Ash Wednesday, Year C (2025)

Joel 2: 1–2, 1 -17 / Psalm 51: 1–17 / II Corinthians 5: 20 – 6: 10 / Matthew 6: 1–6, 16–21

This is the homily given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in McKnightstown, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 by Fr. Gene Tucker

 

“LENT: A TIME FOR ‘NOT FORGETTING’”

(Homily text: Joel 2: 1–2, 12–17)

 

Ever forget something?

I have, but I can’t remember what it was, or when it was that I couldn’t remember.

We’ve all had that experience. For example, my mother used to say, “I need my glasses to find my glasses”, meaning, of course, that she’d left her glasses somewhere, couldn’t find them, and needed the very object she was looking for to find what she was looking for.

When I can’t remember something (like people’s names, for example), I attribute my forgetfulness not to the specter of advancing age, but to the fact that my mind is concentrating and working on so many important matters. (OK, with that last statement, it’s possible that I’m forgetting – or overlooking – the fact that I am getting older.)

With the arrival of the holy season of Lent, instead of looking at this season in the ways we used to, that is to say, as a time to give something up, or to deprive ourselves, perhaps we might change our focus and concentrate, instead, on looking at ourselves honestly to see what it is (if anything) that we’ve forgotten about our relationship to God and our walk with Him.

In our relating to God, reminders of God are all around us.

For example, Holy Scripture (the Bible) is full of reminders. There, we find times when God’s people remembered God, and – in particular – God’s mercy and faithfulness. Holy Scripture reminds us of God’s holiness, and God’s judgment. (These two markers of God’s nature, God’s mercy and lovingkindness and God’s holiness and righteousness, are key parts of Lutheran theology and understanding.)

Holy Scripture is full of accounts of those times, however, when people forgot God, or lived like there was no God. Invariably, those were times of difficulty, of failure, of distress. Notice the Old Testament prophet Joel, who says to God’s people, “Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping and with mourning; and rend your hearts, not your garments. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love…”. Joel is calling God’s people to remember God’s nature, and to remember their relationship with God.

Our Communion liturgy always has reminders of God’s lovingkindness and of God’s saving acts down through time. (Those reminders occur after the “Holy, Holy, Holy”.) This reminder is literally known as the “not forgetting”, or the “remembering”.

People that we come into contact with are reminders. Ever meet a person who seemed[1] to be especially godly? A person who earnestly sought after God’s heart, mind and ways? Such a person is a reminder of what it means to live a saintly life. (Of course, just the opposite is also true: A person who’s living an evil or a wayward life is a reminder to us that we shouldn’t emulate such a lifestyle.)

Now, as we begin our Lenten journey, perhaps we might search our hearts, our minds, and the ways in which we spend our time, or the ways in which we relate to God and to others. Are there times when we live like God has no place in our lives? Are there times when we neglect our prayer life, or our devotional life? We might ask ourselves, “Is there something about my life in God that I’ve forgotten? Is there something that I should devote more time and attention to? Is there something I’m overlooking or missing?”

We will need the Holy Spirit’s help in this soul-searching endeavor.

Welcome, then, to the living of a holy Lent. May it be a time for remembering.

AMEN.

 

---

[1]   The technical term is “anamnesis”, coming from the Greek. We all know the word “amnesia”, meaning to forget. “Anamnesis” inserts the prefix “a” (or “an”) before the word, changing its meaning to the negative. 

Last Epiphany (The Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ), Year C (2025)

Exodus 34: 29-35 / Psalm 99 / II Corinthians 3: 12–4:2 / Luke 9: 28-43

This is the homily given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in McKnightstown, Pennsylvania on Sunday March 2, 2025.

 

“RESOURCES TO REACH THE DESTINATION”

(Homily text: Luke 9: 28-43)

Most likely, we’ve all had the experience of going on a trip. Let’s reflect a little on that experience, and, in particular, think a bit about what steps were necessary to be sure the trip went smoothly.

For example, we’d want to be sure we’d planned to bring enough money to buy the things we’d need along the way. If we were driving, we’d want to be sure the car or truck was in good shape and was ready for the drive. We’d want to check the route. If we were taking a plane or a train, we’d want to be sure to check the departure time, the places where we’d have to transfer, and our arrival time.

If, however, we weren’t making this trip on our own, but had decided to go on some sort of a tour, then the tour company or organizer would need to check all these details (and more). Moreover, if we were going on such a tour, we might want to check out the ratings of the company to see how well they plan their offerings, and what contingency plans they had in place when the unexpected happens.

Jesus’ original band of disciples are on a journey with the Lord. He has told them what the destination is: His coming suffering and death in Jerusalem. (See Luke 9: 21–27.)[1]

Now, as Peter, James and John ascend the mountain with the Lord, they are provided with the assurance that though that journey to Jerusalem will entail difficulty, it will ultimately be successful.

Except that these three of Jesus’ original followers didn’t realize what they were experiencing as Jesus’ appearance is altered on that mountain, not at that moment, at least.

