Broken Vessel

Broken Vessel

Mark 14:1-9

     Tonight’s Gospel reading presents to us a very dramatic scene.  A woman named Mary, twelve seasoned disciples, a room filled with the fragrance of the finest perfume, a broken alabaster flask and Jesus, the Savior, dripping with the finest imported nard.  It was Holy Week.  Jesus was only a few days from being arrested, put on trial and crucified.  But this night was a night of celebration.  It wasn’t very long ago that Lazarus had been raised from the dead in this village of Bethany and now he was at the table with Jesus.  His sister Martha was helping with the serving and his sister Mary was also there.  This evening was recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John for one reason, what Mary did.  Sometime during that evening, a woman, identified by John as Mary, came to Jesus with an extraordinary gift.  She had an alabaster flask of expensive fragrant ointment called nard or spikenard.  The text tells us that it was worth more than three hundred denarii.  That would be almost a year’s wages for a common worker in those days.  The flask was made in one piece so that to open it, you would have to break it.  That’s what Mary did.  From that broken vessel she poured the fragrant ointment that was put on Jesus’ head and feet and the fragrance filled the house. 

     We are not told why Mary did this.  It could have been simply an act of worship or an act of gratitude for raising her brother from the dead or love for the Lord.  We don’t know for sure but we do know that those who witnessed this were shocked.  John tells us that Judas spoke up and criticized her, saying that this could have been sold and the money given to the poor.  John then adds that he said this because Judas had charge of the money bag and often helped himself to what was in it.  He could probably imagine all the things that he could do with over three hundred denarii.  In our money today that could have been tens of thousands of dollars.  In the minds of the disciples and others who were present this was a terrible waste of money. 

     In many ways, you can’t blame them for their practical, cost-conscious thinking.  Why not use that money for the poor or some other worthy cause.  There are always good causes that seem to need money.  There should be some other way that we could show our love to Jesus.  After all those who thought this was a giant waste of money had reason, common sense, and even Biblical mandates on their side.  They were demonstrating great fiscal responsibility and also compassion for the poor and needy.  In their minds, Mary was a misguided fool who was taking food from the mouths of starving babies by her extravagant demonstration of love or whatever she was doing. 

     There is no doubt that your human nature would have you solidly  lined up on the side of the critics of Mary.  After all, you have been taught to be responsible and play it safe and do what God wants in controlled and careful ways.  You feel that you are doing the God- pleasing thing by being reasonable and responsible and frugal.  You stand with the disciples and look for Jesus’ approval.  But to your surprise you get His rebuke. He told them to leave Mary alone. “Why do you trouble her?  She has done a beautiful thing to me.” 

     Again in your human way of thinking, this just doesn’t make sense.  Don’t criticize her?  Leave her alone?  It was a beautiful thing?  How could He say that?  She used up that whole container of precious ointment all at once.  It doesn’t seem smart to use up all you have all at once and end up with nothing left.  Isn’t it better to hold back, give what you can afford?  That might make sense but think again how this turned out.  Jesus said that Mary did a beautiful thing.  She didn’t hold back.  She gave her all.  Only giving what you can afford may win you points with your insurance company, your financial advisor and your doctor but from what we learn on this occasion, it leaves Jesus unimpressed. 

     When you think about it, there isn’t a time in Scripture where someone was commended or praised by God for playing it safe.  Whenever someone tried to play it safe, it ended with a rebuke from God.  Think of Abraham, Moses, Gideon, David and Elijah.  Jesus never had praise for people who used caution and took it easy.  The faithless servant who buried his single talent was rebuked.  The rich fool who had every future plan perfectly covered so he could eat, drink and be merry was condemned.  The lukewarm and safe church in Laodicea in Revelation was spit out.  Even the play-it-safe disciples failed Jesus when He was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane.  They did the reasonable thing and took off.  God is not impressed with caution.  He is not gratified when we hold back.  The disciples were wrong.  Mary did the right thing.  There was not middle ground on this matter.  It was an issue of a broken container.  It was a matter of a vessel that had been broken and now could only be used completely with nothing held back.   

     There was something more that was happening here than just the breaking of the alabaster vessel.  The vessel that won the praise of Jesus was Mary herself.  The vessel containing the fragrant ointment was an outward expression of what had taken place in the heart of Mary.  In her love for Jesus and her desire to serve and honor Him, she was holding nothing back.  Like the broken jar that had to be completely spent once it was broken, so Mary could keep nothing back in her devotion to her Lord.  She didn’t give herself half-way.  She did not do what was safe, or reasonable or convenient.  She did what she knew she had to do.  She gave herself completely and without reservation.  That is what was really happening there at the table in Bethany.  Mary was a broken vessel, pouring herself out in eager service.  Once she had been broken there was no option—she gave it all—she could do nothing else.  To everyone’s surprise, Jesus praised her because that total surrender, that complete giving, is what He wants for every one of His people!  Mary was doing it.  The disciples still didn’t understand.  They were still playing it safe and trying to figure out the best way to do the job, the least expensive, the most practical way to get it done.  They were working the angles and being reasonable.  Mary was doing what broken vessels do—they give everything.  Mary had it right.

