"From the Pulpit" - March 29, 2025
- Pastor Greg
- 5 days ago
- 8 min read
"From the Pulpit" - reflections on the weekly texts, from Pastor Greg of Living Lord Lutheran Church Vero Beach, FL
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to [Jesus.] 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 So he told them this parable: 11b “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” ’ 20 So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. 21 Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost.and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27 He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ 28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ 31 Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’ ”
Blue Route
Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the LORD Jesus Christ.
If you're driving south along the east coast from NY or New England, you're going to be taking Route 95 South most likely. Around Philadelphia via 95, the NJ Turnpike, or the Garden State Parkway down to either the Cape May - Lewes Ferry, or more likely, across one of several bridges getting you back on 95 - the Walt Whitman or Ben Franklin Bridges, the Commodore Barry Bridge, or the Delaware Memorial Bridge, all of which dump you back out onto 95 South to continue your journey south.
If you're coming from north of Philadelphia, or northwest of Philly, until the late '80's, you had to make your way south going out the Schuylkill Expressway to Rt. 202, south on Rt. 3 or 30 through Delaware County. It was a mess. A bazillion traffic lights, traffic, stop and go all the way until Rt. 202 dumped you out onto 95 South, below Philadelphia, into the Wilmington area. It was ugly. Those of you who had to make this trip know exactly what I'm talking about here.
Until the Blue Route was finished in the late '80's, that is The Blue Route (named after plans etched in blue ink for this road way back in the 30's) enabled you to literally cut through all the lights, traffic and congestion to go down through Delaware County, right onto 95 South, saving a good hour. It was a beautiful thing.
One night in late June, 1996, Aimee Willard, a senior at George Mason University, and a standout lacrosse star was on her way home after a night out with friends. On the Blue Route headed south. At exit 5, the last exit on the Blue Route south before you reach 95, she pulled off the highway, and was hit by another car. Intentionally. The driver got out, and pulling her out of her car, likely used a crow bar to maul and kill Willard, her car left running, the doors open.
Willard's body was found 10 days later in north Philadelphia, where her killer was living at the time. Her skull showed at least 10 hits from the crowbar - a horrible death. Finger prints, and the stolen car the perpetrator was driving linked the murder to a recent parolee, and a convicted murderer of another woman in Texas. He was soon apprehended and held without bond. This multiple parole evader was on the loose just days before the murder of Willard, and days after his latest parole.
As you can imagine, the local Philadelphia media covered this horrible crime throughout, from arrest to trial, to conviction to sentencing. Much of the region was captivated by the whole thing, as you can imagine. I remember the first day of the trial. The media was hovering over the courthouse. Friends and family of Willard were outside. And so was the suspect's mother. Alone. I couldn't help but conjure up the image of Jesus' crucifixion, with his mother looking on, helpless, as a seeming perversion of justice had landed Jesus on a cross to die. Eerily similar in some ways, although Jesus had committed no crime.
I remember it like it was yesterday. She showed up outside the courthouse in a beautiful blue dress, an equally beautiful light blue hat, wearing gloves, as if she were going to Sunday worship. You could tell that she likely was a church person. She looked very dignified. The media hounded her for a statement as she walked up to the courthouse, alone. And with microphones pointed at her, cameras rolling, she turned to the crowd, clearly angry (at probably both the media and what she was confronting as a mom), with tears in her eyes and an angry, almost defiant voice, said, "He's my son, and I love him, and there's nothing anybody or anything could ever do to make me stop loving him!" (I add the exclamation point to show her animated response.) Powerful words coming from his mother. To this day, I tear up when I think of it.
While I can't be sure, I'm betting this mom had raised her baby boy in the church. That's just what you did on Sunday mornings. And yet, somewhere along the way, her son took a turn for the worst maybe, living a life of crime and deception, no stranger to the criminal justice system in multiple states. No mom ever imagines her babies ending up like this one did. But there they both were.
And in that statement from this one mom, even though I wasn't a particularly religious person at the time, as I heard her words on that newscast, I broke down in tears at her witness. Her statement of unconditional love for her son. And it was there and then that perhaps for the first time, I knew what the love of God in Christ Jesus was like in a very personal and meaningful way. A son who had lost his way. Estranged from his mom and family probably. A one time convicted felon but perhaps having more in his past. Lost. Alone in the world where a criminal justice system would mete out justice once again on him - deservedly.
But in that mom's witness that she loved her son no matter what the world might have thought of him, I heard the good news of Jesus Christ's unconditional love for US. You and me. Convicted of our own sin, and yet loved unconditionally, and pardoned despite our own sins. And I knew that there was nothing in the world that would ever change or take away this mother's love for her son. Wow.
Our gospel for Sunday, - the story of the Prodigal Son, parallels this real life story from the Philadelphia suburbs in the late 20th century. A son, estranged from his father. Going out on his own. Separating himself from his family and from those who loved him. Squandering the freedom that life had given him. And after a wreckless journey, he comes home, embarrassed by what he had done. And on his return, how does dad respond as he sees him in the distance walking home. "Kill the fatted calf!", he exclaims. Let's get the party started. There was no sin, no way of life, no behavior that could have ever changed the father's love for his son. Arms open wide as he awaits his son's return.
Now, there are many dynamics in this story that Jesus tells. But the gospel message is the same for both the Prodigal Son and this convicted murderer in Philly. God's love for us in Christ is unconditional. Fierce. Selfish. Unending. Knowing our sin...knowing our faults, and loving us still. Amazing grace, right?
I love the words of the Psalmist in our Psalm for this Sunday: (Psalm 32)
Happy are they whose transgressions | are forgiven,
and whose sin is | put away!
2 Happy are they to whom the Lord im- | putes no guilt,
and in whose spirit there | is no guile!
3 While I held my tongue, my bones with- | ered away,
because of my groaning | all day long.
4 For your hand was heavy upon me | day and night;
my moisture was dried up as in the | heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and did not con- | ceal my guilt.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” Then you forgave me the guilt | of my sin.
6 Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in | time of trouble;
when the great waters overflow, they | shall not reach them. R
7 You are my hiding-place; you preserve | me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts | of deliverance.
Happy are they whose transgression is forgiven, and whose sin is put away. Dear Psalmist, thank you for these amazing words of grace above. Yes, the criminal justice system did its job. This man was convicted and sentenced as a murderer. His sin was horrible. This is one of two "kingdoms" that Luther talks about - the earthly kingdom where justice is meted out in order to keep us all safe. There are bad guys out there doing bad things.
But there is another "kingdom" - the heavenly kingdom, where all God's people whose sins are washed away, whose lives are precious, and whose salvation has been assured by Jesus' action on the cross. There is no sin, no transgression, no evil that is too far out that the love of God in Christ can't and won't claim. Thanks be to God! Amen.
Amazing Grace
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