Sermon - Advent 1 - Jeremiah 33:13-16

 

The Davidic King who Executes Justice

A blessed Advent.  As we begin another church year and the readings emphasize the Christ who comes to his people, today we find ourselves again on Palm Sunday, with Christ’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.

Paired with our reading from Jeremiah, we can gather, especially, some of the deep meaning of this event.  Let’s spend some time with the prophet first, and then connect the dots with Palm Sunday and Christ’s coming to Jerusalem.

Jeremiah is sometimes called the “weeping prophet”.  He lived to see some sad days.  Born around 650 B.C. and serving as a prophet for some 50 years, he did not have an easy time of it.  He was often opposed, persecuted and even imprisoned.  Jewish tradition says he was killed by stoning to death in Egypt.  But his weeping was mostly prompted by the people’s failure to heed the word of God, and the ultimate consequences of that were that Jerusalem and the southern kingdom of Judah were conquered by the Babylonians and the temple itself was destroyed in 587 B.C.

It's hard to over-estimate the scar this left on the Jews.  It was the beginning of the exile.  It was the destruction of the house of God – the temple – and the implication was that God had abandoned them (though in reality, this was all a judgment for their abandoning of God and embracing pagan gods).  The people were carried off to exile in Babylon.  And after preaching repentance for 50 years, and the people refusing, and seeing it all come crashing down, of course Jeremiah wept.

And maybe most poignantly, God had made them a promise.  A descendant of David was to reign on his throne forever.  Now that promise got a little shaky, it seemed, when the kingdom split in two after Solomon died.  But David’s line continued for some 19 generations, until Zedekiah still sat on the throne, David’s final heir. But when the Babylonians besieged Jerusalem, Zedekiah was taken captive, blinded, and died in prison.  David’s line of kings came to an end.

Had God forgotten his promise to David?  Was God unable to keep a son of David on the throne?  When would he restore the kingdom?  You can see how hopeless it all must have seemed.

And we are not entirely unable to sympathize.  There are times when we, all of us, begin to lose hope.  When we begin to wonder about God’s intentions for us, and if he’s perhaps angry with us, or forgotten us.  There are times when it certainly seems so.

When your life is zooming along and all is well, and then some unforeseen trouble upsets the whole applecart.  A job loss, a health scare, the death of a loved one, a broken relationship. 

Jeremiah isn’t the only one with cause to weep in this sin-filled, sin-scarred, sin-ruined world where enemies abound, where uncertainty and fear lurk around every corner, and where death and destruction hang over our heads.  We know the sorrow of sin, too, in little ways, and sometimes big ways.  We know we deserve temporal and eternal punishment.  We don’t deserve God’s gracious presence among us – let alone all the manifold blessings of life and salvation. 

But Jeremiah wasn’t just a weeping prophet.  He was also a prophet of hope.  He speaks God’s word, reiterating his promise:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah…”  and “I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”

That Righteous Branch, of course, is Jesus.  That hope for Judah and Israel and for us, is Jesus.  The one who executes the justice and righteousness of God can only be Jesus, the Son of David.

Now, to be sure, the great tree that was the house of David had been cut down.  Isaiah, years earlier, had also prophesied:  “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse (David’s father)”  New growth following the downfall of David’s house.  New hope following the destruction of his lineage.  A king with a claim to David’s throne, but far more than that – he comes to execute justice and righteousness for all.

Our king comes to wear a crown of thorns.  Our king comes to be enthroned on the cross.  He executes justice by bearing the punishment in our place – bearing the wrath of God for sin.  He executes righteousness by making us righteous with his own perfect righteousness.

The crowds of Jerusalem welcomed him with adulation, and shouts of “Hosanna”, which means, “save us”.  Little did they know that he came to do just that – as Jeremiah had foretold: 

In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

“The Lord is our Righteousness”  Yahweh Zedekiah in the Hebrew.  It’s a play on words and on the name of the last Davidic king.

Yes, the savior, the true and ultimate Son of David, will not be like that other Zedekiah – the one dethroned, blinded and who died a prisoner.  This Zedekiah is Yahweh Zedekiah, the Lord is Our Righteousness.  And a far better hope for his people.  A far greater fulfillment of God’s promise to David – your heir will sit on your throne forever.

And in the coming of our king of righteousness, we have hope.  Our weeping is turned to joy.  Our scarlet sins are turned to white robes of righteousness.  Even our death is but the gate to eternal life.

Our king comes, righteous and having salvation.  He comes to his Jerusalem, to his people, to fulfill all promises.  He comes on Palm Sunday, a triumphal entry before his bitter suffering and death.  But he comes back, conquering death and paving a path to resurrection for us all.  He comes even now, today, through his word and in his Sacrament, a servant-king who feeds his people.

