Luke 15:11-32: Lost Boy

Presented to Swift Current Community Lenten Lunch, 07 March 2013, Swift Current Salvation Army and CKSW Radio 10 Mar 13 and TSA Alberni Valley Ministries, 05 October 2025 by Captain (Major)Michael Ramsay

 

This is the 2025 version. To view the earlier version, click here: 

https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2013/03/luke-1511-32-lost-boy.html 

 

A prominent big city pastor was driving through a small town. He became a little turned around and when he was lost his eyes fell upon a child not more than two feet tall at the door of one of the houses. The boy was on tiptoes valiantly attempting to reach the doorbell. Amused at the efforts of this small boy and wanting to help, the pastor parked his car and went over to assist the boy. He reached up and pushed his finger onto the button and the chimes rang inside. Satisfied that he had done his good deed for the day, the pastor turned to the child, and said,

“Okay, what happens next?”

With a smile the child replied, “Now we run!”

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The pastor of our story today was at a loss, as he was lost in in the small town. Today we are speaking about the lost. We read the parable of the lost son. This is actually the 3rd parable in a series of 3 or 4 parables. The parable of the lost son and especially the parable of the lost coin and the parable of the lost sheep are all speaking about how important the lost are to God and just how much He will do to bring them to salvation, to bring them back to Him.[1] The next parable after this one, after all the parables of the lost, goes on to explain just how important this salvation really is. God really loves us. As such, it bothers Him when we are lost.

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Who here likes to lose things? How do you feel when you lose your keys? You know that feeling? You think you put them somewhere but they are not there. You are running late. You need to be somewhere and your keys are missing. This is like the parable of the lost sheep.

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Now imagine that you find your keys and you head to the store; you go in, buy your groceries, you walk to where your car is (or at least where you think it is) and it is not there. Your car is lost. You look around. You fumble for your fob to try and make the horn honk or the lights blink but it is raining and you have your hands full and you are sure that this is where you left your car but it is lost and you are franticly scanning the parking lot wondering where it might be. This is a parable of the lost coin.

 

Now imagine that you are still standing there completely disoriented with your hands full in the middle of the parking lot franticly looking for you car and you spot it, so you walk over to the car. You are wondering why you can’t get it to unlock and then you realize that it is not your car at all. It is just one that looks like your car. You look around. You can’t find your car anywhere and you are really starting to get concerned now because, even though you know you shouldn’t have, you left your two-year-old grandchild or child in the car. This is the parable of the lost son. These are the progressive emotions that Luke is trying to evoke in his original audience as they read / hear these parables from Jesus.

 

These three parables are of the lost: the lost coin (vv. 3-7), the lost sheep (vv. 8-10) and the lost son (vv.11-32). They are a progression of intensity, and they all address the questions raised by the Pharisees in verses 1-2: “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’”

 

Jesus answers the muttering with these three parables explaining that not only does he welcome sinners and eat with them but Jesus says: Verse 10, “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents”; Verse 7, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent”; and Verse 32 “…we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” This is how much it means to God when we His children come to and/or return to His safety and His protection.

 

Now the primary parable of the lost that we are dealing with today is that of the son. Sometimes, it seems that almost everything that could ever possibly be said about this parable has been said already. I have read I don’t know how many journal articles and books on the prodigal son; I have seen I don’t know how many pieces of artwork on the prodigal son; I have heard I don’t know how many homilies, devotional thoughts and inspirational talks on the prodigal son. I have heard sermons spoken from the father’s perspective, from the prodigal’s perspective, from the older son’s perspective and maybe even from the pigs’ perspective. I myself have even written a children’s version of this story many years ago and years before that even I remember playing the prodigal son in a musical when I was an elementary school student back in Victoria, with Emmanuel Baptist Church’s Hosanna Singers.

 

There is a story that was told and re-told quite a bit about one of our performances. I, as a 10- or 11-year-old boy, was playing the prodigal son. My costume was an old potato sack. You know the kind. I was wearing that and I had dirt and or stage make-up on. We performed this play on a number occasions and a number of locations. I remember once, we were playing for a smaller audience. We were performing at the inner city Mustard Seed Street Church in downtown Victoria. Because it was a smaller venue back then, while I was waiting to make my entrance, to return to the father, I was waiting outside in my potato sack on the streets of downtown Victoria – and I believe the door may have even been locked on me. So there I was; a child in a potato sack pounding on the door of the street mission as it is time for me to go on stage and then along comes a little old lady who instead of letting me in, kindly places a nickel in my hand and tells me everything will be alright and continues on her way. To this day, I think that nickel made me the highest paid actor ever in the history of the Hosanna Singers.

