My name is John David Harrison and I want to thank you for the opportunity to be with you on this day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Stay with me now as I give you a little family and personal background. My eldest is Keara. She is named after St. Kieran one of the twelve apostles of Ireland. Blayre is my middle daughter; her name is Gaelic Scot for a field or an open plain. My youngest daughter is Grace. We all think we know what her name means. It is Latin in origin and given that she was our last child, she is a blessing indeed.
My son, Lee, and I are of several generations of first born sons named after their grandfathers. This seems to be a tradition of at least eight or ten generations. My paternal line came to this country as subjects of the British Crown and moved as the country did across to Texas in the 1800’s. My maternal line seems to have been part of what Frank Lawrence Owsley described as “the great horde of Scotch-Irish Presbyterians,” with their German Lutheran brothers, “who had pushed to the Mississippi River and far North of the Ohio before the New England population had got a hundred miles west of Boston.”
My wife’s paternal name is Spencer. Some of you will recognize this name as the royal name which has produced such notables as Winston Churchill and more recently the Princess of Wales, Diana. Her maternal name is Hickey, a very devout and loyalist group of Irish Catholics. It appears that my wife’s family was of the Royalist Cavalier branch and with their Catholic faith they were sent packing to these shores and the opportunities found here. Her family was involved in farming, cattle and livestock trading in Iowa.
Over 30 years of my life has been in Agriculture the details of which are on a flyer that I have made available. It makes great reading for insomniacs, it should put you right to sleep. As a wandering scholar in that time I have taught in High Schools and Universities. Some of these schools are close by in Medina, Kennedy and Kingsville. Others are in central America in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and Texistepeque, El Salvador. Still others may be familiar to you, such as Thessalonica, Greece were St. Paul established a church and Tirana, Albania where Christians stopped the Turkish invasion of Europe during Martin Luther’s day. Finally there are those in such exotic locations as Columbia, Missouri, where I met my wife which explains why I was called there; and Logan, Utah which actually defies explanation.
In each of these locations I have helped farmers, ranchers and local communities improve their operations and economies. By increasing self-sufficiencies and providing for the daily need of one another these farms, ranches and communities are healthier and better prepared for the whims of fortune that continually sweep though our land.
I am a late comer to the faith, being baptized and confirmed in 1997. Since then, the cross has become inscribed in my life. The way of the cross, on which God leads us, is clearly the way of the people of God in the world. I recognize that we are becoming believers, ones who hope and ones who love through the power of God’s word as revealed in Jesus Christ. I hope to meet each of you before the day is out because as you will hear shortly, you are my unmet brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.
In reference to our readings this morning, Eli and Samuel were distracted and inattentive to the Lord even though they are ministering. Given what is going on around them, they were probably worried about Philistines. The reality is that ‘Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.’ The Lord had other plans for them and finally illuminates Eli, who then tells Samuel to go back to bed and patiently wait on the Lord. Eli also gives Samuel the words to humble himself before the Lord. “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
So, we must humble ourselves and repeat “Speak, for your servant is listening” and we will hear the call go forth, “Follow Me.” These are the words Jesus spoke to call his disciples and they dropped everything to follow after Him. Philip is not messing around with this treasure and he immediately goes to his brother and says, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Philip’s brother, Nathanael has a thoroughly modern response, “Nothing good can come from Nazareth.” We will return to this shortly, but for now Philip says, “Come and see.” So they go.
There is a lot to be said about this, but I want to focus on two things that Jesus says. I am going to comment on them in reverse order. Second, Jesus sees Nathanael sitting under a fig tree. In the book of Micah 4:4, we read about a peaceful time when, “Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken.” Historically, teachers sat in the shade and dispensed their brand of wisdom. This does not seem to be the case with Nathanael though.
And in the first, Jesus identifies Nathanael as a ‘true Israelite.’ Again, we must return to the Old Testament to find what being a ‘true Israelite’ means. In Genesis 32, Jacob wrestles with God and is renamed Israel. Jacob also comes away with a ‘wrenched socket’ from his encounter. I do not know exactly what a ‘wrenched socket’ is but it sounds painful. Israel is a Greek word derived from the Hebrew words yisra’el meaning "he that strives with God." It is the proper name conferred on Jacob and extended to his descendants, from sara "he fought, contended" + El "God." Thus, to be a true Israelite is to be one who is fighting God.
So here we have Nathanael struggling with God in the shade. He is burdened by this struggle and may even be in pain, physically and mentally. Nathanael’s burden is evident in his cynical despair about place, “Nothing good can come from Nazareth.” Like Samuel, God has plans for Nathanael and has prepared him to hear.
