“We hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen. The text for our sermon this festival of the Reformation comes from the Epistle lesson read a few moments ago from the third chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans. Dear friends in Christ, we humans like to talk, and our favorite subject is ourselves. We love to boast, about our accomplishments, about our skills and talents. We defend our actions or lack of action, we defend our failings or explain them away. We are always chattering, always boasting; to others, but especially to God. In the days of Luther, this boasting was encouraged by the church. If you believe that you achieve heaven through what you do, then you are going to spend a lot of time telling yourself, your neighbors, and especially God what you have done. You are going to brag, you are going to boast, you are going to focus on your good deeds and explain away or justify the bad. And that works well for a while. But then God speaks, and His Word shuts our mouths. “Now we know that whatever the Law says it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.” God speaks His stern Word of the Law to shut our mouths, to make us be quiet, to cease our endless boasting. God speaks His Law to demonstrate that we are all held accountable to Him.
The Law demonstrates decisively that you, me, and all people are liable to the judgment of God, we are condemned to eternal destruction. We are all accountable to God for our sin. The Law stands us naked with Adam and Eve before God’s judgment throne, with no plea, no boast, with nothing to say. Our mouths are shut, for nothing we say can alter the verdict that is coming. This is the universal human condition; no man, woman, or child can escape. The Law demands perfection, “You shall be holy, as the Lord your God is holy,” and there is nothing we can say against it. There were few in the history of the Church that understood this more clearly than Martin Luther. If you would’ve asked that young monk to describe himself, he may very well have said, “accountable to God.” He understood with great terror what this meant, what this would mean on Judgment Day. He saw his sin more clearly than anyone else, and he despaired of his uncleanness. You will not understand, appreciate, or celebrate the Reformation unless you travel with Luther into the depths of your soul and see the filth, the corruption that dwells there. You will not rejoice this day unless you understand the Law’s verdict upon that sin: “Every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world be held accountable to God.” You will not revel in the glory of heaven unless you understand the horror of hell.
Luther lived fully aware of hell. The crushing burden of his sin drove him to seek salvation, and he tried every path that was offered by the Church to escape. He punished his body with physical and spiritual discipline; he sought after indulgences and relics. As a monk he was exemplary; as a churchgoer he was fanatical. He exhausted each and every avenue, but each led him further into despair, for he was climbing a ladder that couldn’t reach to heaven, as Saint Paul clearly says. “By works of the Law no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the Law comes knowledge of sin.” The Law isn’t designed to give grace; its task, given by God, is to show us our sin. But yet we are attracted to the works of the Law like a moth to a flame. Many Christians still believe that they can earn heaven by living a good enough life. We don’t ask for forgiveness, we justify, we explain away, we try to pile up some good works to outweigh the bad. We think that church attendance will earn us favor with God, or putting enough money in the offering plate. We are stuck in the Middle Ages, we are stuck with Luther, trying in vain to earn our own salvation.
But reconciliation with God can never occur on our own merits. You can never do enough good to outweigh the bad you were conceived with. Paul thunders forth the verdict: “There is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All have sinned. All fall short of the glory of God. Luther wasn’t the exception, and neither are you. All are deficient, all lack the righteousness that God requires. You don’t have what it takes for heaven. You have fallen short, you are deficient, you lack, you fall short of the glory of God, no matter what you do in a vain and pathetic attempt to please Him. This is where Luther ended up; in despair, knowing that there was nothing he could do to earn grace. He, along with you and me, needed to be righteous, but the righteousness of the Law is impossible for us. Another righteousness is needed, and St. Paul declares that it has come: “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the Law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.”
The righteousness we need isn’t given by the Law, but the Law proclaimed it; it’s given by God Himself with the gift of His Son. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but all “are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith.” God makes us righteous through the redemption of His Son! Christ’s blood is our righteousness, for God put Jesus forward as the propitiation for our sins, the means by which God is reconciled to us. God Himself provided the means for our reconciliation; He is actor in our redemption, our righteousness, not us. He sent forth Christ to bear our sin; your sin, my sin, and the sin of Martin Luther. He displayed Christ as the sin-bearer, the One who was innocent of any wrong, yet carried the corruption of the world upon His shoulders. And then Jesus shed His blood upon the cross, paying for all of that sin and removing its penalty forever. God is reconciled with you through the death of His Son, the sacrifice for your redemption, the sacrifice which sets you free.
Jesus Himself declares in our Gospel lesson: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” It was that glorious freedom that Luther trumpeted forth. He reveled in the truth that Paul speaks of at the end of our text: “We hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” Christ has already done it, He has won salvation, and when we cling to Him in faith, faith which is itself a gift of God, we have all that He won through the cross and empty tomb. For Luther, it was personal; his troubled soul had found comfort in this glorious Gospel. But then he brought this freedom to the world, he fought for it and with others struggled to preserve it in the face of numerous enemies, and thanks be to God that the proclamation of the Gospel of God’s free grace through Christ still rings out in this world of sin. Through His death on your behalf, through His resurrection in victory on the third day, you are set free; free from the bondage of your sin, free from the condemnation of the Law, free from trying to earn your way to heaven.
For God didn’t ignore or wink at your sin, pretending that it doesn’t exist. He may have passed over the sins of the Old Testament saints, but only because they would one day be paid for. “This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins.” If God ignored sin, then He would not be a God of justice. His Law still stands, it still condemns, but it has now been answered—by God Himself. God’s justice is satisfied because the Law’s penalty was poured out upon His innocent Son. He forgives you because Christ has paid for your sin, just as He forgave the Old Testament saints because Christ would pay for their sin. God didn’t sweep sin under the rug, instead He removed its penalty forever, for He offered up Christ Himself as the required sacrifice.
Therefore, God remains righteous because He has made us righteous. “It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” He declares us righteous because we cling to Christ in faith. We believe, with faith worked by the Holy Spirit. Through the Word, through the Lord’s Supper, and through the waters of Holy Baptism, God declares us righteous by forgiving our sins and working faith within us. Today Peyton, Wyatt, and James were declared righteous in the washing of the water with the Word. God claimed them as His own, not because of anything they have done, but solely and only because of Christ. His redemption has been applied to them, right before your eyes! Those who are redeemed then do good works, not to earn righteousness, but because Christ has made us righteous.
Therefore, every mouth is once again shut. “Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.” The Law shuts our mouths, telling us that there is nothing that we can do to reconcile ourselves to God. But then the Gospel also shuts off any boasting, for it declares that Christ has done it all for us. Therefore, today we do not boast in ourselves, or even in Martin Luther. We boast in Christ, who saves lost and condemned people. He saved Luther, and the story of the Reformation has its roots in his personal struggle to hear the glorious Gospel of Christ. But then, thanks be to God, Luther was a beggar who showed other beggars where to find bread; he pointed the Church to the redemption and merits of Christ, and it is that glorious Gospel message that we hear and rejoice in on this Reformation Day and every day. In the Name of Jesus, who redeemed us with His holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death, Amen.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Proper 23 of Series B (Amos 5:6-7, 10-15)
“Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen. The text for our sermon this morning comes from the Old Testament lesson read a few moments ago from the fifth chapter of the prophet Amos. Dear friends in Christ, imagine a prosperous nation. This nation enjoys relative peace, although it does have violent enemies. It has an economy that is booming, that even despite the ups and downs that any society experiences provides to its people a quality of life rarely experienced before. The people of this nation build big houses to dwell in, they plow fertile fields and enjoy the fruit of the harvest. The rich receive the full benefits of their labors, and even the middle class live in prosperity. Broad roads, grand palaces, and huge barns dominate the landscape. This is a nation that has struck gold—the good times have come, and now there is little left to do but sit back and enjoy them to the fullest.
This nation of prosperity is filled with religious people. In fact, they believe that it is because of their faithfulness to God that they have been given such riches. The great speakers of the day reinforce this. Preachers speak to thousands, declaring that their great wealth is a sure and certain sign of God’s favor. To know with certainty that God approves of them, they need only to look at the prosperity they enjoy. Politicians speak of the nation as being ‘exceptional,’ a one-of-a-kind place uniquely blessed by God. It is the manifest destiny of this nation to be prosperous, to thrive and expand. God has blessed this nation, He is with them, and the proof is in the pudding: prosperity is the sure sign and seal that God Himself has given them. And so this nation’s wealth becomes more than simply abundance, it is God Himself smiling upon them, it is their religion. And everyone is going to church—in their big houses, bigger fields, and amongst their many possessions.
Into this nation of prosperity comes a prophet. He declares, “Seek the Lord and live, lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel, O you who turn justice to wormwood and cast down righteousness to the earth!” Their prosperity hasn’t led to faithfulness, it has led to laziness. Their wealth hasn’t bred justice, it has caused oppression. This is the dark side of prosperity. Material goods bring selfishness, wealth brings jealousy, and justice is sacrificed at the altar of earthly treasure. This society has everything that anyone could ever want, except justice and care for others. And they don’t want to hear anything about it. “They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth.” The prophet is persecuted, who calls out the nation on its selfishness. Those who seek to bring justice, those who speak the truth, are hated.
Therefore the poor don’t find justice. In the gate, in the courtroom, in the womb, the poor and vulnerable aren’t protected, they are exploited. The gate is where justice was to take place, where the poor were to be protected from the assaults of others, but in this nation of prosperity, the gate is where injustice occurs. Those who have exploit and burden those who do not. Those out of the womb persecute and even kill those within it. The rich forget or ignore the poor. They say, ‘let the government provide,’ or ‘let the church provide,’ forgetting that they are commanded by God to provide for their neighbor in need. God is a God of justice and care for the downtrodden, and He calls on His people to show that same concern. The prosperous nation may not see, they may not comprehend the injustice that is all around them, but God does. “I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins—you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate.” They are serving not God, or their neighbor in need, but themselves. This nation thinks that its prosperity comes from a unique blessing of God, but the prophet declares that if they do not turn from their injustice and seek the good of their neighbor, that prosperity will come to a terrible end. “Therefore because you trample on the poor and you exact taxes of grain from him, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them; you have planted a pleasant vineyard, but you shall not drink their wine.”
Amos is speaking against the wickedness of the nation of Israel, as it enjoys the greatest prosperity in its history. And Amos is speaking against you and me, who despite a struggling economy are living in prosperity never before experienced by any people in the history of this planet. His message is simple, it is clear: Repent! “Seek the Lord and live, lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel.” Seek the Lord and live! Do not love riches, your material possessions more than God! That was the tragic error of the rich young man in our Gospel lesson. Jesus called on Him to renounce his idolatry, to cease clinging to his things, and this was his response: “Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” He loved his things more than the Lord. That young man’s great possessions were to serve his neighbor, so his refusal to give up his wealth was not only the sin of idolatry, it was also the sin of selfishness, of injustice. One sin leads to the other, and Amos calls us to repent of both. Seek good and not evil! Do not love your riches, your material possessions, more than you love justice! Seek to serve your neighbor with the material blessings you have been given. Repent of your lack of concern, repent of your selfishness, repent of failing to speak up for the poor and vulnerable.
“Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said.” The prosperous nation claims to have God’s favor, its people declare that God is with them, but they are deceiving themselves. Amos calls to his people, to you and me this day: Repent! Repent and wait on the Lord. “Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” It may be that God will show grace. It may be. God is not obligated to save us, He is not obligated to show us grace. He is not a candy machine, where we put in some repentance and He gives us some grace. God’s decision to save or not, to have grace or not, to forgive or not, is His own, otherwise, it wouldn’t be grace at all. God doesn’t have to deliver us.
But yet He does. In the midst of man’s injustice, God will establish His justice, He will bring His righteousness upon the earth. Sinful man is incapable of perfect justice, and so Jesus Christ took on our human flesh to establish God’s justice. He comes to establish God’s justice by suffering man’s injustice. He spoke the truth, He proclaimed God’s stern Law against man’s rebellion, and the Gospel remedy that could only be found in Him. But as Amos declared, “They hate Him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor Him who speaks the truth.” Their hatred drove them to nail an innocent man to the cross in the greatest miscarriage of justice this world has ever seen. The One who committed no sin is condemned as a criminal; God is put to death by His creatures. But in this act of injustice, Christ brings forth God’s justice.
For God’s justice is nothing like the world’s. God’s justice is that sinful, corrupted people are just and righteous not because of anything in themselves, but because they have been given the righteousness of another. God declares through the prophet, “I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins.” He knows our sins, He knows our injustice, He knows our greed and selfishness, the idols we make out of our possessions, and yet He justifies us. Christ’s justice is that you should be clothed in His righteousness. Christ’s justice is that He should die for sins you committed. His justice is that you should be declared righteous by virtue of His death and resurrection. Jesus wasn’t obligated to show grace to you—but He did, He was gracious to the remnant.
That is who you are by grace: the remnant. You are the remnant, that poor, harassed, persecuted band, separated out from the world and despised by it as insignificant. You are the remnant, the baptized, glorious, justified band, esteemed by God because you have been redeemed by His Son. The remnant isn’t those who are perfect, it is those who are forgiven, who daily die to sin in repentance and rise to Christ in faith. The remnant isn’t guaranteed physical safety in this sinful world. God didn’t relent over the disaster that was coming upon Israel, and we may find our own nation chastised for its injustice. But what we are guaranteed through the cross and empty tomb is our eternal salvation. We are guaranteed heavenly treasure, far above that of this earth. We are guaranteed that this remnant will endure despite all of the injustice of the world, for this remnant is protected by Christ Himself, it is His own nation.
This is a nation of prosperity, perfect prosperity. To the world, it appears poor and weak, but its wealth and strength is not found according to the world’s standards. This nation has no need of an economy, for the One who provides for it gives all that it needs. All the people of this nation dwell in big houses they didn’t built, they enjoy the fruit of a harvest they didn’t plant. This is a nation that has been shown grace. This is a nation that has heavenly, eternal treasure, for it has Christ, the One who gives forgiveness, life, and salvation through His death and resurrection. It is a nation that possesses this treasure right now, but will not fully experience it until He returns in glory. This nation is the remnant, this nation is your home, this nation is the Church, which will endure for eternity as a place of justice, God’s justice, for Jesus Christ is the one who makes you, me, and all believers just, now and for eternity. In His holy and precious name, Amen.
This nation of prosperity is filled with religious people. In fact, they believe that it is because of their faithfulness to God that they have been given such riches. The great speakers of the day reinforce this. Preachers speak to thousands, declaring that their great wealth is a sure and certain sign of God’s favor. To know with certainty that God approves of them, they need only to look at the prosperity they enjoy. Politicians speak of the nation as being ‘exceptional,’ a one-of-a-kind place uniquely blessed by God. It is the manifest destiny of this nation to be prosperous, to thrive and expand. God has blessed this nation, He is with them, and the proof is in the pudding: prosperity is the sure sign and seal that God Himself has given them. And so this nation’s wealth becomes more than simply abundance, it is God Himself smiling upon them, it is their religion. And everyone is going to church—in their big houses, bigger fields, and amongst their many possessions.
Into this nation of prosperity comes a prophet. He declares, “Seek the Lord and live, lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel, O you who turn justice to wormwood and cast down righteousness to the earth!” Their prosperity hasn’t led to faithfulness, it has led to laziness. Their wealth hasn’t bred justice, it has caused oppression. This is the dark side of prosperity. Material goods bring selfishness, wealth brings jealousy, and justice is sacrificed at the altar of earthly treasure. This society has everything that anyone could ever want, except justice and care for others. And they don’t want to hear anything about it. “They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth.” The prophet is persecuted, who calls out the nation on its selfishness. Those who seek to bring justice, those who speak the truth, are hated.
Therefore the poor don’t find justice. In the gate, in the courtroom, in the womb, the poor and vulnerable aren’t protected, they are exploited. The gate is where justice was to take place, where the poor were to be protected from the assaults of others, but in this nation of prosperity, the gate is where injustice occurs. Those who have exploit and burden those who do not. Those out of the womb persecute and even kill those within it. The rich forget or ignore the poor. They say, ‘let the government provide,’ or ‘let the church provide,’ forgetting that they are commanded by God to provide for their neighbor in need. God is a God of justice and care for the downtrodden, and He calls on His people to show that same concern. The prosperous nation may not see, they may not comprehend the injustice that is all around them, but God does. “I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins—you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate.” They are serving not God, or their neighbor in need, but themselves. This nation thinks that its prosperity comes from a unique blessing of God, but the prophet declares that if they do not turn from their injustice and seek the good of their neighbor, that prosperity will come to a terrible end. “Therefore because you trample on the poor and you exact taxes of grain from him, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them; you have planted a pleasant vineyard, but you shall not drink their wine.”
Amos is speaking against the wickedness of the nation of Israel, as it enjoys the greatest prosperity in its history. And Amos is speaking against you and me, who despite a struggling economy are living in prosperity never before experienced by any people in the history of this planet. His message is simple, it is clear: Repent! “Seek the Lord and live, lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel.” Seek the Lord and live! Do not love riches, your material possessions more than God! That was the tragic error of the rich young man in our Gospel lesson. Jesus called on Him to renounce his idolatry, to cease clinging to his things, and this was his response: “Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” He loved his things more than the Lord. That young man’s great possessions were to serve his neighbor, so his refusal to give up his wealth was not only the sin of idolatry, it was also the sin of selfishness, of injustice. One sin leads to the other, and Amos calls us to repent of both. Seek good and not evil! Do not love your riches, your material possessions, more than you love justice! Seek to serve your neighbor with the material blessings you have been given. Repent of your lack of concern, repent of your selfishness, repent of failing to speak up for the poor and vulnerable.
“Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said.” The prosperous nation claims to have God’s favor, its people declare that God is with them, but they are deceiving themselves. Amos calls to his people, to you and me this day: Repent! Repent and wait on the Lord. “Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” It may be that God will show grace. It may be. God is not obligated to save us, He is not obligated to show us grace. He is not a candy machine, where we put in some repentance and He gives us some grace. God’s decision to save or not, to have grace or not, to forgive or not, is His own, otherwise, it wouldn’t be grace at all. God doesn’t have to deliver us.
But yet He does. In the midst of man’s injustice, God will establish His justice, He will bring His righteousness upon the earth. Sinful man is incapable of perfect justice, and so Jesus Christ took on our human flesh to establish God’s justice. He comes to establish God’s justice by suffering man’s injustice. He spoke the truth, He proclaimed God’s stern Law against man’s rebellion, and the Gospel remedy that could only be found in Him. But as Amos declared, “They hate Him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor Him who speaks the truth.” Their hatred drove them to nail an innocent man to the cross in the greatest miscarriage of justice this world has ever seen. The One who committed no sin is condemned as a criminal; God is put to death by His creatures. But in this act of injustice, Christ brings forth God’s justice.
For God’s justice is nothing like the world’s. God’s justice is that sinful, corrupted people are just and righteous not because of anything in themselves, but because they have been given the righteousness of another. God declares through the prophet, “I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins.” He knows our sins, He knows our injustice, He knows our greed and selfishness, the idols we make out of our possessions, and yet He justifies us. Christ’s justice is that you should be clothed in His righteousness. Christ’s justice is that He should die for sins you committed. His justice is that you should be declared righteous by virtue of His death and resurrection. Jesus wasn’t obligated to show grace to you—but He did, He was gracious to the remnant.
That is who you are by grace: the remnant. You are the remnant, that poor, harassed, persecuted band, separated out from the world and despised by it as insignificant. You are the remnant, the baptized, glorious, justified band, esteemed by God because you have been redeemed by His Son. The remnant isn’t those who are perfect, it is those who are forgiven, who daily die to sin in repentance and rise to Christ in faith. The remnant isn’t guaranteed physical safety in this sinful world. God didn’t relent over the disaster that was coming upon Israel, and we may find our own nation chastised for its injustice. But what we are guaranteed through the cross and empty tomb is our eternal salvation. We are guaranteed heavenly treasure, far above that of this earth. We are guaranteed that this remnant will endure despite all of the injustice of the world, for this remnant is protected by Christ Himself, it is His own nation.
This is a nation of prosperity, perfect prosperity. To the world, it appears poor and weak, but its wealth and strength is not found according to the world’s standards. This nation has no need of an economy, for the One who provides for it gives all that it needs. All the people of this nation dwell in big houses they didn’t built, they enjoy the fruit of a harvest they didn’t plant. This is a nation that has been shown grace. This is a nation that has heavenly, eternal treasure, for it has Christ, the One who gives forgiveness, life, and salvation through His death and resurrection. It is a nation that possesses this treasure right now, but will not fully experience it until He returns in glory. This nation is the remnant, this nation is your home, this nation is the Church, which will endure for eternity as a place of justice, God’s justice, for Jesus Christ is the one who makes you, me, and all believers just, now and for eternity. In His holy and precious name, Amen.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Why do Christians vote? (Sermon preached 10-07-12)
Why do we vote? We don’t vote because it is our right. Unbelievers are concerned about their rights; they want to exercise them, they want to protect them. Christians care little about their own rights. Why do we vote? We don’t vote to get what we want. Unbelievers are concerned about their own desires. No wonder the economy is such a big issue, indeed the issue in this election—voters want to see more money in their own pockets, and they will vote for the candidate that they believe will make it happen. But voting based on my bank account is the height of selfishness, and it certainly isn’t Christian. Christians don’t care about getting their own way. Why do we vote? We don’t vote to protect ourselves. Unbelievers are focused on what they have, and what they don’t want to lose. Christians aren’t concerned about the things of this world.
As Christians, we vote for one reason, and one reason alone: to serve our neighbor. We vote for the good of our neighbor, not for our own good. Voting is an act of service, and how we vote isn’t determined by our own wants, but by the needs of those around us. We vote for their rights and interests. This is fundamental, basic Christianity, and for an example, we need to look no further than the LWML. The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League has for decades been a wonderful example of Christian service. Their sacrificial giving in those wonderful mite boxes has supported the spread of the Gospel and the good of their neighbors around the world. Those mighty mite boxes make it possible for the work of the Church to go on in witness and mercy. The service of these women in our own congregations is sacrificial, it is indispensable, and it is given in love, following Christ’s example and command: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."
