Sermon - Lent 1 - Matthew 4:1-11

 

Tempted For You

Matthew 4:1-11

A blessed Lent to you.  In this season of penitence and fasting, of meditation and prayer, we tune our spiritual senses more keenly to the struggle with sin.  Temptation.  An experience common to every person, and yes, especially to every Christian.  Hebrews tells us Jesus is not  “unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but… in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin,” and also, “because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”  So we must consider our own struggles with temptation in the light of Christ’s temptation.

Matthew’s Gospel for today shows us that Jesus himself is tempted during his 40 days in the wilderness.  Tempted by none other than the Devil himself.  As we consider Christ’s temptation today, we can plumb its mysteries and learn from his example, consider our own struggle with temptation, and rejoice in his victory over the devil on our behalf.

The devil is a master of evil and deception.  From the very beginning he has sought to lead man astray, and he doesn’t stop even when it comes to the very Son of God.  The enemy uses every foul device he can, every wicked trick in his collection, and aims them all at Jesus.  We should take careful note of his tactics.

Notice, first, how the devil waited until Jesus was good and hungry, near the end of his fast, at his most vulnerable.

Temptations also come to us in force when we are in a similar weakened state.  Alone, tired, weak.  It may well be the devil who tempts us, or it may be the sinful world or even our own sinful nature.  Temptations are sure to come, whatever the source.  But we do well to flee from temptation and avoid situations where we are vulnerable and weak. 

So, for instance, Christian, don’t isolate yourself from the body of Christ.  For that makes you easier prey.  Stay with the herd, as it were, lest the lion single you out as easy pickings. 

The devil also has the audacity to use God’s word and twist it in with his temptation!  Of course, even in the garden he mixed truth and lies to deceive our first parents.  We do well to watch our doctrine carefully, lest we be led astray but pious-seeming lies into false doctrine and practice.  Don’t fall for pious-sounding lies that lead you astray from Christ and his word.

That the devil is an expert at temptation by no means gives us an excuse for falling into his traps.  God’s law stands, and there is no “devil-made-me-do-it” provision.  Rather than excuse us for falling into temptation, our Lord Jesus forgives us our sins, and then encourages us to go and sin no more. 

Sin is never winked at, it is always deadly serious.  But it is paid for, covered by the blood of Christ.  Likewise the devil is a nasty foe, and we are warned against him – but he is also a defeated foe, both in the wilderness, and better, by the death and resurrection of Christ.

Now, for Jesus’ part – it is a great mystery that he was tempted.  As true God, it is impossible for him to sin.  However, as true man he certainly felt the pressures of temptation.  One commentator writes:

The man who yields to a particular temptation has not felt its full power. He has given in while the temptation has yet something in reserve. Only the man who does not yield to temptation, who, as regards that particular temptation, is sinless, knows the full extent of that temptation.

Certainly the devil pulled out all the stops with Jesus. His temptation was three-fold, which, in Hebrew grammar, at least, indicates the superlative form.  The devil did his worst, and still Jesus prevailed!

First, he tempted him with bread.  The physical, carnal, fleshly needs are real needs.  And the devil is a master at using our creaturly-ness against us.  Food itself, nor any of the needs of the body- none of these are sinful in themselves.  But our use of them is often turned into sinful idolatry.  We place the created things above the Creator.  We abuse his good gifts in ways we ought not. 

But not Jesus.  He subdues his flesh like we cannot.  He rightly orders the spiritual food above the earthly.  He spurns the temptation and embraces the Word of God – “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

And Jesus, as the Second Adam, he succeeds exactly where the First Adam failed – the devil tempted Adam to eat the forbidden fruit, and Adam sinned.  The devil tempted Jesus to eat bread during his fast, but Jesus prevailed.

Next, the devil tempts Jesus at the Temple.  “Throw yourself down from the pinnacle – and watch the angels catch you.”  A stunt to test the promises of God?  The enemy always tests God by his poking and prodding, and he tempts us to do the same.

