The grace of seeing Christ when you can’t see Him

Posted on February 11, 2018 by Rev. Paul Rydecki
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Sermon for Quinquagesima

1 Corinthians 13:1-13  +  Luke 18:31-43

Today is Quinquagesima—the 50th day before Easter, exactly. Just as we look back on Easter from the day of Pentecost, the 50th day after Easter, so we now look forward 50 days. Why? Because the church year centers around Easter, because the Christian life centers around Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection as the source of our life. So today we look forward, peering over the season of Lent, which begins this Wednesday, with Easter waiting in the distance. But we might as well not even bother with Lent or Holy Week or even Easter, unless we turn to the Lord for understanding, for insight, for spiritual growth, for the grace of seeing Christ without being able to see Him.

For that grace, we naturally turn to the Word of God—the Holy Spirit’s instrument for enlightening eyes that are unable to see by our own powers.

In the Gospel, Jesus teaches His disciples very plainly about all that is to come: He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.

Jesus predicts His suffering. He outlines all that will happen to Him—all of which we’ll hear about during Holy Week, how it all actually played out—and instead of trying to avoid it or change it, He makes it clear that He is knowingly about to walk right into it. He’s still “going up to Jerusalem.”

Why? Because mankind is doomed. Man has already destroyed himself. He is born and lives under God’s condemnation. There’s no restoring humanity. They’re no hope of the human race evolving or becoming better, of overcoming its sinfulness, of escaping death, of approaching the holy God who thundered down His Ten Commandments from Mt. Sinai.

Only the suffering and death of the Son of God can serve as the remedy. Only the suffering and death of God’s innocent Son can reconcile sinners with God. So Jesus, with mankind’s salvation as His sole purpose, prepares to offer Himself.

We note also that Jesus prophesies how it will all end, with His resurrection from the dead. It’s a foregone conclusion. He will conquer sin, death and the devil.

But even Jesus’ own disciples, the apostles, can’t see it. It was “hidden from them.” Looking back, we can see God’s purpose in hiding it from them. So that Judas could go through with his plan to betray Jesus. So that Jesus would suffer alone, without the understanding of anyone on earth. So that the disciples might learn to trust in Jesus even without understanding. And so that we could benefit from all of it.

See what comfort there is in the disciples’ lack of understanding. Those who should have understood the most understood the least. For those times when you don’t understand what God’s Word is plainly saying, when you don’t understand why the Son of God allows Himself to be so despised in the world, or how His body, the Church, must suffer on earth, when you don’t grasp that it really will be OK in the end, both for Jesus and for His dear Church, others have been there before. Pillars of the Church, even. What do you do in those times? Do what the disciples did. Just keeping following Jesus anyway. Stay close to Him. Keep listening to Him. Keep asking the Lord to open the eyes of your understanding. He will do it, maybe now, maybe later, to give you the grace of seeing Christ without being able to see Him.

Just as He literally did with the blind man in the Gospel.

Three of the four Gospels include this account near the city of Jericho as Jesus was approaching Jerusalem to suffer. The other Evangelists tell us that there were actually two blind men, one of whom was named Bartimaeus.

Bartimaeus can’t see. But he uses his working sense of hearing, which is even better than seeing when it comes to spiritual things, since “faith comes by hearing.” He hears the commotion surrounding Jesus’ growing procession toward Jerusalem and gets an explanation from someone about what was happening.

That was all it took. He cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

What we find is that the blind beggar can see better than anyone around him. Bartimaeus calls out for mercy from the Son of David. “Son of David” was another name for “Messiah” or “Christ.” Whoever told him that Jesus was passing by must have also told him, “This is the Son of David!” And just like that, the blind man believed. Through that simple word, Bartimaeus was given the grace of seeing Jesus as the Christ, even without being able to see Him. And because he believed, he spoke. He reasoned, If this is the Son of David, then He has come to help. He has come to save. Well, I need help, so I’ll ask Him for it. Bartimaeus hadn’t spent three years with Jesus, like the apostles had. He heard only what the people were saying about Jesus. And then, as one who had nothing but the Word to go on, to live on, he begged. Have mercy on me, Son of David!

That’s what true faith always does and only does. It begs for mercy in any and every form: mercy, because you’re sinful and unclean; mercy, because you’re sick or dying; mercy, because you need something that no one can provide but God Himself. A true believer in Christ knows how desperate his situation is, how he has nothing spiritually, and also depends on God for everything physically. Even when you don’t know exactly what you need, the cry, “Have mercy!” is always appropriate.

