Saturday, February 27, 2021

Welcoming Jesus Into Our Home; Luke 10:38-42

 

Rev. George Miller

Feb 21, 2021

Luke 10:38-42

 

Home.

 

In the words of Dorothy from The Wiz “When I think of home, I think of a place where there’s love overflowing.”

 

Home.

 

Today’s story is a personal favorite, full of flavorful notes like a slowly cooked pot of soup, rich with spices, aromatics, and vegetables.

 

Playfully, I like to refer to this as “The M&M Story” in which Jesus is welcomed into the home of adult siblings, and we get to see their individual personalities and family dynamic at work.

 

There is a key phrase in the story that is so subtle, but oh so strong.

 

Verse 38 states Jesus “entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.”

 

Did you hear that? If not, let us repeat it again- “a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.”

 

Did you catch it this time?  Martha welcomed Jesus into her home. 

 

She invited him.  Freely beckoned him in.  Provided space for Jesus to be in her place, to experience his holiness.

 

“Big deal!” you may say.  But it is big deal.  This is the 1st time in Luke in which we are told of Jesus being welcomed into a home by a woman.

 

In chapter 4 Jesus enters Pete’s house, but we’re not told of an invitation.  Jesus enjoys a feast at Levi’s, but there’s no mention of an RVSP.

 

A Pharisee invites Jesus over, but judges him soon after.  Jairus invites Jesus in, but that’s to heal his daughter.

 

This is the first time we hear of Jesus being welcomed into the home of a woman, and as far as we know, she had no objective- no need of healing, not looking to be recruited.  She welcomed Jesus in.

 

That is so beautiful.  So revolutionary.

 

The M&M Sisters didn’t have to leave their cozy abode to experience Jesus.  They didn’t need to be at the shore, on a boat, atop a mountain, or in a large crowd pressing in on him.

 

The M & M Sisters simply experienced Jesus by extending an invitation into their home.

 

Wow.

 

Sisters, it is so good to have you back in the Holy Space.

 

Brothers, it is so pleasant to have you here in this Holy Time.

 

YOU have been missed.  These walls, this carpet, these windows, this altar have all missed you. 

 

It has not been the same worshipping without you.  As Psalm 132 says “How very good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in harmony.”

 

It has been far too long since we’ve been together, and we pray to never, ever be apart again.

 

Before moving forward with worshipping God within these walls, it is good and proper for us to give thanks for how we have been worshipping these past 2 to 10 months.

 

Your home.

 

It’s been hard not having you here, but we invite you to take a moment to appreciate and give thanks for your home and how you were able to experience Jesus there.

 

Think about- just as Martha welcomed Jesus into her home, COVID has given us an opportunity to welcome Jesus into our home in a brand-new way.

 

Technology.

 

Through Facebook, YouTube, the website Ruthie so carefully curates, you have welcomed Jesus into your home anytime, in multiple ways- cell phone, laptop, PC.

 

And yes, many of you have always found ways to welcome Jesus in through prayer, self-study, morning reflection, etc.

 

But how many until COVID welcomed Jesus in via internet and social media?

 

And yes- the experience ain’t the same.  The sound quality isn’t always the best; worshipping alone is not like being side by side by side by side.

 

Yet, we got to worship, hear, experience and share Jesus even when we couldn’t be in the Temple, on the shore, or atop a mountain.

 

So today, we have a special moment- to give thanks for your home. 

 

We want you to take a moment, no matter if you are “here” or “there”, to genuinely think about and give thanks for the place in which you experienced Jesus even as the world is asunder.

 

Today, in the Spirit of the M&M Sisters, we give thanks, and we honor our home.

 

We give thanks to our homes for the walls that kept us safe and the ceiling that kept us dry.

 

We give thanks for the chair that provided support as we sat and are sitting upon to watch worship.

 

We give thanks for the faucets that have provided cool, refreshing water to drink anytime we were thirsty.

 

We give thanks for the internet that allowed us to still partake in the world.

 

We give thanks for the telephone that allowed us to call upon and stay in contact with dear, dear friends and family even when we could not see or touch them.

 

We give thanks for the plants that kept our inside spaces beautiful and the air clean.

 

We give thanks for the oven, stove, microwave, toaster over, refrigerator and freezer that kept us fed and nourished.

 

We give thanks for home delivery and take-out options for those times we just didn’t want to cook.

 

We are mindful that to have these things is a blessing.  We are aware that not everyone has the luxury of a home. 

 

We pray for those who are currently homeless and those living in places that don’t have immediate access to food, water, refrigeration, and electricity.

 

Perhaps most of all, we give thanks for our pets- the cats and dogs who took care of us, offering their loving presence, staying by our side when they sensed we were in need of comfort.

 

Sisters and Brothers, Brothers and Sister- is so very good and pleasant to be here in this sacred space right here, right now.

 

But let us not forget that Jesus has been with us the whole time in our homes.

 

Jesus is still with us in our homes.

 

For those who are be feeling untethered or without a foundation, Jesus is ready to be welcomed into your home at any moment, any time.

 

All we need to do is ask, invite, and open the doors…

 

Martha welcomed Jesus into her home.

 

Jesus has been and is in our home too.

 

For that, we can say “Amen.”

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