What is the devil tempting Jesus with here, but the easy way out?  If angels carried Christ down from the pinnacle of the temple, to a bedazzled crowd of religious people gathered there – then perhaps they’ll just believe in him on the spot.  “Do a miracle, Jesus, and become the Messiah through glory!  Take the easy way out, and we don’t have to bother with all the messiness of the cross.”  It’s the same talk the devil put into Peter’s mouth after Peter’s great confession.  But Jesus, of course, doesn’t take the bait.  He will not take the path of least resistance, but will go headlong into trials, suffering, and cross. He rebukes the satanic suggestion otherwise.

How often are we tempted with the easy way… the path of least resistance… tempted to flee from suffering at all costs, at the cost of our integrity, our faithfulness, and at the cost of not truly loving our neighbor? Jesus again does well where we do not.

Finally the devil takes Jesus to a high mountain and shows him the kingdoms of the world.  “All these are mine,” he says.  Another half-truth.  He’s the prince of this world, but he is a thief and a liar.  They don’t really belong to him.  “And I will give them to you, if you just bend the knee to me.  Worship me.”  And it’s preposterous, of course.  Jesus would never.

But we do.  And for far less.  Whenever we turn from our true Master we serve that other master.  Whenever put aside our sonship and become slaves to sin.  When we sell our birthright for a bowl of something or other, whatever little slice of the kingdom of this world the devil has on offer.

But Jesus is the true king, the true master, the true Lord of the Nations.  He sends forth his apostles to make disciples of all nations through the humble means of baptism and teaching his word.  Thus he establishes his kingdom – through the preaching of the Gospel, and by the work of the Spirit.

Christ defeats the devil, and all his temptations, not only as an example for us.  But he also does it in our place.  Just as he took our place in his baptism to fulfill all righteousness.  Just as he takes our place on the cross, to atone for the sins of the world.  So Jesus takes our place in the wilderness, under the assaults of the evil one, to defeat him for us.  To ever, always do what we cannot do for ourselves, and to win the victory on our behalf.

Jesus undoes, therefore, everything that went wrong in the Garden of Eden. 

There in the garden, the devil won the day.  Here, in the wilderness, the devil must flee with his tail between his legs. 

There, the devil deceived the woman, and she led her husband along.  Here, Christ cannot be led astray. 

There, sin and death came into the world, and Adam gave Satan a share in his dominion, even lordship in this world.  But now the true king has arrived, and he takes it all back and leaves the devil with nothing. 

Adam was exiled from the garden and cast into the wilderness.  Jesus goes to the wilderness to bring us back to paradise with himself. 

All the world was cursed by the sin of Adam, but by bearing the curse of the cross, Jesus brings us blessing. 

By a tree, the devil overcame – but now by the tree of the cross the devil is undone.

A blessed Lent, dear Christians.  May you ever fight the good fight against temptation, and follow as closely as you can the footsteps of Jesus who has gone before us.  And when you fall, repent again, and turn in faith to the one who has crushed the serpent – in the wilderness, and at the cross – and know that your victory is sure through him.

 

 

Sermon - The Transfiguration of Our Lord - Matthew 17:1-9

“Seeing God”

The Transfiguration of Our Lord is one of those prominent occasions in the Gospels, and in the Church Year.  Jesus takes the three apostles up the mountain, his appearance is changed – he becomes all bright and shiny.  Moses and Elijah appear.  There’s a cloud.  Then the voice from heaven, “This is my Son. Listen to him.” And as quickly as it began, it’s over.  Peter’s nonsensical jabbering aside, it is a glorious event.  It is a spectacular sight.  It is a peek at the true glory of Christ that had thus far in his life remained hidden.  And it brought to bear the witness of both the Old Testament spokesmen and the very voice of the Father in testimony of Jesus as the Son of God, the Savior, the Christ.

I’ve pondered this event, as I am sure many of you have, year after year.  It’s a treasure trove of depth and meaning.  There are so many significant details, it’s impossible to cover everything.  Today I want to focus especially on the aspect of the transfiguration that has to do with what the disciples saw.  Their eyewitness account.  And why seeing it with them matters, also to us.

