Not Abandoned; Sermon on Matthew 5:31-32

 

Rev. George Miller

Sept 6, 2026

Matthew 5:31-32

 

Gospel of John, chapter 4- Jesus is in Samaria, considered the most unsavory of places.  It’s the hottest time of the day when all self-respecting citizens are inside.

 

Jesus is parched.  The only person nearby is an individual who has been married 5 times and living illegally with a sixth.

 

This Samaritan individual is the outsider of outsiders, and they are the one Jesus asks for a drink.

 

What happens next is unbelievable by cultural standards- Jesus and this woman talk, they conversate, they hold the longest sustained conversation in the 4 Gospels.

 

Jesus says, “Call your husband.”  She says, “I have no man.”  He says, “You’re right- you’ve had 5.”

 

People try to discern who she is and “why 5 spouses” but there are other ways to read her story.  Back then, marriage meant something different and didn’t function like marriage today.

 

Marriage was about covenant and life-long care; divorce was broken obligations and abandonment.

 

Through this lens, Jesus is saying to the Samaritan woman that she has been “abandoned” 5 times.

 

In John 4 we discover that in the most despised place at the most despised time, Jesus meets someone who has been abandoned by everyone they trusted, and Jesus does not abandon them.

 

After a sustained dialogue, She goes into town, She tells everyone about Christ, and it is She who brings everyone to him; not the disciples or the proper people with proper ways.

 

It is her testimony that brings people into a relationship with Jesus.  He stays for 2 more days.

 

This individual who has been viewed as an outsider, abandoned again and again, has an encounter with the Still Speaking God and discovers that in Christ she has a place to belong, she has a role to share.  She will not be abandoned.

 

This Gospel Message is so good to share as we prepare to say goodbye to 2026 and enter 2027- In Christ, no one is abandoned.

 

Back in 2024, someone submitted today’s reading from Matthew 5:31-32; in the notes, they wrote “I do not like this.”

 

With how this scripture has been misunderstood and used to shame folk, I don’t like it either.  BUT- there is more to this reading than we realize. 

 

This is a scripture written during a specific time in a specific culture.  Divorce and the concept of divorce was completely different.  It would be like describing 1960 party-phone etiquette to a teen in 2026.  

 

In today’s USA, we think of marriage as something done out of love.  We meet someone; hearts go-a-twitter, hormones race, we plan a future, get wed, have kids, go on vacation, retire, spoil the grandbabies.

 

Not in Samaria’s time.  Marriage had nothing to do with love.  It had to do with survival, land, having kids to work the land so you can pay the bills.  There was no retirement or vaca in the Ozarks.

 

It was work work work work work.  Love had nothing to do with marriage. 

 

If you were a girl, your parents married you off as quickly as possible so they wouldn’t  have to feed you anymore.

 

In modern-day America we think of divorce as falling out of love, a spouse looking at the other and saying, “Sorry, I just don’t feel it.”

 

We think of divorce as a choice made by both people to be free, start over, scratch that 7-year itch; that women can initiate the legal proceedings just like men.

 

This is not true in Jesus’ time. Divorce was all about the men’s decision; it was the men who said, “I’m ready to find someone new.”

 

Men could simply put away their wife without any ramification, leaving her destitute, fending for herself; easy to be victimized and unable to legally wed. (The 1^st Nation’s Version/ Indigenous Translation; 2021)

 

A man could toss his wife aside with no legal standing: Jesus is advocating for the woman and doing what’s right.

 

Jesus says- “Hey, dear husband- if you decide that you want to violate your covenant and no longer fulfill your obligation to care for your wife, then the least you can do is give her the respect and legal papers of divorce so she can remarry and be protected.”

 

Verse 32 is trickier: “Anyone who divorces his wife…causes her to commit adultery and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

 

Remember- Jesus is talking to an ancient culture in which marriage is not about love.  He is talking about divorce as a justice-based concept, with the idea that no woman would choose spousal abandonment or marrying another.

 

In The Complete Gospels (edited by Robert Muller), the interpreters write “Anyone who divorces his wife… causes her to be a victim of adultery.” (1992)

 

This translation allows us to better understand Matthew 5:32.  Jesus does not want to see a woman discarded and made to do what they don’t want to do.  Jesus is saying, “Don’t victimize the one you have a legal obligation to.”