In every account, the crowd warns the blind beggar to be quiet—not unlike the world around us that calls us foolish for praying to God, for believing in God at all in our “enlightened” age of “science.” But what the crowd did was, arguably, even worse. Imagine believing that Jesus is, in fact, the Son of David, the Christ, as the crowd claimed to believe, and then trying to silence the one who is calling on the Son of David for help. Is that the patience, is that the longsuffering, is that the love that St. Paul wrote about in the Epistle? Not at all. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. But the crowd was unwilling to endure even the genuine, faith-filled cries of the blind beggar, calling after Jesus for mercy.

But no one can silence his cries to the Son of David, because he believes. If he believes in Jesus, why would he ever stop crying out for mercy? Why would you? No, the beggar knew Jesus better than the crowd. He knew love better than the crowd. Love enabled him to hope all things from Jesus, and love enabled him to endure all things from the crowd. Love, which flowed from faith.

Jesus asks him what he wants. The man’s a beggar, after all. He’s been crying out for mercy, which could refer to anything. Maybe he’s only looking to Jesus for a handout, for some money, for a bite to eat. Maybe that’s what the crowd thinks, too. So Bartimaeus spells it out, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.”

And the Lord grants his request. Receive your sight; your faith has made you well. Anyone could have given the man a little money. Anyone could have given him a bite to eat. But only Jesus could cure his blindness. And once again we’re taught the simple truth: faith alone saves, because faith relies on God’s promise to be merciful through Jesus, the Son of David. Only through Jesus does God provide the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.

Bartimaeus glorified God and followed Jesus, and it appears that he kept following Jesus. The fact that we know his name is a strong indication that he was part of that first Christian Church that grew out of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection.

And still today, Bartimaeus has helped us as we prepare to follow Jesus toward the cross and toward the resurrection. He’s reminded us how blind we are by nature to the things of God, but how powerful the Word of God is to open the eyes of faith. So take the extra time during the Lenten season to hear God’s Word every Sunday and in our midweek services, and to study it in your homes, and not only to hear it and study it, but to ponder it and take it to heart. He’s reminded us what we’re doing here, following Jesus, that the Christian life is not meant to be a triumphal procession toward earthly glory, but a constant cry for mercy in our great need, and a constant supply of mercy from Jesus. So pray earnestly during the Lenten season, and don’t let anyone deter your prayers. Finally, he’s reminded us that our following of Jesus must be characterized by faith that acts through love. As you follow Jesus to the cross and to the resurrection, both His and yours, remember to look up and see your fellow Christians in their need, and to have mercy on them with whatever help you have to give.

And even though you can’t see Christ now, may God, through His Word, grant you the grace of seeing Him for who He is over these next 50 days, to fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Amen.

 

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Watchers and recipients of the seed being sown

Posted on February 4, 2018 by Rev. Paul Rydecki
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Sermon for Sexagesima

2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9  +  Luke 8:4-15

The parable of the sower and the seed is such a vivid parable. You can picture it so easily. The sower reaching into his bag of seed and throwing it in a wide arc. And it falls in the four different places, as Jesus described: On the wayside or walking path, on the rocky soil, among the thorns, and on good soil, with different results in each case. Jesus’ parables are often described as “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” The crowds who heard the parable understood the earthly story part well enough. But the heavenly meaning—that was revealed only to Jesus’ disciples, and now to us who have been taught by them.

The seed is the word of God, specifically the Gospel of Christ as He reveals our sin and our well-deserved condemnation, as He reveals Himself as the Son of God, our Savior, as He reveals His sacrifice of Himself for our sin, as He reveals His promise to save sinners only by faith in Him, as He reveals the work of the ministry in proclaiming that word, as He reveals the work of the Holy Spirit in accompanying the Word and germinating the seed, and in sanctifying believers through Word and Sacrament, so that they live according to God’s commandments and persevere in the faith until the end.

The seed of the Word—of that Word that I just summarized for you—is cast, thrown about, by Jesus, through His apostles, through all called ministers after them, through individual Christians in their vocations as they speak about the kindness and goodness of Christ Jesus, true God and true Man, crucified for our sins and raised to life for our justification. The word is preached from the pulpit, or simply confessed in the lives of Christians. It goes out over the airwaves, over the internet. And many hear.

It then falls on four different kinds of soil. It almost seems fatalistic, doesn’t it? But it isn’t. Because the kinds of soil weren’t predetermined in eternity. The sower doesn’t force the ground to be what it is, or force the conditions to be what they are. He casts the seed into it, however He finds it, and describes to us as we watch Him, what we can expect to see as we watch.