Seeing, along with hearing, is a key concept in Holy Scripture.  Often times we are commanded to “behold!”, that is, “look, and see!” something of great importance.  Now, of course, none of us were there to see any of the Bible’s events, but we can see them through the eyes of faith, and witness them along with the writers who proclaim the word to us.  This is why their eyewitness account is so crucial.  

Peter makes a point of this in our Epistle reading.  “We didn’t make up a bunch of clever myths.  We were eyewitnesses of these things!”  Jesus instructed the three disciples not to tell anyone the vision” until after his resurrection.  But now, Peter reflects on that sight, and writes about it in today’s Epistle.  

It is a basic Scriptural standard that “every matter must be confirmed by 2 or 3 witnesses”, according to Deuteronomy 19, Jesus rightly took the 3 up the mountain with him for the very purpose of them witnessing what would happen.  But many others served as witnesses to the important events of Jesus’ work:  So also Jesus gave “many convincing proofs” to the hundreds of disciples who would see him – alive – after his resurrection.  John testifies poignantly about the blood and water that came from Jesus’ side, proof that he truly died.  And countless others in the great cloud of witnesses tell us what they have seen and heard.  We do well to “behold!” it all, through them.

We  dare not put God to the test like doubting Thomas, “I won’t believe it if I don’t see it!”  Yet, still we ought to appreciate that God has provided for us these eyewitnesses so that even though we weren’t there, and we don’t see first-hand, still we may believe.  The witness of Holy Scripture is how the eyes of faith see… as the Spirit works through this testimony to enliven and strengthen our faith.  He who has ears to hear, thus, also, has eyes to see.  

So what did Peter, James and John see?  They saw the Lord Jesus transfigured.  His appearance changed – from his normal, everyday Jesus, to a bright-shining glorified Jesus.  He gives them a peek behind the veil, as it were, to see a glimpse of the true glory that is his – glory of the one and only, Son of God, beloved of the Father.  In a word, they saw Jesus as God.

Now, John would later write in his Gospel, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”  In other words, though no one has ever seen the Father, we only know the Father through the Son.

This is worth pondering.  Who could see God face to face and live?  Certainly not a sinful man like you or me.  God’s holiness is radiant and all-consuming.  For us, in our sins, to stand in his presence would be like bringing a sheet of notebook paper up close to the Sun.  We can’t even get that close.  God is holy and he hates sin, and there is no place for sinners anywhere near his presence.

Remember when Isaiah saw God (in a vision!) and his first reaction was to exclaim, “Woe to me, I am ruined… for I am a man of unclean lips… and I have seen God!”  Such is the reaction of any unholy, unclean, unworthy creature when faced with the divine glory of the Incomprehensible!

But it is a different thing to see God in the face of his Son, Jesus Christ.  What a kind, loving face that is.  A face that is one of our own.  A smile that invites us to follow him, learn from him, be fed by him.  We behold Jesus in the gospels as one who loved all people, had great compassion, and gave his time and energy freely to the crowds of people who clamored for him – sheep without a shepherd.  But he alone is the Good Shepherd, and would lay down his life for the sheep.

Mostly, we see him in humility.  Born in humble circumstances.  Growing up and asking questions, learning like we do. As a man, itinerant, nowhere to lay his head.  Scorned by his enemies, betrayed and abandoned by his friends.  Arrested and imprisoned, flogged and crucified.  Most of what we see of Jesus isn’t that impressive to earthly eyes.

But there’s this glimpse of glory on the mount.  There’s this shining moment, in which just a bit of his true brilliance shows through.  You could say that Jesus really is the Son of God, but to see him dazzling like the sun, says it in a way words cannot.  It must have made quite an impression on Peter, James, and John.  It was, in a word, glorious.

What a blessing for us, through the Gospels, to have a look over their shoulders as they beheld the transfigured glory of Christ.  But as great as it was, this glory was not for basking in.  There was no time to set up tents and stay a while.  This was a glimpse.  It was a short and sweet glance behind the veil, for a very specific purpose.

