All Saints Day – 30 October 2016 – Year C

Grace to you and peace from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

The text for meditation is written in the 7^th Chapter of the Book of Revelation: Verses 2 – 14.

² Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: ³ “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” ⁴ Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

⁵ From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,

from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

⁶ from the tribe of Asher 12,000,

from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,

from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

⁷ from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,

from the tribe of Levi 12,000,

from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

⁸ from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,

from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,

from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

⁹ After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,

who sits on the throne,

and to the Lamb.”

¹¹ All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying:

“Amen!

Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

¹³ Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

¹⁴ I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

The dictionary definition of the word saint nominates it as an elevated title for a special person, but in the world it is not quite as simple as that.  It means different things to different people. In the Apostles’ Creed we confess that the church is the Communion of Saints.  If the word saint means different things to different people, then so does the phrase the Communion of Saints. So then, what or who is a saint?  What or who is the Communion of Saints?

The popular notion thinks of a saint as some person of great faith.  All the authors of the Holy Gospels in the Bible have the title of saint, as does Paul and Peter.  Others who have lived since the time of the Bible, but have practiced their faith in an extraordinary way like Jerome or Augustine or even Nicholas have been given the title saint.  Naturally, people think of saints as some sort of super Christians that were just plain better than the rest of us.

This popular view of saints can create problems in people, especially Christians. Sometimes it provides an excuse or reticence at least. “I am not the one to tell people about Jesus, after all I am no saint” – a phrase commonly heard!  Or – “I can’t really speak to my children about going to church; after all I am no saint”. Such an attitude would cause the church to stagnate while we all waited for the saint – the super Christian – to step forward and do all the work.

There are always denominational tensions about the status of the saint.  There are some who direct their prayers more to saints than God: Small statues of saints become good luck charms as they hang from rear view mirrors, or neck chains.  For some people, these saints become like the gods of mythology.  There is some confusion about the divine status of the patron saint of travellers, the patron saint of labourers, the patron saint of health, the patron saint of the sea, the sky, the land, and so forth.

The Bible has a different way of defining the word saint.  In the opening greeting of most of his letters, the Apostle Paul addressed his readers as saints.  He wrote to the saints in Rome, to the saints in Corinth, to the saints in Ephesus, and so on.  The Greek word that Paul uses here is simply the word holy transformed into a noun.  Instead of saying saint, we could just as easily say holy one.  This prompts questions.  How does a person become holy?  What does a holy person look like?

The elder in today’s reading from Revelation asked a very similar question when he spoke to John, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?”  This same elder gives us the answer just a verse later, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.  They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 

What a beautiful picture this is.  Isaiah said, ^{[Isaiah 64:6]} “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.”  Now this elder tells us that the blood of the Lamb removes that pollution and makes our garments pure and white again.  This Lamb is Jesus Christ sacrificed on the cross.  His holy, precious blood and innocent suffering and death remove the pollution of sin and guilt from our deeds and make them righteous in God’s eyes.  The work of Jesus Christ makes our deeds into white and pure robes suitable for heaven. 

Saints are not people who make themselves holy, but people who receive holiness by the Father’s grace, for the Son’s sake, through the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith.  Does the way we become a saint sound a lot like the way we become a Christian?  It should.  All Christians are saints and all saints are Christians. 

The Apostle John gives us another name for saint., ^{1 John 3:1} “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”  Child of God, saint, Christian – these are all different names for those who have saving faith in Jesus Christ – all different names for those of the great multitude who will stand before the throne of the Lamb.

If you think you are not holy enough to be a saint then join the club.  St. Matthew was a tax collector.  St. Philip doubted that Jesus could feed the five thousand with a little bit of bread and fish.  St. Peter denied ever knowing Jesus.  St. Thomas doubted that Jesus rose from the dead.  St. Paul called himself the chief of sinners because he persecuted the church before the Holy Spirit planted faith in his heart. When Paul wrote to the saints in Corinth, he had to scold them for quite a number of problems.  For one thing, they were abusing the Lord’s Supper.  Paul wrote, ^{[1 Corinthians 11:20-21]} “When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper that you eat.  For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk”.  Can you imagine being drunk at the Lord’s Supper?  Never the less, in the greeting of his letter, he calls them saints – holy ones.  They were not perfect, but they were still holy in God’s eyes by faith in Jesus Christ.