As Christians, we vote to show love to our neighbor, for their good, not our own. In fact, we may vote against our own interests in order to serve our neighbor. Our neighbors’ need compels us to go to the polls, to speak up for them on the basis of God’s Word in the public square. If we voted only for ourselves, we could stay home if we wanted to, but because we vote for the good of others, refusing to vote is not an option. Christians aren’t quiet—they speak, their voice is heard. The distinction between church and state, taught by our Lutheran Confessions, doesn’t mean that our faith has no place in politics. Luther taught that the Church and the State have two different spheres or realms; the Church is concerned with eternal salvation and works through the Word and Sacraments, while the State is concerned with temporal welfare and works through rule of law. But God is over both, and you stand with a foot firmly in each. God’s Word should inform how you serve the neighbor, just as it should inform how the Christian rules. Applying God’s Word to foreign policy, economics, defense, and a variety of other issues isn’t easy, and sincere Christians will have honest disagreements on how we best serve our neighbors in those areas, but we cannot pretend that God’s Word has no guidance for such thorny topics. Moreover, there are other areas where God’s Word speaks very clearly, and there we must take our stand.
We vote to serve the most vulnerable, those under the greatest threat. We vote to serve those whom Christ loves, whom He protected during His days on this earth, saying to His disciples, “Let the children come do me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Christ’s concern for the little ones is our own; they are unable to protect themselves, and so we are called upon to protect them. And no other class of human beings is under greater threat. I’m told that after the Second World War, German citizens were taken to the Nazi death camps. As they saw those horrors that occurred in their own backyard, they kept saying, ‘We had no idea.’ You and I cannot make that excuse. Over fifty million children have been sacrificed on the altar of convenience over the past forty years. Fifty million children killed for any reason, or no reason at all, and for every child, there is a mother and father scarred, in need of forgiveness. When the fifth commandment is so blatantly disregarded, we are called upon to have the same compassion as Christ: “He took them up in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands on them.”
The Christian has no higher priority than the protection of life. No other liberty can be guaranteed to our neighbor if life itself is threatened. Christian quietism, being convinced election after election that there are ‘more important issues,’ has led to now more than forty years of slaughter. Christians failing to stand firm and demand an end to the destruction of unborn life has led to leaders that support abortion and leaders that oppose it with their words, but are unwilling to do anything about it. We need to hold our leaders accountable, we need to demand an end to this culture of death. There is nothing more selfish than to be concerned with our own bank accounts while thousands are dying.
The protection of life, especially that of the unborn and infirm, trumps all other concerns; without the protection of life, no other liberty matters. But there are other areas where God’s Word calls on us to speak. In our Gospel lesson, Jesus spoke about divorce and then affirmed the definition of marriage found in Genesis: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” This one flesh union was established by God as the very foundation of society. He did this for our good, especially for the good of children. But as Satan attacked that relationship in the beginning, so we find the building blocks of a healthy culture being torn down by sex outside of marriage, rampart divorce, and the attempt to redefine it to make it genderless. Who suffers when marriage is weakened? Children, and the evidence is all around you, with broken families and hurting children everywhere you look.
In this nation, we aren’t just free to express our faith behind closed doors on Sunday morning; we are free to take that faith into our lives in this world. And this freedom is under attack, as the government attempts to keep religion inside church buildings, even telling religious employers that they must provide drugs to employees that they object to, including those that cause abortion. Gay marriage will also erode our religious liberty, as we will find ourselves increasingly unable to speak God’s Word of condemnation against sexual sins. We must speak out against such attacks, not for our good, but for the good of our neighbor. We vote so that all religious people, even those we don’t agree with, will be able to express their faith, in worship and in the public square.
We vote and do not despair, we do not fear. When we vote for ourselves, we vote out of fear, fear for our interests, our rights, our possessions. We vote in fear, and then we despair that the outcome will not be as we desire. A Christian doesn’t do anything from a standpoint of fear, nor does the one with hope in Christ despair the outcome of anything in this world. The Christian votes for the good of the neighbor, and then rests with confidence in Christ. For, as our Epistle lesson put so beautifully, Christ is Lord of all. “‘You made Him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned Him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under His feet.’ Now in putting everything in subjection to Him, He left nothing outside His control.” He has everything under His control, even history itself. Whatever rulers we have are given by God, sometimes to chasten, sometimes to help, but always for our ultimate good. St. Paul wasn’t joking when he said, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Nations rise and fall; it has been happening since the beginning, and it will continue to happen until the Last Day. America has no promise of eternal endurance. But Christ’s Church does. That is Christ’s promise, His gift to you and to me. He promised Peter that the gates of hell would never prevail over His Church, and He intends to keep that promise. The Church will never die. Christianity will never be snuffed out. The Church is Christ’s body, and Christ is risen never to die again.
There is no need to fear, no need to despair, no matter what comes in November or in the years to come. For Christ has won the victory over all the powers of this world. He holds all things in His control: our nation, this election, even history itself, though it is difficult to see. “At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him. But we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” The crucified One conquered the powers of this world by submitting Himself to their rage and allowing Himself to be killed at their hand. He is exalted because He humbled Himself to death, even death upon a cross. His death is victory, victory over sin, victory, over death, victory over Satan. That victory is hidden, “At present we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him.” Indeed, the world seems to just be getting much worse. But Christ’s victory isn’t determined by an election. His resurrection is the proof of His triumph, not votes in a ballot box.
Therefore, your salvation is certain and true. Christ tasted death for you, dying in your place, dying with all your sins upon Him. Nothing can change the victory He won for you, nor the claim He has on you in your Baptism. In the month to come, vote as a Christian, not seeking your own interests in fear and despair, but instead seeking the good of your neighbor in faith. Do not despair over the result, for Christ’s victory is certain and true, and your salvation is equally true. No election can change that. Christ tasted death for you so that you will not die eternally, so that you will be delivered from this world of sin to live before Him forever. Take confidence, your sins are forgiven, and the One who claims you as His own is the Lord of history. All things are under His feet, and will be, forever. In the Name of Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, Amen.
As Christians, we vote for one reason, and one reason alone: to serve our neighbor. We vote for the good of our neighbor, not for our own good. Voting is an act of service, and how we vote isn’t determined by our own wants, but by the needs of those around us. We vote for their rights and interests. This is fundamental, basic Christianity, and for an example, we need to look no further than the LWML. The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League has for decades been a wonderful example of Christian service. Their sacrificial giving in those wonderful mite boxes has supported the spread of the Gospel and the good of their neighbors around the world. Those mighty mite boxes make it possible for the work of the Church to go on in witness and mercy. The service of these women in our own congregations is sacrificial, it is indispensable, and it is given in love, following Christ’s example and command: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."
As Christians, we vote to show love to our neighbor, for their good, not our own. In fact, we may vote against our own interests in order to serve our neighbor. Our neighbors’ need compels us to go to the polls, to speak up for them on the basis of God’s Word in the public square. If we voted only for ourselves, we could stay home if we wanted to, but because we vote for the good of others, refusing to vote is not an option. Christians aren’t quiet—they speak, their voice is heard. The distinction between church and state, taught by our Lutheran Confessions, doesn’t mean that our faith has no place in politics. Luther taught that the Church and the State have two different spheres or realms; the Church is concerned with eternal salvation and works through the Word and Sacraments, while the State is concerned with temporal welfare and works through rule of law. But God is over both, and you stand with a foot firmly in each. God’s Word should inform how you serve the neighbor, just as it should inform how the Christian rules. Applying God’s Word to foreign policy, economics, defense, and a variety of other issues isn’t easy, and sincere Christians will have honest disagreements on how we best serve our neighbors in those areas, but we cannot pretend that God’s Word has no guidance for such thorny topics. Moreover, there are other areas where God’s Word speaks very clearly, and there we must take our stand.
We vote to serve the most vulnerable, those under the greatest threat. We vote to serve those whom Christ loves, whom He protected during His days on this earth, saying to His disciples, “Let the children come do me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Christ’s concern for the little ones is our own; they are unable to protect themselves, and so we are called upon to protect them. And no other class of human beings is under greater threat. I’m told that after the Second World War, German citizens were taken to the Nazi death camps. As they saw those horrors that occurred in their own backyard, they kept saying, ‘We had no idea.’ You and I cannot make that excuse. Over fifty million children have been sacrificed on the altar of convenience over the past forty years. Fifty million children killed for any reason, or no reason at all, and for every child, there is a mother and father scarred, in need of forgiveness. When the fifth commandment is so blatantly disregarded, we are called upon to have the same compassion as Christ: “He took them up in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands on them.”
The Christian has no higher priority than the protection of life. No other liberty can be guaranteed to our neighbor if life itself is threatened. Christian quietism, being convinced election after election that there are ‘more important issues,’ has led to now more than forty years of slaughter. Christians failing to stand firm and demand an end to the destruction of unborn life has led to leaders that support abortion and leaders that oppose it with their words, but are unwilling to do anything about it. We need to hold our leaders accountable, we need to demand an end to this culture of death. There is nothing more selfish than to be concerned with our own bank accounts while thousands are dying.
The protection of life, especially that of the unborn and infirm, trumps all other concerns; without the protection of life, no other liberty matters. But there are other areas where God’s Word calls on us to speak. In our Gospel lesson, Jesus spoke about divorce and then affirmed the definition of marriage found in Genesis: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” This one flesh union was established by God as the very foundation of society. He did this for our good, especially for the good of children. But as Satan attacked that relationship in the beginning, so we find the building blocks of a healthy culture being torn down by sex outside of marriage, rampart divorce, and the attempt to redefine it to make it genderless. Who suffers when marriage is weakened? Children, and the evidence is all around you, with broken families and hurting children everywhere you look.
In this nation, we aren’t just free to express our faith behind closed doors on Sunday morning; we are free to take that faith into our lives in this world. And this freedom is under attack, as the government attempts to keep religion inside church buildings, even telling religious employers that they must provide drugs to employees that they object to, including those that cause abortion. Gay marriage will also erode our religious liberty, as we will find ourselves increasingly unable to speak God’s Word of condemnation against sexual sins. We must speak out against such attacks, not for our good, but for the good of our neighbor. We vote so that all religious people, even those we don’t agree with, will be able to express their faith, in worship and in the public square.
We vote and do not despair, we do not fear. When we vote for ourselves, we vote out of fear, fear for our interests, our rights, our possessions. We vote in fear, and then we despair that the outcome will not be as we desire. A Christian doesn’t do anything from a standpoint of fear, nor does the one with hope in Christ despair the outcome of anything in this world. The Christian votes for the good of the neighbor, and then rests with confidence in Christ. For, as our Epistle lesson put so beautifully, Christ is Lord of all. “‘You made Him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned Him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under His feet.’ Now in putting everything in subjection to Him, He left nothing outside His control.” He has everything under His control, even history itself. Whatever rulers we have are given by God, sometimes to chasten, sometimes to help, but always for our ultimate good. St. Paul wasn’t joking when he said, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Nations rise and fall; it has been happening since the beginning, and it will continue to happen until the Last Day. America has no promise of eternal endurance. But Christ’s Church does. That is Christ’s promise, His gift to you and to me. He promised Peter that the gates of hell would never prevail over His Church, and He intends to keep that promise. The Church will never die. Christianity will never be snuffed out. The Church is Christ’s body, and Christ is risen never to die again.
