Sunday Sermon: Good bye and Hello

Sermon of Christ Lutheran Church, Staunton VA

May 14, 2017

Pastor Robert McCarty

Preaching Texts:  Acts 7: 55-60 John 14: 1-14

“Good bye.”  

Jesus says “good bye” to his followers in this Gospel reading today.  Actually, in the flow of John’s gospel, he says “good bye” as he approaches Jerusalem and approaches  the final week of …. Well, the final week that leads to the crucifixion.  Which has a sense of finality to it, even though we know otherwise.  This has a “good bye” with a glorious “hello” three days later.

Good bye can be like that.  Sometimes in hindsight “good bye” seems ominous, final, and other times “good bye” is a common salutation, that often means, “‘till I see you again,”  even though it has a sense of finality to it.  Truly there are many ways we say “good bye” to one another.  Farewell and Godspeed, so long, ciao, sayonara, Shalom, Aloha.  All ways of saying “good bye” in different places at different times.  

You probably do not remember the first time you left your mother to go to school.  Your mother may or may not have taken a picture of it.  That moment has a sense of good bye to it.  It ends a phase of childhood, but it also begins a new phase of life.

Or how about that first good bye when you took off with the keys to the car.  A transition of independence for your mother to get use to.  

The Good bye as you leave after getting married, or go to college.  A “good bye” said after visiting for a week.  [You know] Not every good bye is final. 

We call this scripture passage Jesus’ farewell address—this speech in John that occurs before Jesus enter Jerusalem for the final time, for the most important time.  And we read it this week just a little bit before we celebrate the ascension of Jesus.  The feast of the Ascension takes place always on a Thursday—May 25th this year.  Some congregations will acknowledge the Ascension next Sunday and other congregations, including us here at Christ, will celebrate the Ascension readings in two weeks.  

We read this passage this week before the ascension to know that even as Jesus says “good bye,” his going prepares for another “hello.”  He goes to prepare a place for us.  He goes a way that we will one day travel and he intends to be there ahead of us.

Good byes and hellos have a way of balancing themselves out.  A child leaves in the morning for school and you say “good bye.”  A child returns home at the end of the school day a little bit wiser and you say “hello.”  A teenager leaves with the keys to the car, and you have taught them to be safe, to buckle up, to drive on the right side of the street.  We get a little more nervous with this good bye, and yet thousands of times that “good bye drive safe” is balanced out with “I’m home” and “hello” and a hug. 

A daughter gets married.  That “good bye” is balanced out with a “hello” to a new son.  Or vice versa if a son gets married. Either way you have “good bye” and “hello” in a beautiful movement of life and love.

Nine years ago, you sort of said “good bye” to the C____ family.  They moved to the other side of the sate..  Now many of you heard but lets make sure you all know, the family returns to the area.  We look forward to saying “hello” again to them.  Hello and good bye do indeed balance out.

Jesus says “farewell,” “I am going,” “Good bye.”  But he also assures us that he will see us again.  That he will see you again.  Jesus reassures us that this “good bye” is balanced out with a future “hello.”  And the “Hello!” that he anticipates includes not just himself but his Father, Our Heavenly Father, as well.  I guess that would be more than balanced out.  Our Heavenly Father’s “Hello!” would be shared with trumpets heralding and angels singing. Glorious!

I know today is a day that can run the gamut of emotions.  That some of you have buried mothers and that some of you have buried children.  And those “good byes” seem fresh today.  Others however, still live in the joy of active parenthood.  And you have plans today to celebrate with families and grow the relationships with another set of “hellos.” 

To all of these emotions, Jesus gives the image of home and being welcomed and having a place.  A stable place, a peaceful place, in the presence of the divine and with Christ.  An eternal and everlasting “Hello!”  God grants a final hello that has no good bye to balance it out. 

So on behalf of God and Christ today, I say to you “Hello and welcome.  I am glad you are here.  I am glad you are safe.  You belong in this house and with these people.  Hello.”

Amen.