What then is the Communion of Saints?  It is the Communion of holy people – the communion of Christians – the communion of those who believe that Jesus is both Christ and Lord.  The historically famous theologian Martin Luther description was “This is the meaning and substance of this phrase: I believe that there is on earth a holy little flock and community of pure saints under one head, Christ.  It is called together by the Holy Spirit in one faith, mind, and understanding”.

This Communion of Saints spans two different worlds.  Here on this earth, the Communion of Saints struggles with life in this sin soaked world.  We are the Church Militant.  Even though Jesus has defeated Satan with His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, Satan still fights and the Church Militant is the battle field.  We continuously look to our Champion, Jesus Christ to give us the victory.

Then there is the Church Triumphant gathered at the throne of the Lamb – the ones who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  They have returned to Paradise, to the Garden of Eden.  They are without sin, without hunger, without misery, without tears, and without death itself.  The one called the Lamb is their Shepherd – who leads His own lambs to living fountains of water.  All memory of pain, death, sin, sickness, poverty, hunger, persecution, and hatred are wiped from their eyes along with their tears.

Even though this church spans two worlds, there are not two churches: one here on earth and another in heaven.  Rather we “believe in one holy Christian and apostolic church.”  The oneness of the church is not destroyed even by the separation of death.  For where Jesus is, there are the saints – those here on earth, and those who have “come out of the great tribulation” of life in this world.  The church on earth and the church in heaven unite around the throne of God and in the presence of the Lamb. 

When we gather around the altar on Sunday, we know that our deceased relatives and friends who have likewise “washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb” are right there with us.  When we sing “Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,” we sing along with the countless Christians of every age.  When we chant “Holy, holy, holy,” we do so with billions of the faithful from every time and place; and when we come before the Body and Blood of the Lord, we are united with those whom we wish we could speak to, but can’t.  We join with those whom we love but can no longer embrace.  We are not only in the presence of Jesus, but are also surrounded by this great cloud of witnesses, this host arrayed in white, those who fall on their faces night and day before the Lord Himself.

Therefore, it is proper that we praise God for the men and women of faith whose works of love inspire us and set an example of the godly Christian life for us.  It is appropriate that we honour the work that God has done in their lives to give them the true saving faith.  It is also appropriate that we honour the work that God has done through their lives to affect the lives of the people around them.  It is appropriate that we honour those who have preceded us into the Church Triumphant.

For when we honour the redeemed, we are also honouring the Redeemer.  The saints who are holy in God’s eyes testify to the only One who is eternally holy: our Lord Jesus Christ.  It is His blood that covers our sin and allows us to stand in His presence.  It is being baptised into His death that gives us a white robe.  It is His Word and Sacraments that usher us into the throne room where we will never again suffer or be unhappy.

What then shall we do while we wait for our turn to leave the battle of this world and enter the rest our Saviour has prepared for us?  Perhaps you’ve heard the short verse, “Living above with saints we love, that will be grace and glory; but living below with saints we know, that is a different story.”  Life in this world is hard.  Although we are saints in God’s eyes, we still sin.  The battle with sin rages around us and in us.  We live in the great tribulation.

Still, the Saviour promises never to leave us or forsake us.  Though we live in a mortal body decaying with sin, these bodies will be raised and made new.  Though our worship is imperfect, it will be perfected.  Though our voices crack, they will one day sing in perfect harmony with angels.  Though we’re tired and distracted, hungry and bored, we will one day be so alive and filled with joy that we will never grow weary of joining this great crowd in heaven, singing and praising God.