As Jesus is enveloped in a cloud, the Father’s voice says, “This is my Son, my Chosen One, listen to him.” Jesus’ appearance becomes dazzlingly white. He is joined by Moses and Elijah: Moses, who is the giver of the Law, the Old Covenant; and Elijah, the one whose appearing would herald the coming of the Messiah.[2]

As Peter, James and John witness the Lord’s transfiguration, and as they hear the Father’s voice declare Jesus’ oneness with Him, they are given a glimpse of the Lord’s true identity. No longer will it be possible for them to regard Jesus as nothing more than a marvelously gifted human being. Now, they’ve been given the gift of knowing that Jesus shares the Father’s identity and relationship.

We said a moment ago that these three disciples didn’t realize at the time what they were experiencing. Peter, writing many years later in his second letter, would recall the events that took place during the Lord’s transfiguration. He would say, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,’ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.” (II Peter 1: 16-18)

As events unfolded in Jerusalem, and as the Lord suffered, died, was buried, and then was raised from the dead on the third day, His followers began to make sense of all that had happened. They realized that God’s sovereign hand was at work in all of these things. Their journey to Good Friday and to Easter was anticipated by God, every contingency was foreseen. Their journey had reached its destination.

In time, they came to understand that the Lord Jesus Christ is One with the Father. In time, they came to understand that God’s Spirit was also One with the Father and with the Son. These realizations didn’t happen overnight, but as God revealed these truths to those early disciples and to the Church, God’s people were able to see the plan that God had designed.

As we journey through life, there will be times of challenge, times of difficulties, times when the unexpected happens. As we look back over the course of our life’s journey, can we see times when God’s hand was present in the challenges and trials we’ve faced? Oftentimes, God’s hand and God’s care for our journey in His provision for us won’t be apparent at the time, but – oftentimes – only in retrospect.

If we can identify times of God’s presence in the past, then perhaps we can be assured that God’s care and provision for whatever might come along will be ours to rely on. As Holy Scripture assures us, nothing can separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8:39)

AMEN.

 

---

[1]   This is not the last time the Lord will tell his disciples about His coming death. It is the first one, however.

[2]   This understanding stems from the common belief, in the time of our Lord’s earthly ministry, that Elijah would return to usher in the Messiah’s coming and reign. The text which underlaid this expectation is Malachi 4: 5–6, which reads, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” 

Epiphany 7, Year C (2025)

Genesis 45: 3–11, 15 / Psalm 37: 1–11, 39–40 / I Corinthians 15: 35-38, 42–50 / Luke 6: 27–38

This is the homily given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in McKnightstown, Pennsylvania on Sunday February 23, 2025 by Fr. Gene Tucker.

 

“TOPPING THE HIGH BAR”

(Homily text: Luke 6: 27 – 38)

Back in my high school days, I was part of my school’s track team. I always marveled at those who did the high jump and the pole vault. For one thing, those two events were ones that I had absolutely no skill to try. For another, it was quite a sight to watch people jump and contour their bodies so as to just manage to get over the bar. And – in the case of the pole vault – to watch the participants make use of their upper body strength to use the pole to get high enough to clear the bar.

In today’s Gospel reading, our Lord sets a high bar for us to attain to.

He says to His first hearers, as He delivered His “Sermon on the Plain”, that their conduct must surpass that of those in the secular world. Notice how He says, “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.” Other such comparisons follow.

It’s worthwhile looking at the structure of this part of the Lord’s sermon.

Notice that we encounter a command, such as the command to love one’s enemies (verse 27). But then, the love command is expanded upon, comparing the behavior of those who’ve come to know the Lord to those who don’t (sinners) (verse 32). In succession, the command to offer the other check when being struck is repeated in verse 33. Likewise, the command to begging (verse 30) is repeated in verse 34.

In the middle is the “Golden Rule”:  “…as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” (verse 31).

(The structure of this week’s reading is similar to last week’s, when we heard Luke’s version of the Beatitudes.)

Why does the Lord set such a high bar of expectation for those who’ve come into relationship with him?

Perhaps one reason might be that, without specific goals, we won’t have something to aim for. (It seems to me that even the struggle – with the Lord’s help – is worth engaging in, even if we fail to fully attain to the high standard.)

Another reason might be that the Lord expects His followers to show by their outward and observable behavior and actions that a profound change has happened in their hearts of these disciples, It’s worth saying that conformation to the image of Christ is often a process that takes over time.

Having mentioned the inner renewal that is expected of all who love the Lord, and which is reflected in the outward actions of the believer, we come to the matter of sacramental living. Recall that the definition of a sacrament is that it is an “outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace”.

Sacramental living means that our outsides must reflect our insides.

We know this truth from the everyday world…when someone comes to interview for a position or to apply for school, a job, or whatever, we want to know how well that person has done in other venues and with other responsibilities. In other words, we want to know how proficient a person is, judged on the basis of how well they handled responsibilities up to that point. Their observable achievements and work habits reflect the level of training and maturity they’ve attained.

St. Paul makes similar requirements on those early Christian believers in the pagan, Greco-Roman world. Summarizing what he says, the general idea, stated in many of his letters, is that – now that these new Christians have come to the Lord – they can no longer do the things that they used to do. Life has changed, and consequently, their outward behavior must mirror that new reality. Doing so gives glory to God, and bears witness to the fulness of life that Christ alone can provide,

The image of the pole vaulter comes back in view…a pole vaulter won’t make it over the bar without the aid of the pole, which allows the jumper to achieve a height that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

In like manner, we will need the help of the Holy Spirit to assist us in our quest to top the high bar of expectation that the Lord sets before us this day.