Out of love for his brother, Philip appeals to him, “Come and see.” Jesus opened his mouth and the word of the Lord grabbed Nathanael and began to drag him out of the world. In a last ditch effort Nathanael tries to rebel, ‘How do you know me.’ Too late! Jesus’ words demonstrate there power over everything and Nathanael is yanked away from his sin, death and the devil. Just like Samuel, Nathanael can only focus on the Lord and confess the truth “…you are the Son of God!”
I urge you not to miss that this reading teaches us simply what evangelism is: it is bringing people to Jesus. That’s what Philip did. That’s what we are to do today. I know that you are extraordinarily well-equipped for evangelism. Why? Because you know where Jesus is. You know that He is present at the font, joining you to His death and resurrection (Ro. 6). If He wasn’t there, He couldn’t be doing that. You know that Jesus, the Word made flesh, is present in His Word, forgiving your sins and strengthening your faith. You know He is in His Supper, giving you His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.
Because Jesus is present here, you get your sins forgiven here. Because Jesus is present here, your faith is strengthened via these means of grace. Because Jesus is here, you come here to hear His promises of healing and mercy. Because Jesus is present here, you come into the presence of the One who will raise you from the dead…and who gives life to those loved ones who have died in the faith before you.
It’s an astonishing truth that so many people ignore or even deny: here, by Word and Sacrament, the Lord Jesus Christ is just as really present with you as He was with Philip and Nathanael in the text. This is not just a place where a bunch of Lutherans meet; but here, in this place, heaven and earth come together—because Jesus Christ, the Lord of heaven and earth, is here. This has a profound effect upon you, and me, and us.
For instance, to invite someone to church is to say with Philip, “Come and see Jesus.” Really! He promises to be found nowhere else than in His Word and Sacraments. As long as, God willing, His Word is preached and His Sacraments are administered according to His Word here, then Jesus is here to forgive, strengthen faith, heal, and give life.
Now, many will look at these buildings and echo Nathanael cynical: “Can anything good come out of Emmanuel Lutheran Church? Why would anything special be happening there?” You and I will also be assaulted by foes within and without to the point where we might wonder the same thing. When budgets are tight and the air conditioner is acting up, we tend to dwell on these far more than the truth that the Son of God is present here with forgiveness, life and salvation. At such times, we must repent of our distractedness and return to the marvelous truth: Christ is here to forgive us all our sins. When people are offended by what we teach and practice here according to God’s Word, we’ll be tempted even to apologize, out of a desire that people feel welcome. At such times, we must repent, for then we would be apologizing for the Lord’s presence and truth. We want to welcome people, and will place no barriers that Jesus doesn’t command, but neither will we compromise His Word. Jesus is here—here to save. Let us not obscure that message. Not everyone stayed with the Lord when He stood in the flesh; but those who did were forgiven for all of their sins. It will be so here, because Jesus is here.
Again, since Jesus truly is here, then it is He who gathers us here. This means that those around you are not fellow spectators who happen to have an interest in the same things you do. They are not random customers who happen to frequent the same store. They are your brothers and sisters in Christ, because Christ Himself has called and gathered them and you, together, to this place for the time being. St. Paul reminds us, “And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power.” The family of God remains together for eternity.
Do not be disconnected from others here. Again, St. Paul writes, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” Congregations change over time as people come and go, and this can lead to a sense of distance among members. It’s easy to greet those you know and not greet those you don’t.
Do you know the people who sit next to you in the pew? In front of you? Behind you? You may or may not. If you do not, I’d encourage you to introduce yourself today. If people don’t know each other, then everyone feels like an outsider. If we don’t know one another, we’re less likely to want to help each other and labor with one another—and the mission of the church suffer for it. It’s a little thing, perhaps; but please make a point to meet one another, to greet one another by name. If you forget a name, don’t be embarrassed to ask it again. I certainly appreciate all of the hospitality that Emmanuel’s members have shown to me and my family; and I encourage you to continue that with others. You may not have a whole lot in common with them, but you share this with them for eternity: you are the people of God in this place. It is given to you to greet one another, encourage one another, pray for one another, and bear one another’s burdens. You are brothers and sisters in Christ. You are children of God for whom Christ died.
And do not forget: Christ has not only died for you, but He is risen for you, too. He has called you to be His beloved children, forgiving your sins and giving you eternal life. That is why you come and see Him here. Or, perhaps better, that is why you come and hear Him here. For this is His Word to all of His children, and this is His Word to you: you are forgiven for all of your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen
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