Mount Calvary Lutheran Church - Brentwood, MO - 24 August 2008

Pastor Zimmerman abbreviated his sermon to provide time for two groups from the congregation to discuss their work over the past summer to minister to the needs of others: those who served at Indiana HandyCamp, sponsored by Lutheran Disabilities Ministries in Indianapolis, IN; and those who delivered a Christian Vacation Bible School at Norway House, Manitoba, Canada, sponsored by

However, Pastor did not simply leave the presentations to speak for themselves. Before he began to guide the groups in describing their experiences this past summer, he "framed" their presentations by means of three illustrations.

Pastor introduced the illustrations by referencing a recent effort to bring together seven students from different religions to live together in a "reality show" environment. The moderator prompted their discussions with questions. One of these was: "Why do you suppose there are so many religions in the world?"

Pastor responded to this question by asserting the situation was far simpler that this question supposed: there are only two religions! Two of the three illustrations graphically presented these "two religions in the world".

During the first illustration, Pastor Zimmerman put on a pair of garden gloves. The Muslim participant from the "reality show" provided a statement that best describes this first religion: "I work for God to earn his favor and a place in heaven." All religions other than the religion of the true disciples of Jesus of Nazareth fit into this first category. Question: Why garden gloves? Answer: In this religion, what you get is what you work for.

The second religion is the religion of Jesus of Nazareth, the incarnate God-man, who lived a perfect life, died as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, and was raised by the Father on the third day so that all who trust in Him alone will inherit eternal life. To illustrate this second religion, Pastor took off the garden gloves and donned a baseball mitt. Question: Why a baseball mitt? Answer: With Christianity, what you get is what you receive from God Himself. Can you catch a ball that is not thrown?

The third illustration was an element of contrast for the presentations to follow. Lutherans, Pastor said, are often accused of wearing two baseball mitts. We are seemingly so averse to even the appearance of works righteousness that we eschew service to our neighbor and seek only to receive, receive, receive.

Of course, this is not at all what Christ taught; it's not what the Lutheran Church teaches, either. To extend the second illustration: we give away what we have received! God's Word teaches us that our freedom in Christ is given us for the benefit of the world around us. As we have been freed from sin through the faith in Jesus that comes from God alone, we can now confidently abandon our own sinful pursuit of "self-fulfillment" and look to the benefit or our neighbor.

We forgive as Christ forgave us! (Colossians 3:12-13) The Father did not wait for us to "make the first step". While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7-8) So we do not wait for our neighbor to "make the first step" or "prove their worth". Every person is a person for whom Christ died; every person is a person in need of forgiveness and mercy (1 John 4:19-20). Who is YOUR neighbor? (Luke 10:25-37)