"A Blessed Blessing"
David L Hansen
Forth Sunday after Pentecost
July 2, 2006
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Our Bible is full of people about whom we know very little. People who show up once, and are never heard from again. There’s Simeon and Anna the prophetess,
the Apostle Matthias, Phoebe, the Gerasene demoniac, Joseph of Arimathea, and too many others to name. Then, today, we come across Jairus.
We don’t know where Jairus came from. We don’t know what happened to him after his encounter with Jesus. We know he was a leader in the synagogue, and that he had a daughter and a wife. That is all.
And yet, I find Jairus to be one of the most compelling and interesting characters in the whole New Testament. Think about him for a moment.
The man was a leader in the synagogue. We all know how the relationship between Jesus and the Jewish leaders ended. Most of the accounts we have of conversations between Jesus and the synagogue leaders are confrontational. Yet here stands Jairus, begging Jesus for help. A respected synagogue leader, begging this “so-called” prophet and messiah from Nazareth, for help. Jairus certainly didn’t advance his position among the religious leaders that day.
But that didn’t matter to Jairus one bit. He wasn’t concerned about his career.
He wasn’t concerned about his rank in the religious hierarchy. He wasn’t even concerned about his reputation in the community.
No, for Jairus what mattered most was that his little girl was sick and dying.
Now, you and I think “Of Course!”
Which one of us wouldn’t go to the ends of the earth to care for a sick daughter or son of ours? But stop for just a moment.
Remember that Jairus lived two thousand years ago. Society viewed daughters as property, not cherished children. No. It was son that could have carried on the family name for Jairus, a son that could have worked in the family trade, a son that could have also become a leader in the synagogue, maybe even a Rabbi. This daughter could only end up costing him: between her dowry and the dishonor of not having a boy … she could give Jairus nothing.
And that is Jairus’ blessing for his daughter. HE RISKED EVERYTHING! FOR A DAUGHTER! We expect parents to care for their children. But this is above and beyond. This is more than anyone could ask of a first century Jewish father.
But for Jairus, it was just something he had to do. He had to bless his daughter in that way. He had to risk it all, so that she could be made well by this rebel preacher from Nazareth. And as he risked it all, Jesus was able to give the girl back her life.
And that is why Jairus has always drawn me into his story. But it leaves me wondering about his daughter. What happened to her when she grew up?
What did she do with her blessing? Did she live a normal life? Or did she live an exceptional life, driven by the knowledge of the gift and blessing given to her by her father? I wonder …
Many of you know that Julia and I stopped in Chattanooga on our move to Prairie Hill. We wanted to spend some time with my parents, but more than anything we wanted to be there when my Dad retired after 36 years as a Lutheran Pastor.
It was quite the celebration, and quite the service. In all of that celebration, there is one moment that I will always remember. At the end of the service, just before the benediction, my Dad performed his last act as an active Pastor. I knelt in front of him, and Dad blessed me and my ministry as a Pastor.
My parents have supported me throughout my education, and they have given me countless generous gifts over the years. Yet no gift is greater or more important to me than that blessing.
It gets me thinking about Jairus’ daughter again. What did she do with her blessing? Was she just content to be blessed, or did she in turn become a blessing to others?
I saw that I could keep Dad’s blessing to myself, safe and secure in the knowledge that I have been blessed. Or, I could use the knowledge that I am blessed to become a blessing to others. I came to realize that I am a blessed blessing.
I am blessed, precisely in order to be a blessing.
That is the blessing Jairus gave to his daughter, it is the gift my father gave to me. The blessing of a parent, of any parent, is both a freely given gift and a responsibility.
It is fitting, on this Fourth of July weekend, that we talk about the blessing of parents. The men and women, our ancestors who came to this country, our fathers and mothers, have blessed us. They have given us this country – the rich fertile land, the abundance of resources, the gift of safety, the privilege of self-government – as a blessing. It cost them dearly – many gave their lives to ensure that you and I would receive the blessing of being called “American.”
Being blessed by our American ancestors also means we have responsibilities. We have to educate our selves and vote; we have to continue to protect our freedom. And we do all this so that, in being blessed, we may bless others. We pass the blessing on to our children, so that they can also be “American,” and we bless other nations with protection and freedom.
To be an American is to be a blessed blessing.
So what about you? What about the congregation of Saint John Lutheran Evangelical Church of Prairie Hill?
Your parents, your grandparents, and your great-grandparents have certainly blessed you. Look around you. Look at this beautiful sanctuary; a blessing for you from your parents and grandparents. Look at the rest of this building, the cemetery, and the property – all without a mortgage; their blessing for you.
Certainly this blessing cost your parents and grandparents. They invested in this church, so that you could be blessed by it. They fought to work the land here on Prairie Hill, so that they could make a living and a place for you.
How many people in this world are without a home like the one this community has made on Prairie Hill? How many hunger for a church family and building like that of Saint John? What a blessing!
And certainly our Heavenly Father has also blessed you. In this place you have been washed in the grace-filled waters of baptism. You have come to this place and received the life-giving body and blood of our Lord. Here you have gathered and encountered the Word preached from this pulpit and proclaimed in hymns and anthems.
Certainly, just as our American ancestors have blessed us, just as your parents and grandparents have blessed you, God our Father has also blessed you.
But remember Jairus’ daughter. Every blessing involves a responsibility. Is Saint John content to just be blessed? Or is Saint John blessed in order to be a blessing for others?
I know that Saint John is blessed. However, at this point only you can answer whether or not Saint John is currently a blessing to others.
In the months and years to come, we are going to talk about what it might mean for Saint John to be a blessing to others. Perhaps it means looking at how we welcome the stranger in this place, or how we love our neighbors as ourselves in this place. Maybe we will have to reconsider how or when we worship, or how we are stewards of our money.
I don’t know what the answer is yet, but I look forward to discovering the answer with you. Because I know the congregation of Saint John is blessed; and if you are blessed, then you are also intended to be a blessing.
So go in peace, blessed by God, and as a blessing to the world. Be a blessed blessing.
To return to Selected Sermons click HERE