 

The main thing about the parables of the lost is that God loves us and He wants us all to be found. He doesn’t want any one of us left outside in the cold on the streets. Verse 10, “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Our repenting, turning to God is so important not only to us but even more so to God who loves us so much.[2]

 

There is another aspect to this parable that I should address too and that is the role of the older son in this story. He has an interesting reaction when he comes home and finds that his family is having this party that no one apparently invited him to or even told him about. Along these lines, I have another tale about the lost that I would like to share here. This one is based on a children’s story that my eldest daughter shared with us when she was in elementary school. It is from a Canadian children’s book. I believe that it is set on the east coast. There is a family. The father is a fisherman. They live by an area of the ocean that can be particularly treacherous for people caught in a storm near a place called Ledgy Island.

 

One day – as I understand the story having only heard it second hand – a young boy named Harold and his pet parrot, who is also named Harold, get up early. The boy Harold goes to play in the attic and the parrot Harold flies to the dangerous Ledgy Island. As the other members of the family wake up and get going for the day a family member calls out, “Where’s Harold?” and a voice from the attic replies, “on Ledgy Island” – the parents start to panic. There is a storm brewing and Ledgy Island is a very dangerous place in the storm so they call out the search parties to look for him on and off the island, they call all their relatives, they call the RCMP, they call the coast guard, they call everyone they can think of to help find Harold the boy whom they fear must be lost in the storm. Now of course, it is Harold the bird who did leave for the island but he arrived there without incident: he is fine. The community is searching high and low for Harold the boy however, who never did leave the safety of his own home.

 

At some point during the day, Harold the boy, who is playing in the attic hears all the noise as the searchers are gathering below and decides to come down and check it out – it sounds like a party – he walks into the midst of everyone and no one notices him. He sees people watching TV with his face on the TV, he sees the RCMP running around the living room. He sees people everywhere and He sees neighbours bringing over food and Harold figures this definitely must be a party. He stays in the middle of all this activity as – unbeknownst to him – everyone is looking for him and then Harold notices that everyone looking and sounding sad. Nobody is having fun at this party. Some people are crying; nobody looks happy; so, he pipes up in the middle of this crowd and says, “Some party this is!” It is only then – when they take a break from what they are doing that they see what is right in front of their eyes and they notice that Harold is actually standing in their midst – the lost has been found.

 

Harold’s reaction to this impromptu party in his honour that he was not aware of is not entirely dissimilar to the older brother’s reaction to the impromptu party thrown in his brother’s honour that he is not aware of. The brother is not happy. In this instance he is not upset as Harold was because everyone is sad. The brother is upset because everyone is happy. Here the brother had always been serving his father. And -as far as we know- he has constantly been doing his best at serving his father and –as the text states- he had never had such an event thrown for him (15:29); but his little brother who had just run off and partied, cavorted with gentiles and eaten with pigs, he all of a sudden shows up again and he’s the centre of all this attention. It’s not fair. He is the good son: the one who has been doing everything right. The sentiment the older son is expressing is, in essence, the same sentiment expressed by the religious leaders off the top of our text, Verses 1-2: “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered: Jesus, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” Jesus, God, the father in the parable of the lost son, celebrates when the son turns and returns to him.

 

This pericope that we have been looking at today has been referred to as, ‘the Gospel of the outcast’.[3] Here at The Salvation Army, we have sometimes been referred to as a rag-tag group; we are sometimes thought of as a group of prodigals, particularly in downtowns of large urban centres. Some of us and our friends who regularly come here and to the Bread of Life and our shelter , some have been living the life of the woman at the well -who have had so many husbands, common-law and otherwise- that she doesn’t know what to do (John 4); we have members of our group who have struggled with addiction and have even at times stolen as a means to support that addiction; we have alcoholics who are in various forms of recovery; we have members of our group who have served time in jail. I don’t know what it is like in the other congregations’ ministries in town but I hope that we will always welcome home with open arms those who have been left out on the margins of our society. I assure you that those who have been out there really do need to know that the love of Jesus can exist even here in the church.