But more than that, He casts the seed today into your ears, and it isn’t predetermined what kind of soil you have to be today. On the contrary, the Word of Christ will shape your heart today, if you listen to it, if you pay attention, and take to heart the warnings your Lord sets before you in this Gospel.

And so we address this Gospel from two separate viewpoints: As the preachers (or watchers) of the word being sown, and as the recipients of the word that is sown, both to consider what happens among other people when they hear the Word, and to think about what happens to each one of you.

Consider the seed that fell along the path from the perspective of preachers or watchers. It was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. When the word goes out, some pay no attention. They hear, but they don’t really listen. They’re distracted. They don’t consider what they hear. They don’t even try to understand. Jesus assures His disciples here, that when they preach and this happens, the fault isn’t with the Word or with their preaching or their presentation of it. They will often preach the Word, and it will fall on ears that are deaf, that are hard like a walking path. But those who hear this way aren’t innocent. They’re responsible for hardening their hearts. They’re at fault for their stubborn refusal to pay attention. And so the devil takes away even the little that they have.

Now consider the seed that fell along the path from the perspective of the recipients, those who hear. Are you paying attention right now? Or is your mind elsewhere, on other things? Will you take this word home with you and ponder it there? Or will you not give it another thought throughout the week? Take care how you hear the Word today. The Holy Spirit will bless the seed, if you don’t harden your heart against it. But if you do, the devil will come and take it away out of your heart. And without the Word, you cannot believe and be saved.

Consider the seed that fell on the rock from the perspective of preachers or watchers. As soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. These, Jesus says, are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. We’ve watched many people receive the Gospel with joy, throughout history, and here in our midst. But then temptation comes—temptation in the form of persecution, where being faithful to the Word of Christ brings trouble, hardship, pain, or loss. And the cross seems too heavy to keep bearing. Then we watch with grief as the young plant withers and faith shrivels up. They were glad to be Christians when it was easy to be Christians. But when it required too much sacrifice, too much pain, they gave up, because they had no root. They didn’t use the Word and the Sacrament by which the Holy Spirit would have deepened and strengthened their faith to sustain the heat of the day.

Now consider the seed that fell on the rock from the perspective of the recipients, those who hear. You’ve heard and believed the Gospel? Good! You’ve crossed over from death to life! You’re a child of God! But you know what’s coming as you live in this world: suffering, grief, temptation, cross. Jesus told you that ahead of time. Will you pay attention to the Word, hear it, mark it, learn it and inwardly digest it, as an old prayer says, so that the roots of your faith go down and prepare you for the cross to come? Or will you only follow Christ as long as it’s easy?

Consider the seed that fell among thorns from the perspective of preachers or watchers. The thorns sprang up with it and choked it. These, Jesus says, are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. We’ve all seen this happen, too, and Jesus assures His disciples that they would see it very often when the Word is preached. People hear. They believe. They begin as Christians. But sooner or later, they allow earthly things to become more important. The seed that fell on the rock withered because of hardship. The seed that fell among the thorns was choked because of pleasure. Boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, children, career, pastime, the indulgence of the flesh—all these things crept in and slowly, subtly, became more important than Christ. The faith that was once there was choked, because these Christians didn’t pay attention to the Word that warned them against such things, that called them to daily repentance, that sent them running to Christ for refuge.

Now consider the seed that fell among thorns from the perspective of the recipients, those who hear. You know this life has you running in a thousand different directions. You know its cares, its riches, and its pleasures. Will you pursue them first, or will you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? Will you allow your Christian life to be restricted to a couple hours on Sunday morning—if that—or will you treat this time we share together here as just the jump start to a week of pondering the Word of Christ and living as lights in the world?

Finally, consider the seed that fell on good soil from the perspective of preachers or watchers. The seed sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold. These are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. Not all the time. Maybe not very often. But sometimes, we preach the Word, and over the course of many years, we watch Christians both form and persevere, and bear abundant fruit. It doesn’t start out as something spectacular. A person is baptized. But we watch that person continue to hear and pay attention to the Word, continue to receive the Sacrament. We watch as hardship strikes and as the cross gets heavy, and they may groan under it and wrestle with doubts and fears and all kinds of temptations, but they don’t shrink back from Christ; they go running to Him instead. We watch as earthly things try to creep in, but then we see the Word of God win out in the end. We watch as these Christians stumble, but repent. We watch as these Christians bear the cross with patience, as they carry out the simple duties of their vocation, as they confess Christ before the world, as they grow in obedience to the Lord’s commandments. And we give thanks to God for them, because we know that it was the power of the seed that did it all. As St. Paul wrote to the Romans, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.