Dear friends, we who believe are already saints.  By His death on the cross, the Lord Himself clothes us with His righteousness, and through His resurrection He will one day shepherd us to everlasting life.  In that blessed place we will experience the eternal joy of God’s presence along with the rest of the Communion of Saints.  Amen.

The peace and love of our Great Triune God that is beyond all human understanding. Keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen

Pentecost 23 – 23 October 2016 – Year C

Pentecost 23 – 23 October 2016 – Year C

Grace to you and peace from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

The text for our meditation is written in the 4^th Chapter of St Paul’s 2^nd letter to Timothy: Verses 6 – 8 & 16 – 18.  (2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18)

As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing …. At my first defence no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them!  But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen

It is interesting to note here, that Paul’s second letter to Timothy is the last letter that Paul writes in his life--at least as recorded in the Bible. Paul is writing from his prison cell in Rome, during his persecution under Emperor Nero, and he is awaiting execution. Paul writes to his loyal assistant Timothy, and as he comes to the end of this letter - and to the end of his life – He is looking back on his life; reflecting on the experiences and events that led up to this time. In addition to this, Paul is also looking forward, to what awaits him beyond this life.

This passage can be quite challenging, because as we read what Paul writes, we could be left wondering, “Is Paul” - the former Pharisee - having a Pharisee Relapse?”

If we cast our mind back to the Gospel reading for last week especially where Jesus told the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, you will see that Jesus was speaking about ^{Luke 18: 9} “some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt” ^{Luke 18: 10-12} “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’

One could be forgiven for comparing that to what Paul says here in our text: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.   Sounds somewhat similar, doesn’t it? Here is Paul quoting a string of his own good works. Could it even be that Paul is citing his works as a basis for his salvation, because Paul does go on to say: “From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day.

So is Paul having a Pharisee relapse? You know, Paul was a Pharisee as a young man and a very brilliant and zealous one, at that. Saul of Tarsus, top of his class, a Pharisee of Pharisees! Now, as an old man, is he reverting to his former ways, putting confidence in his own works? “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

How should we regard this for our own lives? Is the little bit of self-righteous pride in all the good things we have done in God’s sight all right to throw into the mix? Are we not entitled to take some credit for our good works? Surely they will have some influence at the end times when God sits on His judgment throne?

Paul answers this question Romans ^{3: 27 – 28} “Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law”.

In regard to his own works, Paul is adamant ^{Gal 6: 14} “May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

In the light of this, what then of Paul’s apparent Pharisaic self-righteous

opening statements in our text?  As in all cases, passages taken from the Holy Bible must be contextually complete; a few words or a passage taken in isolation can create a false illusion or even confusion. This is a ploy used my those who would lead us away from the true meaning of God’s Word in favour of their own personal agendas. 

In the context of the whole reading, Paul is saying that he was able to achieve many things because ^{2 Tim17-18} “the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom.” You see, it was the Lord who gave Paul the strength to do all that he did, and Paul rightly gives all glory to God.

And when Paul says, “From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day” he is saying nothing more than what is the hope of every Christian: that we have waiting for us the victor’s crown of life that Christ won for us by his bloody crown of thorns. The righteousness of Christ, his perfect righteousness, given to us as a gift--this is our only hope on the Day of Judgment.

Listen, Paul says this very plainly. He says, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

This is a message of a man who knows that death is very near. Paul is in prison. He’s about to be executed, martyred for the faith. But he wants Timothy to know that there is no need to fear such things. Don’t let fear stop you from fighting the good fight. Don’t let danger stop you from finishing the race. Don’t let persecution shake your grip on keeping the faith. That’s why Paul is writing these words to Timothy - and to us - to encourage us, to give us courage to carry on, in spite of whatever difficulties or persecution might lie ahead.

In his words, Paul is reassuring us that the Lord will stand by us and strengthen us to carry out our calling. The Lord will rescue us from every evil deed and bring us safely into His heavenly kingdom. The Lord will award to us the crown of righteousness he has laid up for us. All that the Lord has done, is doing, and will do for us far outweighs our own feeble efforts and the empty hopes and promises the glittering gods of this world offers.