 

So now, lets us turn this talk into the important “what” and “why.”

 

We can look at John 4 and realize that Jesus wasn’t just having a conversation with a woman who had 5 husbands, he was having a rich dialogue with someone who had been abandoned 5 times; maybe by death, maybe divorce.

 

There, in the heat of the day, Jesus saw her as a somebody.  Though those who were responsible for her left her again and again, he was there right beside her and stayed until it was time to go to Galilee.

 

He asked for a drink, she gave him a dialogue.  He offered her Living Water; she brought him a bevy of believers.

 

What if John 4 was written today, and not 2,000 years ago on another continent?  How might Jesus address people in our modern world?

 

What are the customs, traditions, and controversies of today that Jesus would speak to?  What are the legal and illegal things in our current timeline that Jesus would address?

 

Knowing all that we know- who would be the Samaritan today?

 

What about their mother, their father, their siblings, their friends?

 

Who would be the person, the group of people that Jesus would address and be most protective of?

 

Two thousand years ago, Jesus cared about abandoned women having the right papers and legal protection they deserved.

 

Who are the people that Jesus would speak up for today, giving us direction and saying, “Don’t make them be a victim.”

 

The UCC is known for the slogan “God is Still Speaking.”  Over the decades our actions have shown that.

 

How is God Still Speaking today?  Who is God still speaking to and for?

 

Who is the next person standing at the well in the heat of the day who needs to hear a word from Christ and receive that welcome?

 

May we all find peace and a spirit of calm in knowing that in Jesus we are not abandoned and in the Lord we can all find refuge.  Amen and amen.

Celebrating Rev. Kruse and the Ministry of St. Lucas UCC; Micah 6:8

 

Rev. George Miller

August 30, 2026

Micah 6:8

 

Palm Sunday, April 13, 1930- the sun is shining through the refrained pictures in the hallway between the office and social hall.

 

It’s the 50^th Anniversary of St. Lucas UCC.  The retired Rev. Kruse stands to give a message to the Confirmation Sunday worshippers, quoting Psalm 111.

 

Then, he says:  “Since our church was founded, almost an entire generation has sunk into the grave.  They lie under our sacred ground or in other cemeteries.”

 

“Many who rest out there have sat with us at God’s fountain; they have refreshed their souls with the Word of Life; and they have helped us build up this congregation.”

 

“Their contributions are built into our first church and our beautiful current one. May God reward them for what they have done to sustain the faith and the piety of our community.”

 

“Their children will bless them for it.  Now it is up to you to take possession of what your fathers have passed down to you.”

 

80 years later, John Hoffmeister and  Dr. David Mehl shared these same words at the Dedication Weekend of the Samuel Kruse Center on Oct 23 and 24, 2010; remarkably warm, almost summery days.

 

Now, on Aug 30, 2026, we share these words again as we hold our first “Rev. Kruse Day” to honor the legacy of our 2^nd pastor and the legacy of St. Lucas UCC.

 

The story of Rev. Kruse is very much the story of America, the story of the Evangelical church and the story of Missouri.

 

The son of immigrants, his father and great uncle were pastors.  He lived in Illinois, Missouri, and Nebraska, in frontier-like settings that were agricultural, rural; with wagons, carriages, stagecoaches, and a railroad stop.

 

In 1880 he was ordained; 1882 he was installed as pastor of St. Lucas and served for 43 years. 

 

Rev. Kruse wasn’t the first pastor- that was Rev. Joseph Steinhart, but he was the pastor of many firsts- starting the church choir in 1884, the Women’s Fellowship, Sunday School, Youth Society, and a men’s group.

 

Back then Rev. Kruse was called a Progressive Pastor when that word had a different connotation.

 

Intune to God and Scripture, he led the way to purchasing a total of 15 acres of land, building  a school house, expanding the cemetery. 

 

He was busy- baptizing over 1,100 babies, creating over 3,000 sermons, teaching over 5,000 Confirmation Classes. President of Eden Seminary, Emmaus Homes, Superintendent of the Cemetery.

 

He had 6 children.  One wonders how much they had to sacrifice their time with Dad so others could have him; one wonders how many unpaid hours his wife Amalia served alongside him, uncredited.

