AS A RANSOM FOR ALL

By Dr. Eric C. Stumpf, Senior Pastor

St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church – Munster, IN

1 Tim 2:6

+ Friendship Sunday + Sep 23, 2007 – Proper 20

            The definition of a friend is “one attached to another by affection.”  Another definition was used in USA Today (“For Better, For Worse: That’s What Friends Are For, Sep 19, 2007, Sec D, p. 1), “…people who know you for better and for worse, and they’ve still stuck around for the long haul.”  We expect a friend to care.  If they have a problem, one would lend a sympathetic ear.  A friend would have a willingness to help a friend in need.  The difference between casual relationships and friendship is that when you are asked “how are you,” an acquaintance would say “fine,” while a friend would not be afraid to tell you how they really are.

             It is generally known and believed that friendships are very important in people’s lives.  A very well known philosopher from New York, Yogi Barra, once said, “You should always go to other people's funerals. Otherwise, they won't come to yours."  Other experts have said that if you have five or more friends you will generally live longer, you enjoy better health, and you will have a more positive outlook on life.  Sadly, Robert Putnam in his recent research has found that the average American has few friends today than fifty years ago.  In some cases the only friend a person has is their spouse.

             On this Friendship Sunday you have a person who cares for you.  If you were invited especially this Sunday to be introduced to St. Paul’s, you have a friend that cares for you and wants you to enjoy the same blessings they are enjoying as a worshipper here at St. Paul’s.  We also care for you as well as all our worshippers because Christ cares for us.  You heard to what extent Christ cares for all, he was a ransom for all.

The Friendship We Share

            God shares his Son’s friendship with all people.  “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Why did God do this?  Why was it necessary? 

            God created us and all things.  We have a relationship with the Creator.  For our good he has given us a moral direction and compass to follow.  This law is written in the hearts of all God’s created people.  It is to love God with heart, mind, and soul, and our neighbor as ourselves.  But as everyone also knows, each of us has failed to do this.  While it might be the stuff of newspapers and the evening news, it is a sad state of affairs that our world has got itself into.  While we might take some relief that our names are not in the newspapers as infamous sinners, the truth is that we all sin and fall short of God’s expectations.  “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not is us.” 1 John 1:8.  Burns-Kish, LaHayne, and a host of others have created an industry because of sin.  Death is the result.

             Therefore the needs is very clear why we need God’s help and salvation.  “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Paul, in the text we are using today, stated that Jesus became a ransom for all.  I can not help think that as Paul wrote this the thought of what another famous ransom in his time accomplished.  About a hundred years before a famous Roman known even today, Julius Caesar, was himself kidnapped when he was about 25 years old.  He was crossing the Aegean Sea when pirates stopped the ship.  Now these were not Johnny Depp, a parrot on your shoulder, “Shiver me timbers, argh,” pirates, but pirates none the less.  They wanted a ransom before they would free him.  They came up with the figure of 20 talents of gold, worth about $13 million today.  Caesar did two things that surprised and amused these pirates.  First, he insisted that he was worth far more than 20 gold talents and got them to demand 50 gold talents.  The next thing really got the pirates laughing, he said that when this was all over he would hunt them down and put them to death.  Caesar’s ransom was paid, Caesar when home and raised a fleet of ships which swept the Aegean of all pirates.  He did capture the bunch that had captured him and put them to death.

             We were captured and held for ransom by Satan for all the sins we have committed and will commit.  The ransom was God’s own Son.  He paid the ransom for all by his death on the cross.  But on the third day he rose from the dead.  His victory was proclaimed in Satan’s face and you and I have been rescued and saved.  Our salvation took more than a fortune for each us.  God paid it so we could be friends again with God.

What Does This Friendship Produce?

            Salvation changes people.  Just as friendship is active, so salvation is active.  As Jesus, our friend, we come a friend who cares about the needs of others and are compelled to help.

             Here is an example.  Earlier this year I went to India to see Christian work done.  In my travels I met three Indian children.  These three had health problems that their parents could not afford to have corrected.  Along with praying for their healing we have sent funds to help the two youngest.  The oldest, a 13 year old girl needs a heart operation.  In this country it could cost about a quarter of a million.  In India it can be done for about $5,000.  We have brought our caring concern to the members of this congregation asking them to be generous in friendship in the name of Jesus to a young girl in need.  Today we will collect those funds and we pray that God would move hearts to friendship to help and bless this venture so that God’s healing might be accomplished.

             Here is another example of friendship.  Every year people come through our doors seeking the help that God works through this congregation.  They know that we do this because worshippers here follow what God has called all worshippers to do.  “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1 Peter 3:15  We are God’s people living in the hope of salvation and eternal friendship with God made possible by the ransom God paid to win our salvation.  If you yearn for this hope in your life, our congregation is here to help.  Amen.

SDG