Mark 6:1–13
“The Preaching of Repentance”
What a wonderful day it is for Messiah to celebrate the
arrival and installation of our first vicar, Jeremy McDonald. I’m going to trust that most of us have read
and learned what the vicarage program is about, why Messiah is participating,
and about the unusual circumstances that bring us a man who is already ordained
as a pastor – and yet has come to serve a year as a student – preparing for
full-time pastoral ministry. We pray
that we will be a blessing to him, and he to us, and that this time will also
serve the church at large, especially the congregation he will one day be
called to serve.
It is fitting, as it often seems to happen, that the
lectionary sets before us today a reading which speaks to the occasion. Focusing on the second half of our Gospel
reading today, in which Jesus sends out the 12.
In a sense, Jesus ran his own seminary of his own – trained his own
disciples as the first pastors of the church – and here we have an example of
him sending them out for some practical experience – work in the field. Pushing them out of the safety of his direct
supervision to go and preach and heal and cast out evil spirits in the villages
and towns.
He sent them out two by two – probably in part for practical
reasons – as it is often beneficial to follow the “buddy system”. But also, in keeping with the scriptural
principle of witness – that every matter is confirmed by two or three
witnesses. They were not without support
in the field. God provided for them,
even by means of their companion in this work.
Later, when they were ready, these same disciples would also go out on
their own and preach and establish churches even to the ends of the earth.
But for now, he also instructed them not to over-prepare. I’m sure there are times Pastor McDonald will
feel ill-prepared for the tasks we will place before him, or that he will
encounter – both here and in his eventual ministry. After many years of pastoring, I still often
feel the same. But here the implicit
assurance Jesus gives is that we ought not worry too much about such
things. God provides for his preachers,
and for pastors, through the generosity of those who hear the word from them. So the disciples relied on the hospitality of
the people in the villages. And pastors
and vicars today rely on the generosity of God’s people to support the work of
the Gospel wherever we are to serve.
And that you do so, as Christians, is a very good
thing. It is an act of faith – an
expression of gratitude for God’s word that has spoken and still speaks to
you. It is a way of showing appreciation
for all that Scripture teaches, and that the Spirit proclaims to us in both Law
and Gospel.
For those that did not receive the apostles’ preaching, a
harsh and symbolic sign was given against them – “(if) they will not listen to
you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony
against them.” And Jesus explains
elsewhere, those who reject his messengers are really rejecting him, along with
the one who sent him. But those who
receive the apostles’ teaching, receive Christ and the Father who sent him.
Martin Luther teaches us in the Small Catechism, in the
“Table of Duties”, he has a section “What the Hearers Owe Their Pastors”. And in good Lutheran fashion, it is simply a
collection of pertinent Scripture readings which teach us to care for and honor
the servants of God who bring us his Word.
For instance:
Obey your leaders and
submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an
account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that
would be of no advantage to you. Heb. 13:17
It’s sometimes hard to share good things with your pastor
and show respect and submit to that authority… especially when the word that is
preached is a word you might not enjoy hearing.
For even those disciples were sent by Jesus with a similar charge: “So they went out and proclaimed that people
should repent.”
Now we should note – that when Jesus sends them to preach
repentance – that includes two parts – the turning away from sin, and the
turning to Christ in faith.
Preaching the first part of repentance is not always fun,
but it is necessary. Like the doctor who
delivers the tough news of a diagnosis:
you have so many months to live.
So the preacher is also given to deliver the diagnosis of sin – and to
call sinners to repent of it. This of
course is not our own word, but God’s.
It’s not our own work, either, but God’s. Though it is his alien work. It’s not God’s favorite word to proclaim
through his preachers either.
But it is necessary.
And perhaps even more now than ever before. In a world that has attacked and diminished
our awareness of sin and desensitizes us constantly to it – in a culture that
even celebrates sins and designates which month to do so – in a marketplace of
ideas that decries even the idea of objective truth or reality, that there is
male and female, that life begins at conception, or that there is even a God
who created us. Repentance is always in
order, the preaching of repentance is always germane. But even more now in this gray and latter
days.
But the preaching of repentance is also necessary, not only
because of the world out there. But
because of the people right here. In
those pews, and in this pulpit, we also find sinners who need that word of
law. Sinners who forget our Lord and put
ourselves first. Sinners whose thoughts,
words, and deeds do not reflect the new creation he has baptized us to be. And lest we forget, God’s accusing word of
law is preached to keep repentance always before us.
But so too the Gospel.
Now as much as ever do sin-sore ears and bruised consciences need the
only healing balm that can cure the soul.
Now, today, and every day we need the proclamation of Jesus Christ
crucified for sinners, that Jesus’ blood has atoned for sin, for your sin, for
mine. We need the external and objective
promises of God’s grace that come to us in the holy sacraments of Baptism and
the Lord’s Supper. We need the absolving
word of the pastor with the promise of Christ that heaven itself is opened by
this forgiving word.
Pastor McDonald, Jeremy, you have been ordained into this
office, and now you come for further study and experience in our midst (as you
often say, doing things a bit backwards, but that’s ok) – but all to this end –
to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins, and to administer the sacraments
which afford that same forgiveness in Christ.
We welcome you as a fellow servant of Christ and look forward to hearing
God’s word proclaimed to us, from you.
And now back to the first half of the Gospel reading. Jesus himself is rejected at Nazareth, his
own home town. Perhaps some would find
this astonishing. Jesus, for his part
marveled at their unbelief. Now there
are many things would could take from this – but one is a reminder that not all
will believe. Not all will receive
Jesus. And some who you might THINK
would, won’t. And some you might think
won’t, will.
What is Jesus’ response to this? Does he call down fire and brimstone? No, he just moves on to preach in the other
villages and towns. He puts his nose to
the grind, and does what he is given to do.
But it wasn’t just the Nazareth villagers who rejected
Christ. His own family and friends were
offended by him, turned away from him.
And in the end even his closest disciples fled. He was stripped of his dignity, his clothes,
and gave up his life. He was rejected by
all – and all this in accord with God's plan and purpose.
So that you, sinner, would be forgiven. So that you, forgiven child of God, would
never be rejected. So that God will
always hear your prayers, and receive them as he receives you: through Christ. And so that repentance and forgiveness of
sins would be preached beginning at Jerusalem, and even to the ends of the
earth. So have we heard. So may we ever believe.
In Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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