 

Micah 6:8 says the Lord requires us to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with the Lord.  How did Rev. Kruse do that?

 

He once said that as the congregation grows, we develop a deeper sense of social responsibility; the need to get involved in charitable works of the Synod and organizations. 

 

He embodied this by encouraging the Ladies Society to help women in the community; establishing a youth group with the motto being “Learn to do good.” (Isaiah 1:17)

35 years of unending support for Emmaus Homes and the 200 people who benefited from it.

 

Rev. Kruse was known for being strict; yet he had kindness for the community.  At a time when Google was just a funny sounding word, Rev. Kruse was a go-to source of information.  Town folk knew they could come to him with questions and guidance.

 

One person may need to know if it is wise to buy insurance, and if so- from whom?  Another seeking wisdom about building a house.  Someone else needs to sell their horse.  Rev. Kruse was the guy.

 

Then there is walking with the Lord.  Rev. Kruse was a servant of God, a follower of Christ and a believer in the Holy Spirit.  He led and inspired others with Scripture.

 

Psalm 106 “Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for he is so good,” became a spark for starting a children’s school.

 

Luke 11:28 “Blessed are they that hear the word of God and heed it” inscribed over the chancel in 1885.

 

2 Corinthians 9:7-9 “…God loves a cheerful giver, and God is able to provide for you every blessing in abundance…so you may share abundantly in every good work.”

 

Rev. Kruse was a frugal man; he would only use 4 pages to type a sermon so as not to waste the church funds.  Yet, with a belief in God’s provision, he motivated people to trust and believe, share and bless.

 

Together, in great faith, local stone and stonework that was donated, a new church was built in 1905. It cost $20,000.  Today, that would be about $759,000.

 

Micah says that what God wants is for us to love being socially responsible, to be neighborly, and to move forward with God.

 

This is what Rev. Samuel Kruse did, and that is how he invited St. Lucas UCC to walk.

 

Today we honor Rev. Kruse’s legacy.

 

By remembering him, we also remember ourselves: what we have accomplished, what we can do, and where we can go, when-

 

giving thanks to God, living out the word, and sharing with joy.

 

Let us end by hearing the closing  words from that sunny 1930 day-

 

“Take comfort in the fact that you have transmitted the beliefs of your fathers to your children through the building and maintenance of the congregation.”

 

“Your house of God is so inviting, and it cheers one’s heart and soul that visitors sense some of the impression that the Holy singer expresses through the words,

 

holy and awesome in his name, or as Jacob expressed by his ladder to heaven,

 

How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

 

Amen and amen.

Oasis of Calm & Passion; Song of Songs 1:1-17

 

Rev. George Miller

July 19, 2026

Song of Songs 1:1-17

 

Into a world full of chaos and confusion comes a sacred pause to embrace passion and love.

 

Into a time of wondering “what does it matter?” comes an oasis singing “Stay awhile and use your senses to see and smell, taste and touch, listen and be embraced.”

 

Into an era where people easily pull apart is a love song that ends with two people leaning on each other for support and unification.

 

Into a world in which innocence can be ripped away is a moment in a garden filled with trust and calm.

 

“Oh you who dwell in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice; let me hear it.”(Song of Songs 8:13 or SOS 8:13)

 

Please repeat after me-

“Unity.”

“Calm.”

“Trust.”

“Amen.”

 

Today we journey into the private grounds of two lovers who want nothing more than to be as close as two people can possibly be.

 

The Song of Songs is among the highest regarded writings in the Bible.  Called “The Holiest of Holies,” it ranks up there with Genesis and Psalms as generating the most commentary.

 

In the Jewish community, the Song of Songs is read during Passover, on the Sabbath in the synagogue, in its entirety.

 

Which is stunning because not once is God mentioned or the Law or Isreal’s history.

 

Instead this song focuses on lovers who simply can’t get enough of each other, using multiple images to express how much they care, trust, and long for each other.

 

Imagery of nature, agriculture and animals, metropolitan meccas and royal places, natural phenomena and perfumes.

 

In the Jewish writings, this book is situated between Job and Ruth.  In our Protestant Bible it is placed between Ecclesiastes and Isaiah.

 

How fascinating since Ecclesiastes is about how pointless life seems and Isaiah explores the unraveling of Isreal due to unloving actions.

