hour app now for your phone or iPhone and share each Sunday message anytime, anywhere. It can be a shared message before coffee or one at the campfire before turning in. To me, it is amazing all the things that God has opened up for us to help us be in mission together.
ANNOUNCER: By the end of the summer, a church could be pretty excited when it hears about all of its member vacation mission trips!
SELTZ: Now that’s a positive, sending-receiving-giving spirit during the summer. It might even create a wonderful missionary energy for the entire year!
ANNOUNCER: Very good, something to think about. Summer missions could help us remember that we are here with our listeners to bring Christ to the nations, even when we travel during the summer! Thank you Pastor Seltz. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music Selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.
“In You, Lord, I Have Put My Trust” by Samuel Scheidt. From Heirs of the Reformation: Treasures of the Singing Church (© 2008 Concordia Publishing House)
“We Walk by Faith and Not by Sight” by Henry Alford & Marty Haugen. GIA Publications, Inc.
“Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” arr. Timothy Moke & Georg Masanz. From Magnificent Christian Hymns by Timothy Moke & Georg Masanz (© 2002 T. Moke Recordings)