There is no need to fear, no need to despair, no matter what comes in November or in the years to come. For Christ has won the victory over all the powers of this world. He holds all things in His control: our nation, this election, even history itself, though it is difficult to see. “At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him. But we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” The crucified One conquered the powers of this world by submitting Himself to their rage and allowing Himself to be killed at their hand. He is exalted because He humbled Himself to death, even death upon a cross. His death is victory, victory over sin, victory, over death, victory over Satan. That victory is hidden, “At present we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him.” Indeed, the world seems to just be getting much worse. But Christ’s victory isn’t determined by an election. His resurrection is the proof of His triumph, not votes in a ballot box.
Therefore, your salvation is certain and true. Christ tasted death for you, dying in your place, dying with all your sins upon Him. Nothing can change the victory He won for you, nor the claim He has on you in your Baptism. In the month to come, vote as a Christian, not seeking your own interests in fear and despair, but instead seeking the good of your neighbor in faith. Do not despair over the result, for Christ’s victory is certain and true, and your salvation is equally true. No election can change that. Christ tasted death for you so that you will not die eternally, so that you will be delivered from this world of sin to live before Him forever. Take confidence, your sins are forgiven, and the One who claims you as His own is the Lord of history. All things are under His feet, and will be, forever. In the Name of Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, Amen.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Proper 21 of Series B (Mark 9:38-50)
“Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen. The text for our sermon this morning comes from the Gospel lesson read a few moments ago from the ninth chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Mark. Dear friends in Christ, you are salt. That is your identity, who you are. Salt isn’t what you can become if you try hard enough; it isn’t some goal to achieve. You are salt. Christ Himself has made you salt. He made you salt when He baptized you into His Name, when He claimed you as His own beloved child. It was to make you salt that led Him to the cross. He didn’t endure the suffering, the pain, the death of the cross so that people might be able to make themselves salt; He did all of that so that He could come to you and make you salt Himself. It is His work, His task, which He delights in. He delights to take rotten, spoiled, sinful people and make them salt by grace. He seasons that old sinful Adam, making that disgusting figure a savory, fragrant offering to His Father. Old Testament sacrifices were salted to make them acceptable to the Lord. An unsalted person offered to God will find only destruction, but one who is salted by Christ will find favor and grace, reconciliation with their Creator. Being salt is nothing else than being forgiven. Being salt is nothing else than having the promise of eternal life. You are forgiven, you will live because Jesus lives! His death, His resurrection, are all for you—your Baptism proves it! You are salt.
What is salt like? Salt purifies, it preserves, it adds flavor. Salt always has an effect on whatever it touches. It can’t help it. Salt is salty. You can have uncaffinated coffee, you can have non-alcoholic wine, but there is no such thing as unsalty salt, as Jesus declares: “Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again?” Salt does what salt does, or else it isn’t salt at all.
And salt is salty. The salty one places his mind into submission, refusing to give into pride. But the Christian who acts in jealousy, who allows his pride to take hold of him, is as ridiculous as unsalty salt. “John said to Him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’” Unsalty salt is concerned for its own position; it’s envious or jealous of those who are not a part of its group. Its concern isn’t for the wider mission of the Church, but for its own position and honor. Unsalty salt hasn’t seasoned the corruption of the old Adam, who always seeks his own way. Instead, the tired old question continues to be asked, “Who is the greatest?”
But those made salt by grace season their thoughts, placing them in submission under Christ. “But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us.’” Do not hinder the one who serves Christ! Be concerned that the work of the church goes forward, not whether you get credit for it! Rejoice that your fellow congregation members are serving the work of the church, even if they are not doing so in the way that you would. Rejoice also that your fellow Christians throughout the world are doing wonderful works of witness and mercy, even as we acknowledge our very real differences. “For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.” Anything done in the name of Christ, even the smallest act of mercy, is done because that person is salt.
And salt is salty. The salty one protects the little ones, leading them away from sin. But the Christian who leads the little ones into sin, who causes them to stumble or even fall from the faith, is as ridiculous, as dangerous, as unsalty salt. “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” Unsalty salt lives with no concern of the witness its life makes before the world, especially before Christ’s little ones. Unsalty salt pays no attention to how it teaches God’s Word, at home, in the classroom, or from the pulpit. It lives recklessly, thinking only of itself.
But those made salt by grace seek to protect the little ones, to lead them out of sin and not into it. St. James writes in our Epistle lesson, “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” Don’t scandalize Christ’s little ones! Watch over your words and actions so that they will not lead the weak and vulnerable into sin or even unbelief. Know the Scriptures, so that you can guide the little ones in the ways they should go. Strive to live as an example for your children, your grandchildren, and all the little ones around you. Season the lives of those around you, for you are salt.
And salt is salty. The salty one places his body into submission, refusing to let his members lead him into sin. But the Christian who is controlled by his members, who allows his body to lead him into sin or even unbelief, is as ridiculous, as foolish, as unsalty salt. “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell.” Unsalty salt lets its members take it wherever they want to go. The hands, the feet, the eyes call the shots, they control the action, and what they want is to rebel against God. Hands reach for that which doesn’t belong to them, feet walk into places they shouldn’t be, eyes look in lust or coveting, and unsalty salt simply follows their lead.
But those made salt by grace seek to place their members into submission, tightly controlling them so that they do not lead into sin or unbelief. If your hand reaches for what is not yours, place it into submission! If your feet are walking into bad situations, control them! If your eyes are inspiring sinful thoughts, don’t look twice! Don’t allow your sinful, corrupted members to lead you into sin, but season them so that they serve Christ. Let your hand be ready in service toward your neighbor, let your feet carry you to worship, and let your eye be searching for someone in need. Press your members into service of Christ, not of sin, for you have been made salt by Christ.
This isn’t easy; our minds and bodies don’t want to be placed into submission, they want no part of being salted. This is why Jesus says, “Everyone will be salted by fire.” You are salted by fire; your purification happens only through the painful work of fire. This is first of all the fire of tribulation. Our members rebel against every attempt to place them under submission, they make life miserable for us unless we let them indulge in the sin they wish to wallow in. Sin causes the fires of tribulation in our lives, for the sin of this world is the cause of all suffering and difficulty in this life. And Christ uses those fires to burn away our sin, because when we suffer due to our sin or the sin of the world, we yearn to be rid of it, we desire more and more to place our members into submission.
That is when Christ uses another fire, the fire of God’s Word. Christ wields His Word as a purifying fire to burn away all corruption. His Law calls our sin what it is: rebellion against our Creator deserving the very wrath of God forever in hell. You heard Jesus proclaim the Law in all of its severity this very day. That Law should put to fiery death our sin. He salts us with this fire to prevent rot and decay, to keep our sinful nature from reasserting itself. How does this happen? The Law shows us our sin, and the Holy Spirit works repentance within us. Only through His work within us can we confess, pleading for sin’s destruction within us. His Law then guides us to live under His rule and leading, to day by day burn away the corruption of our flesh. Without daily being salted by the fire of God’s Word, the worms will return, and decay will continue.
But the fire of Christ’s Word doesn’t just halt decay, it destroys it forever. Having called our sin exactly what it is by the Law, Christ’s Word removes its penalty by the Gospel. The Law speaks the truth, and so does the Gospel: you are salt! Despite your corruption and sin, Christ comes to you and makes you salt. His Law can only put to death; His Gospel is given to make alive. His Gospel makes you salt! The Law put Christ to death in your place, as He died the death that your corruption deserved. He died to defeat that corruption forever, for it has been paid for; it cannot condemn you any longer. His mercy, His love was extended toward you, and when He left His tomb empty, He went forth to make you salt. Salt is your identity by grace; you are salt because Jesus died for you, because He rose for you. You are salt because you are forgiven, because you are the savory, fragrant offering that Christ is not ashamed to bring to His Father.
Salt is your identity forever. Today you are continually being salted by fire, as your mind and your members are placed under submission and salted by the fires of tribulation and God’s Word. But on the Last Day, you will pass through the fire and all of that corruption will finally be completely burned away. Christ’s redemption through the cross and empty tomb will be brought to its full completion when He returns in glory. Until that day, you are salt; salt by grace, salt in a decidedly unsalty world. Through your words, through your actions, you salt those around you, as the Church salts this entire world. You are made salt by grace, and you remain salt by grace; Christ’s Law burns away your corruption, Christ’s Gospel forgives it, declaring once again this day that you are salt, and will be salt for eternity, not by your efforts, but only through His grace. In the Name of Jesus, who makes and keeps us as His salt in this unsalty world, Amen.
What is salt like? Salt purifies, it preserves, it adds flavor. Salt always has an effect on whatever it touches. It can’t help it. Salt is salty. You can have uncaffinated coffee, you can have non-alcoholic wine, but there is no such thing as unsalty salt, as Jesus declares: “Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again?” Salt does what salt does, or else it isn’t salt at all.
And salt is salty. The salty one places his mind into submission, refusing to give into pride. But the Christian who acts in jealousy, who allows his pride to take hold of him, is as ridiculous as unsalty salt. “John said to Him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’” Unsalty salt is concerned for its own position; it’s envious or jealous of those who are not a part of its group. Its concern isn’t for the wider mission of the Church, but for its own position and honor. Unsalty salt hasn’t seasoned the corruption of the old Adam, who always seeks his own way. Instead, the tired old question continues to be asked, “Who is the greatest?”
But those made salt by grace season their thoughts, placing them in submission under Christ. “But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us.’” Do not hinder the one who serves Christ! Be concerned that the work of the church goes forward, not whether you get credit for it! Rejoice that your fellow congregation members are serving the work of the church, even if they are not doing so in the way that you would. Rejoice also that your fellow Christians throughout the world are doing wonderful works of witness and mercy, even as we acknowledge our very real differences. “For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.” Anything done in the name of Christ, even the smallest act of mercy, is done because that person is salt.
And salt is salty. The salty one protects the little ones, leading them away from sin. But the Christian who leads the little ones into sin, who causes them to stumble or even fall from the faith, is as ridiculous, as dangerous, as unsalty salt. “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” Unsalty salt lives with no concern of the witness its life makes before the world, especially before Christ’s little ones. Unsalty salt pays no attention to how it teaches God’s Word, at home, in the classroom, or from the pulpit. It lives recklessly, thinking only of itself.
But those made salt by grace seek to protect the little ones, to lead them out of sin and not into it. St. James writes in our Epistle lesson, “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” Don’t scandalize Christ’s little ones! Watch over your words and actions so that they will not lead the weak and vulnerable into sin or even unbelief. Know the Scriptures, so that you can guide the little ones in the ways they should go. Strive to live as an example for your children, your grandchildren, and all the little ones around you. Season the lives of those around you, for you are salt.
And salt is salty. The salty one places his body into submission, refusing to let his members lead him into sin. But the Christian who is controlled by his members, who allows his body to lead him into sin or even unbelief, is as ridiculous, as foolish, as unsalty salt. “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell.” Unsalty salt lets its members take it wherever they want to go. The hands, the feet, the eyes call the shots, they control the action, and what they want is to rebel against God. Hands reach for that which doesn’t belong to them, feet walk into places they shouldn’t be, eyes look in lust or coveting, and unsalty salt simply follows their lead.
But those made salt by grace seek to place their members into submission, tightly controlling them so that they do not lead into sin or unbelief. If your hand reaches for what is not yours, place it into submission! If your feet are walking into bad situations, control them! If your eyes are inspiring sinful thoughts, don’t look twice! Don’t allow your sinful, corrupted members to lead you into sin, but season them so that they serve Christ. Let your hand be ready in service toward your neighbor, let your feet carry you to worship, and let your eye be searching for someone in need. Press your members into service of Christ, not of sin, for you have been made salt by Christ.
