Christ’s High Comfort Before His Lowly Death

The Feast of the Transfiguration

February 26, 2017

Matthew 17:1-9

Christ’s High Comfort Before His Lowly Death

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Matthew leads into the account of the Transfiguration with a very specific dateline: “after six days.” Six days after what? Going back a bit further you read that it was six days after Peter's confession of Christ:

Jesus and His disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way He asked them, "Who do people say I am?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." He asked, "But what about you? Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ. "

MARK 8:27-29

The most important question in the world is Jesus’ asking, “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” Peter confessed that he was a sinner and that Jesus is the Savior Christ, the One anointed by God, to die for our sin.

Now six days later Peter said to Jesus,

"Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

MARK 9:5-6

In the middle of this breathtaking scene, what does Peter do? He starts jabbering. Mark added that Peter was speechless due to terror. Luke added that Peter didn't realize what he was saying. Peter was interrupting the conversation that we wish we could eavesdrop: Jesus speaking with two of the greatest prophets of the Bible about His suffering and death.

Peter’s right about how good it was to be there, scared as he was. But like us, when confronted with things we don’t understand, we often feel like we have to say something. And Peter says something.

But Jesus had not asked Peter to say anything. He just wanted him to use his ears and eyes. He never asked him to open his mouth. The words of Psalm 46 come quickly to mind.

Be still and know that I am God.

PSALM 46:10

And here was God standing in front of him. James and John and Peter were standing, well, cowering before God in illuminated flesh. As with all His miracles, Jesus did not make use of His divine glory to benefit Himself, but for the good of His people. And later the eyewitness’ testimony of these three men on a high mountain would bring added comfort to the holy Christian Church.

And this is why Jesus’ command to them wasn’t strange when He ordered them to keep this to themselves until after His death and resurrection. He didn’t want them spreading this visible proof around before His Passion. His glory wasn’t why they would follow Him—it is His word, signed, sealed, and delivered.

He gave His word to come down from heaven; we didn’t, but He did.

He gave His word to never to give advice to His heavenly Father; we do, but He didn’t.

He gave His word to suffer and die a lowly death to pay for our all of sinfulness; He did.

He gave His word to speak Truth to us; He still does.

All His promises comfort us when we are low, and they pull us back up to Him when we try to give God advice like Peter on the mount. Jesus is God's only Son and so we listen in fear and love as He speaks Truth to us: “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” and “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” and “Take and eat, this is My body; take and take and drink, this is My blood.”

For even the Son of Man did not come to be Served, but to Serve, and to Give His Life as a Ransom for Many. Amen.

Christ Turned the Other Cheek for You

Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany

February 19, 2017

Matthew 5:38-42

Christ Turned the Other Cheek for You

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

When Jesus teaches, sometimes His words are hard to understand, and sometimes they are a bit more clear to us. Today’s section of Jesus’ sermon on the mount is one of the more challenging bits.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. ⁴⁰If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. ⁴¹Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴²Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

MATTHEW 5:38-42 HCSB

To help us understand Jesus better, remember His opening words, “You have heard that it was said.” Often Jesus began quotations from Moses or other Old Testament prophets with, “It is written.” But not here. Here He said, “You have heard that it was said.” Why the difference?

Perhaps it is because the people the words of the Bible out of their intended context. In Leviticus it is written,

Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death.

LEVITICUS 24:17

This law was not for vigilantes and those on a revenge kick. This law was for the government of the people of Israel from the time of Moses (1500 years before Christ) until Christ came. But these words intended for the civil authorities had been twisted into permission to get your own back when you felt wronged.

Jesus calls us to go above and beyond our grievances and to show mercy. This is what we tell our little ones, to turn the other cheek. Two kids are fighting and as adults we have no problem telling them to stop it. One kids always accuses the other of starting it and what do you say? I don’t care who started it.

What we easily tell others, is painful for ourselves. Consider our heavenly Father as He watching His believers engaging in back-biting and gossip because they were wronged.

His Son says turn the other cheek. Is He being literal? Yes and more! We could easily try to twist His words so that we limit them to the literal items that Jesus mentions here: cheeks, shirts, coats, one mile. Someone asks us for three miles? Someone kicks you in the shin? Ha! Jesus didn’t say anything about that. Wrong! Jesus is being more than literal here; He takes it all seriously.

Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

MATTHEW 5:42 HCSB

Here’s what Jesus is getting at. We Christians live in two kingdoms. We live in the secular or earthly world and we also belong to the kingdom of heaven. Christ is our King of kings and we belong to no other. We owe nothing to our parents, to our children, to our spouse, to our government, to our company, to anyone.

But according to the fact that we have bodies and property, we are also in the secular world. And here we do have obligations to our spouse, our parents, our children, the government, and so forth. As people who live in the secular world we are called to protect others. If an evil person tries to kidnap your kids, you should stop them, using force if you have to, though if you can, call the police.

But what if it’s just you? Most of the time the attack will be with words. What should you do? Don’t strike back. Don’t try and get an eye for an eye. If they insult your mother, don’t insult theirs.

See the example of Christ Himself. When He was under trial through false accusations, someone hit Him in the face.

Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.” When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded. “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?”

JOHN 18:19-23

Jesus didn’t strike back, but He did speak up and point out the sinfulness of this act. But then what did He do? He turned the other cheek, and indeed His whole body and went to the cross to die. He hung on the cross and gave up His precious body and life as the restitution demanded by His heavenly Father as the punishment for our sins. And Jesus’ cheek-turning, body-turning sacrifice forgives us for all of our revenge-seeking, hurtful words, and even for the violence we have committed against others. His blood sends all our sin far away, never to condemn us again. 