One final thought might be worth mentioning: In the Creeds, we say that we believe in “one, holy catholic and apostolic Church”. The idea of holiness in the Church doesn’t mean that the people in the Church are completely and totally holy. On the contrary, it means that the Church maintains a focus on the holiness that our Lord Jesus Christ requires. Without such a continued focus on those high standards, we’re unlikely to know what the goal is, how high the bar is, and how worthwhile the struggle is.

AMEN.

  

Epiphany 6, Year C (2025)

Jeremiah 17: 5–10 / Psalm 1 / I Corinthians 15: 12–20 / Luke 6: 17–26

This is the homily given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in McKnightstown, Pennsylvania on Sunday, February 16, 2025 by Fr. Gene Tucker.

 

“WIDENING OUR PERSPECTIVES AND EXPANDING OUR VISION”

(Homily text: Luke 6:17 – 26)

One of the purposes of Holy Scripture – and perhaps the main one – is that it opens to us the mind of God. Put another way, Holy Scripture is the repository of what God wants us to know about His nature, His design of the world, and His desire for those who dwell therein.

Whenever we human beings encounter God, we are challenged to change our thinking, to look with wider perspectives, and – above all – to be changed.

Our Lord Jesus Christ seems intent on challenging those who heard Him offer the Beatitudes (Luke’s version), our Gospel reading for this morning. The Lord seems to be challenging, directly, the conventional thinking of the time in the way in which He presented the four “blessings”, and then the four “woes” that form Luke’s recounting of this teaching.

Let’s begin by looking at this version of the Beatitudes.

Luke’s transmission of this teaching is quite a bit different from the more familiar version that we find in Matthew’s Gospel account (see Matthew 5: 2–12). Matthew begins the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount with this teaching.

(We might ask ourselves: “Why is Luke’s version different from Matthew’s?” One answer might be in Luke’s sources. Luke tells us that he consulted a number of people as he determined to write his own Gospel account. Here is how Luke tells us about the process: “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, have delivered them to us…” (Luke 1: 1–2) It’s possible that those eyewitnesses and ministers remembered this teaching differently than Matthew’s sources did. Another reason might be that Jesus delivered another version of the same teaching on another occasion. After all, Luke tells us that the version he preserves for us was delivered when the Lord was on a plain, and not on a mount, as Matthew relates. It is quite normal for someone to change the essential message on different occasions, and we would do well to realize that the Lord probably did the same thing. I’ll let you live with this question and the mystery attached to it.)

In Luke’s version, the Lord divides the Beatitudes into four “blessings” and four “woes”.

Looking at the four, each “blessing” and each “woe” is mirrored in the other. For example, the first “blessing” says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” Now, notice the first “woe”, which says, “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation”.

Each of the succeeding blessings and woes are similarly linked in meaning.

Taking into account the prevailing attitudes among God’s people in the time of our Lord’s earthly ministry, we see that Jesus is directly challenging one aspect of those attitudes. Remember that, in that time, people commonly believed that if a person was healthy and well-to-do, those blessings were directly linked to their behavior, for it’s clear that such people were doing all the right things. They were faithfully living out the requirements of the Law of Moses (Torah). Conversely, if a person was poor or was sickly, those conditions, too, were reflective of a sinful and wayward life.

But the thrust of Jesus’ teaching seems to be, “Look at life with a wider lens. See that things could be much different, different for those who have blessings, and for those who don’t”. Furthermore, the Lord seems to be saying, “Your condition in life isn’t linked to how ‘good’ you are.”

Perhaps there is comfort for the poor, the hungry, and for those who mourn. The Lord assures them that there is a better way, and that God’s concern for them (often worked out by those who claim the Name of Christ, by the way) will result in a change in their life circumstances.

But there is a warning to the well-off and to those who think that things are going well because of their own efforts. The Lord warns them not to think that their own efforts have resulted in their situation. “Things could change”, seems to be what He is saying.

What is evident here is that the roles of those who are blessed and those who are not are reversed. This is a common theme which runs through Luke’s account.

Another excellent example of the role reversals we find in Luke’s account is in Mary’s Song (the Magnificat), which says this, “He (the Lord) has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent away empty.” (Luke 1: 52–53)

There are challenges for us as we read, consider and hear the Lord’s teaching.

It would be easy for us to think that because we’ve worked so hard, or because we are so talented or are so gifted, that we’ve brought about our own success and standing. Indeed, St. Augustine of Hippo’s warning is appropriate here: He said that we human beings are so easily fooled. The mature understanding and the comprehensive view of our life’s situation demands that we realize that God is the ultimate giver of every good and perfect gift. Moreover, others in our lives have also assisted us in our life’s journey. No one of us is self-made. Moreover, we are not to hoard those things we have. We are commanded to be generous in our use of such things. (Oddly enough, one of the great mysteries of our walk with God is that it is impossible to outgive God. Not only that, but the more generous we are with those things that we have, the more space is created for God to fill that space up again.)

Another way that the Lord challenges us is to consider the poor, the hungry, and those who mourn. In the time of our Lord’s visitation, the common attitude was to avoid such persons, for fear that you, yourself, would fall into the same difficult circumstances by being in touch with someone who was obviously living an evil life. Somehow, the Law of Moses’ requirements to care for the poor, the stranger, the widow and the orphan, had fallen out of view among God’s people. Instead of averting our eyes from those in such straits, we are commanded to care for them, to feed them, to console them, to show them that, just as God’s love has been poured into our hearts and lives, so we share that same blessing with others, and particularly, with those in dire need. The Law of Moses requires such an outlook and action.

