“Remember,
I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
To
all of those in nursing homes, who have been shut behind closed doors for
almost three months; to those who miss feeling the soft skin of their great-grandchildren’s
young faces with their fingers, Jesus has a promise for you: “Remember, I am
with you always, to the end of the age.”
To
those who have been stuck at home, teaching multiple children for nearly three
months, and now face another three months before the picking up of toys and the
settling of disputes and the cleaning of endless dishes and messes might come
to a slight, momentary break when school starts again, Jesus has a promise for
you: “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
To
those who have lost their income, who have lost sleep to the endless worry
about how the rent will be paid and the food bought, Jesus has a promise for
you: “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
To
those whose morning jogs don’t relax but create internal fear because they do
not know if the woman walking toward them will feel threatened and call the
police, or they wonder if the police will mistake their attempt to improve
their health for running from the scene of a crime, all because God lovingly
shaped and molded them with a beautiful dark hue to their skin, Jesus has a
promise for you: “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
To
those who were chastised while they were kids just because they liked to watch Dr.
Who…when it wasn’t cool to like Dr. Who…or were chastised because they watched
every episode of My Little Pony but would have never thought to wear a dress
because they were boys, and all those children today who feel abandoned by love
because the taunting bullying does not stop when they get home, but continues
its evil reach through the devices we all rely upon to stay connected, Jesus
has a promise for you: “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
To
those who just cannot bring themselves to quite believe…to those who cannot
find a way to have hope…to those who bow down and worship, but inwardly harbor
a secret doubt, Jesus has a promise for you: “Remember, I am with you always,
to the end of the age.”
To
all who just cannot get up; to all who just cannot reach out; to all who just
cannot climb up; to all who cannot get out of harm’s way; to all who just
cannot…they just cannot, Jesus has a promise for you: “Remember, I am with you
always, to the end of the age.”
The
outrageous claim that God exists coeternally in three persons of the godhead,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is not simply a religious head trip; it actually
means something for very real people for very real reasons.
It
means that we followers of Christ know deep in our souls that God is not just
up there somewhere, but chose to come down here, and walk among us…Immanuel,
God with us.
And,
we followers of Christ know deep down in our souls that when the world comes and
steals away your breath, and takes away the hope of your community, and the
authorities nail it all to a cross to die, we know that there is a third
day. There is a third day when the stone
will be rolled away and Jesus will emerge.
The Lord of love cannot be taken away from us and we cannot be taken
away from the Lord. God does not easily
let go of someone created by God’s very own hands.
Our
bodies may die, but our hearts belong to Jesus, and love does not stay
dead. Never forget; never let these
promises from Jesus pass from your mind; “I am with you always, to the end of the
age.”
And,
even when Jesus calls us up the mountain with him, and we see him rise away, we
know that he is not gone. He is still with
us. He is with us through the blowing of
God’s Spirit. He is with us as the
Spirit blows over the waters of baptism and wraps its arms around us, making us
a part of Christ’s family. He is with us
as the Spirit blows through the pages of scripture and enters into our minds as
we learn all that Jesus has to teach.
The
Spirit of Jesus is with us whenever we look into the eyes of someone cast down
on the ground, pleading to us for help. Jesus
is with us, and we see him within the eyes of the one who hungers, or thirsts,
or is forgotten, or is naked, or is sick, or is in prison. He is right there, staring back at us.
And,
when those who are cast down to the ground, buried under a knee, or trapped under
the dirt of life are seen as Jesus right in front of our eyes, and when we give
them a chance at resurrection, Jesus will say to us who strive to live out his
teachings, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you
gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a
stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick
and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”
Jesus
is “with” us in the eyes of these cast down people. But, “with” does not mean “agree.” Being “with” someone does not mean that we
agree with them, or they with us. Being “with”
someone does not mean we do not have a rocky past with one another. After-all, we have all had a rocky past with
the Lord. Am I right? And, I am certain that the Lord does not
always agree with me. In all likelihood,
he rarely agrees with me.
But,
I am also certain that Jesus is “with” me, because in his last mortal words to
the world, he promised to be there. Jesus
promises to be with you even today. “Remember,
I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
May
we also strive to truly be “with” others.
It is the way of those of us who follow the one who never lets go; Jesus
Christ our Lord.
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