For even the Son of Man did not come to be Served, but to Serve, and to Give His Life as a Ransom for Many. Amen.

For a Great Commentary on This Text, Check out Ken Schurb on Issues, Etc.

http://issuesetc.org/2016/12/02/3373-martin-luther-and-the-reformation-part-45-luthers-treatment-of-the-sermon-on-the-mount-matthew-538-42-dr-ken-schurb-12216/

Baptism Salts Us with Christ

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

February 5, 2017

Matthew 5:13

Baptism Salts Us with Christ

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Today little Liam has become the salt of the earth. This means that today he is a believer through the blessed work of Christ.

With Liam in mind Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried.

With Liam in mind Jesus rose from the dead to proclaim the fact that He had paid for the sins of the world on His cross.

With Liam in mind Jesus sent out His apostles and pastors to preach this joyful fact into all the world, so that today in Davenport, Iowa, Liam Joseph Allen has received the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Even now Jesus speaks Liam’s name to His Father in heaven. Sitting at His Father’s right hand, Jesus continues the prayer He began in the Garden of Gethsemane for His first disciples, and then for you:

Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name, the name You gave Me, so that they may be one as we are one. . . . I protected them and kept them safe by that name You gave Me.

JOHN 17:11b-12a

We who are kept safe by the name of the true God, Jesus also calls salt.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

MATTHEW 5:13

Salt is good. Just because we manage to take everything good that God gives to us and overdo it—politics (which is just a fancy name for living in peace with our neighbor), football, salt—doesn’t make them bad. Salt is good. In the past many would have starved without their salted pork. Salt prevents starvation. And the right amount of salt makes food taste good. Salt prevents tastelessness.

Salt is good. Liam is good. You are good. Why good? Because Jesus made them good. He made you good. So He calls you salt.

To be clear even after coming to faith through water and the Word, we still are sinners and we prove it every day. We overdo things when we should be moderate. And when Jesus calls us to be bold, we are bland.

These days it doesn’t take much to be bold. Simply call a spade a spade and you’re in for trouble. If you correctly say that Michelangelo’s painting of the Sistine Chapel is far superior to a wall of paint drips by Jackson Pollock, you’re in for trouble.

Or marriage, marriage. Or a girl, a girl and a boy, a boy. Or a baby in the womb, a baby in the womb. And even though you weren’t wondering, if you’re mostly doing your spade-calling on the internet, you’re doing it wrong. Real salt work happens with real people when you can see the whites of their eyes.

Austin and Erin, you will continue to salt Liam as you tell the truth in your home about the world, about yourselves, and about Jesus Christ. The world is passing away, we are sinners, and Jesus is the Savior who had you in mind when He was willingly crucified, died, buried, rose again, and now sends His pastors to baptize fellow sinners.

He does this work. He makes us salt.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be Served, but to Serve, and to Give His Life as a Ransom for Many. Amen.

Beatitudes for Believers

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

January 29, 2017

Matthew 5:5

Beatitudes for Believers

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

This list of “blessed are such-and-so” are called the Beatitudes. And these Beatitudes might very well be the most-beloved section of Scripture by unbelievers.

At the recent inauguration they were read aloud. If a fictional television preacher needs a sermon text for an episode, they always preach on the Beatitudes. These words of Jesus don't offend as much as other parts of the Bible and so they are borrowed by the world when they need Jesus to say something.

Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.

MATTHEW 5:5

But they are only borrowing our Beatitudes, because Jesus here is blessing believers, His disciples.

When He saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. Then He began to teach them

MATTHEW 5:1-2

While they were likely those who doubted in the crowd, Jesus is speaking to His own people. This is why faithful preachers on Sunday morning preach to God’s people, not to unbelievers. This does not mean that the pastor necessarily preaches with jargon and technical phrases, because believers need both Law and Gospel, just as unbelievers do.

And so Jesus blesses His people, not the people of the world, who are slaves, mostly unknowingly, to the Devil. Note how blessed is used by Pastor Paul.

Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.

ROMANS 4:7-8

Paul is writing to believers, whose sins are covered and whose sin God will not count against them. And so this helps us see that the blessed promises of Jesus to His people are not a Do This And You Will Get That situation. He promises us that we already are blessed. So even though we are often proud and lose our temper, in Him we are already poor in spirit and gentle because our transgressions are forgiven by the blood and death of Christ Jesus. The Lord will never count our sins against us.

This is why the Virgin Mary is the Blessed Virgin Mary. Not because she has some special internal holiness, created in and of herself, but because her Master is her Savior.

For He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed

LUKE 1:48

The Beatitudes do show us how humble and far away from blessedness we are. Blessed are those who hunger for righteousness? Our sinful flesh isn’t hungry—your flesh carried more about what to put on your breakfast table this morning than what is on offer on the Lord’s table. So Jesus drowned this cranky old flesh in Baptism, which loves to be cranky when its crankiness is pointed out.

But Jesus raised a new person to life inside of you who is blessed through Baptism also and on this spiritual resurrection you are blessed and saved and safe and secure in the kingdom of heaven even now. This is why the Beatitudes are some of the most beloved promises of Scripture treasured for the right reasons by believers.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be Served, but to Serve, and to Give His Life as a Ransom for Many. Amen.