This isn’t easy; our minds and bodies don’t want to be placed into submission, they want no part of being salted. This is why Jesus says, “Everyone will be salted by fire.” You are salted by fire; your purification happens only through the painful work of fire. This is first of all the fire of tribulation. Our members rebel against every attempt to place them under submission, they make life miserable for us unless we let them indulge in the sin they wish to wallow in. Sin causes the fires of tribulation in our lives, for the sin of this world is the cause of all suffering and difficulty in this life. And Christ uses those fires to burn away our sin, because when we suffer due to our sin or the sin of the world, we yearn to be rid of it, we desire more and more to place our members into submission.
That is when Christ uses another fire, the fire of God’s Word. Christ wields His Word as a purifying fire to burn away all corruption. His Law calls our sin what it is: rebellion against our Creator deserving the very wrath of God forever in hell. You heard Jesus proclaim the Law in all of its severity this very day. That Law should put to fiery death our sin. He salts us with this fire to prevent rot and decay, to keep our sinful nature from reasserting itself. How does this happen? The Law shows us our sin, and the Holy Spirit works repentance within us. Only through His work within us can we confess, pleading for sin’s destruction within us. His Law then guides us to live under His rule and leading, to day by day burn away the corruption of our flesh. Without daily being salted by the fire of God’s Word, the worms will return, and decay will continue.
But the fire of Christ’s Word doesn’t just halt decay, it destroys it forever. Having called our sin exactly what it is by the Law, Christ’s Word removes its penalty by the Gospel. The Law speaks the truth, and so does the Gospel: you are salt! Despite your corruption and sin, Christ comes to you and makes you salt. His Law can only put to death; His Gospel is given to make alive. His Gospel makes you salt! The Law put Christ to death in your place, as He died the death that your corruption deserved. He died to defeat that corruption forever, for it has been paid for; it cannot condemn you any longer. His mercy, His love was extended toward you, and when He left His tomb empty, He went forth to make you salt. Salt is your identity by grace; you are salt because Jesus died for you, because He rose for you. You are salt because you are forgiven, because you are the savory, fragrant offering that Christ is not ashamed to bring to His Father.
Salt is your identity forever. Today you are continually being salted by fire, as your mind and your members are placed under submission and salted by the fires of tribulation and God’s Word. But on the Last Day, you will pass through the fire and all of that corruption will finally be completely burned away. Christ’s redemption through the cross and empty tomb will be brought to its full completion when He returns in glory. Until that day, you are salt; salt by grace, salt in a decidedly unsalty world. Through your words, through your actions, you salt those around you, as the Church salts this entire world. You are made salt by grace, and you remain salt by grace; Christ’s Law burns away your corruption, Christ’s Gospel forgives it, declaring once again this day that you are salt, and will be salt for eternity, not by your efforts, but only through His grace. In the Name of Jesus, who makes and keeps us as His salt in this unsalty world, Amen.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Proper 20 of Series B (Mark 9:30-37)
“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but Him who sent me.” Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen. The text for our sermon this morning comes from the Gospel lesson read a few moments ago from the ninth chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Mark. Dear friends in Christ, who is the greatest? How do we or anyone else become great? In our world, the great ones are determined by competition; a playoff system, sales figures, performance reports, elections. So much of our lives are spent trying to achieve greatness ourselves or speculating on who will become great. We are always competing, or watching someone else compete, all with the ultimate goal of greatness. Political campaigns and playoff races are the most obvious examples, but we are seeking greatness over others in all areas of our lives, from our work, to our family, to our community, to our church.
The disciples were no different. They competed, they jockeyed for position as the elite followers of Jesus. They each wanted the top spots in Christ’s coming kingdom, and they knew only one way to gain it—through competition. It was like watching the baseball season wind down, with twelve teams competing for the top spot. Peter was clearly ahead, and he only increased his lead with his great confession. But then he rebuked Jesus, and was knocked down a few spots. Jesus then took only three up on the mountain of Transfiguration—big points for Peter, James, and John!—and to make things worse, the other nine performed miserably in their absence. The race was heating up, and it seemed too close to call. Our Lord asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” They remained silent, for there was nothing else to talk about than the playoffs: “On the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.”
Who is the greatest? The one who places himself first. Great ones seek their own interests above all else. That is how they became great in the first place. The great ones don’t worry about the needs of anyone else, for everyone around them falls into two camps: either they will help them achieve greatness, or they are a hindrance and distraction. Only a clear focus on their own needs is going to achieve the greatness they desire, and so the needs of others must take a back-seat. The great ones are self-promoters, always seeking an opportunity to proclaim themselves and diminish their competition, to put themselves first, because only by declaring your greatness before others can you become great.
The great ones are concerned with being great. Any star athlete, hard-driving business man, or politician will tell you that without the desire to be great, it is very likely that you will never achieve greatness. Greatness does find those who didn’t expect it, occasionally, but it much more often finds those who have sought it out. Those who are great are then concerned with remaining great. They will do whatever it takes to stay on top, because there are plenty of others who want the greatness they have. The desire to become and remain great must be the most important thing in their lives; nothing, and nobody, should disrupt the need for greatness with their own needs.
Therefore, the great ones expect service from others. Everyone around them has the potential of service, to play a role in making them great. Whether it is a frenzied fan-base, a crowd of hangers-on and supporters, or literal servants, the mark of greatness is that others serve you. These servants are ready to provide for the needs of great ones, whether they pay them or not, simply because they are pursuing greatness. This is expected, it isn’t shameful in the eyes of our world. The great ones in business, politics, sports, families, and the church all have people serving them. The great ones are the ones who give the orders, who tell others what to do, and they have a right to expect obedience. It is a general rule that everyone accepts: the greater you are, the more people you have serving you. That is simply the reward of pursuing or achieving greatness.
Everyone can have a role in helping someone become great, and that is how the great ones see their neighbors in this world. The homeless man who is fed and sheltered may think he is being served by the great one, but actually he has simply become a tool or instrument to make the great one look better in the eyes of others, to earn favor before God or man. The great ones are always looking for servants, and even ‘good deeds’ shown to others are simply another way to enlist a person in the cause of making them great. The great do not ask, ‘How can I serve you?’ but ‘How can you serve me?’
Who is the greatest in this world? The one who places himself first and makes others his servants. That is the kind of greatness that the disciples argued about as they walked the roads of Galilee. That is the kind of greatness that you and I seek after. But this is not the greatness that Jesus calls for. Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Great ones put themselves last. They see others in need and they place those needs ahead of their own. They serve those closest to them, their family, and friends, but then all others. The great ones make no distinction among those around them; all are their neighbors, all are those in need, and they seek to serve those needs. They sacrifice, giving up their time, their energy, and their finances to provide for others, because the Lord hasn’t given these resources for their own use, but to serve those around them.
Great ones put themselves last, as Jesus Himself declares. ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And when He is killed, after three days He will rise.” The Great One, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made Himself last. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death, even death upon a cross. The Son of Man, having might and authority over all things, delivered Himself into the hands of men, mere men, weak men, that in themselves were powerless before Him. He made Himself last, and God in the flesh was killed as a common criminal. He placed all people before Himself, their needs above His own, and was ready to sacrifice all, even His own life, for His neighbors in need. You and I were in desperate need; we needed salvation from sin and death, and Jesus made Himself last to provide for our needs. He became great, the greatest, by making Himself last in service to you and me.
Great ones serve all, even those who are weak and lowly. “[Jesus] took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, ‘Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but Him who sent me.’” The great ones have no servants, for they serve all. There is no one so small, so humble, so miserable that the great one doesn’t stoop down to serve them. They receive, they welcome the child, the infirm, the aged. They serve those who can give nothing in return. The great ones comfort the dying, treat the sick, and step into the filth of people’s lives in order to find some way of helping. They don’t serve to benefit themselves, but they serve solely to help the neighbor. They have no need of recognition or fame, God has no need of their good works; the great ones simply serve because their neighbor has a need and they have the ability to meet it.
The great ones serve all, even those who are so weak, so lowly that they seem beneath notice. Those are the kinds of people that the Great One, Jesus, served; He served you and me. He served you and me who so often chase after the world’s ideas of greatness, who fail to put ourselves last and become servants of all. Jesus served you and me, who sin and rebel against Him in a thousand other different ways. We are poor and lowly, miserable and pathetic, but Jesus served us. He served us by laying down His life as a ransom for all people, this entire sinful, corrupted world. He served us by dying while we were still sinners. He served us by seeing our need and knowing that only He could fulfill it, and only by His death. He was firm, He was resolute, He took on that service willingly, out of love for you and me, declaring openly to the disciples, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And when He is killed, after three days He will rise.” He served you by giving up His life into death to atone for your sin; He served you by rising in victory on the third day.
And today, Jesus continues to serve. He places you and me ahead of Himself, declaring Himself as servant of all as He pours out His forgiveness upon you in water, word, bread and wine. He serves you, declaring that your sins are forgiven for the sake of His shed blood. He serves you by giving you His resurrection victory. Because He rose, you too will rise. In His resurrection, the last became first, as the one crucified as a criminal was exalted to the right hand of the throne of God, He was declared ‘great.’
Who is the greatest? How do we become great? In our world, the great ones are determined by competition: whoever is willing to put themselves first and make others his servants. But heavenly greatness isn’t given by the world’s standards. “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Heavenly greatness comes through humility. This humility places the needs of others before our own; this humility makes us last in the eyes of the world. This humility confesses our failures before God, our failures to serve, our chasing after the greatness of this world, and then receives with empty hands the forgiveness that Christ has won. He is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven because He serves all, even you and me. He is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven because He didn’t place Himself first, but last of all, even to the point of death. And that greatness is given to you; not by competition, not even by your service to others, but solely by grace. You are all the greatest in the kingdom of heaven because you are forgiven, because you are the baptized, because heaven is your treasure; Christ’s greatness, His exaltation, will be given to you. Who is the greatest? You, me, and all who cling to Christ’s merit and rich mercy. In the Name of Jesus, the Great One, who served all by putting Himself last, Amen.
The disciples were no different. They competed, they jockeyed for position as the elite followers of Jesus. They each wanted the top spots in Christ’s coming kingdom, and they knew only one way to gain it—through competition. It was like watching the baseball season wind down, with twelve teams competing for the top spot. Peter was clearly ahead, and he only increased his lead with his great confession. But then he rebuked Jesus, and was knocked down a few spots. Jesus then took only three up on the mountain of Transfiguration—big points for Peter, James, and John!—and to make things worse, the other nine performed miserably in their absence. The race was heating up, and it seemed too close to call. Our Lord asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” They remained silent, for there was nothing else to talk about than the playoffs: “On the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.”
Who is the greatest? The one who places himself first. Great ones seek their own interests above all else. That is how they became great in the first place. The great ones don’t worry about the needs of anyone else, for everyone around them falls into two camps: either they will help them achieve greatness, or they are a hindrance and distraction. Only a clear focus on their own needs is going to achieve the greatness they desire, and so the needs of others must take a back-seat. The great ones are self-promoters, always seeking an opportunity to proclaim themselves and diminish their competition, to put themselves first, because only by declaring your greatness before others can you become great.
