The Truth-A Mountain- A Climb- And Sin --- Reformation Sunday --- John 8:31-36

 

The Truth-A Mountain- A Climb- And Sin

John 8:31-36

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed

Truth, a mountain, a climb and sin. It’s been a few days from Reformation Sunday for me now. I have been given an infusion of medicine to help me in my life. I am tired and feel weak. I know things will get better. They have for decades now. The medicine given to me by infusion works for me and keeps me in somewhat good order until I need to get another dose in another six weeks. So, what’s this to do with anything? It’s similar, but nowhere close to the passage above. There is truth in the help of the medicine. I climb a mountain every six weeks until my body begins to fall apart. My sinful nature has brought about disease and death. But… enough of this.

Believers are sometimes easily shaken loose from their belief in Jesus. God gives faith. We can’t conjure up faith and dig out faith from within ourselves. God gives faith. God gives the Word. The Word as we see in the Bible. The Word is Jesus. God gives Word to us. We can’t conjure up the Word. We can’t dig out the Word from within ourselves. God gives the Word.

We need to be real with God’s gifts. I or you do not deserve God’s gifts. We can’t conjure up ways to make God want to give us gifts. We can’t do stuff to make God think he owes us gifts. And certainly, we don’t deserve any gift from God due to our own efforts.

God’s gifts do not come to me or to you through any obedience or birthright of any of us. God’s gifts only come to us from God alone.

Now, what about this talk of Truth. Truth never leads to bondage. Do you need freedom? Of course! I need freedom from my sin. God shows me my sin daily. Reflect on the Commandments… I can reflect on Abraham and his life and find that even a heritage and lifeline to Adam cannot free me from my own bondage to sin.

Look at yourself honestly and truthfully. I sin daily and cannot free myself. That’s the truth of it. But I see and hear in this passage a Truth that does not come from myself. I see and hear and read of a Truth from God. This Truth is the Truth that never leads to bondage. This Truth IS Jesus.

This Truth, this Jesus that frees does not come through my study, my investigation, my efforts, or even from my own proclamation that I accept Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior.

There is a great chasm between my bondage to sin and freedom.

Freedom only comes through Jesus, because Jesus is the only one free from sin. The Truth of it all IS Jesus and only Jesus can make me free. Only Jesus… nothing from myself will free me from sin.

 Jesus is the Truth that frees me of the certain death of my sins.

Now… up the mountain. A joy-filled hike.

I and you climb a mountain of joy and love while we are in our sin. We take a step in the Word and see God’s love revealed along the way. Step by step, day by day. Sure, we still sin along the way, but this journey is not about ourselves. This is a journey where daily, step by step, God’s love is revealed along the way.

That’s the joy of living out the gift of life with God from baptism. As we step towards eternity with God. This new journey up the mountain is a journey of Truth with the Word and is not a journey locked in the bondage of our sinful selves. Even though we sin along the way through life. We are not in bondage to our sin. No, rather we journey in the freedom from sin through the righteousness and Truth of the gift of Jesus to us from above. I cannot free myself from sin… But the gift given to me at Baptism from God frees me and kicks me off on the journey up that mountain to arrive to the glory of God, not on my own, but through Jesus, life, death, and resurrection.

The Truth is that God gave himself for me and for you to save us and make us his own, in order that we may live with him and with one another in the love of God.  So…

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Lord, make me still. All have sinned. All are justified by faith, freely given, apart from any of my works. It’s only about the work of Christ. In this eternal Gospel freely given to me and to all; daily I repent and turn to God. Daily I step out with you to love you and love all those you give to me, as we climb the joy filled mountain of life leading to eternity with you… today… tomorrow… and forever. --- Amen

 

 

He Had a Coin After All! - Matthew 22:15-22 - Twenty first Sunday after Pentecost

 

He Had a Coin After All!

Matthew 22:15-22 ESV

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

This passage spoke to me this week. I’m just now physically recovering from all the work involved with moving my recently deceased brother-in-law, Steve’s, worldly goods, to sell in a garage sale and to vendors who would buy his goods. We need the cash to continue to pay his mortgage and utilities until his house and car can go through the probate courts. Anyway, this took about three times the handling and moving of some heavy items and I’m tired and sore!

Thursday my wife, Sue and I took some silver and metal to a coin and jewelry dealer to convert into cash to be deposited into an account to handle his bills for now. Coins with images of government officials and symbols of various natures. Coins of worldly goods. Worldly goods only of value here in this place and in this time. Goods handled over and over by not only Steve, but the rest of us as well. Goods worth not even much here in this place and in this time. Goods totally worthless in the heavenly realm.

In this passage, religious leaders and government officials are attempting to trap Jesus. They want to eliminate Jesus’ power and eliminate Jesus himself, so that they can continue in their own power. These two factions, the Pharisees and the Herodians, are not friends, so to speak. These two factions are mostly opposed to one another, but here they come together with a common cause. To get rid of Jesus before the people of the day.

So, they pose a question in order to trap Jesus.

Do, you pay the tax, Jesus?

Well, if Jesus says, yes, then his followers will declare Jesus a traitor.

If Jesus says, no, then the Roman rulers will deal harshly with Jesus.

Jesus, always teaches that God is above all. Jesus spoke of his Father constantly.

Look back on Jesus’ answer to the question…. Give to Ceasar the things that are Ceasar’s and give to God the things that are God’s. (my paraphrase).

What things are Ceasar’s?

What things are God’s?

But first let’s step back.

From what vantage point is Jesus being attacked?

From what vantage point does Jesus answer?

Apparently, Jesus didn’t carry a coin.

Whose likeness is on the coin?

Jesus’ answer implies that we are to give our coins in taxes owed to the government, but to give ourselves to God.

And this takes me back to my past week of handling the worldly goods of my brother-in-law, Steve.

If I give to God, heart, mind, and soul, I am able to love my enemies and oppressors. I am able to love even the Herodians and the Pharisees.

Why?

Because, I have fixed my heart on my heavenly treasure. I realize that worldly goods only fade away to dirt and trash. Something like what has happened to all of Steve’s worldly goods. They are being cashed in to continue payment towards worldly utilities and mortgage. Cashed in for nothing of heavenly good whatsoever.

And all of this leads me to something more meaningful for me and for you as well.

If my life were a coin…. Whose likeness would that coin’s inscription contain?

Well… God made me in his own image. The inscription begins with God’s image.

But what have I done with the coin of my life?

I have defaced it! I wear it out. I make a wreck of it to the point that maybe the image of God is gone from the face of the coin God has given me with his image on it.

But…

When I turn, and give myself to God in my mess of life and sin, I find that God has already sent Jesus to re-mint himself in me. I find that Jesus takes my worn-out coin from me to himself and returns to me his very own, perfect, shiny, new coin of everlasting life.

So…

Only through God’s gift of Jesus may other people see clearly the image of God in my life on the coin that Jesus gives to me. There was no way possible that I could do anything to make my coin shiny and new on my own. I need, I depend, on Jesus’ gift of his own shiny new coin to me.

Sort of like the message of last week. Jesus dressed me up in his own righteous robe of everlasting life that I may attend the Great Feast. This week, Jesus gives me a brand-new shiny coin of life that I may live with him forever.

Jesus had a coin after all! A new coin for me! And he has a new coin for you as well. Turn to God and give that old worn-out sinful thing that you have been lugging around in your pocket, hiding away behind the bath towels. That coin is worth nothing! But the coin Jesus has to give you is worth everything… today… tomorrow and forever.

Lord, as I hear your call, I sing a new song. May I always turn and serve you the living and true God beyond all time, and into eternity. --- Amen

 

The Banquet - Matthew 22:1-14 - Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

The Banquet

Matthew 22:1-14 ESV

And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Let’s start off with the equals in this parable…

King = God

Son = Jesus

Wedding Feast = Eschatological Banquet (The Great Feast for all time)

Servants = God’s messengers

Murder of Servants = Murder of prophets and Jesus

Sending servants = Mission of the Church

Man without garment = People (many) at the last judgment who did not repent and turn to God for salvation but rather depended upon their own works

In this parable, once again, we see how the Kingdom of God will pass outward to those who produce the fruit of repentance. God repents us and gives us his grace. We are invited to the Great Feast of all time. In this invitation, we must be careful not to take God’s saving grace too lightly. We repent… we turn away from our selfish desire to only be concerned about the affairs of the day, and miss the call of Christ to his Wedding Banquet.

This Banquet is for those who want to learn the true joy in Christ. No one at this banquet can abuse the grace of God. There is a response to God’s grace. Turn away from self and turn to God.

The church on earth contains both bad and good. God, in his time, will separate this out.