 

This is my encouragement today: if we ever see someone who we do not know sitting next to us here, down at the Bread of Life, the Shelter; or even more, if we see someone who we do know who has done some things even as bad as the prodigal in our story - squandering his father’s wealth, his inheritance and his promise for the foreseeable future – or worse, do we welcome them with the love of Christ? We need to reach out to everyone, including the least and the last of the lost because, Verse 10, “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents”; Verse 7, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent”; and Verse 32 “…we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” This is how much it means to God when we his children come to and/or return to His safety and His protection. So for those of us that are already living at home with our Father, let us come in, join the party and celebrate with our brothers and sisters who were lost and now are found, who were dead and are now alive; and for those of us who have not yet come home, if you are here today and maybe thinking of coming to or returning to the Lord, I pray that you will come now and join us at the feast prepared in your honour in the Name of the Lord.

 

Let us pray.

 

www.sheepspeak.com

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[1] Leon Morris, Luke: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988 (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries 3), S. 254

[2] Cf. Barbara E. Reid, 'Beyond Petty Pursuits and Wearisome Widows: Three Lukan Parables'. Interpretation 56 no. 3 (July 2002): 288

[3] Walter L. Leifeld, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Luke/Exposition of Luke/V. Teaching and Travels Toward Jerusalem (9:51-19:44)/E. Further Teaching on Urgent Issues (14:1-18:30)/4. Parables of joy (15:1-32)/a. The lost sheep (15:1-7), Book Version: 4.0.2: This section begins what Manson (Sayings of Jesus, p. 282) has called the "Gospel of the Outcast." The large body of material in chapters 15-19 is unique to Luke and dramatically shows Jesus' concern for the social outcasts of his day.

Marriage: A Three Legged Race

Presented to Logan Humphries and Deanna Owings on the occasion of their wedding, 04 October 2025 and to Blaine and April Erikson on the occasion of their wedding, 24 January 2011, and at the public celebration of their wedding, 03 Sept. 2011 by Major (Captain then) Michael Ramsay

 

This is the 2025 version, to view the 2011 version, click here:

https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/01/marriage-three-legged-race.html

 

The Marriage covenant, which you two are entering into today with God, is like a three-legged race. Some people seem to run it with ease while others fall down and trip all over each other. It is a lot of fun. The secret to the three-legged race is that the winning couple is the pair who moves in sync with each other so that with every stride each matches their partner. Two independently minded people determined to do their own thing have no chance!

 

It is like that with the marriage covenant that you are entering into today. Did you know that the most commonly translated word for covenant in the Hebrew Bible refers to being bound, tied or even shackled together? It is like the three-legged race.

 

In a marriage, we are tied together with each other and the Lord through our marriage covenant. A marriage covenant is more than a promise; it is more than a legal contract. It is a sacred covenant through which the Lord binds you together now as husband and wife and even more than that as He binds you together until death do you part. He also binds himself to you and to your immediate family as it grows in Him. Covenants are important.

 

The key to upholding a sacred covenant is staying close to God, keeping faith with Him. This is significant and this relates very closely to the three-legged race of your marriage covenant.

 

Any of us who have ever been in such a race with our children our parents, or others will remember the challenges involved. When one partner tries to move at a different pace than the other partner, neither goes anywhere very quickly. It’s difficult to move, let alone win the race, when the one you’re tied together with is going in the opposite direction.

 

It’s the same with our marriage covenants. If we tie ourselves and our spouse in a sacred vow and we do not walk step-in-step with our partner, following God closely; it’s impossible to even finish, let alone win the race and experience the full blessing of our marriage and that final victory with Christ. Once we’ve committed to the marriage race, we need to press on towards the goal and not give up. The race will be challenging but as we persevere, we will enjoy the race and experience the victory but if we try to go our own way, our marriage covenant will be of little or no use to us, our spouse, or to our Heavenly Father.

