Holy Trinity Ankeny

There is a chair at the table that stays empty. There is a phone that will not stop buzzing. And we keep being told that this is the whole story. But we know whose we are.

That we are made right before God by grace and not works, that forgiveness cannot be earned, is the central claim of the Reformation and Luther's theology. Grace, however, is about more than just forgiveness. Grace is the central principle of life. Amidst chaos, political and economic upheaval, natural disaster and even death, grace sustains us. Amidst it all, God is our fortress and strength.

When the Pharisees and Herodians try to trap Jesus with a trick question, he ends up revealing their hypocrisy and turning the tables on them. Being concerned about paying taxes to Caesar is not a central concern of life. Instead, a life of faith is about giving God what belongs to God – which is everything. He exposes this political posturing for what it is – unessential to the kingdom of God.

We all have a view of how the world works. We have a mindset that guides our decisions and relationships. It is often shaped by culture, family, tradition. The Apostle Paul tells us that we should have "the mind of Christ." He demonstrates how his own life has been turned upside down by having the mindset of Jesus. It frees us. It saves us. It blesses us.

When Peter asks Jesus how many times we are to forgive someone, Jesus answers, "Seventy-seven – or Seven times seventy." What he means is, "Infinitely." Can that be right? Is there no room in the world for "enough is enough?" Are there not some things that are unforgiveable? Apparently not.

It is not news to say that the world and its inhabitants are divided, fragmented in a way that makes us give up hope. We just can't help ourselves from our desire for revenge, retribution, and winning the argument. Jesus called his people, his Church, to bear witness to another way of life which restores hope, to be a light in the midst of the divided darkness.

Jesus' invitation to "take up your cross and follow him" is the essence of the call to discipleship. What does it look like to take up the cross? Are we to be martyrs? Tortured? Imprisoned for our faith? That has happened to many, as the history of the church bears witness. For most of us, the cross comes as we choose the way of Jesus instead of the ways of the world and find friction. If you follow Jesus, the cross will find you.