Did you notice that Matthew’s account begins, “six days after this”?  Any time we see such a remark, it’s good to ask, “after what?”  What connection of context is there for us to consider?  And this one is very telling:

Six days before the Transfiguration, Peter made his great confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God!  Jesus commended him for this answer, which he received not from flesh and blood, but from the Father!  And then Jesus proceeded to explain exactly what it meant for him to be the Christ.  It meant suffering, betrayal, arrest, death, and resurrection.  It was more than Peter could stand to hear, and he tried to rebuke Jesus.  But Jesus called Peter Satan, and rebuked him instead.  Nothing would deter Jesus from his mission.  Nothing would stop him from facing the cross.  Nothing would distract him from dying for Peter’s sins, for everyone’s sins, for yours and mine.

Good Friday would be a dark day – figuratively and literally.  It would be hard to see the glory that was hidden in the bloody, sweaty, agonizing sacrifice of Jesus.  It had the appearance of the opposite of glory.  It looked all wrong.  But there in the back of their minds, was the Transfiguration.  A reminder to them, and perhaps even more so to us, that with God, things aren’t always as they appear.  Humble Jesus is really the glorious Son of God.  The shameful, mournful, sorrow of the cross – is really the greatest work of God, the great and glorious work of his Son, the redemption of the world, the crux of history, and the height of God’s love shown forth in the strangest and most blessed way.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Behold his transfiguration.  Behold his crucifixion.  Behold his resurrection.  We behold him now, through the word, and by our faith.

And one day, we will see not just with the eyes of faith, but as Job says, with my own eyes, I will see – I and not another.  We will see him face to face and be with him in our own resurrection.  How glorious that will be!  

Sermon - Epiphany 5 - Matthew 5:13-20 (especially 17-20)

 

Matthew 5:13-20 (especially 17-20)

Fulfill the Law

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Unless you’re more righteous than the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Well.  How’s that going for you?

The Pharisees, if they were known for one thing, it was their righteousness.  Held high as the standards of holy living, the Pharisees were the models of virtue for all of the regular, old, every-day Jews of Jesus’ time.  It might be like if someone today were to compare you to a Mother Theresa with the poor in Calcutta, or a Jimmy Carter who builds homes for homeless people.  They were thought of as the best of the best, they were admired above all, and their earthly riches were seen by many as a reward for their good lives.

But you and I know better, of course.  We know the dark side of the Pharisees – how they operated in the land of legalism, and made a pretense of doing good while devouring the homes of widows.  How they made a show of their righteousness, in order to be seen by men.  And perhaps worst of all – how they opposed the very Messiah himself, and conspired to have him put to death.  No, in another sense, from our view, the Pharisee’s level of righteousness isn’t very hard to exceed at all.  You’d just have to not be an absolute scoundrel to qualify.

But Jesus isn’t trying to relax the law for us.  He means that our righteousness should be tip-top.  Better than even the popular perception of the Pharisees.  Better than the zenith of man-made righteousness.  In fact he says anyone who even just relaxes the law will be least in the kingdom.  He wants his law taken seriously, and followed.  Not just in an outward sense.  Not just to be seen by men.  He wants the law kept in thought, word and deed, not just deeds. 

That’s what Isaiah writes about in our Old Testament reading – false fasting.  Doing only the outward show of good when the heart isn’t in it.  And you can tell, because they do the religious good works for show, but they turn around and mistreat the poor.  It would be like people who are “good church going people” on the outside, but on the inside they are just as petty and petulant as the next sinner.  They treat each other with contempt and only look out for their own good.  And the true good works of loving their neighbor don’t match up with their supposed “good religious character”.  God is not mocked.  He sees through it all.

But it gets even worse for us.  He wants his law followed perfectly, in its entirety, not in a horseshoes and hand grenades, close-enough-is-good-enough sort of way.  Keep the commandments!  Love God perfectly.  Love your neighbor as yourself.  Have no other gods, don’t misuse God’s Name or despise his word.  Respect authority, cherish life, love your family.  Look out for your neighbor’s stuff, and even his good name.  And don’t even think about taking what is his, but be content.