 

As you remain faithful to your covenant and as you allow our Heavenly Father to partner with you and to put His arm around you as you run through this life, you will find it much easier to walk in step. At times, often when things are most challenging, you will notice that God is actually carrying both of you towards the finish line. The Lord is faithful to his covenants and I pray and I challenge you both today to be faithful to each other, to be faithful to the Lord and to be faithful to your marriage covenant until death do you part. As you do this, I promise that indeed you will find that you experience all the joys of the marriage covenant and I pray that also you will experience that ultimate victory with Christ for now and evermore. Amen.

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Based on a chapter from

Ramsay, Captain Michael. 'Praise The Lord For Covenants: Old Testament wisdom for our world today'. Vancouver, BC: Credo Press, 2010. (c) The Salvation Army. For more info: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Praise-The-Lord-For-Covenants/155941614427110?v=info

John 11:17-27: Giving Hope Today

Presented to the Nipawin Corps, 25 January 2009

614 Warehouse Mission Corps, 02 April 2017

Alberni Valley Ministries, 21 September 2025
By Major Michael Ramsay

 

This is the 2025 Version, to view the original click here:

https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/01/john-1117-27-giving-hope-today.html

 

Della’s memorial service is October 18^th. The passage of Scripture that we are looking at today takes place around a memorial service, a funeral. Funerals are an important part of life. I say life because they are really for the living rather than the dead. Funerals are for those of us who are left behind rather than for those of us who go on ahead, of course. They are where we comfort those who mourn and celebrate the hope of the future resurrection (Matt 5:4; Acts 23:6; 24:15, 25; 1 Cor 15, Phil 3:11,12; 1 Pet 1:3, 3:21;Rev 20:4-6).

 

Funerals are a way for us to grieve our own loss even as we recognise that the ones we love who love the Lord are bound for a better place. We can share the hope for the future resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:6; 24:15, 25; 1 Cor 15, Phil 3:11,12; 1 Pet 1:3, 3:21;Rev 20:4-6).

 

What is happening in our text today is not unlike today’s funerals but it takes place in first century Palestine. The family and friends have all gathered. It has some things similar to contemporary services. It takes friends and family a while to arrive at the home of the bereaved. In our day people usually have a lot farther to travel but, in those days, instead of catching the ferry to Bethany or the first flight out of Nazareth, they had to walk; so, it took a while for some people to get there. Because of travel time and other factors, they would gather for a period of days.

 

Like we sometimes hire pianists or funeral directors, people in first century Palestine sometimes hired professional mourners so there may have been professional mourners present. If there were, they are already at the house with everyone else. The home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, is full of friends and family and others; they are just waiting for the teacher. They are just waiting for their friend – their very close friend. They are just waiting for Jesus and his entourage (companions) to arrive.

 

Now Jesus wasn’t very far away (10:40-42) – about 20 miles[1] - the distance between here and Cameron Lake - when he heard the news that his friend was ill but he didn’t rush to see him (11:1-6). He had his reasons for this (11:15) and his disciples are certainly concerned that if Jesus does go back to Bethany now, where Mary and Marth live and where Lazarus is buried, he might be killed (11:8) but to his credit, the disciple Thomas is willing and eager to lay down his life with Jesus since Jesus (in his own time) is determined to go to see Mary, Martha (his friends) and their family (11:16). It is in this context that our story opens up today, John 11:17-20:

 

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

 

We can picture this; we can identify with this, can’t we? The crowds are all at the house. Mary and Martha are there. There are inevitably people preparing food, people talking, people eating. There are all sorts of people going in and coming out, offering their support and comfort. Most people are probably at Mary and Martha’s home already but family and friends are still arriving – then like now some people are later than others.

 

In our world today it would be as if, with all this going on, they hear that Jesus and his companions have just arrived at the ferry terminal or the airport and Martha goes out to meet them while Mary stays home to keep an eye on all the friends and family and everything else that is happening at the home front. But look how Martha greets Jesus. Jesus has just arrived to see his friends and the friends and family of his recently deceased friend and how does Lazarus’ sister, how does Jesus' friend Martha, greet him?[2]

 

Verses 21 and 22: “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask of Him.” At first she reproaches Jesus[3] – she says, Vs. 21, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

 

This is interesting. It really expresses two things. 1) She had the hope, she has the faith that Jesus could have saved her brother from dying – you know that she and her sister have probably been praying for that. And 2) she is angry, upset, or not happy anyway that Jesus did not come right away even though they sent for him in plenty of time.