The great ones are concerned with being great. Any star athlete, hard-driving business man, or politician will tell you that without the desire to be great, it is very likely that you will never achieve greatness. Greatness does find those who didn’t expect it, occasionally, but it much more often finds those who have sought it out. Those who are great are then concerned with remaining great. They will do whatever it takes to stay on top, because there are plenty of others who want the greatness they have. The desire to become and remain great must be the most important thing in their lives; nothing, and nobody, should disrupt the need for greatness with their own needs.
Therefore, the great ones expect service from others. Everyone around them has the potential of service, to play a role in making them great. Whether it is a frenzied fan-base, a crowd of hangers-on and supporters, or literal servants, the mark of greatness is that others serve you. These servants are ready to provide for the needs of great ones, whether they pay them or not, simply because they are pursuing greatness. This is expected, it isn’t shameful in the eyes of our world. The great ones in business, politics, sports, families, and the church all have people serving them. The great ones are the ones who give the orders, who tell others what to do, and they have a right to expect obedience. It is a general rule that everyone accepts: the greater you are, the more people you have serving you. That is simply the reward of pursuing or achieving greatness.
Everyone can have a role in helping someone become great, and that is how the great ones see their neighbors in this world. The homeless man who is fed and sheltered may think he is being served by the great one, but actually he has simply become a tool or instrument to make the great one look better in the eyes of others, to earn favor before God or man. The great ones are always looking for servants, and even ‘good deeds’ shown to others are simply another way to enlist a person in the cause of making them great. The great do not ask, ‘How can I serve you?’ but ‘How can you serve me?’
Who is the greatest in this world? The one who places himself first and makes others his servants. That is the kind of greatness that the disciples argued about as they walked the roads of Galilee. That is the kind of greatness that you and I seek after. But this is not the greatness that Jesus calls for. Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Great ones put themselves last. They see others in need and they place those needs ahead of their own. They serve those closest to them, their family, and friends, but then all others. The great ones make no distinction among those around them; all are their neighbors, all are those in need, and they seek to serve those needs. They sacrifice, giving up their time, their energy, and their finances to provide for others, because the Lord hasn’t given these resources for their own use, but to serve those around them.
Great ones put themselves last, as Jesus Himself declares. ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And when He is killed, after three days He will rise.” The Great One, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made Himself last. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death, even death upon a cross. The Son of Man, having might and authority over all things, delivered Himself into the hands of men, mere men, weak men, that in themselves were powerless before Him. He made Himself last, and God in the flesh was killed as a common criminal. He placed all people before Himself, their needs above His own, and was ready to sacrifice all, even His own life, for His neighbors in need. You and I were in desperate need; we needed salvation from sin and death, and Jesus made Himself last to provide for our needs. He became great, the greatest, by making Himself last in service to you and me.
Great ones serve all, even those who are weak and lowly. “[Jesus] took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, ‘Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but Him who sent me.’” The great ones have no servants, for they serve all. There is no one so small, so humble, so miserable that the great one doesn’t stoop down to serve them. They receive, they welcome the child, the infirm, the aged. They serve those who can give nothing in return. The great ones comfort the dying, treat the sick, and step into the filth of people’s lives in order to find some way of helping. They don’t serve to benefit themselves, but they serve solely to help the neighbor. They have no need of recognition or fame, God has no need of their good works; the great ones simply serve because their neighbor has a need and they have the ability to meet it.
The great ones serve all, even those who are so weak, so lowly that they seem beneath notice. Those are the kinds of people that the Great One, Jesus, served; He served you and me. He served you and me who so often chase after the world’s ideas of greatness, who fail to put ourselves last and become servants of all. Jesus served you and me, who sin and rebel against Him in a thousand other different ways. We are poor and lowly, miserable and pathetic, but Jesus served us. He served us by laying down His life as a ransom for all people, this entire sinful, corrupted world. He served us by dying while we were still sinners. He served us by seeing our need and knowing that only He could fulfill it, and only by His death. He was firm, He was resolute, He took on that service willingly, out of love for you and me, declaring openly to the disciples, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And when He is killed, after three days He will rise.” He served you by giving up His life into death to atone for your sin; He served you by rising in victory on the third day.
And today, Jesus continues to serve. He places you and me ahead of Himself, declaring Himself as servant of all as He pours out His forgiveness upon you in water, word, bread and wine. He serves you, declaring that your sins are forgiven for the sake of His shed blood. He serves you by giving you His resurrection victory. Because He rose, you too will rise. In His resurrection, the last became first, as the one crucified as a criminal was exalted to the right hand of the throne of God, He was declared ‘great.’
Who is the greatest? How do we become great? In our world, the great ones are determined by competition: whoever is willing to put themselves first and make others his servants. But heavenly greatness isn’t given by the world’s standards. “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Heavenly greatness comes through humility. This humility places the needs of others before our own; this humility makes us last in the eyes of the world. This humility confesses our failures before God, our failures to serve, our chasing after the greatness of this world, and then receives with empty hands the forgiveness that Christ has won. He is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven because He serves all, even you and me. He is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven because He didn’t place Himself first, but last of all, even to the point of death. And that greatness is given to you; not by competition, not even by your service to others, but solely by grace. You are all the greatest in the kingdom of heaven because you are forgiven, because you are the baptized, because heaven is your treasure; Christ’s greatness, His exaltation, will be given to you. Who is the greatest? You, me, and all who cling to Christ’s merit and rich mercy. In the Name of Jesus, the Great One, who served all by putting Himself last, Amen.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Proper 19 of Series B (Mark 9:14-29)
“Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen. The text for our sermon this morning comes from the Gospel lesson read a few moments ago from the ninth chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Mark. Dear friends in Christ, when Jesus descended the mountain of Transfiguration that day, having shown forth His glory to Peter, James, and John, He descended into a crisis. The other nine had been serving in their stead; trying and failing. One man stepped out of the crowd and said, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute… So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” This father is desperate; he has watched his beloved child live in torment for most of his life, and now the disciples of Jesus, the great Teacher Himself, cannot heal him! Can even Jesus bring relief? “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” He is ready to despair, and having seen the dismal performance of the students, he wonders if the Teacher can do any better. But Jesus replies, “If you can! All things are possible for the one who believes.” Jesus requires faith. To the one who believes, nothing is impossible. Mountains will be moved, the sick will be healed, demons will be cast out. But the unbeliever will get exactly what he expects—nothing. Faith is the key, faith is the requirement, the only test question. It sounds so easy: just believe, and it will happen!
But that’s exactly the problem. “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” Belief isn’t as easy as it sounds, not for that father, not for you or me. Not when we have seen the ravages of sin in our lives, not when we afflicted with suffering. Can Jesus help us? We’re not so sure. We aren’t convinced that He is capable of healing, of delivering. We’re not sure if He truly is who He says He is, if He can do what He says He can do. “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” That ‘if’ comes from our lips, challenging Christ, daring Him to prove Himself. We will believe, after we see the miracle, after He demonstrates that He is real by some sign. Until then, we wonder if He is capable of healing, of delivering. Is Jesus really who He says He is? Can He heal my family? Can He heal this disease? Is He capable of forgiving this great sin? Did He really defeat death?
“I believe; help my unbelief!” The father has understood the situation perfectly. This isn’t doubt, this isn’t innocent speculation, this is unbelief. When we don’t think that Christ can help us, we don’t believe in what He has said about Himself. This is nothing else than unbelief. Does God even exist? Does He care for me at all? Can I trust any of His promises? When we call it ‘doubt,’ it sounds excusable, it sounds benign, a part of life. But we should call things what they are, as this father does; when we don’t think Jesus is capable of delivering us from our afflictions, we are living in unbelief. And Jesus has strong words to speak about unbelief at the end of the Gospel. “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Faith is the requirement. Without it, you have nothing.
That is where we find ourselves—living in unbelief. “I believe; help my unbelief!” These are words of unbelief; our faith seems so weak, it feels like it has disappeared. In the quiet hours of the night, we wonder whether God even exists. We speculate whether Jesus actually said or did any of the things that the New Testament says He did. And even if we can convince ourselves that God exists, we wonder whether He truly loves us. We are envious of those who seem to live without fear of sin and death, who walk with confidence in Christ. Our lives are not so easy; we struggle with unbelief. “I believe; help my unbelief!” It’s a wrestling match—faith against unbelief, and unbelief has an entire world cheering it on, while the crowd is sparse in faith’s corner. Our faith is tried by tragedy, by suffering, by all the struggles of living in this world. Our faith is assaulted by others, both near and far, and it doesn’t seem to have much of a leg to stand on. “I believe; help my unbelief!” is our cry, but it may not be long before the strength of unbelief proves stronger than faith, and even the desire to believe will be gone.
At the foot of the mountain of Transfiguration, Jesus comes face to face with such unbelief. His disciples have it; they cannot drive out the demon. The scribes have it; they greedily capitalize on the show of weakness. The crowd has it; they are quick to abandon Jesus once the miracles run out. Even the boy’s father has it; he wonders whether Jesus is capable of healing his son. In exasperation, Jesus says, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?” Jesus is weary of bearing the burden of our unbelief; it seems that He is ready to cast us off.
He has uttered a requirement that seems impossible to those wrestling with unbelief: “All things are possible for one who believes.” What is there to do? We can arrogantly pretend to have such faith, putting on a good show for Jesus and those around us, or we can humbly confess our unbelief and cry out Jesus for stronger faith, following the example given in our text: “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” We cry out for stronger faith; we cry out for help. We cannot do this on our own; our efforts are doomed to fail, for if left by ourselves, unbelief is the result. We call on Jesus to help us in the struggle, to fight for faith against the unbelief that attacks us. We cry out for strengthening of faith, we cry out for help for our afflictions, calling on Jesus to “have compassion on us and help us.”
And Jesus answers. He hears our cries, He knows our struggles, He knows how we have been afflicted in this world of sin and death. He comes down from the mountain of glory to do battle with unbelief, to do battle with Satan himself. “He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ‘You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again!’” The father cried out for help—for his son, and for his faith—and Jesus answers. He answers decisively, driving Satan away. We cried out for help—for our afflictions, and for our faith—and Jesus answers. He answers decisively, crushing Satan’s head. The greatest and final exorcism is at the cross. The greatest and ultimate help is at the cross. There Jesus has compassion upon you, coming to your assistance in your hour of dire need. At the cross, Satan is driven away from you and defeated; he has no more power over you to accuse and condemn. It is at the cross and empty tomb that faith takes its stand. Do we believe that Christ truly has died for us, that His death atones for our sin? Do we believe in the resurrection, that His life is our own? With the father in our text we answer, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
These are words of faith; we confess our weakness; we don’t try to hide it under pious words or boasting. We detest the unbelief that is within us, that attacks us each and every day. We cries out to Jesus and to those around us, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Unbelief and faith still war within you; the new man, brought forth from the waters of Holy Baptism, believes firmly, clinging to Christ alone for salvation. But the old man still remains, and he is an unbeliever, and always will be, until he is finally destroyed with your last breath. But it is to you, the weak in faith, who struggle each day with unbelief, that Jesus gives His gifts. He gives His gifts to you because you need them; the sick have need of a doctor, not the healthy. The Word of Absolution, the remembrance of your Baptism into His name, and the Holy Supper of His Body and Blood are for those who confess, “I believe; help my unbelief!” It is those who need strengthening of faith that are called to this altar to eat Christ’s Body and drink His Blood. It is those who fight unbelief who need to be reminded of their Baptism and have their sins forgiven here in this place. The Sacraments are for those with troubled consciences and weak faith, because through these gifts Christ has compassion upon you and me and He condescends to help us.