We began by saying that Holy Scripture challenges us to see God’s will and God’s heart. Today’s teaching challenges us to see things differently, to see that God’s action is present in the blessings we enjoy. God’s heart turns toward the poor, the hungry, the distressed, commanding us to address those concerns and those needs.

AMEN. 

Epiphany 5, Year C (2025)

This is the homily that was written to be given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in McKnightstown, Pennsylvania on Sunday, February 9, 2025 by Fr. Gene Tucker.

“ENCOUNTERING AND SENDING”

(Homily texts:  Isaiah 6: 1 – 13 & Luke 5: 1 - 11)

As we make our way through life, the path of life can take many different turns. One way to appreciate the blessings and the successes of life is to engage in an exercise whereby we try to imagine what life would be like without those blessings and successes.

So we might begin with an exercise of our own this morning, trying to imagine (as a starting point) some of the very ordinary things that – without them – life might be a whole lot different.

We will begin with two of my favorite things: Coffee and chocolate.

Try to imagine (if you are a devotee of coffee as I am) life without it. Try to imagine “blending into your day” (to borrow an Army buddy of mine’s phrase) without the blessing of a hot cup of coffee in the morning. Frankly, I can’t imagine beginning my day that way.

Or, how about chocolate? Personally speaking, having even a little bit of chocolate makes everything seem better after the encounter.

The point here is to say that life, absent these two things, would be different without them.

Now, to be a bit more serious, how about some of the things we have available to us today that people in times past didn’t have.

Consider, for example, how different life would be without indoor plumbing (I lived that reality in my growing up years until the age of seven or so). Or how about no air conditioning (I lived that reality until age ten). How about no vehicles – cars and trucks – to get us around to where we needed to go?

Life would be a whole lot different without these three things, and many others. Chances are, we’d be much more uncomfortable without these things, and we’d probably be spending a lot more of our time simply doing the basic tasks that life demands that we must accomplish.

OK, now try to imagine a life without God. How much different such a life would be! God, that One who loves us, and who gave us the gift of His Son, creates the framework upon which we can weave a life that is pleasing to Him and which is honors Him and which is a blessing to others.

One more step in our imaginings is in order, I think:

Imagine what would happen if God had granted us an encounter with Him? I’m talking about an encounter that is unmistakable, one of the sort that the Old Testament prophet Isaiah had, one like Simon Peter had with Jesus that day on the Sea of Galilee.

This last imagining brings us to our Old Testament reading, and to our appointed Gospel for this morning.

Isaiah finds himself in the Temple in Jerusalem. The year is 740 BC. We know that because he tells us that the event he describes took place in the year that King Uzziah died. There, he witnesses a vision of the Lord, whose train filled the Temple. Seraphim fly above the Lord, and the place is filled with smoke. The Lord’s presence makes the whole place shake.

Then, the Lord purifies Isaiah, fitting him out for the prophetic ministry that God will appoint him to, by touching Isaiah’s lips with hot coals from the altar.

Then, the Lord says, “Who will go for us, whom shall I send?” Isaiah replies, “Here am I, send me.”

The Lord grants Isaiah a glimpse of His glory, majesty and holiness. Then, Isaiah is commissioned to go and take the Lord’s message to God’s people. Isaiah’s life takes a turn in a new and completely different direction.

Now, let’s fast-forward almost 800 years, where we find ourselves in Capernaum, by the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Luke (4: 38 – 39) tells us that Jesus entered Simon’s[1] house, where Simon’s mother-in-law was very ill. Jesus comes and relieves her of her illness. (Set this incident aside for the moment, we’ll come back to it in a moment.)

Now, Luke tells us that Jesus met Simon again as he and his partners were fishing. Jesus asks him to put his boat out into the water a bit. Jesus sits in the boat and addresses the crowd on the shoreline. (A note is worth making here: The surface of the water is an excellent carrier of sound, so Jesus’ position in the boat made it possible for a large crowd to hear Him.)

Then, Jesus tells Simon to put out the boat into the deeper water and to put their fishing nets out for a catch. At this point, Simon says to Jesus, “We’ve been fishing all night, and haven’t caught anything”. The point seems to be, “We’re the professionals here, we’ve done what we know how to do, and it hasn’t turned out well.”

Despite Simon’s protestations, he agrees to follow Jesus’ suggestion. The large catch of fish almost winds up sinking the boats.

Perhaps Simon’s openness to knowing Jesus’ identity was assisted by witnessing his mother-in-law’s immediate healing, for he says admits to Jesus’ holiness, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man”.

Simon Peter has an encounter with God, whose presence is mediated by Jesus. The evidence is that Jesus knows where the fish are to be found, a knowledge that God alone would know.

Jesus then tells Simon Peter, along with his partners James and John, that from then on, their lives would change: They would be fishing for people.