The question for me here is… Am I also like the man improperly clothed?

As the sinner that I am, will I be speechless before God?

When the Truth of God comes to me… will I hide in myself? Will I rely on my own garment to save myself?

Or… will I turn to the Truth? Will I see my sinfulness? Will I give up myself and my selfish ways knowing that I cannot save myself? Will I see that I must shed my sinful clothes and give my sin to Jesus? Will I throw off myself and receive the great gift of Jesus righteousness that he gives freely to me?

Listen to God’s call to the Banquet. See what Jesus did in his death and resurrection. Look at the new creation and new life Jesus gives as he took upon himself your sin. Jesus put on my dirty sinful garment and gives to me and to you his own clean and beautiful and splendid white garment of his righteousness.

Why?

So that you may live with him and celebrate eternal life with him and feast with him at the Great Banquet prepared for all who turn to God today.

A joyous banquet on the mountain of God. A Banquet where we will lack nothing at all for all eternity in life.

 Turn to God. Give up our garment of sin and put on the garment of righteousness that only Jesus can offer each and all of us… today… tomorrow… and forever. Thanks be to God!

Who Do You Think You Are? - Matthew 21:33-46 - Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Matthew 21:33-46 ESV

“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord's doing,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

As I look on this passage; I once again look back to my studies from last week. I look back to the sermon that I heard on Sunday and I look back to the Old Testament and think of the Creation Story. I ponder about the number of times God uses the Creation Story over and over with his people and with myself. I stop to think how God set humankind up with Paradise, with a vineyard that was protected and guarded and perfect. I ponder about all the gifts God has graciously given me in my life and how God has sustained me through all sorts of occasions. Yet, I like so many other of God’s people, turn from God, I turn from God and spoil what he has given me with my own selfishness. I spoil so many things by wanting all the control for myself. I want to be my own master of my own destiny on my own terms. I fail to realize all that I have been given and turn from the sweet set up God has placed me in and think that I can control it all.

This happened over and over by individuals and peoples throughout the Old Testament and throughout time. God gives everything we need to live into eternity, yet we turn from that everything and try to control our own destiny. My destiny is not for me to control. My destiny and your destiny and the destiny of everything does not fall into that place of my control, your control or any group of people to control. We are the created… not the creator. And we all tend to forget this. We all fall into sin and try to become the creator of ourselves and others of whom we have no business controlling.

God provides a vineyard for our life. A vineyard that is limited to what God chooses to limit, yes, but we can and are permitted to refuse God’s gift of this vineyard if we so choose. And many times, I have chosen to do this. And when I choose to refuse God’s gift; I once again have to ponder… do I have reverence for the Son of God when I do this? Do, I stop to realize what God does in my place when I turn from him and turn to myself? Do I realize what God has done for me to give me a chance to turn back to him?

There is conflict between Jesus and Israel’s leaders. There is conflict between Jesus and me. There is conflict between Jesus and this world. In this parable, Jesus predicts his excommunication and his death. In this parable, Jesus also declares his authority as Son of God.

The Owner sent servants and servants and servants, yet you, yet I, yet the world, beats and kills them. Why? We want the vineyard… remember the Creation Story… we want control of Paradise… we want control of the world… we want control of our lives… we want control of the gifts God has given us, all for ourselves. We want control and choose to separate ourselves from God. So, God sends his own son. God sends his own son that this Creation, this Paradise, this Temple from above may be set aright once again. It’s God’s vineyard! It’s God’s Temple! It’s God’s Paradise!

So, Jesus mentions the Temple cornerstone. The Temple cornerstone was about 19 feet long and 7 feet thick. It was a BIG deal. Do we build our lives on Jesus? Or do we, like the vineyard tenants build our lives on something else? Do we build on something we think we can control, or earn or base our lives upon?

When disaster comes, we tend to look on the discarded cornerstone in our lives and wonder, why we didn’t build our lives on Jesus.

The real fruit of the vineyard is when the tenants turn to God in repentance. We turn to God because we see how we have put the Owners Son to death on a cross just so we could be in control of something we have no business of controlling in the first place.

Lord, forgive me. Forgive me for turning away from you and to myself. Forgive me when I turn to something other that you. I want to know Christ. May your face shine on me, on my neighbor and on all who come to believe in your will and your way that we may be saved. May I bear the fruit you choose for me and may I daily return to you and live for you, and in you, and with you… today… tomorrow… and forever. --- Amen