 

He did not answer her request right away. His friend and her brother was dying. Martha, Mary and Lazarus all have a strong personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Mary and Martha don’t want their brother to die but Jesus doesn’t come when they want him to come. Jesus doesn’t come to heal Lazarus, their brother (11:6), who loves him (11:5). Jesus, who could have saved him, let her brother die (11:14,15,21).

 

Today this is not an uncommon charge against our Lord is it? Particularly when young people are affected; I have certainly heard of people who ask this very question: ‘How can a loving God let this sort of thing happen?’ These are the kind of things that Martha is demanding of Jesus. She asks him, ‘How could you – who say that you love me – how could you let my brother die?’ She reproaches him. She is grieving.

 

When I first preached on this text 16 years ago, in 2009; there was a significant story about grieving in the news that has some chilling parallels to what is going on in the world today. It was all over the media. I read the tragic story of Dr. Ezzeldeen Abu al-Aish[4] on CBC.ca.[5] The following is a paraphrase of that account.

 

Dr. Abu al-Aish,a peace activist and a Palestinian doctor in Gaza, openly spoke to Israeli television as his community was being invaded by the Israeli forces. He reported the suffering there in nightly interviews with Israel's Channel 10.

 

Friday night, he was speaking with an Israeli news correspondent when Israeli soldiers launched two shells directly into his own home. Everyone listening could hear him wail. "My daughters!" he screams. "Oh, God, my daughters!" he cries as the Israeli forces kill his niece and his three daughters live on TV.

 

Before his community was invaded, Dr Abu al-Aish had already been planning to move his family for start fresh in Canada, but not soon enough as no one in Gaza is immune to the brutality of the invasion which left in excess of six thousand Palestinian causalities – more than 1800 of those children.[6] (this was in 2009 remember – in the last few months. Isreal has murdered more than ten times that number of people)

 

The horror and the terror of this event does not end here for the good doctor. Eighteen members of his extended family were in the house at the time it was attacked. [on live TV by the Israeli Army]

 

An Israeli television correspondent choked up as the doctor's cries were broadcast across the nation. The cameras followed the reporter as he appealed to the soldiers to get an ambulance to the scene, at least to help the others who were wounded. They don’t usually help Palestinians in this way but Dr. Abu al-Aish was able to transfer two of his injured daughters to an Israeli hospital.  Probably because of the media presence, the Israeli army for the first time allowed a Palestinian ambulance to go straight to the Erez border crossing, where they were then transferred to be taken by to a hospital in Tel Aviv.

 

Now much of Abu al-Aish's world has been shattered. His wife had died six months ago but then there was hope for the future of the rest of the family, and he said that at the very time of the attack, he was sitting there with them, his daughters, planning, because he got an offer in Canada, from the University of Toronto.

 

Now they are dead and even while he was in the hospital grieving for his daughters and speaking - even on TV calling for peace instead of war - even while all this is happening an Israeli man visiting the hospital begins to verbally attack at him – blaming Dr. Abu al-Aish and his countrymen for the loss of his own daughters. Even as this man was forgiving the killers of his children, a bigot was blaming him for his troubles.

 

Where is God in all this? Why did God not come and save this man's family?

 

Why did Jesus not come and save Lazarus? This is what Martha is asking Jesus in her distraught state after having just lost her only brother. But this isn't where she leaves her questioning.

 

This is important. Even in her grief, even in her distress she doesn’t end her approach with this reproach. Instead, after she says, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died,” she says, “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask of Him.”

 

This is important. Even now, in the midst of her grief, even now in the midst of her suffering even now, Martha believes; even now Martha has hope; even now Martha has faith in God and she even now believes that God will give Jesus whatever he asks of Him.

 

Now Lazarus has been dead for four days. Respected Johnine scholar Gail O’ Day tells us that, “according to popular Jewish belief at the time of Jesus, the soul hovered around the body in the grave for three days after death, hoping to re-enter the body. But after the third day, when the soul ‘sees that the colour of its face has changed;’ the soul leaves the body for Good.”[7] It is now that fourth day. All those present know that Lazarus is indeed dead.

