Bible Text: 1 John 4:19\u201321 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Bern\u00adhard Hohl | Series: Like you and me | We humans are so dif\u00adfe\u00adrent, and so are we Chris\u00adti\u00adans. We have our days. We have our imprints. We have our pre\u00adfe\u00adren\u00adces. We have our expec\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons. We have our incli\u00adna\u00adti\u00adons\u2026 Is a clo\u00adse brot\u00adher\u00adly and sis\u00adter\u00adly tog\u00ade\u00adther\u00adness in the church pos\u00adsi\u00adble at all? Com\u00adment from Jesus: All things are pos\u00adsi\u00adble to him who believes!<\/p>\n
A girl once com\u00admen\u00adted as fol\u00adlows \u00abI\u2019m glad I have my brot\u00adher, even though some days I could wring his neck with the grea\u00adtest plea\u00adsu\u00adre! He can be so ter\u00adri\u00adbly mean and nasty. But I just like him.\u00bb Today we meet three brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters who like each other from the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment and ask our\u00adsel\u00adves again: What can we obser\u00adve in them that would be valuable for our brot\u00adher\u00adly tog\u00ade\u00adther\u00adness in the church? I will first look at Laza\u00adrus, the youn\u00adgest of the three. \tBefo\u00adre we rebu\u00adke the beha\u00adviour of others, we should always exami\u00adne our own beha\u00adviour first! Would\u00adn\u2019t it have been bet\u00adter for Mar\u00adtha to put down the pota\u00adto pee\u00adler and lis\u00adten too, espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly now that Jesus will soon no lon\u00adger be among them! If you, as a wife, are annoy\u00aded by some\u00adthing about your hus\u00adband, then don\u2019t ask your girl\u00adfri\u00adend if she could have a serious word with your hus\u00adband! The same appli\u00ades vice ver\u00adsa to the hus\u00adband! Plea\u00adse also spa\u00adre the pas\u00adtors, or the mem\u00adbers of the church lea\u00adder\u00adship from expec\u00adting you to put your part\u00adners or your child\u00adren in their place \u2013 befo\u00adre you have addres\u00adsed the pro\u00adblem yours\u00adelf. The sto\u00adry of the rai\u00adsing of Laza\u00adrus reve\u00adals even more about Mar\u00adtha and Mary! The inten\u00adti\u00adon to call Jesus to the bedside is a joint decis\u00adi\u00adon of the two sis\u00adters. The elder Mar\u00adtha did not deci\u00adde on her own. That is beau\u00adtiful when brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters in faith are united: Now we need the clo\u00adsen\u00adess of Jesus! Now only Jesus can help us! Now we have to talk to HIM<\/span>, go to HIM<\/span>. Bible Text: 1 John 4:19\u201321 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Bern\u00adhard Hohl | Series: Like you and me | We humans are so dif\u00adfe\u00adrent, and so are we Chris\u00adti\u00adans. We have our days. We have our imprints. We have our pre\u00adfe\u00adren\u00adces. We have our expec\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons. We have our incli\u00adna\u00adti\u00adons\u2026 Is a clo\u00adse brot\u00adher\u00adly tog\u00ade\u00adther\u00adness in the con\u00adgre\u00adga\u00adti\u00adon pos\u00adsi\u00adble at all?\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[35],"wpfc_sermon_series":[63],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-bernhard-hohl","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-wie-du-und-ich","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-3011","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"hentry","10":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nLazarus
\nWe know very litt\u00adle about Laza\u00adrus. Appar\u00adent\u00adly he was not at home during that ten\u00adse event when Jesus visi\u00adted his two sis\u00adters, Mar\u00adtha and Mary. Laza\u00adrus was not a pro\u00adphet, not one of the 12 disci\u00adples, not a high priest, not a con\u00adspi\u00adcuous per\u00adson, not a trou\u00adble\u00adma\u00adker. He has not done or expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced any\u00adthing spe\u00adcial so far. He also has not\u00adhing to do with the poor Laza\u00adrus who appears in the sto\u00adry in Luke 16; on the con\u00adtra\u00adry, our Laza\u00adrus belongs to a wealt\u00adhy fami\u00adly. Laza\u00adrus lives in Betha\u00adny. One can hard\u00adly tell more about him. Per\u00adhaps no one would have known him if he had not been the brot\u00adher of Mar\u00adtha and Mary. Actual\u00adly a bibli\u00adcal nobo\u00addy, but this chan\u00adged abrupt\u00adly with his resur\u00adrec\u00adtion from death.