 

Since July 5 we’ve been immersed in the Ecclesiastes world with a teacher who thought life was pointless, who found hope in unity, food, drink, and enjoying what you work hard for.

 

Song of Songs unashamedly adds a 5^th reason to live- LOVE; wild, passionate, amor.

 

These are the words spoken between  two lovers, one who is bronzed from toiling in the sun and another who lives a royal life.

 

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of my mouth.” (SOS 1:1)

 

“Oh that his left hand were under my head and that his right hand embraced me!” (SOS 2:6)

 

“You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.”(SOS 4:7)

 

“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine…” (SOS 6:3a)

 

Why would this collection of erotic lyrics be gathered among the sacred texts, elevated to holiness?

 

We can say how cool that our faith sees embodied love and sensuality as beautiful and heavenly.

 

We can point to how the images of springtime, renewal and unity are a reminder of how they’re gifts meant to be celebrated.

 

We can also say that this love song is a metaphor for the relationship between Isreal and God.  How it shows the ways in which God yearns to be in relationship with us, even if we are sunburned and exhausted.  How God will always choose us.

 

We could also say that this is a love song between Jesus and the universal Church. 

 

An allegory in which we as the church are out in the field, doing the work, participating in the harvest, yearning for the presence of Christ and grateful for his love.

 

Jesus is the lover who seeks us out, watches over us and cherishes the church.

 

From this allegorical reading we can imagine a closeness with Christ that is more than just thoughts and ideas, but dialogue and delight, closeness and unified joy.

 

And incarnation.

 

In other words, to say “we are the hands and feet of Christ” means that we are part of this garden relationship in which God’s love is embodied with our presence, kindness, and care.   

 

That in Christ, when we say “love grows here” it means we are playful and intentional, trusting and looking forward to the next time we gather.

 

That in Christ the words we speak are sweet like kisses, our faces radiate like ornaments of gold, and our souls long for comfort in the heat of noon.

 

Today’s scripture is among the most studied of all, having a sacred place for our Jewish sisters and brothers, woven into the celebration of Passover and freedom from Pharoah’s brutality.

 

In some ways, we can catch images of it in the relational presence we see in our Lord.

 

How Jesus took time to speak with Nicodemus in the middle of night.  How Jesus took time to speak to the Samaritan women in the middle of the day. 

 

On that 1^st day of resurrection, Jesus stood in the garden with a weeping Mary Magdelen, gently calling her name.

 

Christ stood before the disciples and said “Peace be with you.”  He said to Peter “Do you love me?  Feed my sheep.”

 

All of these have an element of the intimacy and closeness we hear in today’s reading. 

 

Even though God is not mentioned once in the Song Of Songs, we witness the gifts of generous love, gifts of generous trust, and the gifts of generous calm.

 

For a world that can be one of chaos, questions and pulling apart, this reading is an oasis that refreshes and restores, empowering us to find ways to be those hands, be those feet, and be that heart.

 

For that, let us say “amen.”

Keys to the Kingdom Do Not Stop Life From "Life-ing"; Jeremiah 29:11

 

Rev. George Miller

Aug 23, 2026

Jeremiah 29:11

 

Faith in Christ does not mean a carefree life.  In Matthew 16, Peter declares to Jesus “You are the Messiah…Son of the Living God!” 

 

To which Jesus says “Blessed are you Simon...You get the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”

 

Wow!  Could there be a cooler set of keys; sounds like life is now easy street!  Except, as Simon soon learns, holding the keys to heaven does not stop life from life-ing.  It does not prevent Peter from beatings or imprisonment.

 

What good are holding the keys if it doesn’t keep you crises free? 

 

Jeremiah 29:11 says “surely I know the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”  Did God have plans for Peter?  Why did he endure harm?

 

…I have a confession to make- being a person of Christian faith is not always easy.  There is the idea that if you are a person of faith, every day should be easy, every moment filled with joy, your trust in God unmovable  and assured whenever wherever whatever.

 

Sometimes we construct an idea that as a person of faith we should always be happy; our first waking words- “Glory be to the Highest!”   

 

But the truth is that people of faith are still people.  We get cold when it’s cold.  Hungry when we’re hungry.  Weather affects our moods.  Housekeeping can feel overwhelming.