     It’s not a comfortable conclusion to reach for people who want to practice a kind of convenient, comfortable, part-time relationship with Jesus.  This example tells us just the opposite.  Jesus praised her for her complete surrender, her nothing-held-back expression of love.  You have to confront what that means for you.  It’s clear that Jesus wants people who give it all in their service to Him, people who are broken and are pouring themselves out without limit.  Jesus calls you to a life like that.  He calls you to a life, not of careful calculating and prudent holding back, but to a life of all-out surrender.  That is what Mary did.  Does it mean that you are to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a bottle of perfume and look for someone to anoint?  No, but it does mean that it is time now to examine your life and your response to the greatest blessing you have ever received.  You have been given the gift of eternal life in heaven through Jesus.  Like Mary, you are a broken vessel because of your sin.  You have come in repentance to the foot of the cross and there you have received the forgiveness of your sin that that opens the gates of paradise.  So what are you waiting for?  What are you saving yourself and your resources for?  If Mary had waited one more week, she would have missed her chance to show her love for the Lord.  She gave herself when and where she could. 

     For most people, this is a bold step.  There is no better time than the present to stop hiding behind what is comfortable and convenient in your service to the Lord.  It is time to stop clinging to the reasonable way.  Break the vessel.  Go all out.  Let your life show what is most important to you now and for all eternity.  Don’t arrive at your funeral with unused engergies, hoarded hours and stockpiled resources.  Use them now, doing what God gives you to do.

     I’m not sure that Mary fully realized what she was doing that evening in Bethany.  She just did what she knew she had to do.  It was the right thing.  Jesus was anointed—in a sense an early embalming—in preparation for the suffering, death and burial that was only days away.  You never know what will come of your all-out surrender to the Lord.  That’s not the point.  Just do it and let God do with it what He will.  He is full of surprises.  Think about it.  Mary was the only one who got to anoint and embalm the body of her sacrificed Lord.  The women who waited until Easter morning never got the chance.  Amen.

Rev. Gerald Matzke

Lenten Pulpit Exchange

Lent 2014 

One Act of Obedience

One Act of Righteousness 

Romans 5:12-19

     On Wednesday of this past week we entered the season of Lent.  These six weeks of Lent are in some ways very different from other times of the church year.  They present to us a real contrast in the mood, the themes and the music.  You can see that the colors on the altar, lectern, the pulpit and our stoles have been changed to violet signifying a more somber mood.  We have gone from the joy of Christmas, the excitement of Epiphany, and the wonder of Transfiguration, to the contemplation of our sins that caused Jesus’ to suffer and die on the cross. 

     As you hear the Scripture lessons for today you also see a great contrast.  In the Old Testament lesson you hear about the fall into sin.  Adam and Eve gave in to the temptations and lies of the devil and that changed everything about their lives and their relationship with God.  In contrast to that, the Gospel lesson tells you about how Jesus resisted the temptations of the devil when He was in the wilderness preparing for His earthly ministry that would finally take Him to the cross.  When you think about those two pivotal events in human history, you can see how the disobedience of Adam and Eve brought death into the world but the obedience of Jesus brought life to fallen mankind.  St. Paul then in the Epistle lesson summarizes this in his wonderful letter to the Romans by saying that by the sin of one man, all were made sinners but one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

     As we think about that for a few moments today, may you come to a better understanding about what Jesus’ suffering and death means for your life of righteousness now.  May you be so strengthened in your faith that you are able to throw off all the worldly ideas about how you might be righteous before God and may you seek to joyfully serve Him not just now in this Lenten season but throughout your life.

     First you need to consider the consequences of the fall into sin that is described for us in the Old Testament lesson.  When Paul says that the sin of Adam brought sin into the world, you have to understand that the consequence was more than just a rash of sinful actions that spread over Adam’s family.  We are told in the next chapter about what happened to two of Adam’s offspring when Cain killed Abel in a fit of jealousy.  Of course, there were sinful actions but what is more significant is that all mankind now was afflicted with a sinful nature.  Instead of being in God’s image by being holy and completely dedicated to Him, the sinful nature spoiled that.  By their disobedience, they and all those who followed after them would be spiritually blind, in other words, they couldn’t understand and appreciate the things of God.  They would be spiritually dead.  They could not respond to the things of God.  They would also live as enemies of God.  That is the condition that all human beings would have as a part of their nature from the moment of their conception. 

     As a result, sinful acts would then flow from that sinful nature.  Jealousy, envy, hatred, murder, selfishness, and all kinds of sinful actions follow from the sinful nature that came through the sin of the first people who doubted God’s goodness and instead followed the enticement of the evil one to try and be more like God.

      As if that were not enough trouble, the sinful nature leads to being separated from God.  You would be lost forever unless God, in His mercy, would rescue you. 

     That is where Jesus’ act of righteousness becomes so important for you.  God, in His mercy, promised a Savior to Adam and Eve.  As we heard in the reading from Genesis 3, the offspring of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent, the devil.  That statement is the first Gospel promise in the Bible.  God’s people lived with that promise until the promise was fulfilled when the time was right to send that Savior, God’s only Son.

     That righteousness of the Son is then the theme of the Lenten season.  The Son obeyed the Father’s will when He came down to earth to be born of a human mother.  He was true God and true Man.  As a true man, he was subject to the temptations of the devil just like all human beings are.  We see that in graphic detail in the Gospel lesson for today from Matthew’s Gospel.  The devil went after Him when His human strength was low.  He had been in the wilderness, fasting and praying for forty days.  You can imagine how physically weak He must have been.  It is often in our times of weakness that we are the most vulnerable to temptation.  The devil knows that and he takes advantage of it just like he did with Jesus.  The devil also knew who Jesus was and why He was here on the earth.  The devil was desperate to try and put a stop to the work that Jesus was going to do.  But Jesus was still true God.  He was going to obey His heavenly Father.  He used the power of God’s Word to fight back against the devil’s temptations because of His great love for you.  He obeyed His Father’s will and kept His life free from sin. 

     Most importantly for us, He also obeyed His Father’s will when it meant giving up His life on the cross as the punishment for your sins. His obedience, Paul says, leads to justification and life for all men.  Justification means that God, for Christ’s sake, declares you righteous, not because of your own merit, but because of His grace, His undeserved love for you.  That is the heart and soul the Christian faith.  That is a contrast from the ways of the world.  It is a contrast from human nature.  It is a contrast from the ways in which you lived your life as an enemy of God to the way you live as a redeemed child of God.  Paul mentions justification and life.  He gives you new life now and life forever with Him in heaven. 

     Your sins are forgiven.  That means that you no longer have to carry around the burden of guilt for past sins.  It means that you no longer have to worry that those past sins will somehow keep you out of God’s Kingdom.  That is what forgiveness means.  Your sins are washed away through the blood of Jesus.  That has a real effect on the way you live your life.  Instead of living in fear that you haven’t been good enough, you can rejoice that even though you actually haven’t been good enough, God still declares you righteous because Jesus has paid the price for you.  You have been set free to serve.  You can serve God by serving those around you.  You have opportunities to overcome the sinful, selfish nature and give evidence of the new life that you have by serving the Lord as you serve family, your church, your community and the world.  You serve, not out of guilt, but rather as a joyful response to the love that God has shown to you.  You serve, not in order to earn God’s favor, but because you have already received the blessings that come through the obedience of the One who was sent by the Father to be your substitute under the Law and on the cross.  You have new life, empowered by the Spirit.  You have been brought into the family of God through Baptism.  You have heard God’s Word that gives you the power of the Spirit and you have had the opportunity to receive the forgiveness of your sins and strength for your new life of obedience through the Lord’s Supper.  Through those Means of Grace, the Word and the Sacraments, you have the power to live out that new life that is yours through the obedience of Jesus. 

     The blessings of your new life do not end there.  Because you have been declared righteous, you also have the promise of life forever with the Lord in the glory of heaven.  That is the life that will never end in contrast to the life we have here on earth.  With that to look forward to, your life now has new meaning.  God’s love touches everything that you do.  You have power to resist temptation.  You have power to serve.  You have power to share your faith with those around you.  What a contrast to a life that is simply lived to serve yourself.  That’s the difference that Jesus makes because of His act of obedience.

Amen.

Rev. Gerald Matzke

Zion Lutheran Church

Painesville, Ohio

March 9, 2014

 

Wisdom Through Foolishness

Wisdom Through Foolishness
I Corinthians 3:10-23

     When you heard the Scripture readings for today, did you think that maybe you were hearing something wrong?  If you came here today with simply worldly thoughts in your head, you probably wondered what those Scripture readings were trying to say.  Most of it sounds like it is just the opposite of what you would normally think.  The first reading from Leviticus presents God’s will for His people as they live out their lives in service to Him and to their neighbors.  The Gospel lesson presents us with a portion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount where He talks about a couple of unwritten rules to live by that were common in His day as they related to interacting with other people.  In both cases, I’m sure what was presented raised some eyebrows when the people first heard it.  In both cases, God was speaking about fighting against the urges of our sinful human nature.  Imagine for a moment that you didn’t know much about God’s will and you heard what Moses had to say to the people.  For example, when you go into your vineyard to harvest your grapes, don’t take them all.  If some fall to the ground, leave them there.  Leave them for the poor and someone who happens to pass by on a journey.  What?  Did I hear that right?  I’m not supposed to harvest all my grapes?  That’s going to cut into my harvest.  It’s going to hurt my profit.  That sounds foolish.

     Another example:  You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people.  What?  Did I hear that right?  I’m not supposed to get even when someone does something to hurt me?  If I let him get away with it this time, he’s going to come right back and do it to me again.  That sounds foolish.

     Then you hear the Gospel lesson and it sounds like more of the same foolishness.  “If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”  What?  Did I hear that right?  Let him hit me again?  That sounds foolish.  Love your enemies?  More foolishness!  What does God expect of me?  Am I supposed to be perfect?    

     If you listened all the way to the end to both of the readings, the conclusion in the Old Testament lesson was, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  The conclusion in the Gospel lesson was, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  That pretty well answers the question.  That too may sound like foolishness because you know that you can’t be perfect.  Where is all this foolish talk leading us?  The Apostle Paul in our Epistle lesson has the answer for us and as we think about that for a few moments today, may we grow in our understanding of the true Christian life and may we be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to be able to live according to God’s will. 

     It’s helpful to know that Paul’s letter to the Corinthians was addressing some problems that the Corinthian Christians were facing.  He is writing to them to help them to understand God’s will, especially when it came to figuring out the difference between a life lived by the Spirit and a life that follows the desires of human nature.  Prior to coming to faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, many of the early Christian converts were pagans who followed other gods and lived according the unwritten laws that result from only living to satisfy their own desires.  The more that we study the will of God as He has made it known to us in His Word, the more we find that it is just the opposite of the ways of the world.  That can create some real inner conflicts as we try to do God’s will but at the same time feel compelled to follow our selfish human nature.  That should sound familiar because we all face that dilemma each day of our lives.  In many ways, we are not that much different from the early Christians who were struggling to do God’s will when their old self was still there trying to confuse things.  Cartoonists have captured this conflict when they show a character struggling with this kind of moral battle.  On one shoulder is a little angel that tells him to do the right thing and on the other shoulder is a little devil that tells him to do just the opposite.  You might find that funny but in reality, that is going on inside of you all the time.

     To help us understand all of this conflict a bit better, Paul talks first about building our faith on a solid foundation.  The solid foundation is the only one that will stand on the last day when you will be called to account.  The foundation that Jesus has laid is quite different from a foundation that is based solely on human wisdom.  The foundation that is laid in Christ rests on the most important teaching in the Christian faith.  That most important teaching is that we are justified by grace for Christ’s sake through faith.  In other words, I am  declared righteous by God by His grace, His undeserved love because of what Jesus Christ has done for me, namely that He lived a perfect life in my place and the died on the cross as the punishment for my sins.  The blessings of His suffering, death and resurrection become mine by faith, itself a gift from God, worked in me through the Holy Spirit, so that I believe and trust that Jesus Christ alone is my Savior.  That is a solid foundation, the only foundation that will stand in the final judgment.  All other foundations will crumble.  Human wisdom would rather build on a foundation that depends on my good works as a way of earning my place in heaven.  In that case, I am the one who is responsible for my salvation.  It makes sense to human thinking because that is the way everything else in the world works.  I do the right thing and I get rewarded.  Why not apply that to my place before God?   Depending on someone else sounds like foolishness.

     That is where Paul steps in with the wisdom that comes from God.  In verse 18, we hear the difference between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God.  Worldly wisdom is a deception.  “Let no one deceive himself.  If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is folly with God.”  The warning is clear.  If you think that you have it all figured out with your human wisdom, you are really a fool.  Human wisdom looks to human achievement as the way to heaven.  In reality, it will only fall short because as Jesus said, “You must be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.”  Even human wisdom would have to admit that no one is perfect.  Therefore you have fallen short of God’s expectations.  You are lost.  Your human wisdom becomes folly with God. 

     What is needed is that you have to look to what you thought was foolishness to really find true wisdom.  It means believing the foolish notion that someone else would be responsible for your eternal salvation and that someone else is Jesus.  You can’t earn that place in heaven.  It is yours because God declares you righteous.  He justifies you not because you tried hard but simply out of his undeserved love for you.  He declares you righteous because the requirements for you have been satisfied by Jesus.  He then gives you the faith to believe that through the Means of Grace, the Word and the Sacraments.  It may sound foolish to your human mind but it is the wisdom of God.  You find true wisdom through what you thought was foolishness.

     At this point it might dawn on you that there are an awful lot of people in this world who still live according to human wisdom.  They might even consider themselves religious people.  They may even try to do good things in the hope that through their good deeds they are will score enough points on God’s scorecard.  God would consider their thinking folly.  They haven’t yet heard the real wisdom that comes from above that brings true joy and peace with God.  That’s where you come in.  You know the wisdom that the world considers foolish.  You know the flaws in a foundation that is laid with human wisdom and you, in love, can help them to build on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ.  Then you can come to see the place of good works in the life of a believer.  Then you can help them see how a believer responds to the blessings that we have through faith.  Then you can show them the true wisdom that rests in Christ alone.   Amen.

 

Rev. Gerald Matzke
Zion Lutheran Church
Painesville, Ohio
The 7th Sunday after Epiphany

 

Help In Time of Temptation

Help in Time of Temptation                                        
Hebrews 2:14-18

     One of the things that makes Christmas and Epiphany a special time for many people is that we get to see Jesus as a little child.  From the manger in Bethlehem we see Jesus as an infant.  One of the comments that we often hear after the Boar’s Head Festival presentations is how cute the baby Jesus was.  It seems year after year, the opportunity to have a new born baby portraying Jesus just brings a special touch to the whole production.  It is a reminder to us that Jesus, who was true God from all eternity, came down to earth and took on human form in order to be our substitute.  This is something that we talk about all the time but it is really brought home to us when we are able to remember that He was a tiny infant, just like we all were at one time.  That idea continues to be presented as we see Him at other times during the Epiphany season.  This week we hear about an event that took place forty days after Jesus was born.  It was required in the law that the first male child was to be dedicated to the Lord.  In the Gospel lesson we heard how Simeon and Anna responded to the presence of the One who was promised by God.  Simeon had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would see the promised One before he died.  His song of praise continues to be part of our Communion liturgy yet today.  Anna was overjoyed and told everyone about the child.  As the infant Jesus is presented at the temple, we see another aspect of His life being shown forth.  His life is dedicated to serving His heavenly Father’s will.  Simeon spoke of that when he told Mary, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for sign that is opposed and a sword will pierce through your own soul also so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”  This was a bit of prophecy regarding the things that would happen later on in the life of this child. Once again, we are given a glimpse of why Jesus came into the world.  The rest of the Gospels make clear to us how Jesus would be our Savior and what things would happen that would bring about the great reconciliation between God and man.  The writer to the Hebrews, in our Epistle lesson, goes into greater detail about how the life of Jesus, true God and true Man, touches our lives yet today. 

     As you grow in your faith and learn more and more about Jesus, one of the things that begins to stand out is how important it was for Jesus to be not only true God but also to be a human being.  His whole purpose in coming to the earth was to be our substitute, to do for us what we could never do for ourselves.  In verse fourteen of our text, the writer says that He shared in their humanity.  That means that He took on our human form so that He could experience life in this world as we experience it.  That meant that as the son of Mary, from the tribe of Judah, from the house and lineage of David, He would be subject to God’s Law, just like we are subject to God’s Law.  The writer goes on to speak of His death.  In order to die, He had to be a human being.  He also carried out His office as a merciful and faithful high priest.  The priests in the Bible were expected to live a life that would be an example for the people.  Jesus was more than just a good example.  He lived a perfect life.  The priest also prayed for the people.  Jesus did that as well and continues to do that for us today.  Perhaps most important and the most visible part of the priest’s life was carrying out the sacrifices for the people.  Those sacrifices would make atonement or satisfaction for their sins.  What makes Jesus’ role as our priest so important is that He, Himself, was not only the priest but He was also the sacrifice for the sins of the people.  When He died on the cross, He was the one, final sacrifice. 

     He was also true God.  He never stopped being God when He came down to earth.  The only reason that He could keep the Law perfectly in our place is that He was true God who had power over sin.  He also had to be true God so that His sacrifice would be the sufficient price for the sins of the whole world.  Because He was true God and true Man, we have a Savior who was not only promised by God, but also the One who fulfilled all the promises through His life, death, and  resurrection. 

     It would be easy for us to think that Jesus’ job is done once He gave His life for us and then was raised again on the third day.  Of course we also think about the fact that He will come again on the Last Day to judge the living and the dead.  We say that every time we confess our faith in the words of the creeds.  But there is something else that Jesus does for you that is also very important every day of your life that is easily forgotten.  Think back again to the words of the Apostles’ Creed.  “He rose again from the dead, He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.”  The part that we often forget is that He sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven.  To be at the right hand is to be in the place of greatest influence.  Not only does He carry out His priestly role as He intercedes for us, speaking to the Father on our behalf, but He is also watching over us.  Remember, He is still true God and true Man.  He is not restricted to one place.  He is true God and He is present everywhere.  He told His disciples, “I am with you always to the very end of the age.”  He is with us to watch over us and provide us with those things that we need to live out our lives here on earth doing His work. 

     The writer to the Hebrews in the last verse of our text brings us something very important.  “Because He Himself suffered when he was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.”  All human beings face temptation.  Even Jesus faced temptations.  The best known are the temptations that He faced when He was in the wilderness, preparing to begin His earthly ministry.  The devil came to Him and tempted Him with three universal temptations: greed, fame, and power.  I say those are universal temptations because you all face them from time to time in your lives. Jesus recognized the temptations for what they were and used the power of God’s Word to fight them off.  We can certainly imagine that Jesus faced other temptations during His earthly life.  As He thought about the agony of the cross, you would think that He was tempted to turn His back on the whole thing and refuse to submit to the pain and death.  As He became very popular among the people, He may have been tempted to take advantage of His popularity.  Whatever the temptations may have been, He did not give in to them.  He lived a perfect life because He knew it was for us. 

     Since He faced temptations, He knows what it is like for you to face temptation to sin.  He knows how difficult it is to say no when your sinful nature and the world around you are egging you on to do what feels right.  He knows what you face and He is able to help you overcome your temptations.  The fight can be difficult and many times you are simply not able to stand up against the influence of the devil, the world and your sinful nature, but you have the assurance that you are not fighting the unholy three by yourself.  One who knows what it is like is there to help you.  He helps you by reminding you what God’s will is.  It can be easy to forget that in a world that continues to drift farther and farther away from the truth of God’s Word.  He also helps you by sending the Holy Spirit to strengthen your faith so that you have the armor and the weapons to defend yourself against the devil.  The Spirit uses the Means of Grace to strengthen you and support you in the fight against the enemy, the old evil foe.  Not only is He there to help you stand up to the temptations but He is also there to help you when you fall.  He offers you the blessings of forgiveness when you give in to those temptations.  The forgiveness that He gives is yours because He gave His life for you.  With the assurance of that undeserved love, you can be encouraged and strengthened the next time that temptations come your way.  You know they will.  They come at you all the time.  Every hour of every day, the temptation to sin against God stares you in the face.  St. Paul talked about this in Romans and said, “What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God—through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  He will rescue you.  He knows what you face.  He will help you when you are tempted.  He will rescue you when you fall.  Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Rev. Gerald Matzke

Zion Lutheran Church

Painesville, Ohio

The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

They Did It; Why Can't We?

They Did It; Why Can’t We?    

Luke 2:22-38

     The Christmas season is past but in the Epiphany season we have a reminder in the Gospel lesson next week that Jesus was a little baby.  We observe the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus.  This took place when the child was 40 days old.  The text tells us that the first male child that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord.  As we think about this little baby now being brought to the Temple, we don’t have to think too hard to be reminded of the joyful songs that we had the opportunity to sing as we celebrated His birth.  “Joy to the World” is just one of the many.  “Now Sing We Now Rejoice”, “Angels We Have Heard On High” with its chorus of “Gloria, in excelsis Deo,” fill our hearts with joy.  We are told that the shepherds returned to their fields glorifying and praising God. 

     In the reading for today, you also heard about Simeon whose song of praise is still used in our churches today.  We hear about Anna who gave thanks to God and spoke of Jesus to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.  These were people who were filled with joy because they realized that this baby was the fulfillment of God’s promises to send the Savior.  Even in the Psalm that we read before, the joy of knowing the Lord is expressed in words like, “my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God,” and “Blessed are those who dwell in your house ever singing your praise,” and “A day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.” 

     With all these examples of joy over the goodness of the Lord and the giving of the gift of the Savior being presented to us at this time of the year, you would think that we would be bubbling over with joy as we come together to worship and be reminded of God’s great love.  You would think that, but is that the reality?  I’m afraid that too many times the people of God who call themselves Lutheran are not very joyful as they work their way through the Advent, Christmas and Epiphany season.  I certainly don’t mean that we need to get all emotional and start jumping up and down as we celebrate but are we really in line with the people of God in the Scriptures that reflected on the coming of the Savior?  Have you ever seen a video of a Lutheran congregation singing the joyful Christmas hymns?  Is anyone smiling?  Are people’s eyes showing a glimmer of joy as they sing “Joy to the World?” 

     Or have you become so used to hearing the Christmas message that it no longer evokes in you a real sense of joy.  Sometimes it seems that with church professionals or very active lay people, Christmas is one of those marathons that you hope you can get through without getting sick.  You exhaust yourself with extra services, special programs, travel, family gatherings and finally there is nothing left in the tank and now you are expected to be joyful.  It happens to all of us, myself included.  I play in our praise band.  I’ve seen video of the band playing.  There just doesn’t seem to be a consistent message being proclaimed when you are singing “joy, unspeakable joy” with, at best, a neutral facial expression and more often with a frown because you are trying your best to play the notes, sing a harmony part and remember the words all at the same time.  It’s the ultimate in multi-tasking. 

     Is there real joy in your heart, a joy that expresses itself in your face, in your voice, in the way you carry yourself?  Does the world see an inconsistency between what your voice is saying and the way you are saying it?  Perhaps that would explain why some of our congregations are struggling these days.  The joy over the gift of a Savior is simply hidden somewhere.  Yet you would have to agree that the way you present yourself to those in your family and to the world around you says a lot about what is in your heart. 

     I find a wonderful example in the story of Simeon and Anna and the way they responded to the presence of the infant Jesus.  They didn’t know half of what you know about the significance of the coming of the Savior.  You know that He came as your substitute.  He came to keep God’s Law where you could not.  He came to take the punishment of death on the cross that you deserved because of your sin.  He came to defeat the power of sin, death and the devil.  He did it all for you.  Doesn’t that want to make you at least smile?  It ought to make you want to sing for joy.  The Psalm writer spoke about it.  Simeon expressed his joy in poetry that we have turned into a song.  Anna gave thanks to God and told everyone about that special child.  They did it.  Why can’t we do the same?  Cultural standards?  Professional demeanor?  Lack of appreciation for the great gift of salvation?  I hope not.  If that’s what it is, it’s something that can be changed.  By the power of the Spirit, you can know and experience real joy in the Good News of God’s grace and mercy and the gift of a Savior.  To quote the Psalm again, “My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.”  Amen.

Rev. Gerald Matzke
Board of Directors Opening Devotion
January 24, 2014

We Have Found The Messiah

We Have Found the Messiah

John 1:29-41

 

       One of the things that you hear people ask at this time of the year is, “How was your Christmas?”  When you see people that you don’t see very often, discussions of Christmas celebrations can go on for weeks.  Decorations are taken down but we like to relive the excitement of the season.  When the question gets asked, “How was your Christmas?” you sometimes have to stop and think for a moment.  If you want to answer honestly, your answer probably depends a bit on how your expectations for Christmas were realized.  This could apply to a Christmas get-together with the family or it could apply to the gifts that you got or maybe it could apply to the trip that you had taken over the holidays.  We all have great expectations for events like this.  If everything went the way you had hoped, then you could say that you that a great time.  Of course you know that things don’t always work out the way you hoped they would.  You may not have gotten what you wanted for Christmas, someone may have gotten sick or you might have gotten caught in the wild weather that we have been having. 

     Our Gospel lesson for today talks about the realization of expectations.  As the disciples of John had their first encounter with Jesus, they seemed certain that He was going to live up to their expectations as the Messiah.  As we look at this early event in the ministry of Jesus, may we find ourselves excited about what Jesus means to us.  May you be ready then to tell some, “We have found the Messiah.”

     The people of Jesus’ day had expectations about the coming of the Messiah.  This had been an important part of the faith and the lives of God’s people for centuries.  The promise of someone who would come to be the Savior of the world was the foundation of Israel’s relationship to the Lord. 

     When John the Baptist began His ministry of preparing the way for the Christ, It became clear to some that the Messiah would be coming very soon.  In his preaching, John helped the people to see the purpose for the coming of the Messiah.  One day, Jesus came to John to baptized.  As we heard in last week’s Gospel lesson, the Baptism of Jesus included some amazing events that showed John and any others who were there that Jesus was the Son of God and also that He was anointed with the Holy Spirit.  When Jesus came around again the next day, John did not hesitate to point Him out as the Lamb of God.

    With their expectations raised, two of John’s disciples began to follow after Jesus to learn more about what their teacher had been telling them.  Think about what they had seen and heard.  From their youngest days they no doubt had heard about the Messiah in their local synagogue.  Now this unusual desert preacher and baptizer was pointing out a man in the crowd who was the Son of God.  John testified that the signs promised by God had pointed to Jesus.  The Holy Spirit came down on Him in the form of a dove.  He was proclaimed to be the Son of God.  He called Him the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  What more would they need to be convinced that this was finally the Promised One?

     They decided that they would see for themselves.  They followed Jesus and asked if they could spend some time with Him.  We are told that they spent the rest of the day listening to Him.  We can only imagine what that day was like.  It must have been wonderful.  As far as the text tells us it was just Jesus and these two disciples.  One is identified as Andrew and the other was probably John, the writer of the Gospel.  In the time that they spent with Jesus, they were convinced that John the Baptist was correct.  Jesus was truly the Messiah.  Their expectations were realized.

     Most people have expectations about God and His promise of a Savior.  That statement may sound a little strange. Listen again. Most people today have expectations about God and His promise of a Savior.  We know that the Savior came into the world and the world has just celebrated His birth.  Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?  We certainly hope that’s what Christmas is all about but in many cases, the birth of the Savior is far from the center of the Christmas celebration. Many people are still looking for a Savior and I don’t just mean the Jews.  In our world today it has become very common for people to think about God on their own terms.  God becomes for them a product of their own desires and expectations. Many see God as simply as dispenser of all good things.  I’m sure that many of you are familiar with the little candy dispensers that shoot out a little candy every time you tip back the head of some cartoon character.  For some people God is nothing more than a great Pez dispenser who is ready to give you whatever you want whenever you want it.  In that kind of thinking, the Savior is one who stands ready to pull you out of any kind of problem that you might have.  He is good to have around but you don’t really expect to need Him.  As a result of that faulty kind of thinking, many people have some rather unrealistic expectations of Jesus.  Their expectations are completely self-centered.  What they fail to see is the real reason that Jesus came into the world. 

    Too often people see their needs as purely physical needs.  All they think of is life now.  If Jesus can’t solve my latest financial problem or doesn’t make my other problems go away, what good is He?  This kind of self-centered, materialistic thinking is more common than we would like to admit.  You don’t want to admit it because you know that it is found in each one of you.  Your sinful nature wants to hang on to that selfishness that is a part of our inherited sinful condition. It doesn’t want to admit that there is a real problem that is not going to be fixed by the granting of all of your earthly wishes.  The nature of that deeper problem was the basis of the preaching and ministry of John the Baptist.  He called people to repentance.  He baptized people for the cleansing of their sin.  He pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  That’s the problem. It’s sin.  Sin brings separation from God and eternal death.  That’s pretty abstract and hard for people to understand.  It’s the truth and you know it when you hear the Law of God whether it is proclaimed to you from God’s Commandments or whether you are listening to the voice of your conscience.  The law of God condemns us and when you are honest with yourself and with God you see that your greatest need is for forgiveness and reconciliation with God.  Nothing else in this life matters much without peace with God.

     That peace comes to you through Jesus, the Lamb of God.  He has what you need the most.  Through His perfect life, He satisfied God’s requirement of perfection.  Through His suffering and death, He satisfied God’s requirement that sin be punished by death.  By sacrificing His life, He became the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  When the Holy Spirit comes to you through the message of that Good News, you are given the faith to believe and trust that Jesus is the Messiah, the Promised One, the Anointed One who brings God’s pardon and with that a peace that helps you to deal with all of life’s problems.  You can face them and deal with them because you know that the worst problem has already been solved.  You have been made right with God through your Savior Jesus Christ.  With the peace that comes from knowing that nothing can separate you from the love of God that is yours through Christ Jesus, what can the world do to you?  God has promised to provide you with all that you need and He shows you how He keeps that promise every time you hear the Gospel, every time you remember your Baptism and every time you receive the Lord’s Supper. 

     Andrew had great news to share and he shared it with his brother.  He had found the Messiah, the long-awaited Messiah.  You, too, have found the Messiah.  He has found you and made you His own through the power of the Holy Spirit working through the Means of Grace, the Word and the Sacraments.  By that same Spirit’s power you can share the Good News with those around you.  You can be like Andrew and all the others who went to their friends and family and said, “We have found the Messiah.  We have found the Savior.  Come and see.”  Amen.

Rev. Gerald Matzke

Zion Lutheran Church

Painesville, OH

2nd Sunday After Epiphany

In My Father's House

“In My Father’s House” 

 Luke 2:40-52

     Did you ever have the opportunity to participate in a “Take Your Child to Work Day”?  Many companies have a day when employees are encouraged to bring your child along for the day to see what Mom or Dad do when they are at work all day.  I suppose there are several reasons for doing this.  It gives the child an appreciation for what their parents do when they are away from home.  It also might get them interested in thinking more about that kind of vocation when they grow up.  It is also a good time from the child and the parent to bond in a different environment that just a home among the rest of the family. 

     Our Gospel lesson for today tells us about the only event in the life of Jesus from the time of His birth and the events surrounding that until the time He would begin His ministry as a teacher.  He is twelve years old.  It was time for them to make the annual trip to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.  It was the time when they would remember the release of their ancestors from their slavery in Egypt.  The last plague that caused the Pharaoh to let the people go was the visit of the angel of death that killed the first born in all of Egypt.  The people of Israel were saved by the blood of the lamb that was spread on the door posts of their homes.  The annual observance would include the Passover meal as it had been done according to God’s direction.  How fitting that Jesus and His family would be in Jerusalem at this special time of the year.  It would be this same Feast of the Passover that would bring Jesus and His disciples to Jerusalem thirty-one years later when Jesus would be arrested, put on trial, crucified and then would rise again on the third day.  All of this would be according to His Father’s plan for the salvation of the world.  Just as the blood of the Passover Lamb would spare the lives of the people of Israel in Egypt, so the blood of Jesus would be shed to set us free from our slavery to sin and its punishment.