Do we believe this? Yes. If there was any doubt, just look at what Christ Jesus did for us when he went to the cross, willingly suffering and dying in our place, to take away our sins. God loves us beyond all human understanding; He has promised that He will be with us always ^{Matt 28}. He will see us through the hard times, the trials and afflictions we will face. He will give us the strength and the endurance we need in this life and into eternity.

That’s what Paul is saying here. He’s saying: What the Lord has done for me, he will do for you too. When the Lord Jesus Christ returns, he will award that crown of righteousness to me, but “not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

So we see that Paul is by no means having a Pharisaic flashback. Far from trusting in his own righteousness, Paul would be the first to confess his utter unworthiness.  He tell us ^{Rom 7:18} “For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh.” and in 1 Timothy, Paul calls himself the “chief of sinners.” When it comes to salvation, righteousness, justification, Paul would beat his breast and say nothing more than the tax collector in the parable, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

There is no self-righteousness from Paul here only an example on how we should all appraise ourselves as Christians in our Triune God’s kingdom on earth. Knowing we are sinners, saved only by the Grace of God, we should never give up hope or be deterred by life’s challenges. In saying that, like Paul, our Lord calls us to take strength in His Grace and through faith work to serve all people in His name so that at the end of our time we can boast with Paul ^{Phil 3:14} “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”

We Christians take hope because we know that the righteousness of Christ will cover all our sins and carry us through in times of trial, strengthen us in our calling and bring us safely into his heavenly kingdom, and award to us the crown of righteousness. “To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

The peace and love of our Great Triune God that is beyond all human understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen

Pentecost 22 – 16 October 2016 – Year C

Pentecost 22 – 16 October 2016 – Year C

Grace to you and peace from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

The text for our meditation is written in the 18^th Chapter of the Gospel according to St Luke: Verses 1 – 8

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. ² He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. ³ In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ ⁴ For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” ⁶ And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? ⁸ I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

I love sport; in particular Rugby League is my passion. Whilst I barrack for the Brisbane Broncos, I am riveted to any game that goes right down to the wire. Scores neck and neck, players straining to get that final edge over the opposition. The 2015 and the 2016 NRL grand finals were games that were decided in the final minutes. In both cases the victory went to the team who never stopped trying. In both cases the direction from the coaches was “it’s an 80 minute game, keep going right to full time and never give up.”  It’s great for young people to play sport, there are so many life lessons to be learnt in the process.

In our Gospel reading text, Coach Jesus urges us members of Christ’s team today to “never give up.”  Painting a parable where a widow’s incessant asking ultimately persuades an uncaring judge to grant her request, Jesus teaches us to ‘Pray, pray persistently; never stop praying.’  Imitating his parable’s earthly judge, but in a different manner; with a different motive, our Lord will answer our persistent prayers – Jesus will give us God’s justice.  Providing a positive response for his warning question about our condition when he will come again at the end of time, our Lord will work in us a Spirit-given faith that will never fail.

Describing a judge we never want to encounter in our courts today, Jesus offers no legal lessons.  Exercising power for his personal gain, this judge is not godly, not trying to please the Lord; nor is he trying to please men.  Decisions will be based solely on the question, ‘What will be best for me?’  When a widow – a ‘helpless’ woman who has no relatives to appeal her predicament – pleads, “Grant me justice against my adversary,” this judge refuses to even hear her case.  What benefit can she offer him?  Undaunted, this widow brings her case to his court again and again and again.  Irritated by her unrelenting request – as a continual tapping by a harmless little hammer starts to dent his hard heart – this judge finally delivers justice.  Note Jesus’ explanation.  This self-centered soul gives a widow what she asks from an adversary not because it is the ‘right’ thing to do – not because he is properly applying the law of their land — but only because this judge wants the widow to stop pestering; stop nagging him.  When an ignored widow refuses to fade into the woodwork, if she will not ‘give up’ in disgust — not stop ‘eating up his time’ & testing his patience – unless he hears her case, an ungodly, uncaring judge grants her request.

