Text: Luke 2:22-32
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
Peace can take on the many different looks, both young and old, from the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger … to the man Christ Jesus hanging on a cross crying out, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
But there is both joy and peace in Christ’s life and in his purifying death that it allows all who depart, trusting in Christ Jesus as both savior and Lord to receive that peace!
St. Luke writes in his gospel about Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus to the temple of the Lord to make a sacrifice as the Law required. And while there a man named Simeon, who as we are told was righteous and devout and waiting for the consolation of Israel, or the comfort and peace of God, and that the Holy Spirit was upon him.
27 … and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
The joy of seeing this child, this Jesus brought to fulfillment for Simeon what the Lord by the Holy Spirit had promised, that he would not die until he had seen the Christ.
I’ve had a joyful time visiting with many members in their home and in the hospital or care facilities and bringing the Lord’s Supper to them as it was difficult for them getting to church on a regular basis. Many would always tell me how much they enjoyed being in worship and wished they could be there with us but are thankful as well when they could attend and enjoyed receiving the Lord’s Supper in their home when they can’t.
We can all see the effects of time on our faces as we look into the mirror each morning. As much as we might all hope to have the blessings of a long life, the reality of death is real and sooner or later we will all answer the door when death knocks. But too, we can have comfort and peace because:
Death’s sting has been swallowed up in victory by our Lord Jesus Christ and we can have comfort in His blessed work and this blessed Good News that in and through Jesus Christ God and man have been reconciled. As we together grieve the loss of our dear loved ones and think about this frail existence we all inhabit here in this world, we can still have peace.
I received this note in the mail this week:
You may not recognize my name as I've never had the pleasure of coming to a Peace Lutheran Church service. I did happen to be in town several times at Christmas and had the pleasure of hearing Christmas carols in the house from members of the congregation.
Ed and Virginia Blasius looked forward to special visits like those and your monthly visit to their home for an in home service.
Mom and Dad are both in heaven and I miss them dearly. Today mom would have been 92 and in her honor I would like to give a check. Thanks to all that made their lives a little brighter. I know how very much it was appreciated by mom and dad.
Our family was blessed to have you and your beautiful congregation in our lives.
Thank you
Cindy Welch
At the time of death the Lord can bring comfort.
You like me were probably stunned at the death of Kobe Bryant last Sunday. I didn’t know this about him but Kobe was raised in Italy and was a practicing Roman Catholic. I saw this on Facebook from Fr. David Barnes:
"As sad as Kobe’s death is, a friend texted me today to tell me that a friend of her’s attends the same Catholic Church as Kobe and saw him this morning at Mass. There can be nothing more consoling to those who mourn than to know that a loved one worshipped God right before his death because worshipping God is what heaven is.”
- Fr. David Barnes
Comfort and peace, is what Ed and Virginia Blasius knew. It is also what so many of our dear members knew and it is what Kobe knew. That Christ had come to rescue him and you and I can know that as well. Comfort and peace, knows the joy of Christ Jesus in your life by God’s grace and mercy.
Comfort and peace, is being called to follow Christ by God’s Holy Spirit who indwells all believers and is called the comforter even by Jesus himself.
For Jesus Himself says that:
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Dear friends, you too have access to the father too through Christ Jesus our Lord who came to live, suffer, die and rise again for you and who will give to all true peace found only in His saving arms that were outstretched upon the cross as He gave up His life for you.
Because of Christ’s purifying death he allows you too, to depart in peace!
So when the trials of life burden you and the storms of life rage and when even death is near, rest in the peace of Christ no matter the storms of life, but rests in the loving hands of Jesus the savior who reminds us in John’s gospel the wonderful comfort that Dorothy knew:
7 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30)
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
Peace can take on the many different looks, both young and old, from the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger … to the man Christ Jesus hanging on a cross crying out, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
But there is both joy and peace in Christ’s life and in his purifying death that it allows all who depart, trusting in Christ Jesus as both savior and Lord to receive that peace!
St. Luke writes in his gospel about Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus to the temple of the Lord to make a sacrifice as the Law required. And while there a man named Simeon, who as we are told was righteous and devout and waiting for the consolation of Israel, or the comfort and peace of God, and that the Holy Spirit was upon him.
27 … and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
The joy of seeing this child, this Jesus brought to fulfillment for Simeon what the Lord by the Holy Spirit had promised, that he would not die until he had seen the Christ.
I’ve had a joyful time visiting with many members in their home and in the hospital or care facilities and bringing the Lord’s Supper to them as it was difficult for them getting to church on a regular basis. Many would always tell me how much they enjoyed being in worship and wished they could be there with us but are thankful as well when they could attend and enjoyed receiving the Lord’s Supper in their home when they can’t.
We can all see the effects of time on our faces as we look into the mirror each morning. As much as we might all hope to have the blessings of a long life, the reality of death is real and sooner or later we will all answer the door when death knocks. But too, we can have comfort and peace because:
Death’s sting has been swallowed up in victory by our Lord Jesus Christ and we can have comfort in His blessed work and this blessed Good News that in and through Jesus Christ God and man have been reconciled. As we together grieve the loss of our dear loved ones and think about this frail existence we all inhabit here in this world, we can still have peace.
I received this note in the mail this week:
You may not recognize my name as I've never had the pleasure of coming to a Peace Lutheran Church service. I did happen to be in town several times at Christmas and had the pleasure of hearing Christmas carols in the house from members of the congregation.
Ed and Virginia Blasius looked forward to special visits like those and your monthly visit to their home for an in home service.
Mom and Dad are both in heaven and I miss them dearly. Today mom would have been 92 and in her honor I would like to give a check. Thanks to all that made their lives a little brighter. I know how very much it was appreciated by mom and dad.
Our family was blessed to have you and your beautiful congregation in our lives.
Thank you
Cindy Welch
At the time of death the Lord can bring comfort.
You like me were probably stunned at the death of Kobe Bryant last Sunday. I didn’t know this about him but Kobe was raised in Italy and was a practicing Roman Catholic. I saw this on Facebook from Fr. David Barnes:
"As sad as Kobe’s death is, a friend texted me today to tell me that a friend of her’s attends the same Catholic Church as Kobe and saw him this morning at Mass. There can be nothing more consoling to those who mourn than to know that a loved one worshipped God right before his death because worshipping God is what heaven is.”
- Fr. David Barnes
Comfort and peace, is what Ed and Virginia Blasius knew. It is also what so many of our dear members knew and it is what Kobe knew. That Christ had come to rescue him and you and I can know that as well. Comfort and peace, knows the joy of Christ Jesus in your life by God’s grace and mercy.
Comfort and peace, is being called to follow Christ by God’s Holy Spirit who indwells all believers and is called the comforter even by Jesus himself.
For Jesus Himself says that:
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Dear friends, you too have access to the father too through Christ Jesus our Lord who came to live, suffer, die and rise again for you and who will give to all true peace found only in His saving arms that were outstretched upon the cross as He gave up His life for you.
Because of Christ’s purifying death he allows you too, to depart in peace!
So when the trials of life burden you and the storms of life rage and when even death is near, rest in the peace of Christ no matter the storms of life, but rests in the loving hands of Jesus the savior who reminds us in John’s gospel the wonderful comfort that Dorothy knew:
7 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30)
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment