Loving God, you come to us in compassion and in love, heeding our cries for mercy. Help us to see hope even in the midst of suffering and to come to you in faith for all that is needed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I have four short stories to tell you - stories of four people in situations that looked very hopeless. These four stories have something in common: None of the situations turned out to be as hopeless as they looked.

Story #1: Sherri was a young mother with two small children at home. Her husband, Tom, had a very demanding job that often kept him away from home. Sherri was starting to feel lonely and depressed, often unable to get out much and feeling alienated from her husband and his whole life and career. It worried her that their children hardly ever saw their father. As time went on, Sherri started to lose all of her energy, and she just didn't feel very well at all. Finally, she decided to go to a doctor, and she was diagnosed as having cancer, and given little more than six months to live.

Sherri was shocked. She was very angry with God and couldn't understand why she had to have such a miserable life. She wondered how Tom would take the news of her illness. It seemed like he hadn't really cared much for her so far. Sherri wondered if Tom might just stay away from home even longer once he heard this news.

However, when Tom heard about Sherri's cancer, he realized how little he actually knew her, and he was suddenly painfully aware of the fact that he really didn't know his children, either. He decided that it was time to do something about it and managed to transfer to another position that didn't require the constant travelling.

Sherri and Tom spent more and more time together and more and more time with their children. As a family, they grew into people who knew one another, loved one another, and enjoyed being together. In six months they experienced more love than they had experienced in years.

Story #2: John was a farmer who lived and worked on the same land that his father had farmed before him. John took pride in his ability to manage the farm and produce good crops. He worked hard to support his wife and children. However, gradually John started to get into trouble. He found he had less and less money available to pay the bills. The debts grew as the crops got worse and worse and brought in less and less cash in return. The local bank got less and less patient with John until one day when John was finally forced to hand over the farm. It broke John's heart to see it go. His family had had that farm for as long as John could remember, and he had been the one to lose it.

John sunk into depression for quite a few months - angry at himself and angry at God for letting such a thing happen. John had no idea what he would do in order to support himself and his family. However, one day a friend of the family came to visit. Sheila had known John and his wife and family for many years and had frequently spent time with them on the farm. She owned a pottery shop and had been looking for somebody that she could train who would eventually take over the business. When she found out how depressed John had been, she asked him if he would be interested in learning to make pottery. John didn't really see what good it would do and didn't see himself as much of a potter, either. However, he figured that it couldn't do any harm to try it.

As it turned out, John had an unusual knack for making pottery and a very artistic eye that allowed him to create original pieces that sold well. He enjoyed working with the pottery so much that he stayed with it and eventually took over the business from Sheila. Although he had worked very hard at farming, he realized now that he had never really enjoyed it. Now John spent his time on a business that was not only a living, but enjoyable as well.

Story #3: There was a woman who lived near Nain, and she was a widow. She had one son who was her only joy and her only source of support in order for her to live. After having seen her husband die a few years earlier, now she had witnessed the death of her only son.

Her society had taught her that the death of an only son was a punishment for sin, so not only did she feel grief, but guilt as well. At the time that her son died, she gathered the mourners around him and prepared his body for burial. As he was being carried out of the gates of the city, she saw another group of people coming toward them. One of them, who seemed to be their leader, came over and touched the mat on which her son's body was being carried. Looking at her and at her son with compassion in his eyes, he spoke to her dead son, telling him to get up. All looked on in amazement as her son arose at his bidding - quite obviously alive once again. She was ecstatic, and glorified God for the return of her son to her.

Story #4: There was a man named Jesus, who did all things well. Crowds of people followed him everywhere, listening to his teaching and being healed by him. Some believed that he was the long-awaited Messiah who would save them. Others liked to follow the latest sensation and wanted to witness a miracle being performed. However, those in authority felt threatened by him. Jesus was constantly upsetting their system and seemed to gather people around him like flies. The religious leaders knew that if Jesus was allowed to continue, pretty soon they would have no power over the people at all.

Thus, many times people came to Jesus and tried to trap him into saying something incriminating. However, Jesus always answered wisely and truthfully, and they were hard-pressed to find anything that might lead to a death sentence. In the end, one of Jesus' own group of closest friends betrayed him, taking money from the religious leaders in exchange for Jesus' arrest. Jesus was bound up and taken to be tried by his enemies while all his friends ran away. He was left all alone to be mocked, beaten, wounded and condemned to death. Then Jesus was crucified, having done nothing to deserve such a cruel death. However, the story did not end there. On the third day, Jesus was raised to life, winning the greatest victory ever and crushing sin and death. Through his time of desperation and hopelessness all people have been set free from the power of sin and death and evil in the world.

Now, this is not to say that these things are no longer to be found in the world. It doesn't take a great deal of looking to see that sin and death and evil are still very much at work in this world. However, as people who believe and trust in Jesus, these things no longer have power over us. They will affect us - yes - but it is Jesus who has the final word.

At the same time, we have one in Jesus who understands our pain and has compassion for us. His compassion and his understanding come out of his own experience, for he suffered more than any of us could even imagine. In fact, in the gospel that we heard today, compassion is the main thing that moves Jesus to help this widow. She doesn't even have to ask him. Jesus sees her pain, is deeply moved, and exercises his healing power in her life. He takes her hopeless situation and fills it with life and joy.

Now, certainly not all bad situations produce a miracle as dramatic as a resurrection from the dead. Sometimes it is a little miracle, like John discovering his artistic gift for making pottery, or like Sherri and Tom finding a fulfilling family life at last.

The thing is that, no matter what situation we are in, our God identifies with our suffering and responds to us with compassion. Even without being asked, Jesus was moved to help the widow at Nain. How much more will God respond to those who come in faith and in prayer, seeking help according to God's will.

I close today with a few verses from today's psalm.

"Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me; O Lord, be my helper." You have turned my wailing into dancing; you have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever (Ps. 30:10-12).

May this be our experience, as well! Amen.

Lectionary 10(C) Luke 7:11-17

June 10, 2007 Psalm 30

St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore

? 2007 Lynne Hutchison Moore All Rights Reserved