What would happen to us if we had some sort of an unmistakable encounter with the holiness of God? Such an encounter might happen through the intervention of the Holy Spirit in our lives, or in the lives of others we know Such an encounter might happen when we witness an act of divine healing, one which defies medical science’s ability to explain. (I know of more than one such incident.) Or, such an encounter when we or someone we know is delivered from some sort of an addiction. (I know of such an incident in my own family.) Or, such an encounter might happen when the Holy Spirit uses some passage from Holy Scripture with which to convict us of something, or to make a call on our lives in some way. (Many who are in ordained ministry describe God’s call to ministry in such terms.)

Perhaps we might take away from today’s readings the necessity of looking for God’s work and God’s activity in our lives, and in the lives of others. We might pray for the Holy Spirit’s enabling and enlightening power to see God’s hand at work in our own time and in our own lives, realizing that such a call will result in a changed life, and a new direction in life.

AMEN.

---

[1]   Jesus will soon give Simon a nickname, “Peter”, which is how we know him more frequently. 

Epiphany 4, Year C (The Presentation and Candlemas) (2025)

Malachi 3: 1 – 4 / Psalm 84 / Hebrews 2: 14 – 18 / Luke 2: 22 – 40

This is the homily given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA in McKnightstown, Pennsylvania on Sunday, February 2, 2025 by Fr. Gene Tucker

 

“REDEMPTION AND PRESENTATION”

(Homily text: Luke 2:22 – 40)

This morning, three threads come together as we observe the Feast of the Presentation. They are:

Candlemas:  This observance has been, historically, the time when candles that will be used in worship during the year are blessed. The idea is to celebrate the light of Christ (symbolized by candles) coming into the world, and especially, that divine light which has come to the Gentiles. This is a key theme for the season of Epiphany. (The name “Candlemas” is a contraction of “candles” + “Mass”.)

The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary:  In the Law of Moses, the regulations for the purification of a mother after having given birth are laid out in Leviticus 12:1 – 8.  There, we read that, if the new child is a boy, the mother is to present herself to the priest forty days after having given birth. There, she is to offer two items, one as a burnt offering, and the other, a sin offering. The stipulations in Leviticus are that a lamb, one year old, is to be offered as the burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove is to be offered as a sin offering. If the mother is poor, the Law permits the mother to offer two turtledoves or two pigeons. (This seems to have been the case with Mary and Joseph, indicating that they were not people who had the means to offer the more expensive offering.) The timing that Leviticus spells out governs the timing of our liturgical observance of this feast, coming forty days after Christmas.

The Presentation:  In Exodus 13:11 – 16, we read that all first-born males, including animals, are to be dedicated to the Lord. In the case of male children, they are to be presented to the Lord as holy to the Lord. But then, Exodus states that these boys are to be “redeemed”, that is, they are to be “ransomed” by the sacrifice of a lamb. The Exodus text makes clear that this observance is to be a reminder of the events of the original Passover.

(Luke seems to indicate that Mary’s purification and Jesus’ presentation in the Temple both occurred at the same time.)

This homily will deal with the last of these three threads, the Lord’s presentation.

We would do well, I think, to follow these themes as we consider our Lord’s presentation:  1. Holiness to God; 2. Giving God the first fruits (of the land, and of life); 3.  The Passover event (and our Lord’s death and resurrection) and 4.  Redemption.

The provisions of the Law of Moses made clear that God’s people were to be mindful of God’s presence, God’s holiness, and God’s ability to create and to preserve in almost every aspect of life. Daily living, and the tasks associated with that living, were infused with reminders. So, for example, the Law had a lot to say about what was “clean” and what was “unclean”. (One of the concerns about ritual uncleanness – being able to enter God’s presence in the tabernacle or in the Temple - had to do with contact with blood. This was the essential reasoning behind the requirement for a mother to be cleansed after having given birth.) The point seems to be that, just as God is holy, so are God’s chosen people to be holy, abstaining from everything that is unclean.

Next, we should be reminded that God’s people were to make available not only the first fruits of the land (the harvest), but also themselves. So, for example, only the best, most perfect animals were to be accepted as sacrifices to the Lord. Various offerings under the Law of Moses stipulated that the first fruits were to be offered to the Lord. The point here seems to be that it is the Lord’s doing that the land produces the things that are needful in life. Similarly, the gift of children is also the Lord’s doing. It is God who creates, and who brings forth life.

God’s action to redeem His people in the Passover event in Exodus was the culmination of a series of ten plagues that God visited on the ancient Egyptians, in order to convince Pharoah to let God’s people leave and return to the Promised Land. The last plague had to do with the deaths of the first-born of Egypt, both animal and human. God’s people had been instructed to slaughter a lamb and to spread some of its blood on the doorposts and the lintel of the door. That way, by their obedience to this instruction, the first-born among God’s people were spared. The presentation of the first-born son (in Exodus 13, a specific connection is made to the presentation of first-born sons to this event. Presenting first-born sons was to be an ongoing reminder of God’s saving act at the time of Passover.)

By presenting their first-born sons, mothers and fathers redeemed their sons. Put another way, they were willing to give up their son to the Lord’s purposes and calling, but then to receive those sons back again by way of paying the price of the ransom (the sacrifice of a lamb).

We now live under a new covenant, one which Simeon refers to in his comments as he beheld the baby Jesus. Simeon, through the guidance and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, foresaw a new way of relating to God.

But just as this new covenant has ushered in a new way of worshipping, doing away with the ritual requirements of the Law of Moses, so does this new covenant also preserve the essential elements of the relationship between God and God’s people.