\nThis exci\u00adting sto\u00adry is worth rea\u00adding at home in John chap\u00adter 11. What does it reve\u00adal about Laza\u00adrus? Jesus loves Laza\u00adrus. He is fond of him. That is men\u00adtio\u00adned twice! But Jesus loves all three brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters: \u00abJesus loved Mar\u00adtha, Mary and Laza\u00adrus\u00bb (John 11:5 NL<\/span>). Mar\u00adtha and Mary also love Laza\u00adrus. When he beco\u00admes serious\u00adly ill, they imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly noti\u00adfy Jesus about it. It is inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading how they do this. They do not report, \u00abJesus, you must come at once, Laza\u00adrus is serious\u00adly ill.\u00bb Their mes\u00adsa\u00adge is simp\u00adle: \u00abJesus, the one you love is sick in bed!\u00bb
\nI would like to insert a ques\u00adti\u00adon: How do you for\u00admu\u00adla\u00adte your mes\u00adsa\u00adge, your request to Jesus, when the\u00adre is some\u00adthing very dif\u00adfi\u00adcult and urgent? Dra\u00adma\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly? Or with a sin\u00adgle sen\u00adtence, like the two sis\u00adters; or even wit\u00adhout words, kno\u00adwing that Jesus alre\u00ada\u00addy knows your situa\u00adti\u00adon? Jesus knows about our dif\u00adfe\u00adren\u00adces and that is good. He is hap\u00adpy when you turn to him and sim\u00adply talk to him as you feel comfortable.
\nJesus is in no hur\u00adry to visit the sick man. He stays whe\u00adre he is for two more days until he final\u00adly sets off for Betha\u00adny. In the mean\u00adti\u00adme, Laza\u00adrus has alre\u00ada\u00addy died and is buried in a cave tomb. The\u00adre is a lar\u00adge stone in front of the ent\u00adrance. We know how the sto\u00adry ends: Jesus rai\u00adses him back to life. One may ask, why Laza\u00adrus in particular?
\nThe ans\u00adwer is given by Jesus hims\u00adelf in the sto\u00adry: He does this mira\u00adcle to glo\u00adri\u00adfy God! The many mour\u00adners pre\u00adsent should expe\u00adri\u00adence God so that they belie\u00adve in him and belie\u00adve that Jesus is the Son of God. In fact, many Jews come to belie\u00adve in Jesus, which does not plea\u00adse the high priests at all. A short time after this mira\u00adcle, Mar\u00adtha invi\u00adtes Jesus and his disci\u00adples to a meal again, whe\u00adre Laza\u00adrus also sits at the table with them. Again many peo\u00adp\u00adle come by, not only becau\u00adse they want to see Jesus, but also the resur\u00adrec\u00adted Laza\u00adrus. On this occa\u00adsi\u00adon, Mary anoints Jesus\u00bb feet with a very expen\u00adsi\u00adve oil. That is all we know about Laza\u00adrus, after that we hear not\u00adhing more about him. He did not beco\u00adme a sub\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adte disci\u00adple for Judas Isca\u00adrioth. He did not beco\u00adme an apost\u00adle, a mis\u00adsio\u00adna\u00adry, an elder in a church, wri\u00adte a bibli\u00adcal book\u2026
\nJesus loves Laza\u00adrus. Jesus loves you too! Why are you, of all peo\u00adp\u00adle, a com\u00admit\u00adted Chris\u00adti\u00adan and a child of God? Just be ama\u00adzed that you were able to open the door of your heart to him and be gra\u00adteful! For us, it is often the case that we love peo\u00adp\u00adle who we like straight away! And the most likeable peo\u00adp\u00adle are the ones we feel like we like! This is not the case with Jesus. He does not wait for love in return until he then shows us his love. \u00abIt was not we who loved God, but he loved us first and sent his Son to set us free from our sin\u00bb (1 John 4:10 NL<\/span>). Jesus loved us first to show and model that love for us. To love God the Father and our brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters in faith.
\nMar\u00adta and Maria
\nThe two are fami\u00adli\u00adar to us from their encoun\u00adter with Jesus, whe\u00adre Mary lis\u00adtens spell\u00adbound to Jesus\u00bb words while Mar\u00adtha strug\u00adgles to ser\u00adve the guests. Mar\u00adtha expects Jesus to per\u00adsua\u00adde her sis\u00adter to help her. But Jesus ques\u00adti\u00adons her cri\u00adti\u00adcism and prai\u00adses Mary, who has deci\u00added bet\u00adter. From this encoun\u00adter in Betha\u00adny we can remem\u00adber two things for our fra\u00adter\u00adnal tog\u00ade\u00adther\u00adness in the church:<\/p>\n
\n\tYou should cri\u00adti\u00adcise direct\u00adly and not through a third par\u00adty! \u00abJesus, can you plea\u00adse tell Mary what would be next\u2026?\u00bb No, direct\u00adly: \u00abMary, will you help me later if I sit with you now?\u00bb<\/p>\n
\nWhat do the two women do when they hear that Jesus is on his way to them? Laza\u00adrus had alre\u00ada\u00addy died days ago! \u00abWhen Mar\u00adtha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, but Mary stay\u00aded in the house\u00bb (John 11:20 LU<\/span>). This time Mar\u00adtha seeks to be near Jesus. Mar\u00adtha and Mary meet Jesus one after the other with the same reproach and the same trust in his power to heal: \u00abLord, if you had been here, my brot\u00adher would not have died.\u00bb
\n
\nMar\u00adtha adds in a tes\u00adti\u00admo\u00adni\u00adal and empha\u00adtic way: \u00abBut even so I know that God will give you wha\u00adte\u00adver you ask of him\u00bb (John 11:22). When Jesus gives the order to remo\u00adve the stone from the ent\u00adrance to the tomb, it is Mar\u00adtha who puts the bra\u00adkes on: \u00abNo, we can\u2019t do that. After four days the corp\u00adse stinks ter\u00adri\u00adbly!\u00bb Jesus repli\u00aded, \u00abDid\u00adn\u2019t I tell you that if you belie\u00adve, you will see the glo\u00adry of God?\u00bb (John 11:40 NL<\/span>).
