I Will Not Leave You Desolate. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Transcription

1 I Will Not Leave You Desolate Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. An unknown Author wrote: One night I had a dream, I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord and across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. One belonged to me and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that many times along the path of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in my life. This really bothered me and I questioned the Lord about it. Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way. I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don t understand why in times when I needed you most, you should leave me. The Lord replied, My precious, precious child, I love you and would never, never leave you during your times of trial and suffering. When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you. During Holy week I delivered the Homily on Maundy Thursday and a few important questions were posed. What is this all about, what is in it for me, and what do I get out of this? While preparing the message for today I began to see something of a parallel developing between Maundy Thursday s Gospel and today s Gospel. We are at a different time, the before and after. The last supper and breaking of bread took place. A trusted ally denied him and another betrayed. Now, it is after his resurrection and he is spending time with his disciples, forty days to be exact. 1

2 Then as now he is making preparations for death, no betrayals, no denials. Remember Jesus lived in heaven before his birth and now he is preparing for his home going. Before his crucifixion Jesus delivered a mandate and it was Love one another. Today another mandate is delivered and it is; If you love me keep my commandants. He loved us so he gave life so that we might live and now he is mandating and requesting in the same breath if you love me as I loved you then keep my commandants, that s all I ask. I remember leaving Charleston, South Carolina at age 17 for college. My mother and father wanted to take me too Nashville but being tough I rejected the offer I can do this by myself. Before getting on the Greyhound bus and the hugs and kisses they both expressed their love and delivered a mandate live as you have been taught. You ask or maybe wonder where the parallel is; the answer is it s All about Love then and Love today. He Loves, We Love! Today words as mandate, rule and commandment are not on the top ten most popular words. They require us to do something to listen, too pay attention, and to follow directions to remain obedient. Many times when working at the detention facility it is necessary to insure that the youngsters are behaving. They have to be redirected and reminded that they have rules to follow. Following rules and taking directions makes us winners, to do the opposite has just the opposite effect. We all know and understand that life is no bowl of cherries, it is not the Silk Road, and it is not a flowery bed of ease, but loving Christ and keeping his commandments will make us winners and smooth smooth of the rough spots. JESUS is saying more to us than we are seeing There is another element and it is not lurking in the dark, but out front for us to see in bold type. Jesus said, If you love me, you will keep my commandments, I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate too be with you forever. Is this the other element we are missing? 2

3 Sisters and brothers we are indeed being promised the Holy Spirit dwelling in us and for us that is good news. Remember, he going home but he said, I will not leave you alone; I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. Just suppose you are a child prodigy chosen to train at Julliard with Maria Callas, or gifted baseball player chosen to train with Jackie Robinson. What an honor and a privilege, and just think how much you will learn and what connections you are going to and will make. How prepared for this tough world you will be. This is WOW time. Then the master dies and you no longer have the professional to teach and guide you. What would you do or how would you feel? As the young people say you will experience Grief for real. Tremendous loss. Actually feeling abandoned, orphaned, and desolate. You have heard the expression hitch your wagon to a star. That s what the disciples did and the star is telling them that he is going home. This amazing teacher, preacher, Messiah was going to die. This could not be, it made no sense. How could he leave them? How did they feel? Just as the child prodigy, the gifted athlete. Abandoned, orphaned, desolate. Abandoned, orphaned, desolate; these are depressing dire words, these are not top ten words. They say Alone, Isolated, No help. I wonder if this is how you or I would feel if made too cross a desert alone. To me that would be the epitome of desolation. But, we must Remember what Jesus said to his disciples and to us; I will not leave you desolate. That is the good news we need to hear, because from time to time we to feel desolate. We certainly would feel desolate if we were lost in the desert, but we can feel just as desolate in the streets of Florissant or even in the quiet of our homes. We feel desolate in times of stress, when a job is on the line, when our lives are in jeopardy, a family member is sick, a family member dies, a marriage or partnership breaks up, we face a financial crisis. Have you ever felt desolate, abandoned? Do you remember how terrible it was or how terrible you felt? My sisters and brothers in Christ hear and believe Jesus when he says: 3

4 I will not leave you orphans desolate. I will come to you. Jesus is telling us that God s Holy Spirit will come too dwell in us too comfort us,--too guide us and too be our constant companion. Trust and believe in the words of the fourth (4) verse of the 23 rd Psalm: Though I walk through the valley of the shadow death, I shall fear no evil; For you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Jesus does not promise that we will be spared suffering, that we will be spared the valley of the shadow of death. What he does promise is that he will walk with us through the valley and bring us through to the other side. A few years ago following a routine medical examination my internist recommended I make an appointment with a urologist, not having one he recommended and made an appointment for me. The urologist and internist agreed and a biopsy was performed and the results were stage one prostate cancer. A course of action was agreed upon that did not require removal of the prostate, no chemotherapy, no radiation, just placement of radioactive seeds. I am cancer free for more than five years. A couple of years later on a hot July morning I woke up feeling like I had never before felt. I was due to travel to Charleston for a short vacation in two days. After not feeling any better I called 911 and was transported to the hospital and there for two and a half days. After a bunch of tests the results, I had suffered a stroke and too this day they have not been able to tell me why. According to the neurologist they could see no reason for me too have suffered a stroke. They recommended physical therapy but none was ever needed or taken. ASK ME if there is a God dwelling in us? He walked with me in and through that valley of the shadow of death; he comforted me and brought to the other side. 4

5 I was not left orphaned, sick, or desolate. He did not say we will not experience hardship, we will never feel desolate, but again he will not leave us desolate and alone. But he did promise to come to us and strengthen us. Since Jesus promised to Come and strengthen us we should do the same in our community. Continue to support TEAM, AL anon CHAMP and others. Dr. Karl Menninger noted Psychiatrist was asked what a person should do if they felt a nervous breakdown coming on. Dr. Menninger replied: Lock up your house; go across the railroad tracks; Find someone in need; and do something for them. James Barrie the author of Peter Pan said: Those who bring sunshine too the lives of others cannot keep it from Shining on themselves. Take heart and remember Christ s promise to not leave you desolate. Let us open our hearts so that God will fill us with his spirit. Let us hear and heed and remain obedient Christ s call to heal our own desolation by ministry to the desolate among us. Remember brothers and sisters God dwells in and with us yesterday, today and forever. IT s all about Love! AMEN 5