And our Yahweh Zedekiah will come again in glory, with the trumpet call of God, the shout of the archangel, and the final cries of hosanna from his people who will welcome him with joy.  Then, he comes, not in humility but glory.  Then, he will come not to die, but to bring history to its close, to judge the peoples, and execute final justice in righteousness forever.

Weep not, dear Christian, in this fallen world of sadness.  Or at least do not grieve without hope.  For the Son of David comes, the righteous branch of David, and in him there is hope for you and for all his people.

Sermon - Thanksgiving Eve - Luke 12:13-21

 

Life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.

A blessed Thanksgiving Eve to you, as again we come to that national holiday which our church also observes – a day set aside to give thanks to God for his blessings.

This year, we are using the readings appointed for a “Harvest Observance”, which certainly have quite a bit to teach us about thankfulness.

In our Deuteronomy reading, we see instructions for the people to give a thank offering of the first fruits of the harvest.  There, God reminds the people to be thankful not only for the harvest itself, but for the land that produces it, and the fact that all of this is given by the God who saved them and brought them out of Egypt.  He saved them from slavery and brought them to a land flowing with milk and honey.  Rehearsing and recounting God’s goodness is always a beneficial exercise, and is part of the process of giving thanks rightly.

Paul teaches the Corinthians in our Epistle reading about the importance of cheerful giving, generous giving, freely and out of the heart.  He notes how the gifts of the Corinthians are providing support for fellow Christians in need, and that all of it flows from the surpassing grace of God’s inexpressible gift!  Thanks is given in word and in action, and in response to the gifts we receive first from God.

And then there’s Jesus’ parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12.  Here we will spend a little more time this evening.  Jesus tells this parable in response to a request from someone to settle an inheritance dispute.  Jesus answers the man somewhat tersely, “who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?”  Jesus couldn’t be less concerned with such earthly matters, and warns his people about the dangers of covetousness.

Coveting, we learn, in the 9^th and 10^th commandment, is a dangerous sin.  Whether it’s your neighbors house (that is, his possessions), or his wife, manservant, maidservant, ox or donkey, (that is, his relationships).  In any case it’s never good to have that sinful, covetous desire for what belongs to another.

The “coveting commandments” teach us that sin exists not only in word and deed, but also in our thoughts and desires.  Desires are not wrong in themselves, but they can be sinful and twisted.  Coveting is such a desire – a sinful lust for someone or something that belongs to another.

And covetousness is the exact opposite of contentment.  Being content with the gifts, the many gifts, each of us has been given.  Recognizing them as gifts from God, and counting them in appreciation.  Your home, your family, your health, your wealth.  It is good to reflect on this things and consider God’s goodness in providing for us so richly.

And so Jesus tells the parable of the Rich Fool.  And the point of it is this principle:  “Life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

For the Rich Fool, that’s all he could see in life – was the abundance of his possessions.  When even more abundant possessions came his way, all he could think of was keeping them and having even more!  It seems that his wealth was all he cared about in life, and planned his whole life around it.  He built ever bigger barns to selfishly keep it all for himself. 

He even had a little conversation with himself, deciding how best to serve himself, and he said, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”

But the sad surprise for the Rich Fool is that his soul would not be around to enjoy the ample goods for long.  That very night his soul was required of him.  So what of all his barn building and expanding, his hoarding of treasures and his selfish plans?  All for naught.

Life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.  Then where DOES life consist?  Of course, we must answer, “in Jesus Christ!”

Had this Rich Fool known Christ, how things might have been different!  Surely he would have given a thought to the giver of his bumper crop.  Surely he would have considered and received his gifts with thanksgiving.  Surely he would have at least returned a portion of his blessings, rather than simply and automatically building more barns for himself!

Maybe the Rich Fool, had he been wise instead, would have had a different conversation with himself.  “I have all these extra blessings.  What shall I do?  First, I will give thanks.  I will acknowledge the Giver of all good things in my thoughts, my words, and my deeds.  I will pray a prayer of thanksgiving.  I will show my gratitude in my life, and be generous with those who have less.  I will not grasp and strain for more, more, more, but be content with the abundant blessings I’ve received.”

Life does not consist in the abundance of possessions, it consists in the love of God shown to us in Jesus Christ, a love which is to be shared.  Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.  And the sharing of our faith is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.  Life consists in Christ and his word, for his words are spirit and life.

These, my friends, are the true riches.  The treasures of heaven, which make us rich toward God.  Here is where true wealth is found, in the blood of Christ, in sins forgiven, in the promise of life eternal.

What a different perspective the Christian has!  We see these earthly treasures for what they are – good gifts from God, yes.  Things to be thankful for, yes.  But like all things of the world – temporary and fading.  Not to be hoarded, but managed wisely, and used generously.

Thanks be to God, this evening, tomorrow, and always.  He blesses us richly now, and has laid up for us all the treasures of heaven.  He has given us the treasure of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.  Thanks be to God, in his name.  Amen.