     It must have been a fascinating journey for a twelve year old boy.  The excitement of going to the big city of Jerusalem to see the Temple and all of the hustle and bustle of Passover time with all the extra people around would have overwhelming.  There would be so much to see and so much to do.  Jesus was not your typical twelve-year old.  While He was certainly curious, He was also aware of His purpose in being here and that gave a different focus for His curiosity.  It led Him to the Temple where He would be able to be in the presence of the teachers of the Law.   These were men who devoted themselves to a knowledge of the Scriptures and the interpretations and applications of the Scriptures to the lives of the people.  If there were any people in Israel who could discuss the Scriptures with some degree of authority it would be these teachers in the Temple.  They were like a magnet for young Jesus.  We aren’t told that He went to check out the carpenters in Jerusalem.  Perhaps Joseph did.  Jesus was so into the discussions with the teachers at the Temple that when it came time to head back to Nazareth, Jesus stayed behind.  He remained to spend more time listening to them and asking questions and at the same time, the teachers were amazed at the wisdom that He demonstrating in the answers that He gave them.  They didn’t realize who this young man was standing among them.  He was truly in His Father’s house. 

     That was the answer that He gave to His parents when they finally found Him.  “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house.”  From the accounts of Mary’s visit by the angel and by Joseph’s dream when the angel told him about the child that Mary was carrying, we know that they had been told that this child was the Son of God and that He would be the Savior.  When He mentioned that He had to be in His Father’s house, I can imagine that they looked at one another with an understanding smile, almost as if to say, “He’s right, you know.”

     Jesus knew that God was His Father.  He knew that He was sent by the Father to carry out the Father’s plan for the salvation of the world.  He knew that part of that plan was to call people to repentance, just as the prophets of old had called people to repentance.  We don’t really know the content of the discussions that Jesus had with the teachers but it surely had something to do with coming to God with a repentant heart and seeking His mercy.  He may have spoken about the hypocritical attitudes that had become so prevalent in the many of God’s people.  He may even have pointed out some of the prophecies about the Messiah in order to alert the teachers that those prophecies would soon be fulfilled.  Again we don’t know what they said but we are told that they were amazed at His understanding and His answers to their questions.  Jesus had something that none of those teachers had.  He had divine wisdom.  His answers could not be refuted. 

     He was in His true Father’s house, doing His Father’s work, just as He would do later on when He began His ministry of teaching and healing that would lead to His suffering and death.  He was one in purpose with His Father and one in purpose as He lived out His life. 

     As you think about this event in the life of Jesus, you have to look at yourself.  The life of Jesus often provides examples of how you should live you life according to God’s will.  You might want to push back a bit when someone tries to compare you with Jesus because you know that Jesus lived a perfect life and you also know that you are not perfect.  It’s a tough comparison.  But every one of us is called to live a God-pleasing life.  You are given the power to resist temptation but you don’t always use it.  While Jesus was one in purpose with the Father, you are not always one in purpose with your heavenly Father because the temptations of the devil, the world and your sinful nature become overwhelming and you fall.  That sinful nature often shows itself in the way that you live your life.  Your religious life is often separate from your secular life.  You live a kind of split personality.  You live one way when you think that someone is watching you and you live another way when you think that no one can see.  It can become a real struggle sometimes.  In fact, sometimes you find yourself obsessed with hiding your secret sins.

      That is where the comparisons between you and Jesus have to end.  But that is where the need for Jesus becomes more apparent.  When you admit your sin and come to the Father for forgiveness in the name of Jesus, you can be assured that the heavenly Father, in His mercy, hears your prayer and for Christ’s sake, forgives your sins.  Because of Jesus and His suffering and death and resurrection for you, you are reconciled to God.  You are given a fresh start and you can again follow Jesus’ example of being in the Father’s house.

       It is in the Father’s house that you can continue to grow in wisdom about the will of God for your life.  It is there that you can grow in your understanding of how you can apply the Word of God to your circumstances, your temptations, and your desire to use your gifts to serve God’s purposes. 

      It is in the Father’s house that you can grow in the way that you identify with God’s people, your brothers and sisters in Christ, who understand your struggles, who understand the mercy and grace of God and who support one another in the ups and downs of life as a child of the same heavenly Father. 

     It is also in the Father’s house that you can grow in your faith through the Word and the Sacraments, the Means of Grace.  The Word not only gives direction but it is also a way for the Holy Spirit to strengthen your faith.  It has power.  St. Paul calls it the power of God when He says, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe.”  The Sacraments also strengthen us because they are the vehicles of the Holy Spirit’s power for our lives.  Through you Baptism, you are given the forgiveness of sins and brought in the family of God where you come to know your Father and His will.  In the Lord’s Supper, you receive the Body and Blood of Jesus in the bread and wine for the forgiveness of your sins and strength for your faith and the power to do the good works that God has planned for you.

     Jesus said, “I must be in my Father’s house.”  By God’s grace you have the privilege to be able to say the same thing.   Amen.

Rev. Gerald Matzke

Zion Lutheran Church

Painesville, OH  

The Second Sunday After Christmas