What will we learn from our Lord’s story?  To endlessly ask; to pester people until we finally get what we want in this world – a tactic our children seem to automatically master; an approach ‘supposedly mature’ people too often appear to apply in our world?  No.  Persistent prayer – not nagging – persistent prayer is Jesus’ point in his parable.  When we are attacked by all types of evil adversaries, as believers will be in a wicked world, Jesus tells us to pray the Lord will administer his justice.  Jesus teaches us to never stop praying our Lord God will work his will in our life.

Will our prayer be heard?  Will our case be considered?  Absolutely!  Unlike an uncaring, completely self-centered judge pictured in his parable, our Lord cares what happens to us.  In fact, Jesus unselfishly loves us so much he personally steps in to improve our lot in life before we even begin to ask his assistance.  “When we were powerless,” Paul explains, “Christ died for the ungodly…”  Again, stressing God’s gracious time-frame.  “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us…”  Inspired apostle Paul emphasises the source and recipients of salvation.  “When we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son.”^{[ROM 5]}  What a wonderful truth!  Before I recognise my guilt, before I realise my self-serving lies and egotistical anger earn eternal death; before I am ever led to repent of my sins, Jesus’ sacrificial death as every soul’s Saviour won God’s forgiveness for me!…for you!

God’s justice, I pray we understand, is unlike any judgment any honest or dishonest earthly judge may administer.  In God’s eternal courtroom, we will not get; (or would we want to get), what we deserve.  In God’s courtroom, we will graciously get what God wants to give us.  Why?  As God judges us, as God hands down his eternal sentence for us, he does not look at our actions nor listen to our words or thoughts.  God only looks at a flawless life Jesus lives as our perfect replacement; God simply looks at an innocent death Jesus dies as our sinless Substitute.  Based on Jesus’ life and death as our Saviour, God declares us ‘righteous’…God judges us ‘forgiven!’  God’s justice is our justification.  “All have sinned; all fall short of the glory of God” – Paul emphasises as he plainly outlines God’s gracious plan for each of us – “all are justified freely through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood…to demonstrate his justice …to be just & be the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”^{[ROM 3]}

Unlike the widow’s anonymous judicial antagonist, I pray we understand that another human being is not our real adversary.  Our own sin, our own sinful self truly troubles us.  Praying – always praying for Jesus’ justice – we ask the Lord to increase our awareness of God’s grace; increase our confidence in and increase our reliance upon God’s full and free forgiveness for every one of our sins.  Praying – always praying God will work his will in our life — we actually ask the Lord to change our attitudes and actions.  We pray the Lord lead us to respond to God’s gift of salvation by letting our Saviour’s forgiving love guide our interaction with all the other similarly sinful souls we encounter in our life.

When we personally approach the end of our earthly life – when some illness starts to steal our physical health or when old age inevitably makes our body ache, makes once easy movements most painful – when we no longer feel needed; when we feel forsaken or seem to have become a burden for our family and friends, will we still follow Jesus faithfully?  Will we continue to confess Christ is our Saviour?  “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”  Will Judge Jesus, our Saviour, find faith in our heart?

Friends, our answer to this critical question can only be found in one place.  Not in our sinful human heart, but through the Holy Spirit who uses God’s gospel truth in Word and sacrament to give us faith – the Spirit who compels us to call Jesus my ‘Lord’ and to confess Jesus as our ‘Saviour’ – the Spirit, using God’s Word and sacrament, will not let faith fail. 

Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is teaching us; always urging us to “not give up praying,” for our Lord repeatedly promises, “God will keep you strong to the end, so you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God, who called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”^{[1 COR 1]}  Again, “The faithful Lord will strengthen & will protect your from the evil one.”^{[2 THES 3]}  Once more, “the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, God will himself restore you & will make you strong, firm and steadfast.”^{[1 PT 5]}

Amen.

The love and peace of our Great Triune God that is beyond all human understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen