The text this morning is from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, the ninth chapter:
For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
Our friend, Katie Foxe, is dead. She is asleep in Christ. She has been taken away from us and we mourn her loss. We do not mourn as those who have no hope, however. We have no concern over Katie; we know that she is with her Lord and He is taking care of her now and forever; she has it better than we do. We are sad. We are shocked. We are worried for our friend, Gary. We have to take care of him, look in on him, work to make sure that he is okay and able to heal in Christ.
It’s been a rough week for most of us. We saw Katie on Sunday, smiling, laughing, grabbing your hands, your elbows, giving hugs. On Monday she was gone from us. It’s been rough. But there is hope. She shall be raised from the dead. She has received the promise of everlasting life in Christ through her Baptism, and we can have hope, we know for certain, that she is awaiting that day in heaven with her Lord, even as we await that day here. She shall be raised. And you shall be raised.
You shall be raised in your body, your very right-now body, perfected, glorified, wonderful, incorruptible. In the meantime, our bodies are bodies that must be disciplined under the law of Christ. We are to work to beat back our temptation into sin. We are to work to put our bodies under control. We are to make sure our bodies are doing the good Christ demands and to avoid the evil He warns against. It’s true. We discipline ourselves that we might receive the prize of everlasting life.
Katie has everlasting life. She is waiting to have her body raised, but she has that everlasting life. She is a step closer to it that we even are. But you have everlasting life. You cannot yet see it but it has been promised. We run the race toward that end. We run the race and we don’t stop running. We run the race to win. We run the race to receive our reward.
When I was younger, and thinner, I decided to run a half marathon. I watched my dad and my brother do it, and I thought, “I can do that.” So, a few weeks later, I started to run. I got from the end of the driveway to the driveway three houses down and I was out of breath. But I had never run before. A couple days later, I decided to walk to the park, where they had markers on the ground to tell you how far you’ve gone. I walked the 3/10 of a mile there and started on the 0 marker. I ran about 4 house lengths. Then I walked again. 5. 6. A tenth of a mile. Three tenths of a mile. Half a mile. A mile. 3 miles. 5 miles. 11 miles. 13.1 miles. I could do it. It took me training for 10 months, but I stood at the starting line for the half and I ran. It wasn’t pretty, but my dad was right beside me, helping me, encouraging me, and I eventually crossed that finish line.
I had to discipline my body to accomplish the goal set before me. I didn’t win, but I actually did something that I set out to do. I accomplished my goal because I brought my body into submission. Now, imagine then that our faith takes us on a similar race, one that lasts for a lifetime. You don’t know when it will end, only that it will. How much training will you need to discipline your body, your sinful flesh, your sinful desires, to run that race and find yourself at the end receiving the prize? I can’t imagine that it is an easy thing. I know it’s not an easy thing. It’s a constant battle.
Yet, we all reach the end of the race and we all, in Christ, hear the same thing, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Katie heard that Monday. Katie heard the cheers of the angels, saw the rejoicing of the saints, felt the embrace of her Lord’s arms as He spoke to her. Katie ran the race and won. How? How is that possible? How can you be prepared? How can you be so disciplined as to go at any time?
Katie won the race the same way you will: she is baptized. The same person who died on Monday, the same person whose body will soon be laid in the ground, is the same person who was baptized years ago. Through Baptism, she received the power to discipline her body, the power to cast aside her sins, the desire to be righteous, just as you did. And because she is baptized, because she has been washed in the blood of Christ, as you have been, the race was already won for her; she just hadn’t seen that fully yet.
Paul tells us that he became all things to all people that he might save some. That doesn’t mean that you do whatever you can think of, even if it’s inappropriate, to get people to Jesus. It means that you bring them on the same journey you are by giving up your rights and privileges and desires. You tell them about Jesus, you give up whatever you can in order to tell another the reason that you’re running the race. And that’s what Katie did. She touched almost everyone at this church and countless others at the other churches she served, through her career, through her kindness. She became what others needed that they might have the same hope she had. And that hope is Christ.
In Christ, He did all things to win the race of salvation for us. It is in His works that we trust; it’s in His ability we take comfort. We know that, if it were up to us, we could accomplish nothing. But, as He won the race, we have the ability to huff and puff through the race of life. When I ran my half marathon, I couldn’t run all the time. The hills were too big, the water stations too far apart. I had to walk sometimes. I had to huff and puff and go slow. Without Christ, it’s like you’re running up a mountain that never stops growing. In Christ, He brings the top of the mountain down to where you are. In fact, He is the mountain and He comes to where you are and He dwells with you forever. His yoke is easy and His burden is light and even running the race is no difficulty.
Yes, you discipline yourself, you fight against the desires of your flesh, you avoid the sin, you do the good, but realize, Christ has won the race all for you and all the discipline you endure is to aid in that journey towards the finish line. Without you ever starting to move, Christ gave you salvation. He gives you the power and desire to do these things. He gives you the faith to receive His gifts as you run. He gives you the strength to persevere. He gives you the water to wash you clean. He gives you the food and the drink to take you along. He gives you the words of encouragement, the words of forgiveness, the words of life. And Christ gave all of this to Katie. And He gives it all to you.
Katie’s body was disciplined for the race, Katie ran the race well and fully. And now, having completed the race, she rests. She has laid her body down and she rests from her labors, awaiting all of us to finish the race as well, so that she might be joined together with Gary, her son, her family, and you in that everlasting life. She did not disqualify herself, but was welcomed by Christ into the goodness of all He would give her. And that’s what he gives also to you.
Run the race today. Run the race toward the finish. Run the race, that through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, you might receive the prize of everlasting life. Run, for He has made it easy. Run, for He has made it inclusive. Run, for He has made your life eternal. Let us press on together towards that prize and we shall reach it with Katie and with Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord! Amen.
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