When He sees our unbelief, Jesus cries out, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?” The answer? All the way to the cross. Jesus bears with your weakness, your lack of faith; indeed He carried it upon His shoulders, along with all your other sins, and took them to the cross, doing away with them there. He bears all things perfectly, from the blows of His enemies to the burdens of His people, indeed all their sin. We disbelieving humans are difficult to put up with, but Christ still bears with us. Anyone else would long since have given up on us, but Christ does not. He bears with our weakness, He forgives it, and He helps our unbelief. How long is He to be with you? For eternity—strengthening faith and preserving you until He gives you the promised reward.
For Jesus has declared, “All things are possible for the one who believes.” To the one who believes in Christ, even though it be a weak and struggling faith, fighting each and every day with unbelief, all things are possible, even eternal salvation. Faith doesn’t have this power because it’s so strong, nor does it lose this power because it is weak and struggling. Faith has this power because the object of that faith is the One with the power to heal the sick, drive away demons, and even give forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Faith has this power because its focus is Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen one. Faith has this power because it is rooted in the cross and empty tomb. Faith is never alone; it always has an object. All things are possible for the one who believes because Christ has made all things possible; He has delivered you from the oppression of Satan, He has born all of your afflictions to the cross, and He has even defeated death itself. “I believe; help my unbelief!” is our cry as we live in this world of sin, but on the Last Day, the time of faith and unbelief will be no more, for we will see the object of our faith face to face forever. In the Name of Jesus, the object and sustainer of our faith, who had compassion upon us and helped us, Amen.
But that’s exactly the problem. “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” Belief isn’t as easy as it sounds, not for that father, not for you or me. Not when we have seen the ravages of sin in our lives, not when we afflicted with suffering. Can Jesus help us? We’re not so sure. We aren’t convinced that He is capable of healing, of delivering. We’re not sure if He truly is who He says He is, if He can do what He says He can do. “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” That ‘if’ comes from our lips, challenging Christ, daring Him to prove Himself. We will believe, after we see the miracle, after He demonstrates that He is real by some sign. Until then, we wonder if He is capable of healing, of delivering. Is Jesus really who He says He is? Can He heal my family? Can He heal this disease? Is He capable of forgiving this great sin? Did He really defeat death?
“I believe; help my unbelief!” The father has understood the situation perfectly. This isn’t doubt, this isn’t innocent speculation, this is unbelief. When we don’t think that Christ can help us, we don’t believe in what He has said about Himself. This is nothing else than unbelief. Does God even exist? Does He care for me at all? Can I trust any of His promises? When we call it ‘doubt,’ it sounds excusable, it sounds benign, a part of life. But we should call things what they are, as this father does; when we don’t think Jesus is capable of delivering us from our afflictions, we are living in unbelief. And Jesus has strong words to speak about unbelief at the end of the Gospel. “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Faith is the requirement. Without it, you have nothing.
That is where we find ourselves—living in unbelief. “I believe; help my unbelief!” These are words of unbelief; our faith seems so weak, it feels like it has disappeared. In the quiet hours of the night, we wonder whether God even exists. We speculate whether Jesus actually said or did any of the things that the New Testament says He did. And even if we can convince ourselves that God exists, we wonder whether He truly loves us. We are envious of those who seem to live without fear of sin and death, who walk with confidence in Christ. Our lives are not so easy; we struggle with unbelief. “I believe; help my unbelief!” It’s a wrestling match—faith against unbelief, and unbelief has an entire world cheering it on, while the crowd is sparse in faith’s corner. Our faith is tried by tragedy, by suffering, by all the struggles of living in this world. Our faith is assaulted by others, both near and far, and it doesn’t seem to have much of a leg to stand on. “I believe; help my unbelief!” is our cry, but it may not be long before the strength of unbelief proves stronger than faith, and even the desire to believe will be gone.
At the foot of the mountain of Transfiguration, Jesus comes face to face with such unbelief. His disciples have it; they cannot drive out the demon. The scribes have it; they greedily capitalize on the show of weakness. The crowd has it; they are quick to abandon Jesus once the miracles run out. Even the boy’s father has it; he wonders whether Jesus is capable of healing his son. In exasperation, Jesus says, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?” Jesus is weary of bearing the burden of our unbelief; it seems that He is ready to cast us off.
He has uttered a requirement that seems impossible to those wrestling with unbelief: “All things are possible for one who believes.” What is there to do? We can arrogantly pretend to have such faith, putting on a good show for Jesus and those around us, or we can humbly confess our unbelief and cry out Jesus for stronger faith, following the example given in our text: “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” We cry out for stronger faith; we cry out for help. We cannot do this on our own; our efforts are doomed to fail, for if left by ourselves, unbelief is the result. We call on Jesus to help us in the struggle, to fight for faith against the unbelief that attacks us. We cry out for strengthening of faith, we cry out for help for our afflictions, calling on Jesus to “have compassion on us and help us.”
And Jesus answers. He hears our cries, He knows our struggles, He knows how we have been afflicted in this world of sin and death. He comes down from the mountain of glory to do battle with unbelief, to do battle with Satan himself. “He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ‘You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again!’” The father cried out for help—for his son, and for his faith—and Jesus answers. He answers decisively, driving Satan away. We cried out for help—for our afflictions, and for our faith—and Jesus answers. He answers decisively, crushing Satan’s head. The greatest and final exorcism is at the cross. The greatest and ultimate help is at the cross. There Jesus has compassion upon you, coming to your assistance in your hour of dire need. At the cross, Satan is driven away from you and defeated; he has no more power over you to accuse and condemn. It is at the cross and empty tomb that faith takes its stand. Do we believe that Christ truly has died for us, that His death atones for our sin? Do we believe in the resurrection, that His life is our own? With the father in our text we answer, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
These are words of faith; we confess our weakness; we don’t try to hide it under pious words or boasting. We detest the unbelief that is within us, that attacks us each and every day. We cries out to Jesus and to those around us, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Unbelief and faith still war within you; the new man, brought forth from the waters of Holy Baptism, believes firmly, clinging to Christ alone for salvation. But the old man still remains, and he is an unbeliever, and always will be, until he is finally destroyed with your last breath. But it is to you, the weak in faith, who struggle each day with unbelief, that Jesus gives His gifts. He gives His gifts to you because you need them; the sick have need of a doctor, not the healthy. The Word of Absolution, the remembrance of your Baptism into His name, and the Holy Supper of His Body and Blood are for those who confess, “I believe; help my unbelief!” It is those who need strengthening of faith that are called to this altar to eat Christ’s Body and drink His Blood. It is those who fight unbelief who need to be reminded of their Baptism and have their sins forgiven here in this place. The Sacraments are for those with troubled consciences and weak faith, because through these gifts Christ has compassion upon you and me and He condescends to help us.
When He sees our unbelief, Jesus cries out, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?” The answer? All the way to the cross. Jesus bears with your weakness, your lack of faith; indeed He carried it upon His shoulders, along with all your other sins, and took them to the cross, doing away with them there. He bears all things perfectly, from the blows of His enemies to the burdens of His people, indeed all their sin. We disbelieving humans are difficult to put up with, but Christ still bears with us. Anyone else would long since have given up on us, but Christ does not. He bears with our weakness, He forgives it, and He helps our unbelief. How long is He to be with you? For eternity—strengthening faith and preserving you until He gives you the promised reward.
For Jesus has declared, “All things are possible for the one who believes.” To the one who believes in Christ, even though it be a weak and struggling faith, fighting each and every day with unbelief, all things are possible, even eternal salvation. Faith doesn’t have this power because it’s so strong, nor does it lose this power because it is weak and struggling. Faith has this power because the object of that faith is the One with the power to heal the sick, drive away demons, and even give forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Faith has this power because its focus is Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen one. Faith has this power because it is rooted in the cross and empty tomb. Faith is never alone; it always has an object. All things are possible for the one who believes because Christ has made all things possible; He has delivered you from the oppression of Satan, He has born all of your afflictions to the cross, and He has even defeated death itself. “I believe; help my unbelief!” is our cry as we live in this world of sin, but on the Last Day, the time of faith and unbelief will be no more, for we will see the object of our faith face to face forever. In the Name of Jesus, the object and sustainer of our faith, who had compassion upon us and helped us, Amen.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Proper 18 of Series B (Isaiah 35:4-7a)
A garden. Lush trees, verdant pastures, flowering bushes. Springs, rivers, waterfalls. Adam’s hungry eyes drank them all in. Blue, perfect skies. Green, soft grass. The yellow of the sun, and every other color of the palate, each in its proper place. This is God’s creation, this is His garden. The trees? Laden with fruit. The rivers? Flowing freely. The plants and animals? Living in peace, living in harmony. For Adam, soon to be joined by Eve, this was home. Paradise was the garden. But in a moment, everything changed. With one uttered temptation, with one lustful look, with one rebellious bite, the garden was cursed. The garden was reversed from God’s place of peace and abundance into a wilderness, a desert of violence and scarcity. Their eyes were opened to see evil, and it was all around them. Their sin had cursed the very ground. “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
The earth remains cursed. Barren trees, brown pastures, dried up bushes. Empty wells, failing springs, bare rivers. The corn turns from green to ugly dark brown, scorched and burned by the hot sun. The skies? Empty. Our hungry eyes search them for moisture, our ears greedily wait to hear of rain. Livestock are fed at enormous expense, or sold. Their pastures are dead, their corn is dead, and yet the sun still beats down on fields that have had enough. The garden has become a desert. Our world is truly cursed. Sickly bodies, failing organs, weak muscles. Our bodies fail, they wear out, much sooner than they should. Cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s. Our desperate eyes search the doctor’s face for news, our ears strain to hear a word of hope. And sometimes those eyes opened by sin are closed by that same sin, and ears are stopped. Violence, crime, abuse. Humanity sinks from one level of depravity to another. The cruelty that we can demonstrate to one another seems to have no end. And death; it claims the old, but also the young. Death has no prejudices; it afflicts rich and poor alike, kind and wicked, the infant and the nursing home resident. One day, it will claim you and me. Our world is truly cursed. Adam’s eyes opened to see a garden; our eyes open to see a desert.
We are wandering, wandering through this desert, this dry and barren wilderness, searching for relief, searching for deliverance. Our eyes have been opened by Adam and Eve’s sin, and what we see is sin, what we see is death. We are anxious, harried, persecuted by this world. We are hurried by sin; it pursues us, nipping at our heels, and we fear its power. We’ve seen its power, exerted in the tenacity of cancer, the strong grip of addiction, the unstoppable march toward death, and we are afraid. We cry out to God, but we fear that He is deaf to our cries. “To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.” His silence is deafening; we want Him to act, to deliver. We want the drought to end, the cancer to leave, our loved ones to be restored to us. If He doesn’t act, if He remains silent, we will sink into the pit, we are finished, the corruption of this world will have us, forever.