\nOur diversity
\nTwo sis\u00adters who illus\u00adtra\u00adte our dif\u00adfe\u00adren\u00adces very impres\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly. Our faith is some\u00adti\u00admes so big and then again so small. Often we trust God with gre\u00adat things and are con\u00advin\u00adced by Bible words like \u00abGod does gre\u00adat things that can\u00adnot be sear\u00adched out, and won\u00adders that can\u00adnot be coun\u00adted\u00bb (Job 9:10 LU<\/span>). And sud\u00adden\u00adly we are back on the ground full of doubts and ques\u00adti\u00adons. Some\u00adti\u00admes you feel so well what is now your turn \u2013 and soon after you throw your list of prio\u00adri\u00adties over the top. We humans are so dif\u00adfe\u00adrent, and so are we Chris\u00adti\u00adans. We have our days. We have our imprints. We have our pre\u00adfe\u00adren\u00adces. We have our expec\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons. We have our incli\u00adna\u00adti\u00adons\u2026 The more acti\u00adve ones some\u00adti\u00admes want to kick the others\u00bb butts. Some are devas\u00adta\u00adted, while others radia\u00adte hope again. Is a clo\u00adse brot\u00adher\u00adly tog\u00ade\u00adther\u00adness in the church pos\u00adsi\u00adble at all? Jesus\u00bb com\u00adment on this is: \u00abAll things are pos\u00adsi\u00adble to him who believes!
\nWe must all remain awa\u00adre that the adver\u00adsa\u00adry not only attacks our com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adon with God, but also wants to des\u00adtroy our tog\u00ade\u00adther\u00adness. It is sad that many brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters in the fle\u00adsh are at odds; they no lon\u00adger talk to each other and do not want to see each other. This is sad. It is even more tra\u00adgic when it hap\u00adpens among spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters. Dr. Sus\u00adan McHa\u00adle, an Ame\u00adri\u00adcan rese\u00adar\u00adcher on sibling rela\u00adti\u00adonships in the USA<\/span>, says: \u00abThe rela\u00adti\u00adonship bet\u00adween brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters is often the lon\u00adgest-las\u00adting rela\u00adti\u00adonship we can have as human beings. And an important one at that,\u00bb says McHa\u00adle. Becau\u00adse her data so far show that tho\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle are healt\u00adhi\u00ader in their later years who still feel a clo\u00adse bond with their siblings. Interesting!
\nYou are healt\u00adhy in old age if you still have a good rela\u00adti\u00adonship with your phy\u00adsi\u00adcal brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters! When the Bible calls us to love our neigh\u00adbour, it con\u00adcerns first of all the next of kin, the brot\u00adher or sis\u00adter \u2013 not only the phy\u00adsi\u00adcal, but also the spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters. God calls us to this love, but he has given us ever\u00ady\u00adthing to make this pos\u00adsi\u00adble! In this way, he enables you to live a rich\u00adly ful\u00adfil\u00adled life that radia\u00adtes joy; and such a life has a posi\u00adti\u00adve effect on your phy\u00adsi\u00adcal health.
\n\u00abWe want to love becau\u00adse he first loved us. If anyo\u00adne says, \u00abI love God,\u00bb but hates his brot\u00adher, he is a liar; for if anyo\u00adne does not love peo\u00adp\u00adle he sees, how can he love God whom he has never seen? God hims\u00adelf com\u00adman\u00added us to love not only him but also our neigh\u00adbour\u00bb (1 John 4:19\u201321 NL<\/span>).
\nCou\u00adples often pro\u00admi\u00adse each other a deep and faithful rela\u00adti\u00adonship at their wed\u00adding cerem\u00ado\u00adny with the words: \u00abYes, with God\u2019s help\u00bb. Why not live the church rela\u00adti\u00adonships here among us with an ever-pre\u00adsent: \u00abYes, with God\u2019s help!\u00bb
\nAmen.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"