Whether we are in an emergency room or worshipping at Faith Lutheran Church, buying groceries at Fred Meyer or gardening in our backyard, we are “somebodies” whom God loves—scarred, broken, imperfect people—children of God. God wants all of us to be “people lifters”—lifting one another up—affirming each other’s gifts, NOT judging others, or thinking we are better than they are. Paul puts it this way: “Therefore, children of God, be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.”

In the Biblical story of Naaman the leper, we read how Naaman wanted a miraculous, dramatic cure. It took his servants to remind Naaman that God does not necessarily use big, tumultuous means to bring wholeness or newness to his children. Elisha merely said, “Wash, and be clean.” Through those simple words and waters of an insignificant creek, Naaman was made whole.

Isaiah 55 is the picture of God inviting all to a feast where everything is free! Come, God says, come as you are, no limitations to social standing or dress codes! Come with your thirsty throats and empty bellies, weak bodies, broken hearts, and uncertain future.

What does it take for us to realize the very presence of God through Jesus in our daily lives? When we are at our wits end, when we feel the most alone or deserted, Jesus is there. Often, if we open our hearts and minds, we see Jesus in a neighbor who has cleared snow from our driveway, a friend who has called us to check up on us, a friendly cashier at the grocery shopping, a doctor who listens carefully to our concerns, or a stranger who gives a dollar to help pay for a much-needed prescription when the funds have run out. Jesus is with us whether we know it or not. Praise God for that!

Read the Easter story found in Mark 16. Then consider the “What if?”

· The women had decided to skip the anointing because of its interference with Sabbath, had said, “It’s too late now” on that Sunday morning, and never showed up?

· God had not “so loved the world that he gave his only Son?”

· We do not tell the story or live as though it’s true but simply dismiss it as unimportant?

· We had never heard the story? Never knew resurrection? Never had resurrection hope?

WHAT IF? What we must decide today is, NOW WHAT?

My most memorable Palm Sunday celebrations come from living in Liberia, Africa. On Palm Sunday morning, a nucleus of singers and church leaders gathered at Phoebe Hospital with drums and long palm branches.

We, as God’s church or as God’s people, can expect no less. It is so easy to look at others’ faults, the places where we disagree, and then judge them, puffing ourselves up and putting them down. These difficult and trying times can be minimized or resolved if we “Keep our eyes on the donut and not on the hole!”

Today we face unprecedented upheavals in life as we’ve known it. We feel trapped in our homes and are invaded by fear from media and leaders. Yet we hear God speaking once more, saying, do not look back to what was, a new thing can come out of this.

Esther was a biblical heroine who saved the Jewish people. She is recognized mostly for her strength, bravery, and dignity. She was chosen by the Persian King Ahasuerus to be his wife in a contest, not knowing she was a Jew. All the Persian King could see was an incredibly beautiful woman. When the king’s right-hand man, Haman, came up with a plan to kill the Jews, Esther’s uncle Mordechai found her and pleaded with her to spare Israel. Even though she was the King’s wife, she knew she was not allowed to approach him without invitation, and if she did, it could end in death. But she believed she was chosen by God to save her own people and agreed to go in front of the king anyway to win his favor and save her people, the Jews. Esther foils the plan of Haman and wins permission from the king for the Jews to kill their enemies if necessary, and they do so. Israel is spared.

These stories emphasize the power of our own action when we stand on the side of God, never giving into human power or popularity. Over and over, we hear “BUT THERE IS A GOD” who reveals mysteries, who delivers life, who lives forever, and who works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth. We become not only a faithful servant of God but also a mighty witness for God so that others can see the God whom we know. Taking such a stance is not for the weak or the wishy-washy. It takes courage and trust in the very God upon whom we rely. But the results are worth the commitment!