We are called to be God’s holy people. We are called to be reminded that all that we have, all that we require for the living of life, ultimately comes from God. We are called to present ourselves as a holy people, a people who are dedicated to God’s calling and God’s purposes. And finally, we are called to be reminded that each of us, as we pass through the waters of Holy Baptism, have been redeemed, ransomed from the power of sin and death, by the death and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, which took place at the time of the Passover.

AMEN. 

Epiphany 3, Year C (2025)

Nehemiah 8: 1 – 3, 5 – 6, 8 – 10 / Psalm 19 / I Corinthians 12: 12 – 31a / Luke 4: 14 - 30

This is the written version of the homily given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in McKnightstown, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, January 26, 2025 by Fr. Gene Tucker.

 

“LONGING FOR SOMETHING; THEN GETTING IT” 

(Homily text: Luke 4: 14 - 30)

(Introductory note: For our worship this morning, and for the scriptural text for this homily, I’ve expanded the appointed reading from Luke 4: 14 – 21, to include verses 22 through 30. The reason is that, for this Sunday, we will be hearing Luke’s report on Jesus’ visit to the synagogue in Nazareth. But normally, we would hear the outcome and the aftermath of that visit in next Sunday’s reading, verses 22 through 30, for the appointed text for Epiphany IV. But since next Sunday, which is normally Epiphany IV, falls on February 2nd, it is customary to follow the appointed readings for the Feast of the Presentation when February 2nd (the fixed date for the Presentation) falls on a Sunday. So, by including those verses we would normally hear on Epiphany IV in this Sunday’s reading, we will be able to capture the entirety of Luke’s report on Jesus’ visitation to the synagogue, both His visit and the reaction of those who witnessed it.)

Ever harbor a wish for something for a long time? As young persons or as children, we might have harbored a wish to have a cherished item that our parents or our grandparents own(ed). For example, as parents or grandparents, we might have children who’ve wanted to have something we inherited ourselves from some member of our family. Or, we might have wanted to have an old car or truck in our younger years. As parents or grandparents, we might have found ourselves on the other side of the idea, being the ones who own an old car or truck or some other item.

But what would have happened to us as children, or to us as parents and grandparents as we grew older, if those dreams actually came to be? Chances are, getting the thing that we (or they) so wanted to have, would have meant big changes in life.

That might be a good way to enter into our examination of Jesus’ visit to the synagogue in Nazareth, which is where He grew up. (This is information that Luke, alone, provides us.)

Luke’s account of the practices in synagogues at the time of our Lord’s earthly ministry is, perhaps, one of the earliest written accounts of what happened during synagogue worship.

Luke tells us that Jesus read from a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. (It’s reasonable to assume that there would have been a reading(s) from the Law of Moses as well.)

Jesus reads from Isaiah 61:1 – 2, and a portion of Isaiah 58:6. We don’t know if this portion was appointed by some regimen of reading from the Scriptures or not, or if Jesus chose this passage Himself.

Isaiah’s words are comforting: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has appointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”.

What happened next seems to be out-of-sequence. Luke tells us that, after having finished, Jesus gave the scroll back to the attendant, sat down and then said, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke then says that all who heard Him spoke well of Him and marveled at the gracious words He said.

The impression might be that the congregation gathered that day took a little while to grasp that Jesus was saying that Isaiah’s prediction had come to reality in their midst, fulfilled in him. We might think that the normal sequence would be that those gathered would be impressed with what Jesus had done, and then He would have said that the prophecy had been fulfilled. But Luke records the sequence differently. Perhaps the sequence is in the order that it is for a reason. It’s just possible that that’s the way events unfolded.

The reaction of the worshippers is immediate. They say, ‘Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

The implication is that Jesus is one whom the residents of Nazareth know to be a normal, everyday, native-son-made-good, but nothing more. Sensing what they are thinking, Jesus offers (what must have been) a common saying, “Physician, heal yourself”. Jesus then comments about the lack of acceptability that prophets have among their own people. Following up on this comment, He then reminds them that God’s prophets, Elijah and Elisha, were sent not to God’s chosen people, but the Gentiles. Luke finishes out his description of events by saying that the people in the synagogue were so enraged that they tried to throw Jesus over a cliff.

Let’s take a moment to return to the idea with which we began, the matter of actually getting something that was long hoped for.

God’s people in the time of Jesus’ ministry longed for the good, old days of Kings David and Solomon. They longed for the restoration of their independence, enjoyed under these two great kings of ancient Israel. They longed to chase the Romans out of their land. Many thought that the Lord would send a great leader and deliverer, the Messiah, to usher in a new, golden age.

Their hopes and dreams seemed to be anchored firmly in the glory days of the past. It isn’t so clear that many of God’s people thought that such dreams could be a reality in their own lives, in the present time and place.

From time-to-time, various rebellious movements, led by charismatic persons, would emerge to challenge the status quo. Some claimed to have God’s anointing. All eventually came to an end. Whatever messianic hopes were linked to these various leaders vanished when they did.

Claiming to have God’s anointing was an audacious claim to make. Claiming it meant that God was going to be active in the here-and-the-now of life, in the person who claimed the anointing. If such an anointing was, indeed, real, then it meant that God was active in the present, not just in the glorious past of God’s people.

The logical conclusion is that, if God is active in the present, then there will be changes, perhaps big changes.

