Loving God, your Son came in order to set us free from the power of sin and death. Help us to continue to learn from Jesus, leaving our fears behind in order to love; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A few months ago, I came across a rather quirky, made in Winnipeg movie called “East of Euclid.” The main character is a man who lives in Winnipeg running a perogy factory while hiding out from the KGB. Even though this man seems to have a lot going for him in the movie, it turns out that he is absolutely unable to risk. Several times during the movie there is a statement that caught my attention: “Only a person who takes risks is free.”

There is a lot of truth in this statement, and it ties in with a conversation that we were having in confirmation class just this past week. The conversation was about Jesus and about the risks that he was willing to take in being born as a human being. The Scriptures teach us that Jesus, the Son of God, was always in existence in his divine nature. As mind-blowing as it can seem to us, he was present at the time of creation, and all things were created through him (Heb. 1:2; Jn. 1:1-4, 14). Yet, in his human form, Jesus did not come into existence until he was conceived in the womb of Mary, his mother.

Now, the question that we were discussing in confirmation is this: If you were God, would you allow yourself to be born as a human being and open yourself up to whatever people might do to you? I suspect that most of us would probably say “no.” Yet, Jesus was willing to take the risk. How come? Why would he do that, especially knowing what was likely to happen to him?

The number one reason would have to be love – love and the fact that Jesus knew what would be accomplished by his coming. Jesus knew that his life as the God-Man would be the only thing that could break the power of sin and death. He would live a sinless life, make himself a perfect sacrifice, and break the power of death by being raised from the dead. He would accomplish salvation for all those who put their faith in him. Because of his great love for us, it was worth the risk. “Only a person who takes risks is free.”

Really, isn’t Jesus the embodiment of the freedom of the gospel? He knew who he was but did not “lord it over” others. He willingly and lovingly took on the role of a servant (Phil. 2:5-8). He was not concerned about offending people, or about what the neighbours would say, or about impressing people in positions of power. His main concern was to bring compassion and healing to those who needed it the most. He was directed by an intimate relationship with God, which always took precedence over human traditions or rules or taboos, no matter how “religious” in their origin. In many ways, Jesus is the most well-integrated, freest person who has ever lived, who freely offered himself as a servant for our sake.

In a treatise called “The Freedom of a Christian,” Martin Luther wrote the following: “A Christian is a free lord of all and subject to no one. A Christian is a ministering servant of all and subject to everyone.” Seeing as we are called to imitate Christ in our lives, this is most certainly true! It also lifts up for us the paradox of Christian freedom. You’ve got these two things that seem as if they can’t both be true, yet they are. We are lord of all and servant of all and set free to be both of these things. And the recurring refrain continues to swirl around in the background: “Only a person who takes risks is free.”

As we remember today some of the events at the time of the Reformation, we are reminded of the risks that both Martin Luther and others found themselves taking for the sake of the gospel. The heart of the matter was the promise of the Scriptures that we are put right with God through faith in Jesus Christ. The church at the time was teaching people that many more things were needed in order to earn your way into heaven. You had to do lots of penance. You had to pay in order to view relics of the saints. Above all, you had to purchase indulgences: pieces of paper that guaranteed a certain number of years off of your time in purgatory.

Luther saw all of this and saw how the church in Rome was getting rich off the backs of the poor. And so he reminded people that it is Jesus Christ who has saved us as a gift, and that we are to live by faith in him. As it turns out, Luther was risking many things by teaching this. He was risking excommunication. He was risking splitting the church. He was risking his life and was forced into hiding for a time. He was risking his position as a priest and a university professor. Yet, he could not cling to all of these things and deny the truth of the gospel. “Only a person who takes risks is free.”

Of course, all of this leads me to ask what risks we are being called to take today for the sake of the gospel. This past week there has been much in the news about Pastor Harry Lehotsky’s legacy and the ongoing work of New Life Ministries. One of the things that was mentioned was the $175,000 debt that was taken on in order to start some new projects. This debt has now been paid off, and the ministry continues. Certainly, to go into debt is always a risk. Yet, when is it worth it to do so for the sake of the gospel? Many fine ministries would simply not be happening if the people behind them had been unwilling to take risks.

So what risks are we being called to take for the sake of the gospel? One of my prayers right now is that a shared vision will emerge of what this congregation is being called to do in this time and in this place. Above all I pray that we would see how it is that we can touch the lives of the people who are in greatest need. Whether they are right here in Winnipeg or around the world, our call is always to share bread with the hungry, homes with the homeless, hope with the hopeless, and love with the loveless. We are here to love and to serve the people for whom Christ died. We are here to be the body of Christ – to be the hands and feet of Jesus here in this world.

We are called to do these things, yet how often are we stopped in our tracks by all of the “what if’s”? What if we don’t have enough? What if people don’t like it? What if people are ungrateful? What if we meet somebody dangerous? What if we give to somebody and they misuse it? What if somebody walks in here who’s not like us? There is a lot of fear in those “what if’s”, and fear will stop you every time.

Yet, the Scriptures give some answers to fear: namely, love and faith. “Perfect love casts out fear” (1 Jn. 4:18). “Do not fear, only believe” (Mk. 5:36). One could probably argue that there is risk involved in love and faith, too. This is true to some extent. Yet, when our faith is in Jesus Christ and our love is from God, it will always be worth the risk. Human beings may disappoint, but God remains faithful.

So – what are we being called to risk for the sake of the gospel? Remember, “only a person who takes risks is free.” And “if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (Jn. 8:36). Amen.

Reformation Sunday John 8:31-36
October 28, 2007
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore

© 2007 Lynne Hutchison Moore All Rights Reserved