So again, I might ask, how’s that going for you?  Does your righteousness exceed that of the Pharisees?  Are you all about keeping the law, or do you relax it on yourself?  Are you following all the commandments all the time?  Or is an iota here and a dot there just a bit too much for you?  So get out your law-eraser!

And do you, in word or action, teach others to do the same?  How would someone looking at your life describe your keeping of the law, if they followed you around with a camera and recorded your words and deeds?

Do you act as if God’s holy and eternal law is something of no consequence, something you can bend and break at will, something you can ignore or rewrite to suit your fancy and circumstance?  How do you compare to it?  Or do you even bother, usually?

If we are honest with ourselves we will see and say and confess that of ourselves, none of us is righteous enough or righteous at all.  And that means that the kingdom of heaven is out of our reach.  That means that each of us is least in the kingdom.  It means that we are just as bad off as the Pharisees we love to mock and critique.  It means we are lost.

But then there is Jesus.  Jesus, who kept the law.  Who didn’t come to abolish it, but fulfill it.  And he did that in so many ways.

He fulfilled the law, first, by keeping every commandment perfectly, all the time, in every way.  That’s hard for us to even imagine, but that is what he did.  He was like us in every way yet without sin. 

That means he never had any other Gods but the one true God.  He never misused or dishonored God’s name or Word.  A perfect relationship with God, always trusting and loving and never disobeying his Father.  No idols.  No false worship.  Satan tried to tempt him that way – with an offer of all the kingdoms of the world!  But Jesus knew and obeyed the first commandment, and quoted it to the enemy, “You shall worship the Lord your God and him alone”.

And he always loved his neighbor – honoring his parents, submissive to them and all other authorities (even those who put him to death). 

Not only did he “not murder”, but he cared perfectly for the lives of all those around him – having great compassion on the sick and diseased, healing them. 

He was always faithful to his Bride, the church.  And he remains faithful to her even now.  He gives up everything for her, with his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died. 

He never took what wasn’t his (for all belongs to him anyway), but had nowhere to lay his head, no earthly riches, no ill-gotten gains.  And he always spoke truly and kindly, gracious words for the benefit of any who had ears to hear, never a false witness, but words of Spirit and truth.

Jesus did all things well.  He perfectly obeyed his Father’s will in all things, even to the end.  The cup wouldn’t pass from him, the cup of wrath for all sin.  Death would not Passover him, the true Lamb of God.  He humbled himself even unto death, and even death on a cross. 

And along the way, he fulfilled everything written about in the Law and the Prophets.  He was born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem.  He was a son of David, also called a Nazarene.  He healed and cast out demons.  He preached good news to the poor.  He came to his own city humble and riding a donkey.  He bore our griefs, this man of sorrows, and became the Suffering Servant upon whom was laid the iniquity of us all.  He rose on the third day, showing forth the sign of Jonah, and ascended to the Father who makes all his enemies his footstool.  He even pours out his Spirit on all flesh, as the prophet Joel wrote, and he establishes his church, and sends his word and witnesses out even to the ends of the earth.

All of this fulfilling of the law – both the commandments and the prophecies – all of this Jesus does, for you, dear Christian.  Everything Jesus does, he does for you.  His incarnation as a man – literally every breath he takes – he didn’t have to do it, but he did it out of love for his fallen creation, yes, even, for you.  He fulfills all, for you, his rebellious subject, his wandering sheep, his wayward, wondering, creature.  And he turns the tables on all your law-breaking.  It is finished.

Or to put it another way, in Christ, you are more righteous than the Pharisees.  And the kingdom of heaven is yours.  For he takes away all your law-breaking, and he gives you his perfect righteousness.  He fulfills all righteousness for you, and me, and for all.

What is left for us to do then?  Nothing for salvation, that’s been done.  Nothing to fix anything with God; Jesus has done it all.  All that’s left for us is love.  Love God, love neighbor.  Fulfill the law as best we can, with the power of his Spirit.  Fulfill the law for the sake of love and nothing more.  Because that’s what Christians do.

So go and sin no more.  Keep the law.  For Christ has fulfilled it for you.  Love God, who loves you.  And love your neighbor, too.