And so God will not remain silent; He speaks to His afflicted people. “Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong! Fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God.’” Be strong! Take courage, stand firm! Do not doubt, but take confidence, for your God isn’t deaf, He isn’t blind! His eyes are open to your affliction, His ears have heard your cry. He knows your sufferings, He knows that His perfect garden has become a terrifying desert. Do not fear! Do not live your life in fear of sin’s power, do not be motivated by timidity or weakness, but stand boldly against the evil that is around you. In a world filled with sin, sorrow, and death, do not fear! Be strong! Behold, your God! The God who created you is still with you, He is still your God. In Him you can stand firm, in Him you can live without fear.
For your God is coming. “Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God.” Do not fear, for your God will come with vengeance. Be strong, for His recompense is with Him. He is coming to settle accounts, to give what is due to all of your enemies. The evil of this barren world has reigned over His beloved people long enough; it is time for the vengeance of our God. He will repay sin, death, and Satan for their tyranny—they will feel His wrath. All those who oppressed His people, all those who persecuted His beloved ones, will receive their due.
But for those who trusted in their Creator, who cried out to Him in faith in the midst of their afflictions, He is coming with a much different repayment. “He will come and save you.” Behold, your God! He is coming, and He is coming to deliver you from the oppression of your enemies, from the tyrannical reign of sin and death. He must defeat to deliver; He must destroy evil to save His people, and that is what He has come to do, to bring vengeance to His enemies and salvation to His people. Be strong, for salvation is coming, it will come. That is the sure and certain hope—God has said it, He is not blind nor deaf, and He will keep His word. Do not fear, for all that you fear will face the vengeance of your God. He will come, and He will save! Behold, your God! He will enter this creation to reverse its corruption!
“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” Behold, your God has taken on your human flesh to redeem it, to bring you the promised salvation, to bring vengeance to your enemies. Jesus Christ entered the wilderness, He broke into the desert to bring an end to its corruption. When He comes, the reign of sin is driven away, He announces in word and deed that its time is done, that He has come to bring vengeance to His enemies and salvation to His people. “They brought to Him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged Him to lay His hand on Him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, He put His fingers into His ears, and after spitting touched His tongue. And looking up to heaven, He sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, his tongue released, and he spoke plainly.” Ears made deaf by sin, and tongues made mute, are delivered from their bondage. These effects of sin cannot stand when God comes as promised to deliver His people. Be strong! Do not fear! Behold, your God has come to reverse the reign of sin!
Not every blind eye was opened, nor was every deaf ear unstopped. Sin’s effects were defeated in a handful to demonstrate that God had come to bring salvation, but Jesus came not to treat the symptoms, He came to destroy the disease. He came to reverse sin once and for all, to execute God’s vengeance upon the source. Behold, your God hangs upon the cross! He hangs there bearing the sin of the world; He sheds His blood to pay the price for it. He hangs upon the cross to rob sin of its power, to reverse all of its effects. A dying man is the defeat of sin, the crushing of Satan’s evil head, for this man is true God, Jesus Christ our Lord, and He bears your sin and the sin of the entire world upon Himself. On Good Friday, sin’s reign is done, it tyranny over, its mastery destroyed. Jesus reverses sin by dying, and He reverses death by rising. With sin paid for, death has no more power, and Jesus proves it by leaving the tomb empty on the third day. Sin’s greatest effect, its vilest power over us, is no more, as the empty tomb declares. God has come as promised in the person of Jesus Christ, and He has brought vengeance to His enemies and salvation to His people. Sin’s power is reversed; it can no longer condemn us to hell. Satan’s reign is reversed; his accusations have no power. Death itself is reversed; it is now the gateway to eternal life with Christ. Be strong! Do not fear! Behold your God has come, and He has come to die and rise again for your deliverance!
A garden. That is what the eyes of Adam saw when they first opened on the sixth day of creation. A desert. That is what our eyes have seen every day since this creation was plunged into sin. God’s perfect world was reversed, and sin, death, and Satan reigned over it. But now your God has come with vengeance, and His recompense is with Him. He has come and He has saved you by dying and rising. When Jesus told the ears of a deaf man, ‘Ephphatha—Be opened!’ it was a demonstration of what was to come. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” On the Last Day, our corruption will be reversed; the sick will be made well, the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap, and the mute will sing. Yes, even the dead will be raised. The great reversal, revealed by Jesus in His miracles and enacted in His death and resurrection, will extend to all who believe. And this creation? This garden turned into a desert? It will become a garden once more. “For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water.” Jesus will reverse this desert into a garden, a lush, beautiful, bountiful garden, to provide for all of our needs for eternity. Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God has defeated your enemies to save you, and He will bring you to His garden for eternity to live without fear forever. In the Name of Jesus, God in the flesh who came and reversed sin, death, and the power of the devil, Amen.
The earth remains cursed. Barren trees, brown pastures, dried up bushes. Empty wells, failing springs, bare rivers. The corn turns from green to ugly dark brown, scorched and burned by the hot sun. The skies? Empty. Our hungry eyes search them for moisture, our ears greedily wait to hear of rain. Livestock are fed at enormous expense, or sold. Their pastures are dead, their corn is dead, and yet the sun still beats down on fields that have had enough. The garden has become a desert. Our world is truly cursed. Sickly bodies, failing organs, weak muscles. Our bodies fail, they wear out, much sooner than they should. Cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s. Our desperate eyes search the doctor’s face for news, our ears strain to hear a word of hope. And sometimes those eyes opened by sin are closed by that same sin, and ears are stopped. Violence, crime, abuse. Humanity sinks from one level of depravity to another. The cruelty that we can demonstrate to one another seems to have no end. And death; it claims the old, but also the young. Death has no prejudices; it afflicts rich and poor alike, kind and wicked, the infant and the nursing home resident. One day, it will claim you and me. Our world is truly cursed. Adam’s eyes opened to see a garden; our eyes open to see a desert.
We are wandering, wandering through this desert, this dry and barren wilderness, searching for relief, searching for deliverance. Our eyes have been opened by Adam and Eve’s sin, and what we see is sin, what we see is death. We are anxious, harried, persecuted by this world. We are hurried by sin; it pursues us, nipping at our heels, and we fear its power. We’ve seen its power, exerted in the tenacity of cancer, the strong grip of addiction, the unstoppable march toward death, and we are afraid. We cry out to God, but we fear that He is deaf to our cries. “To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.” His silence is deafening; we want Him to act, to deliver. We want the drought to end, the cancer to leave, our loved ones to be restored to us. If He doesn’t act, if He remains silent, we will sink into the pit, we are finished, the corruption of this world will have us, forever.
And so God will not remain silent; He speaks to His afflicted people. “Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong! Fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God.’” Be strong! Take courage, stand firm! Do not doubt, but take confidence, for your God isn’t deaf, He isn’t blind! His eyes are open to your affliction, His ears have heard your cry. He knows your sufferings, He knows that His perfect garden has become a terrifying desert. Do not fear! Do not live your life in fear of sin’s power, do not be motivated by timidity or weakness, but stand boldly against the evil that is around you. In a world filled with sin, sorrow, and death, do not fear! Be strong! Behold, your God! The God who created you is still with you, He is still your God. In Him you can stand firm, in Him you can live without fear.
For your God is coming. “Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God.” Do not fear, for your God will come with vengeance. Be strong, for His recompense is with Him. He is coming to settle accounts, to give what is due to all of your enemies. The evil of this barren world has reigned over His beloved people long enough; it is time for the vengeance of our God. He will repay sin, death, and Satan for their tyranny—they will feel His wrath. All those who oppressed His people, all those who persecuted His beloved ones, will receive their due.
But for those who trusted in their Creator, who cried out to Him in faith in the midst of their afflictions, He is coming with a much different repayment. “He will come and save you.” Behold, your God! He is coming, and He is coming to deliver you from the oppression of your enemies, from the tyrannical reign of sin and death. He must defeat to deliver; He must destroy evil to save His people, and that is what He has come to do, to bring vengeance to His enemies and salvation to His people. Be strong, for salvation is coming, it will come. That is the sure and certain hope—God has said it, He is not blind nor deaf, and He will keep His word. Do not fear, for all that you fear will face the vengeance of your God. He will come, and He will save! Behold, your God! He will enter this creation to reverse its corruption!
“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” Behold, your God has taken on your human flesh to redeem it, to bring you the promised salvation, to bring vengeance to your enemies. Jesus Christ entered the wilderness, He broke into the desert to bring an end to its corruption. When He comes, the reign of sin is driven away, He announces in word and deed that its time is done, that He has come to bring vengeance to His enemies and salvation to His people. “They brought to Him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged Him to lay His hand on Him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, He put His fingers into His ears, and after spitting touched His tongue. And looking up to heaven, He sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, his tongue released, and he spoke plainly.” Ears made deaf by sin, and tongues made mute, are delivered from their bondage. These effects of sin cannot stand when God comes as promised to deliver His people. Be strong! Do not fear! Behold, your God has come to reverse the reign of sin!
Not every blind eye was opened, nor was every deaf ear unstopped. Sin’s effects were defeated in a handful to demonstrate that God had come to bring salvation, but Jesus came not to treat the symptoms, He came to destroy the disease. He came to reverse sin once and for all, to execute God’s vengeance upon the source. Behold, your God hangs upon the cross! He hangs there bearing the sin of the world; He sheds His blood to pay the price for it. He hangs upon the cross to rob sin of its power, to reverse all of its effects. A dying man is the defeat of sin, the crushing of Satan’s evil head, for this man is true God, Jesus Christ our Lord, and He bears your sin and the sin of the entire world upon Himself. On Good Friday, sin’s reign is done, it tyranny over, its mastery destroyed. Jesus reverses sin by dying, and He reverses death by rising. With sin paid for, death has no more power, and Jesus proves it by leaving the tomb empty on the third day. Sin’s greatest effect, its vilest power over us, is no more, as the empty tomb declares. God has come as promised in the person of Jesus Christ, and He has brought vengeance to His enemies and salvation to His people. Sin’s power is reversed; it can no longer condemn us to hell. Satan’s reign is reversed; his accusations have no power. Death itself is reversed; it is now the gateway to eternal life with Christ. Be strong! Do not fear! Behold your God has come, and He has come to die and rise again for your deliverance!
A garden. That is what the eyes of Adam saw when they first opened on the sixth day of creation. A desert. That is what our eyes have seen every day since this creation was plunged into sin. God’s perfect world was reversed, and sin, death, and Satan reigned over it. But now your God has come with vengeance, and His recompense is with Him. He has come and He has saved you by dying and rising. When Jesus told the ears of a deaf man, ‘Ephphatha—Be opened!’ it was a demonstration of what was to come. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” On the Last Day, our corruption will be reversed; the sick will be made well, the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap, and the mute will sing. Yes, even the dead will be raised. The great reversal, revealed by Jesus in His miracles and enacted in His death and resurrection, will extend to all who believe. And this creation? This garden turned into a desert? It will become a garden once more. “For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water.” Jesus will reverse this desert into a garden, a lush, beautiful, bountiful garden, to provide for all of our needs for eternity. Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God has defeated your enemies to save you, and He will bring you to His garden for eternity to live without fear forever. In the Name of Jesus, God in the flesh who came and reversed sin, death, and the power of the devil, Amen.
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