Lent 3 Midweek

Lent III Midweek Jonah 3 Philippians 2:12-30 Luke 14:12-24 #5 Pastor James Peterson 03/23/2022 Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. The theme for this evening's sermon is this: The Master gives a banquet and invites even those who are suffering. "Let's get coffee sometime." We say this all the time. We are probably talking to someone down on the street and we really have to get going, but we want to continue the conversation. Let's get coffee sometime. We haven't spent time together in a long time. We need to catch up, and participate in each other's lives again. Let's set up a time and meet and chat and remember what we used to do together. For me, growing up, it was Diet Coke. My best friend, Gerald, was my neighbor and everyday after school, he would offer me a diet coke. We would sit on the porch and watch the cars go by. He would tell me stories about World War II, and I would tell him stories about school and home, and my bike rides downtown. Let's get a diet coke sometime. This sort of friendship seems to be the thing to do here in town. And it seems that this is pretty important to us here at the church. We fed the pastor and his family the whole first week he was here. A big thank you from me; I love food. And we fed him and our church and all his friends who came to the installation service. And what's more, we are excited about the Easter breakfast coming up, and Michela and the girls are having a tea party at the parsonage in May. We want to have potlucks for Advent and Lent next year. Maybe even start up the college potlucks again if we can manage. All in good time. Let's potluck together sometime. Blessed is everyone who eats bread in this church. That is so true. For this is the way that we pray right? Give us this day our daily bread. And when we have meals we are answering the prayers of those who are hungry, even if it is us. After all, everybody loves food. Everyone needs food. But like every good gift, there are ways to corrupt it. When we invite someone out for coffee, don't we expect that they will pay the next time? When we have friends over and feed them, don't we anticipate that they will invite us over? When we have a family get together for Easter, do we feed them because we love them or because we want them to love us? I mean, really, who would invite a leper to lunch? Who would slaughter the fattened calf for the homeless dude? Who would want that smelly guy to come to our potluck? Let's have coffee sometime, but just us, and not them. But it is exactly for this reason that we do get together. What would Jesus do? He is rather famous for eating with the wrong folks, the tax collectors, the sinners, the blind, deaf, lame, and mute. He even associates with the lepers. Because they would eat with Him. We often find that the so-called "good people" have every excuse in the book for not being here. There is every excuse you can think of not to hold a position of leadership in this congregation. There are so many reasons not to bring food to the potluck. Don't worry; Jesus has heard excuses for 2,000 years. When I was studying this text this week, I learned that the three excuses are related to time. The first one bought a field (in the past), and has to check it out. You will find that some of us don't eat bread in this church because of the past. The second one bought five yoke of oxen, or perhaps in our case some new farm equipment, and needs to get it working. That's the kind of person who has an issue with the present state of things, and doesn't want to come. And the last one has married a wife, and can't come. Nevermind that getting married is a great reason to come to church. This guy won't come because he has future plans that are more important. Why do we come to church? Why do we eat together? Because here the Master gives the feast and He invites even those who are suffering. It is God the Father who gives to us food and drink. He is the one who provides for us to provide for others a potluck. It is because He created us and because He loves us that He feeds you and each one who gathers to eat bread in this place. This is why we potluck together, because God the Father feeds His children and cares for our physical needs and the needs of those in our community. But there is another meal. There is a better supper. The Master offers to you the bread of the kingdom of heaven. The Master offers you the feast that shall have no end. The Master sets the table unlike any other host. For Jesus communes each of our souls with His Body and His Blood, with this Bread and this Wine, for the forgiveness of your sins. There are so many excuses; Jesus has heard them all. But He provides His Sacrament anyway, to the blind and the lame and the deaf and the mute. To the young and the old and the married and the single. To the sick and the lonely and the poor and the needy. Come to the table, that the Father and the Son will feed, forgive, strengthen and preserve you. That God's house would be filled, both now and forevermore. In the holy name of Jesus. Amen.