There’s comfort for us as Christians in knowing that, for as powerful as the Word of God is, the rejection of it that we see all around us—sometimes too close to home—was prophesied by Jesus from the beginning. There’s comfort in knowing that the Word of God will not return to Him empty, but will accomplish the purpose for which He sent it, including the purpose of always finding good ground and taking root in that good ground and producing Christians who will persevere to eternal life.

But I hope you can see that this whole Gospel is presented to you today to make your hearts into that good ground, to soften your heart, if it’s been growing hard; to allow your faith to take root in Christ Jesus, if it’s been too shallow; to cut down the thorns, if you’ve allowed them to start creeping in; and to comfort you with the grace of the Holy Spirit, who has kept you thus far and who will continue to preserve you with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.

Now may the Word of Christ dwell in you richly and produce abundant fruit in you, by the working of the Holy Spirit, to the praise of God the Father. Amen.

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Remain in the grace by which you were called

Posted on January 28, 2018 by Rev. Paul Rydecki
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Sermon for Septuagesima

1 Corinthians 9:24-10:5  +  Matthew 20:1-16

We have before us in the parable of the landowner a certain aspect of the kingdom of heaven, that is, of the holy Christian Church on earth. That certain aspect of the Church, is summed up by Jesus at the end of the parable: Many are called, but few are chosen. Few are “elected.” The doctrine of election is taught in this Gospel. Many workers were called by the landowner to go into His vineyard. But, at the end of the day, even though they were all paid the same, not everyone left with the same thing. Only the “chosen” ended up with the landowner’s grace and favor. Why?  Let me summarize it briefly, and then we’ll go through the parable in detail, where we’ll find this truth proclaimed: “Ending the day” with God’s favor has nothing to do with when you enter His kingdom or how hard you work on this earth or how much you suffer in this life. You end the day with God’s grace by continuing to rely on the grace by which you were called in the first place, all the way up to the end. Remain in the grace by which you were called!

Let’s review the parable one more time. The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Again, Jesus is describing what happens in the kingdom of heaven, in the Church of God. What is the Church like? A landowner goes out early in the morning to call workers into His vineyard for the day. He finds some. They agree to work all day till sunset, about an 11 or 12-hour day, for one denarius. That was at the first hour. At about the third hour, the landowner goes out and calls some more workers, and He tells them, “Whatever is right, I will give you,” and they agree. He does the same thing at the sixth hour and again at the ninth hour and finally even at the eleventh hour, with only one hour left in the work-day. At the end of the day, He orders the workers to be paid from last to first, and He gives one denarius to each. So when the first workers come up to be paid, they’re sure He’ll pay them more, but He doesn’t. He pays them one denarius, just as they had agreed at the beginning of the day. But they were upset. They grumbled against the landowner. How dare He give them the same pay as those who had worked less and suffered less under the heat of the sun—in some cases, much less? But He replies to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’

So. All the workers in the parable share certain things in common. All were called by the landowner to go and work in his vineyard. In the same way, this is how God always brings people into His earthly kingdom, the Church. He goes out personally and finds them and calls them into His vineyard. God is the one who does it, but He does it through means. He does it through the mouths of His ministers. Repent and believe the good news! Come, follow Me!, is the word of the Gospel that goes out. The call goes out to all. And many enter the visible gathering of the Church through Holy Baptism, which takes a person off the streets, as it were, and places him in God’s vineyard, in God’s service, in God’s house.

This is a call of pure grace, because the landowner saw nothing good in the workers He found, and He saw nothing good in any of us. On the contrary, He found much evil in us, so out of pure grace, He offered us the blood of His own Son to cleanse us from all our sins. Forgiveness for the sake of Christ is the doorway into the Lord’s vineyard. That and that alone is what made us fit to enter His kingdom. That’s something we have in common with every member of the Christian Church.

Something else all have in common. All who are called by the landowner are expected to work in the vineyard. We’re not called to keep standing around idly, doing nothing, or serving ourselves, serving our own interests, living for this world. All who are called into the kingdom of God are called to work at putting to death the sinful flesh, to practice saying ‘no’ to sin and ‘yes’ to righteousness. Whether a person spends his or her whole life in the kingdom of God, or only the very last part of it, all are called to work, with love toward God and love toward our neighbor.

Finally, all are paid equally at the end of the day. All receive the same, no matter how much they work or how long they work or how much they suffer under the sun. All are given the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost. Equally. Because in God’s vineyard, God’s grace and generosity cannot be earned or deserved by sinners. It can only be earned by the Son of God in the sinner’s place. That’s the grace that is offered to all.