Let’s pose a question to ourselves: Is there something that we have longed for in our lives? Perhaps it’s healing of some sort, or delivery from some temptation or another. Or perhaps it’s the restoration of some broken or impaired relationship.

Whatever the case, the next question to ask ourselves is this one: “Have I asked God to help grant this long-held, long-cherished desire?”

For the reality is that God is active in the world today, often working quietly but surely to bring about new life, new hope, and new beginnings. For God alone has the creative power to create new life and new possibilities.

It all begins with faith in God’s abilities, and the prayerful request to grant our petitions and desires as is best for us. That’s often the beginning point in receiving the reality of the fulfillment of our aspirations and dreams.

AMEN. 

Epiphany 2, Year C (2025)

Isaiah 62: 1 – 5 / Psalm 36: 5 – 10 / I Corinthians 12: 1 – 11 / John 2: 1 - 11

This is the homily written to be given at Bendersville Evangelical Lutheran Parish (ELCA), Bendersville, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, January 19, 2025 by Fr. Gene Tucker.

 

“NEW LIFE”

(Homily texts: Isaiah 62: 1 – 5, I Corinthians 12: 1 – 11 & John 2: 1 – 11)

Are you ready for spring to arrive, and for winter to be gone?

It seems like, at this point in January, that we won’t see warmer temperatures, buds on the trees and on the plants, and things coming back to life again. Spring seems a long way off, and we might think that there’s little chance that it will ever come.

But, as surely as the sun rises in the east, warmer temperatures will come (but perhaps not on our schedule, but on God’s), there will be buds and then leaves on the trees and the plants, and new life will emerge. All these things are possible because God’s creative hand is involved. Indeed, one way we can see that God’s presence and God’s activity are at work is in the creation of new life. The creation account in the book of Genesis confirms that the ability to create things and to create life are one of the markers of God’s power.

Hold onto this thought for a moment, as we turn our attention to the lectionary readings that are appointed for this Sunday.

All three of our readings point to God’s creative work.

In our reading from Isaiah, we read of God’s intent to bring His chosen people back from exile in Babylon.[1] He will grant them new life, and a renewed name that the Lord God will give. No longer, Isaiah says, will God’s people be called “Forsaken”, and their land will no more be known as “Desolate”. Surely, the experience of being exiled to a foreign land must’ve felt like perpetual winter for God’s chosen ones. But the prophet assures God’s people that God will create a way to enjoy renewed life and the promise of God’s favor.

God’s creative power is seen in St. Paul’s description of the various abilities and talents that God allots to individuals. The early Church in Corinth must’ve been one of the more challenging churches that Paul had established. Judging from the topics that Paul covers in his first letter to these early believers, the church there must’ve been divided into factions. Furthermore, they seemed to be engaging in a game of what we might call “spiritual one-upsmanship”, one person claiming to be more spiritual than others, often because of their gift of being able to speak in tongues. But Paul has to remind them that God is the author of all gifts. It is the work of God’s Holy Spirit which distributes and which brings to life the various gifts that each person possesses. It is worth noting that Paul goes on to enumerate some of those gifts. Perhaps he wanted to be sure the Corinthians didn’t miss his point.

Our third reading, from John’s Gospel account, informs us of our Lord Jesus Christ’s creative power, that power that God alone possesses, in the changing of water into wine at a wedding feast in a town called Cana in the region of Galilee. If we think about the importance of marriage in the culture of the day, we can easily imagine that it was one of the very few occasions for celebration, given the harshness of the Roman occupation, and the challenges that filled everyday life. Marriage carried with it the possibility of new life, that is, children. So, it was central to the lives and the futures of God’s people.

Now, let’s return to the theme with which we began, our consideration of the promise of new life, even if – at the moment – we may think we are in a wilderness, a winter place which is devoid of life.

A lifeless place is a place each of us can find ourselves in at one point or another. It is a place without hope, one without a discernable future, a place where God doesn’t seem to be present or active.

Oftentimes, I chat with people who describe their life experience in wintry, wilderness-like terms. They tell me that it seems like the cold of winter, and not the warmth of Spring or Summer. They tell me that God seems absent, and that there’s little indication of God’s life-giving, life-changing activity. A wilderness place, they say.

But the wilderness is a place where people often find God. Three examples from Holy Scripture will help us to see this reality.

Consider God’s people, who wandered in the wilderness on their way out of bondage in Egypt into the land that God had promised them. They wandered for about forty years in such a desolate place. And during their wanderings, they were often dependent on God’s goodness alone in order to survive: Water from the rock, manna and quail from heaven, just two of the things that God provided them in that desolate place.

Or, consider the prophet Elijah, who escapes into the wilderness to avoid King Ahab’s wrath.[2] There, he laments his circumstances, his lack of a future. As he falls into sleep, an angel wakes him up and tells him to eat the cake that is sitting by his head, for he is to go to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God. There, God reveals some of His glory to Elijah.

St. John the Baptist goes into the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism for the repentance of sin. (We’ve been hearing a lot about John the Baptist during Advent, and in last week’s account of Jesus’ baptism.) The wilderness is the place where people meet God. John’s baptism marks a new chapter in life for those who had come to confess their wrongdoings and to begin a new and reconciled life. It’s worth noting, since we’ve mentioned John the Baptist and our Lord’s own baptism, that immediately after that event, Jesus goes into the wilderness for a period of forty days.

