( Galatians 5,25 – 6,10 ) - [ Deutsch ] - [ Akündigungen613.4 KB ]
Dear christening family, dear congregation, Leander has been christened and he received a christening candle. Being given a light is a prerequisite for being a light for others. I would like to show you a picture.
Nicolaus Ludwig Graf von Zinzendorf once stood in front of this picture, which shows the suffering Jesus with a rope around his neck and the crown of thorns on his head. Zinzendorf looked into the eyes of this Jesus and could no longer avert his gaze. He was especially moved by the subtitle, "This I did for you, what are you doing for me?"
These words became the compass of his life.
He understood: Christ hung on the cross for me! And if Christ hung on the cross for me, then I cannot remain passive. Then it is not enough to pray and go to church services. What Christ did for us, challenges us to be of service to others. This is what he realized when he studied the image. What does such service look like?
Paul gives clear instructions in a letter to the church in Galatia, which could have been addressed to us today. Gal 5.25-6.10
25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. 1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfil the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Dear congregation, Paul explains that as a church we should be kind and caring in our dealings with each other. When we look at the church in Galatia, we realize that theirs was not always peaceful. Things got heated and sparks flew. A few lines (verse 15) before the passage we just heard, Paul writes, "If you bite and eat one another, see that you are not eaten by the other."
Wanting to be better and more influential than others, not granting them what they have, poisons the community. Or regarding themselves to be more important than others and trying to put themselves in a better light at the expense of others. These conditions and the attacks on his own person naturally angered and unsettled Paul. Hence his instructions on how we Christians should treat and serve one another. Paul never shied away from saying uncomfortable things.
He, who proclaimed God’s abundant grace like no other, demands at the same time a clear Christian profile and behaviour, in the church and in everyday relationships. He writes, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." Paul emphatically instructs the Galatians that God will one day evaluate our lives. "Make no mistake!"
It matters very much how we live and how we treat each other.
What man sows, he will reap. Whoever sows strife cannot reap peace. Those who treat others mercilessly cannot expect to be treated mercifully.
Striving for God's kingdom and his will is Jesus' invitation in the Sermon on the Mount. And this is an invitation to all of us.
After the prospective lawyer Zinzendorf encountered the image of Jesus and his question: what are you doing for me? he began to shape his faith. He started prayer groups and brotherhoods. He studied theology only later and even became bishop of the Moravian Brethren Church.
When Bohemian religious refugees came to Upper Lusatia in 1722, Zinzendorf seized the opportunity to serve his Saviour Jesus Christ. He made his inherited property available to the homeless people and allowed them to settle on his land and live their faith.
His goal was not a new church. He wanted to influence the existing Lutheran churches. From the very beginning, Zinzendorf emphasized the mission aspect of the community in Herrnhut. The fellowship experienced here in the Holy Spirit was to be carried all over the world.
Nikolaus Ludwig Graf von Zinzendorf gave his life for his Saviour and followed the mission, which he carried within himself like a personal word of the Crucified One: "This I did for you, what are you doing for me?"
I will ask myself this too, and I ask you to do the same. That's what I, Jesus, did for you. What are you doing for me? In your everyday life.
Paul advocates that everyone should first look at their own lives before looking at the lives of others and thinking they can judge them. Getting someone on the right path - this requires empathy. "So as long as we still have time, we want to do good to all people – but above all, to those who belong to the family of believers."
Leniency in the face of the mistakes others make, helpfulness, and active charity—this is what Paul asks of the Galatians. Otherwise, he says, they have no right to call themselves Christians. If someone thinks he is something special, then he is deluding himself. Everyone is special in God's eyes because we are His beloved children. He looks at us mercifully because He knows full well that each and every one of us has dark spots in life.
Everyone has weaknesses and is susceptible to certain things. This is human. That's life. That's part of it. Paul wants you to question yourself self-critically. Then everyone will realize that no one is free of guilt. And those who take this to heart, can be gracious and kind in dealing with others. Nobody likes to make a mistake. No question. But it happens.
Carrying each other’s burdens does not mean solving the problems of others. That doesn't work. Nobody can take the responsibility for my life, my decisions, and my actions away from me. But living in God's Spirit and accepting His forgiveness enables me to turn to someone who has just lost his footing and has fallen. Again, the question Jesus asked: I did this for you... what are you doing for me? In a moment of silence everyone can reflect on this.
Maybe there is a lot that comes to mind regarding what you do for Jesus. Maybe there is very little. It's never too late to rethink and repent.
The verse for the coming week reads:
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
Whoever has such trust in God, receives inner serenity. Each and every one of us is burdened by fears and worries. But they don't have to get us down. God is faithful to us and cares for us. Those who experience this freedom are ready to live the life God intended for them. To help others to bear their worries and burdens. To go into the future together.
As a community of the baptized, preceded by Jesus.
Amen