But there are important differences, too, among the workers, aren’t there? The workers were called at different times. So some worked longer, some worked less. Some suffered under the heat of the day, some barely broke a sweat.

We think, first, of the people of Israel, called by God early in the day. They were given the Law of Moses, not just the moral law, but also all the ceremonial and civil laws to keep. It was, as Peter called it, “a yoke which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear.” But when Christ came, He preached salvation to both Jews and Gentiles, to those who had borne the burden of the Law for a lifetime, and to those who had barely suffered under it at all.

We think, too, of individuals who are called to be Christians early in life, who spend more of their lives in daily self-denial, fighting against sin, refusing the lusts of the flesh, living with the world as their enemy, as opposed to others who spend most of their lives gratifying the lusts of the flesh, as friends of this world, only to be converted later in life.

Finally, we think of some Christians who have suffered more—sometimes much more—in this life than others. Whether it was a hard earthly life filled with afflictions and suffering, or whether it was the blessed cross they had to bear for the sake of Christ, there is a difference in what Christians suffer in this life.

But those who are called first receive no more. And those who are called last receive no less. So what happens when all are rewarded with the same grace of our Lord Jesus Christ? In the parable, the ones who worked the longest and suffered the most grew to despise the grace of the landowner. They complained about His generosity. They wanted each one to be paid according to the amount of work he had done, which meant more for them, less for everyone else. And this is often what happens in the Church with those who have worked longer and suffered more. They begin to take God’s grace for granted. They begin to think they’re truly earning His favor with their obedience. They begin to dislike the idea of free forgiveness for those who have committed great sins in their lives. Even though they were told from the beginning that they were poor sinners who stand only by God’s grace, they begin to think that, really, they’ve stood pretty well for themselves.

So Jesus issues a warning in today’s Gospel. Yes, you were all called by God’s grace. But you still stand only by God’s grace, and you will only finish the day with Lord’s continued favor and grace if you continue to look to Him for grace. Because the moment you look to Him to give you heaven as wages for your work, the moment you despise the grace He offers to other sinners, you fall from grace. You lose Christ. And you lose salvation.

So the Jews shouldn’t be upset that God now wants to give the same kingdom to the latecomer Gentiles. Nor should the Gentiles despise the Jews. They did work hard all day, throughout the Old Testament. They had to live under the burden of the Law for over a thousand years until the coming of Christ. And there were many advantages to being a Jew.

Similarly, those who were called to the Christian faith early in life and have served Christ for many years should not despise those who are called later in life after living in many sins and much darkness. And those who were called later in life should not think less of those who have spent many years living imperfectly but penitently as Christians in the world.

Finally, those who have suffered much should not grow bitter because others suffer less—or at least appear to suffer less, as if by their suffering they were earning more favor from God. Nor should those who have suffered less in this life forget about those who have borne the cross for a long time.

Whether Jew or Gentile, whether called to the Christian faith early or late, whether you’ve suffered much for the name of Christ or little, remain focused on the grace of God. Know that His generosity is the only reason you are safe from sin, death and the devil. Know that His patience toward others is the same patience that leads you to repentance.

Many are called into the Christian Church, into the kingdom of God. And many begin as Christians. But there are few who are chosen—few who remain in God’s grace all the way to the end. What does the doctrine of election teach us? That His grace is the same for everyone, that God wants every one of you who were called and baptized into His kingdom, to be among those few. Remain in the grace by which you were called! Pay attention to today’s Gospel! Because in this very Gospel, with its warning and with its comfort, and in the Sacrament that we’re about to celebrate, you have the means by which God strengthens you to remain. Amen.

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The hope of glory on the mountain

Posted on January 21, 2018 by Rev. Paul Rydecki
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Sermon for the Transfiguration of Our Lord

2 Peter 1:16-21  +  Matthew 17:1-9

In our Gospel, we see the same brilliant light that the shepherds saw on the night of Jesus’ birth. Only this time, it isn’t in the sky filled with angels. It’s in Jesus’ own face. For a few moments, His face shone like the sun in the presence of Peter, James and John. And then the vision was over. What does it mean?

It means, there’s hope, for you, for me, for all who trust in Christ Jesus. There’s the hope of glory on the mountain.

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.

Every year I remind you what happened “six days” before the Transfiguration took place, since Matthew, Mark and Luke all take the time to tell us. It’s important. Do you remember? Peter had confessed Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus had promised to build His Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Then Jesus began to predict His suffering and death, and it caused the disciples to stumble. But Jesus called on them to deny themselves, take up their own cross, and follow Him. And He promised great glory to all who are found following Him when He, the Son of Man, comes in glory.