 

Being a person of Christian faith does not mean every obstacle is easily averted or every ailment is instantly healed.  It does not mean if we prayed harder, believed more, martyred ourselves enough times that all things will be OK.

 

Sometimes being a Christian of faith is saying “Lord, I’m tired, I’m tired.”  Sometimes it’s admitting that our bodies are not what they used to be. 

 

Sometimes it’s standing still and saying “Jesus, God, Holy Spirit, is it Ok if I just rest in your arms?”

 

Because the chores will wait.  The need to sacrifice ourselves and please others is often an illusion… 

 

…Since March, I’ve been on path to  healing.  The past 2 years have been a time of pain and mortality. 

 

It breaks my heart that you have not truly met the George who wistfully goes everywhere, doing all things, dances easily, and is always tan from being in the sun.

 

Turns out that once your legs no longer “leg” your relationship with the world changes.  Is stepping onto the sidewalk worth the pain?  When did lawns become dangerous fields of tree roots?

 

My arthritis was so bad that going downstairs to do laundry or stepping into the shower felt like horror movies.  The pain so excruciating that I tried to avoid putting on socks; every act of sitting down and standing up hurt.

 

Thank God for health insurance.  For neighbors who looked after me.  For your support.

 

This time of healing has been an enriching one.  Instead of pushing my body beyond its limits by Superman-ing it, I opted to “listen”- rest when my body said “rest”, ice when it said “ice”.

 

It meant feeling sad when I was sad.  Annoyed when the bathroom called for the 4^th time in 40 minutes.  In other words- real.

 

Though trouble lasted the night, joy has come in the morning.

 

Sunday, I braved the stairs to do laundry and when I stepped on that first step-nothing.  No pain, hurt or  grimacing.  Just the feeling of my foot on a flat surface.

 

It was so unfamiliar.  For 2 years every single step down the stairs caused pain.  I had grown used to it, afraid of it, my mind always bracing my body for it.   Now I get to rewire my brain so that steps are no longer seen as a horror film.

 

Then Monday- stepping barefoot on the grass.  It’s been a year since I’ve walked barefoot outside.  Too dangerous, unstable.

 

But Monday I got to feel it- green lush Missouri grass kissing my soles.  I forgot how that felt.

 

Now, Jeremiah 29 has some truth- plans to unfold and hope to hold. Oh the places I can go!  Wine Country, Ozarks, Botanical Gardens, the steps of the St. Louis library…even just walking the campus of St. Lucas UCC.

 

The simple pleasures that healing can restore.  I can’t wait to dilly dally once again at Home Goods.

 

Valuable lessons have been learned. Such as- as bodies age and break down, every aspect of our lives is affected. 

 

No amount of positive thinking changes the fact that as our bodies change, so does our relationship with the world around us.  How do I minister to a congregation of bodies now that I know this?

 

I’ve learned that pain infiltrates every aspect of our lives, robs our joy, limits what we do, and changes who we are.

 

As a church, how do we faithfully address this?  When it hurts for folks to put on socks or take an hour to button a shirt, when attending a Council meeting means stairs or long, dark hallways?

 

How does one faithfully lead worship when pews are low to the ground and invitations to stand up hurts?  When the Chancel isn’t easy to navigate if you are unsteady on your feet? 

 

Today’s scripture says “…I know the plans I have for you… plans for your welfare…to give you a future with hope.”

 

Hope.  Not perfection.  Not pain free, scar free, or the way it once was.  But hope.

 

Hope for anyone who knows what it is like to live day by day. 

 

Hope for those living with chronic pain or cancer, dealing with depression or bodies that aren’t as they used to be.

 

Hope for those whose dreams have been dashed or detoured.

 

Hope for those in North St. Louis still recovering from the tornado.  Hope for those in Colombia who have a lifetime of loss to deal with.

 

Being a person of Christian faith does not mean every day we are filled with delight and the keys to the kingdom jingle jangle with joy.

 

Maybe being a person of Christian faith is not  that we don’t fall, but that we get back up. 

 

It’s not that we must try harder but that we try.

 

Maybe faith is carrying the lessons learned  so that we can be true neighbors, brothers, and partners.

 

Maybe being a person of faith is simply saying “I don’t know what Monday will bring, but I know that God will be there, somehow, some way and in that I can find hope.”

 

Amen.