As surely as Spring will follow Winter, we can be assured that whenever we find ourselves in a wintry, wilderness place, a place where God’s creative power and presence doesn’t seem to be, there it is that we will, quite likely, find Him. In such a place, we will be dependent on God’s care and God’s unseen work, bringing new life in the midst of the chill of winter and the lifelessness that seems to have no end.

AMEN.

---

[1]   Some biblical scholars believe that this portion of Isaiah was written during the time in which God’s people were returning from exile in Babylon, an event which began in the year 538 BC For this reason, scholars entitle this portion of the book “Second Isaiah”. Other scholars, however, believe that this portion dates from a period after God’s people had returned from exile, entitling this portion “Third Isaiah”.

[2]   See I Kings 19: 1 – 14. 

Epiphany 1 (The Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ), Year C (2025)

Isaiah 43: 1 – 7 / Psalm 29 / Acts 8: 14 – 17 / Luke 3: 15 – 17, 21 – 22

This is the homily given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in McKnightstown, Pennsylvania on Sunday, January 12, 2025 by Fr. Gene Tucker

 

“FAITH: THE KEY TO RELATIONSHIP”

(Homily text: Luke 3: 15 – 17, 21 – 22)

Perhaps without realizing it, we put our faith in things we use every day. We do this, based on our past experience with these objects.

For example, the common chair (just a chair as we might use at a kitchen table will do) can illustrate this reality quite well: When we prepare to sit in a chair, we look at it prior to doing so. For one thing, we’d want to be sure that there isn’t anything in the chair already. (A cat would be a good example, taking a nap.) We’d also want to be sure that the seat of the chair isn’t broken, cracked, or damaged in some way. As we pulled the chair away from the table, or moved it so as to sit in it, our attention would be alerted if the chair seemed to be loose, wobbly or if its structural integrity was impaired in some way. Then, as we prepare to sit in the chair, we would be careful to observe how well it manages to support our weight.

Our past experience with a particular chair, say one that we use daily to eat our meals, will serve to enlighten us about that particular chair’s value as a device upon which to sit. Or, if we’re using a chair we’re not familiar with on a regular basis, we’d rely on what we already know about the design of chairs, the materials used to make chairs, and the ways in which the component of chairs are assembled and fastened together. (We’d do this for a chair with which we are familiar, as well.)

Maybe it’s a safe bet to say that most of us haven’t given much thought to the business of making use of chairs.

Returning to our illustration, our present experience with sitting in a chair, being based on our past experience with chairs, serves as the connecting point between the past and the future. To clarify, as we put our trust in a chair, that it will hold our weight, not wobble and give us concern about its usefulness, and not deposit us on the floor, we are able to step forward into our future use of a chair we are familiar with (or with chairs in general). Essentially, the process is one in which we make use of what we know (our past experience) in order to move into the unknown future.

Now, keep this discussion in mind as we turn our attention to the theme for this Sunday, which is the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ in the River Jordan by John the Baptist.[1] Each of the first three Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark and Luke) narrate Jesus’ baptism.[2]

A key consideration of our assessment of this event, and of its importance to us as Christian believers, has to do with the nature of John’s baptism and Jesus’ willingness to undergo it. Recall that John’s baptism was one of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. If our Lord was/is without sin, then why did He consent to being baptized?[3]

Perhaps only a partial answer is possible to this question.

We know from the witness of Holy Scripture that our Lord came and immersed Himself totally and fully in our human condition. Part of that experience meant our Lord was willing to undergo and experience everything that we human beings are likely to face. (One blessing from this understanding of Jesus, being “God with us”,[4] is that it makes holy all of human life and experience.)

Now, we return to the essence of our observations about chairs and their use.

Recall that we said that our current experience with chairs depends on our past use, enabling us to make future use. Faith is a key component of the bridge from the past to the future. Without faith in a chair’s reliability and usefulness, we cannot move into any future with chairs.

If the witness of Holy Scripture is reliable, then its recounting of our Lord’s baptism can serve as a reliable basis for belief that our Lord Jesus Christ, who made holy our human experience, continues to make holy our current and future experience.

The conclusion has to be that we love and serve a God who does not stand outside of our human life and experience. On the contrary, we love and serve a God who entered that experience, even to the point of a horrible death on a cross.[5] Put another way, God sent His Son into the trenches of human life.

Our Lord Jesus Christ came as Emmanuel, and he remains Emmanuel, God with us. We are not alone. By faith we receive this truth. By faith, we are able to enter into relationship with God, and to fold God’s love, faithfulness and presence into our lives.

Thanks be to God.

AMEN.

---

[1]   This is the theme, each year, of the First Sunday after the Epiphany.

[2]   John does not narrate the baptism. He does, however, mention the descent of the Holy Spirit at the time when Jesus was baptized.. See John 1:32.

[3]   Matthew seems to demonstrate this aspect to the interchange between Jesus and John, for John objects to baptizing Jesus, perhaps sensing Jesus’ holiness. In response, Jesus says that it is right for Him to be baptized. Doing so, He said, would “fulfill all righteousness”.

[4]   The Hebrew word is Emmanuel. See Matthew 1:23.

[5]   See Philippians 2:5 -11 for St. Paul’s reflection on Jesus’ death.