But is Jesus really the Son of Man and the Son of God? Will He really come in glory? Will He really rise again after He suffers? Will it really be worth it for those who follow Him to live a life a self-denial here on earth, to suffer for His name’s sake? Is there really a good reason to hope for this glory?

There is. It will. Because He is and He will. Peter, James and John saw the glory that was there, masked by self-chosen humility and apparent weakness. And Peter has testified to what he saw: We were eyewitnesses of His majesty, Peter wrote in today’s Epistle. They saw with their eyes what they had already heard from Jesus’ own mouth and what they themselves had already confessed by faith. But they were weak and frail, and our enemies here—the devil, the world, and the flesh—are powerful and convincing. So Jesus gave them a visible reason to hope by revealing His divine glory to them, and through them, to us. This is the glory in which Jesus now lives. This is the glory that He promises to share with us who follow Him.

But it wasn’t only Jesus’ glorious appearance on the mountain that gives us hope.

And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

There are many reasons we could explore for these two particular Old Testament prophets to appear with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. The simplest meaning is that they appeared with Jesus to show that they agreed with Jesus—with the plan He revealed to His disciples that He should suffer and die and rise again from the dead, that He should be the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. Moses and Elijah also reveal that all their Old Testament preaching pointed to Jesus as the Christ, and that, for all that they suffered here on earth for following God faithfully, it was worth it. Here they are with Jesus in glory, not dead, but very much alive.

I do like to point to one special occurrence in the life of Elijah which pre-figured the Transfiguration, in a way. Up on Mt. Carmel, Elijah had stood all alone against the prophets of the idol called Baal, and he had won. The LORD had revealed Himself as the true God by setting ablaze the altar Elijah had made, and the prophets of Baal were put to shame. But then the glory faded and Elijah found himself on the run again, being chased and hunted down by wicked Queen Jezebel. He felt alone. He felt abandoned. He wanted to see the Church prospering and evil being wiped out—to see a glorious Church on earth. But he didn’t see it. His personal situation and the situation of God’s Church on earth at that point looked absolutely hopeless. He was ready to give up, ready to die. But God led him up onto another mountain—Mount Horeb, also known as Mount Sinai, the same mountain where God had revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush and in the giving of the Law. And there God revealed Himself again to Elijah. There was a roaring wind, but God wasn’t in the wind. There was an earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake. There was a blazing fire, but God wasn’t in the fire. Then there was a still small voice. And that’s where God was. That’s where God revealed Himself to Elijah, in that still small voice. And He revealed that things weren’t as they seemed. Elijah wasn’t alone. God had reserved 7,000 in Israel who hadn’t turned away to false gods. God was in control all along. And God would preserve the ministry of the Word, too, by sending another prophet, now that Elijah’s time of service was coming to an end. God’s truth would prevail. His Church would survive.

The lesson God had taught Elijah long ago on a mountain was being retaught to Jesus’ disciples as Elijah nods his head in agreement. God was right. I couldn’t see it at the time. But He was right. There was every reason to hope. And there’s every reason for you, too, to hope in this Jesus, who is the very Son of God.

But Peter wasn’t getting any lesson that was being taught at that moment. The glorious vision filled his heart with gladness, and he wanted so much to hold onto it.

Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

But the Mount of Transfiguration wasn’t the final destination. It was a stopping point along the way, provided to sustain the hope of Jesus’ disciples so that they could face the hardships that lay ahead.

It was God the Father Himself who broke off Peter’s speech. While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

Jesus hadn’t brought these disciples to the mountain to end their earthly struggles or to begin His reign of glory on earth. He had brought them there to have their faith confirmed by His Father. This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. The Father first spoke those words over Jesus at His Baptism some 2-1/2 years earlier. Now He reminds Peter, James and John that Jesus remains His beloved Son in whom the Father is well pleased. So even though He is about to suffer many things and be rejected by the “people of God” and be crucified and put to death, He remains the beloved Son of the Father, in whom the Father is well pleased. And the adoption and sonship of those who believe and are baptized is confirmed. And God’s well-pleasing verdict upon all who believe in Christ is confirmed. And the glory Jesus has promised to those who follow Him is likewise confirmed by God the Father Himself. There is hope there on the mountain.

But notice where the real hope lies: not in seeing Jesus transfigured and glorious. But where? Where does the Father point Jesus’ disciples now? “Hear Him!” Listen to Jesus. Even after the vision of glory is gone, the word of Jesus remains forever. The disciples had it all along, even in the midst of the worst suffering and deepest shame, and so do you. It turns out, it’s not a vision of glory that produces hope. It’s the word of Jesus, which you’re hearing right now.

Jesus says many things, of course. Hear them all! Hear especially His continual call to repent, to trust in Him for the forgiveness of sins, to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him. And hear His promise that the gates of Hades will not prevail against His Church. Hear His assurance that, even in the midst of hardships, when the future looks bleak, behind it all He remains the Son of God and the Son of Man, and has it all under His mighty control. Hear His promise that glory awaits His people on another mountain, the one that awaits at the end of this earthly pilgrimage, of which Isaiah writes: And in this mountain The LORD of hosts will make for all people A feast of choice pieces, A feast of wines on the lees, Of fat things full of marrow, Of well-refined wines on the lees. And He will destroy on this mountain The surface of the covering cast over all people, And the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken. And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”

May the hope that is set before you in today’s Gospel renew your strength and your zeal to follow Jesus, wherever His word and His governance lead you. And may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

 

 

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A taste of joy here below

Posted on January 14, 2018 by Rev. Paul Rydecki
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Sermon for Epiphany 2

Romans 12:6-16  +  John 2:1-11

From the time of Jesus’ birth until the wedding feast at Cana, there had already been so many amazing revelations about Him: how He was conceived of a virgin in the first place, the manger that served as His bed, the sky of Bethlehem filled with angels and the angels’ words to the shepherds, the wise men who followed the star to Bethlehem and presented their gifts, Simeon and Anna’s praise of a little baby, the flight to Egypt to escape from King Herod, the twelve year old Boy in the Temple who astounded the teachers with His divine wisdom, the Father’s voice from heaven and the Spirit’s descent like a dove at Jesus’ Baptism. And now this—that Jesus should choose a wedding banquet, of all places, to reveal His divine power over the creation by changing water into wine.

Jesus had been recently baptized. He’d been tempted in the wilderness for 40 days. He’d been acclaimed by John the Baptist as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and He’d called His first few disciples, including Nathanael.

You remember Nathanael? Philip had found his friend Nathanael sitting under a fig tree and told him that he and those other first disciples had found the Christ. Nathanael didn’t believe it was possible, but then he went to see Jesus and Jesus told him how He saw him while he was sitting under the fig tree, even though Jesus wasn’t there to see it. That little revelation of Jesus’ omniscience convinced Nathanael that Jesus was the Christ, the King of Israel. And Jesus told him, Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

The “greater things” began on the very next day as they attended this wedding banquet in Cana. And here already we see a striking difference between Jesus and John the Baptist. John, if you remember, lived outside of society, in the wilderness, alone, dressed in uncomfortable clothes, with insects for his diet. John has been pointing people to Jesus as the true Prophet, the Christ. But Jesus didn’t act like John in many ways. Here’s Jesus participating in human society, spending His time celebrating at a wedding banquet.

That, in itself, was a revelation, a manifestation, an epiphany, and one that John the Baptist himself alluded to when he referred to himself as just the friend of the Bridegroom, while Jesus Himself was the Bridegroom. Jesus has, indeed, come to celebrate a wedding—the wedding between Himself and His holy Christian Church, whom He first had to cleanse with His own blood in Holy Baptism in order to make her spotless and acceptable to God, as Paul writes to the Ephesians in chapter 5. So of course Jesus doesn’t shy away from a wedding invitation. Human marriage is a picture of the whole purpose for Jesus’ coming.

On a more mundane note, we shouldn’t miss the fact that Jesus’ attendance at this wedding banquet also expresses His approval of the institution of marriage in general—God’s approval. Of course He approves! He instituted marriage in the beginning and has never changed His design for it. Even in these last days, marriage isn’t to be looked down on. As the writer to the Hebrews says, Marriage is to be held in honor by all, and the marriage bed kept pure. It is still God’s plan and purpose for society, that one man and one woman come together till death do them part, that they love and support one another, that they raise godly children, and that sexual relations be reserved for marriage alone. That’s the union that God instituted and that Jesus blessed with His presence and still smiles upon, not the godless misuse that covers our land today. You and I are more and more surrounded by a culture that rejects the divine definition of marriage, the divine purpose and description of marriage. Christians may have even participated in that rejection of God’s purpose for marriage, but, as St. Paul writes, you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. And as Paul said in last week’s Epistle, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. But know, at the same time, that that will make you part of an ever increasing minority in the world, even in your own country. If you honor marriage as God ordained it, you will appear very strange in the eyes of the world around you. Learn to embrace that strangeness as Christians!

Back to our Gospel itself. There was a need that came up during the course of this banquet—and understand that these Jewish wedding banquets often lasted more than one day. They ran out of wine too early. Maybe it was poor planning. More likely, it was a poor family that couldn’t afford to buy enough to last till the end. A little shame would have been suffered by the bride and groom at the outset of their marriage for running out of wine at the banquet. But in the grand scheme of things, it was a small need, a minor problem. No one needs wine.

But Mary informs Jesus of the need anyway. She seems to suspect that He isn’t only here to socialize and to put His seal of approval on marriage. He’s been baptized now. He’s been tempted in the wilderness. He’s become a Rabbi and gathered His first few disciples, who are there at the banquet with Him. So she intercedes for the wedding party.

In fact, this intercession on the part of Mary is seen by some Roman Catholics as a reason to pray to Mary about their own needs, hoping she’ll intercede for them, just as she did here for the bride and groom, and hoping that Jesus will take her intercession into account and act to help them, out of reverence for His mother.

But, why does she intercede for the wedding party? Why don’t they go to Him directly? Because they don’t know Him directly yet as the Son of God, as Mary does. They don’t know Him as the Savior sent from God. He’s only beginning to reveal Himself to the world. And so she intercedes for those who don’t yet know Him rightly, not for those who do. Because all who know Christ, who have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. No one is closer to Him than another. He hears all of His people equally.

What we may learn from this account, though, as those who do know Jesus as the Son of God and the Son of Man, is to do as Mary did and to intercede for those who don’t yet know Him rightly. To pray for His mercy and help for unbelievers, or for those who were baptized, but have fallen into the delusion of false doctrine so that they no longer know Christ as they should know Him.

Jesus’ response to Mary at first seems strange. Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come. He seems to decline to help. But what it shows us is that Jesus doesn’t have to perform this miracle. It isn’t His “concern.” It isn’t His business. God’s Law doesn’t call upon Him to supply extra wine for a wedding party. So the fact that He chooses to do it shows His abundant grace and favor.

Furthermore, He refers to His “hour,” meaning His hour to reveal His glory. John’s Gospel records many of those references, all of them leading up to Holy Week, when the real “hour” would come for Jesus to be glorified before the eyes of all, not by performing a miracle, but by willingly offering Himself up on the cross as the payment for the world’s sins. That hour would be the full uncovering of His true glory and the fulfillment of His purpose in coming to earth. He didn’t come to replenish the supply of wine.

And yet He does it anyway. You heard in the Gospel how He did it. He told the servants to fill the water jars with water—gallons and gallons of it. And suddenly it wasn’t water anymore. It was wine. This was a supernatural act of divine creation—taking H2O molecules and turning them into something else, into fermented and aged grape wine, and fine wine at that, as if the best grapes had been grown and squeezed and the juice fermented under the watchful eye of a master winemaker. Freely, under no obligation, easily, with nothing but a word, Jesus provided the bride and groom and all the wedding guests with an abundance of wine, with a taste of joy.

In the Psalms it says, The Lord brings forth wine that makes glad the heart of man. In the Scripture, wine is tied to joy and a merry heart. Yes, the abuse of it is condemned, but not the use. It’s a symbol of God’s grace and favor, of God’s abundance, of joy and celebration. And what could better describe the reason for which Jesus came. As John told us back in chapter 1, And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. This first miracle performed by Jesus reveals His grace. It reveals that He truly came, not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He has come to proclaim the Gospel—the Good News that Christ has come to save sinners. This first miracle makes Jesus approachable to poor sinners, because they can see that He has come to help, to bless, to save. As Jesus would later say, I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

That’s the lesson Jesus’ disciples were to learn, and only a few others at that time—the servants who filled the jars with water—because this miracle wasn’t done in full view of the public; hardly anyone knew about it. But the Holy Spirit saw to it that we would find out through His inspired Scriptures, so that you would know that you, a poor, miserable sinner, will find God’s grace and favor with Jesus whenever you come to Him in repentance, seeking His forgiveness. This, after all, is God in your midst. He is hidden, but if you look closely you will see your God acting. Everything He will do is for your good. Everything He will do is for your salvation, and even for your enjoyment. Some things you will enjoy here on earth. But most of the celebration awaits the heavenly wedding banquet, where He, the Bridegroom who has brought you into the body of His Church by Holy Baptism, will provide everything in perfect measure.

For now, your God offers to His Bride, the Church, a Sacrament of bread and wine, of sustenance and gladness, of the forgiveness of sins, of His true body and blood—a miracle of a different kind, not visible to the eye, but revealed only to faith. Let it sustain you here, as you wait for Christ to be revealed in glory. Let it provide you with a taste of joy here below and remind you of the great wedding banquet above! Amen.

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