 

Verse 23: Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha does believe in Jesus but she knows that Lazarus is dead and she is sad so it is no wonder that she interprets Jesus’ words as comfort and a hope in the final resurrection (as opposed to an immanent resurrection) – and she is not yet fully realising (how could she?) what is about to happen. Verse 24, Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

 

The people of first century Palestine – with the exception of the Sadducees – knew that there would be this resurrection “on the last day.” Martha knows that on the last day the dead will rise, like we know that on the last day the dead will rise and the dead in Christ will be the first to be raised. Martha here, you will notice, even in her grief, even in her distress, Martha shows her belief, her faith, her hope in God. She doesn’t just believe in a nebulous idea that Lazarus is in some unknown ‘better place’ or that he has gotten wings or a harp or something like that. Martha hopes that – like all of us – She knows that Lazarus will rise on the last day. Martha has this hope in the resurrection of the dead.

 

Now, of course, we know that this truth isn’t all that Jesus is speaking about. Jesus is speaking about something different and even more immediate as well - but Martha, who couldn’t possibly be expected to know that, is showing that she believes in Christ in the midst of her suffering.

 

Verses 25 and 26: ‘Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"’

 

To this she responds with the clearest declaration of faith to this point in John’s account of the gospel. Verse 27: "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

 

Martha believes in Jesus and we know that Jesus will do even more. We know that he will even raise Lazarus before the final day. Jesus reveals to us the truth that indeed he is the resurrection. He is the one who gives us hope and he is the one in whom we should place our hope.

 

Do we believe? Do we have the faith of Martha (and of Mary)? Do we have the same hope in the resurrection of the dead? Do we believe that even now, in the midst of our own sufferings, that Jesus can pull us through? Do we have this hope today? Do we believe? Do we believe in Jesus?

 

For those who remember the story of Job, you know how everything that Job could have ever of hoped for was realised in the end: he had possessions, status, and family restored unto him - even more than before - and a renewed spirit, a renewed hope and faith in God.

 

Jesus, as we read in the rest of this chapter, raises Lazarus from the dead fulfilling more than they could possibly hope for.

 

And Dr. Ezzeldeen Abu al-Aish leaves us with these thoughts even as he was being verbally assaulted on live TV: He says, "From our pain we can learn," he said. "We may disagree, but we should learn from that… It's beneficial to us all."

 

During the whole invasion to that point, the invaders had remained largely unmoved by the death of women, children, men, and the destruction in Gaza, but as Dr. Abu al-Aish's story was followed closely by every Israeli news agency, it struck a chord: A man who has lost almost everything still has hope that Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace.

 

"Maybe the blood of my daughters was the price," he said, "and if it was, I am happy about it. The cost of ceasefire to save lives to be my daughters' and my niece's blood — honestly, I am proud of it. I am fully proud of it."

 

Now we know that this ceasefire didn’t last. Israel persists in killing children and others today, 16 plus years later, the genocide continues. He paid the price of his daughters for a temporary peace.

 

And Lazarus died again. Even after the miraculous resurrection. Lazarus died.

 

God’s Son, Jesus, died too but He did not die for a temporary peace. He died for a permanent peace. Jesus will not die again. Jesus rose from the dead so that one day, we may all raise to eternal life – where there is no more death, no more sin, no more sadness, no more injury, no more illness, no more pain.

 

God, Jesus, died and rose again so we now have that hope and, as followers of Jesus, since we have that hope, it is our responsibility to live in that hope and to share hope – Just like the good doctor did. May we all do that. And as we do, may we all experience the love and peace of Christ for evermore.

 

John 11:24-25: Jesus said "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"’

 

May we all believe and respond like Martha, Verse 27: "Yes, Lord, … I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

 

Let us pray.

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[1]Merrill C. Tenney. The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:John/Exposition of John/ The conversation with Martha and Mary (11:17-37), Book Version: 4.0.2: the death of Lazarus must have occurred not long after Jesus was first informed of his illness. The trip each way would have taken not much less than a day's travel since Bethany was more than twenty miles distant from Jesus' refuge in Perea.

[2]Cf. , Gail O’Day, “John” in NIB IX, Ed. Leander E Keck (Abingdon Press Nashville, 1995), 688.

[3]Cf. Gail O’Day, 688, and Merrill C. Tenney, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:John/Exposition of John/ The conversation with Martha and Mary (11:17-37), Book Version: 4.0.2.

[4] Live video: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=655_1232202860

[5]Before ceasefire, Gaza doctor's grief was heard on live Israeli TV 'Oh, God, my daughters!' he cried after Israeli shells hit house Last Updated: Sun, Jan 18/09 10:29 PM ET With files from AP: www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/01/18/gaza-doctor.ht

[6] UN: …the death toll stood at 1,003, with 4,482 people wounded. Mr. Ging has previously called Palestinian casualties figures credible, with 42 per cent of the dead and nearly 50 per cent of the injured listed as women and children – mostly children. (http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=29543&Cr=gaza&Cr1=&Kw1=palestinian&Kw2=deaths&Kw3=)

[7]Gail O’Day, “John” in NIB IX, Ed. Leander E Keck (Abingdon Press Nashville, 1995), 687.

Exodus 17:8-13, Hebrews 10:32-37: Thank you for holding my arms

Presented to TSA Alberni Valley Ministries, 14 September 2025 by Major Michael Ramsay

 

Busy time at The Salvation Army! And only getting busier now until Christmas is done! Yesterday was the Toy Run. We were blessed to be able to prepare and serve chili and hotdogs. We were blessed to be able to pick up a cube van full of toys. We were blessed to say the prayer and ask the blessing before the riders rode.

 

Last weekend was the fall fair and the parade. Thank you to everyone who helped out. We were blessed to be able to have  a booth and we were blessed to have a float and our mobile kitchen (CRU) and a number of walkers in the parade. Thank you!

 

The weekend before that was Salmon Fest. We were blessed to be able to run the bullhead derby and we were blessed with rods and lures to be able to hand out to kids who were fishing.

 

We, of course, were blessed to help our community and Parksville / Qualicum with the fire relief as well this summer.

 

Next up: in a couple of weeks we have Men’s Camp and the Thanksgiving food drive. We are blessed to be able to take a number of men from here (some who stay with us in our shelter and eat at the Bread of Life) to camp. They get a chance to be a part of everything as equals and as friends. And a number of them have been saving up and looking forward to it for months.

 

That same weekend we are blessed to raise funds and food for people in the community through the Thanksgiving Food Drive. We also just finished collecting and distributing school supplies for families in need. And of course, a Thanksgiving meal is upcoming too! – served both at the Bread of Life Soup Kitchen and off The Salvation Army food truck to the homeless and housing insecure. We are blessed to be used by God to do a lot for this community.

 

October 4^th, we have a booth at Co-op Days. That day we are also officiating the wedding of Logan. He is a young man who works at the Bread of Life and whose family was a part of The Salvation Army for generations.

 

October 18^th is Della’s memorial service.

 

There has been, is still, and will be a lot of work involved in all of these things that we are blessed to a part of: planning work, doing work, and emotional work.

 

All of this is added to our everyday work of church and CCM/ care homes, soup kitchen, food bank, food truck, shelter, staffing, thrift store, etc., etc., etc.…

 

I know many of you and others work selflessly around the clock and around the calendar. I praise God for you and all He does through You.

 

The scriptures we read today and the scriptures we will read and the whole canon of scripture really tells us, along with other things, that we are to continue to serve and love God by allowing Him to serve and others through us.

 

Sometimes that is difficult.

 

This week as our team was still dealing with the passing of a teammate and friend, as our team was dealing with an assault that affected many, as our team was grieving employees who may not be returning – suddenly – after years of being part of our team. This week I have spoken with a few people who are faced with their own mortality.

 

This week I had to speak to city council.

 

I was told I didn’t need to speak. I was told there wouldn’t be public input. I was told that we wouldn’t need letters. I was told I didn’t need to be there. I shouldn’t have acted as if I believed the things I was told. I was there to get a permit!

 

I sat and I listened for a large portion of an hour as people told me and themselves bad things that we allegedly do or contribute to in our community. (You can watch the City Council meeting on-line.) Some of what was said was lies or at least intentionally misleading, some was mistaken, conflated and confused; some was angry; and one or more councillors slapped us with a backhanded compliment, a Marc Antony type soliloquy, or even put Brutus’ dagger in our back (Thanks Dustin!). I had to listen to this.

 

I had to answer to this. I had no notes. The public wasn’t supposed to be able to speak. I was told that I didn’t need to speak. I was told I didn’t need to be there. And then… I was asked why there was homelessness in our community, why it is getting worse, and what AM I GOING TO DO ABOUT IT!?!

 

I was only there to renew a permit to continue feeding and sheltering people in our community and now I was being asked to solve homelessness before they would consider renewing our permit to serve the homeless.

 

I wanted to say a bunch of things. I was tempted to tell them that was their job to solve homelessness! My job is to protect and provide for the people you forsake! I was tempted to tell them that if they didn’t close down the Port Pub, the trailers, and RB’s playground throwing all those people out on the street, then all those people would not be out on the street! I was tempted to tell them that if they provided supportive housing and involuntary treatment then there wouldn’t be homelessness! I was tempted to tell them that if they built homes and let people stay in them then there wouldn’t be homelessness!

 

I was tempted to say. “You are blaming us because people are sleeping in doorways, defecating and urinating in planters, and leaving drug paraphernalia on the streets; and your solution is for us to close our shelter tossing 25 to 45 more people onto the streets with no place to sleep or defecate!”

 

We have bathrooms, beds, and no in-and-out privileges at night. We keep our people safe. We are the only dry shelter in our whole community. We are the only safe place for sober addicts. We offer jobs, volunteer work, meaning, purpose and family for people. We feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and befriend those with no friends. I was tempted to close it all down! And tell City Council to see how they like it now that there are 25 to 45 more people on the streets with no safe place to go! I was tempted… but I didn’t.

 

Instead I spoke of the great work that the LORD is doing through all of you. I was and am very thankful for the support of our mayor, Sharie Minions; Councillors Deb Haggard and Charlse Mealy. I know that another councillor who shall remain nameless is our enemy (as he always speaks and votes against us) and I am still smarting from Dustin’s knife in our backs. I left the City Council meeting upset. I did not sleep that night.

 

Do you ever get to the point where you just want to quit? Do you ever get to the point where you ask “what is the point? Why am I doing this?” I was getting to that point.

 

Susan pointed to our prayer meetings, our check-ins, our prayer / grace before meals as a part of how we are serving our Lord and our neighbourhood and pointed out that the Enemy will fight against those willing to be a part of the Lord’s kingdom and His transformative power in this age and in the age to come. Last week Tim read from Isaiha 61. We have been a part of two separate TSA Corps based on that chapter of the Bible – especially Verse 4.

 

I know that the LORD’s will will be done.

 

Sage Haven, Island Health, Agro Hope, CAT, Ineo, and others have already written or offered to write letters. I imagine another councillor or two will vote along with Sharie, Deb, and Charlse to support the vulnerable in our community. I have had many people reach out to me this past week, thank you: the Lord used and is using you to sustain me on top of all the other things He is using you to do.

 

Today I want to encourage you. We are all working so diligently for the LORD and the most vulnerable in our community. Please keep it up and please don’t give up!

 

I think of the story of the Hebrews in a battle during Moses’ time. The people were fighting hard. God used Moses to encourage His people. As Moses held his staff above his head, the Hebrews would prevail, when this burden became too heavy and his arms, his staff and his encouragement waned; the Hebrews started to falter and fall. God then provided people to uphold Moses’ arms so that God would still use Moses to encourage God’s people to win the battle.

 

Friends, many of you are fighting in life’s battle on behalf of Jesus and the Kingdom of God everyday – by serving at the soup kitchen, shelter, seniors homes, church, store, food bank, prayer and Bible studies, and even more.

 

I do see a big part of the blessing of my job to stand up here and elsewhere to hold up the staff of the LORD’s encouragement in the face of adversity. Please hear me now:

 

Hebrews 10:36-37: You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. For,

“In just a little while,

He who is coming will come

and will not delay.”

 

1 Peter 3:8: ...all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.

 

2 Corinthians 12:9: The Lord says, “…My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

 

And Psalm 55:22: Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.

 

I thank the Lord for all of you that come alongside me and hold my arms each and everyday through prayer and conversation and listening on top of everything else you do; you are a vital part of this battle that is our life’: the battle to live in, to live for, and to grow the Kingdom of God for now and forever.

Amen.

 

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