Fourth Sunday in Lent – 27 March 2022 – Year C

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

The text for this meditation is written in the 15^th Chapter of the Gospel according to St Luke: Verses 1–3 & 11–32:

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. ² And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

³ So he told them this parable:

¹¹ And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. ¹³ Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. ¹⁴ And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ ²⁰ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  ²² But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. ²³ And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.²⁴ For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. ²⁷ And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, ²⁹ but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ ³¹ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³² It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

 

Today’s Gospel comes from the great “Lost & Found” chapter of the Bible … a chapter with one giant parable of three individual stories.  The first story is the story of the lost sheep: ^{[Luke 15:4]} “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?”  Then there is the story of the lost coin: ^{[Luke 15:8]} “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?”  Finally, we have the story in today’s Gospel: “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.”  These three stories are a matched set and it is unfortunate that we don’t have time to study all three stories together.

 

Jesus told this triple parable in response to the arrogance of the Pharisees and the scribes.  The Pharisees and the scribes just don’t seem to get the point.  When they say, “This man receives sinners and eats with them,” they are saying that Jesus is doing what He is supposed to be doing.  They keep saying this as though Jesus should be ashamed of it when rescuing sinners is the whole point of Jesus’ ministry.  Jesus Himself said, ^{[Luke 5:31–32]} “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”  

 

This massive parable comforts the sinners with whom Jesus ate, … and instructs the scribes and Pharisees who criticised Him.  In each of the first two stories, something was lost.  In both cases, someone had to go looking for the lost item.  In both cases the finder rejoiced over the recovery.  In both cases, Jesus spoke of the joy in heaven over the one sinner who repents.  The point of these two parables is that it is God’s will to draw sinners into repentance and so bring them back into God’s family.  How comforting this must have been to the tax collectors and sinners who heard these gracious words.  How comforting this should be for us.  For we also sin daily and deserve eternal punishment.

 

These two stories set the stage for the third story.  They illustrate the worth of sinners in God’s eyes and the joy of heaven over those who repent.  The third story brings this teaching into a human family, a father and two sons.

 

When the younger [son] said to his father, “Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me,” he was basically saying, “Dad, you’re worth more to me dead; I could have my inheritance.”  The normal response would be for the father to explode in rage, throw the son out of the house, and disown him.  The father should declare that his son is dead to him.  He is to be treated as a stranger.

 

But none of that, Jesus tells us that the father divided his property between them.  This is absolutely insane.  In reality, the culture would think about locking up the father for his own protection.

 

Jesus then takes the younger son down into the pit of despair.  The son converted his inheritance into cash and used it to run away.  Then he burned through the money in foolish and wasteful ways.  Finally, a drought hit and he was desperately poor for the first time in his life.  Jesus takes this youth down into the depths of desperation by portraying him as caring for a herd of ceremonially unclean animals.  The pigs were walking reminders of the filth of his very soul.  The young rebel even hungered for the pods that the hogs grubbed up from the earth.  Yummy – not good – not good at all!

 

At the same time, Jesus’ audience would think that the youth was only getting what he deserved for his disrespect.  He had shamed his father, his family, and even the village where his family lived.  A quick death was too good for this young man.  Let him starve to death among the pigs.  That would be justice.

 

It is in this deepest depth of despair that this son works out one last plan.  He will return to his father, but not as his son.  Instead, he will simply ask to be hired as an ordinary worker.  Perhaps his father would overlook the shame and mortification he had brought to his family and allow him to be a lowly labourer.  His shame would be enormous, but at least he would be alive.

 

Farmers in first century Israel lived together in villages with other farmers and not on the land they farmed.  When this son returns, He not only has to endure the rebuke of his father and family, but he must also endure the rebuke of the community.  The young man will be mocked by a crowd that will gather spontaneously as word of his return flashes around the village.  This mocking might even be physically dangerous.

 

Here we see the father throw his dignity out the window.  Jesus said, “While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”

 

Now, we are used to seeing people jog for their health … or just for fun.  In first century Israel, men wore robes, not jogging outfits.  If you want to run in a robe, you have to lift it up so it doesn’t trip you.  So, think of this old bloke with his robes hiked up … spindly legs sticking out and flailing away … sandals flapping on the ground … hair and beard fluttering in the wind.  It’s embarrassing.  The people who saw the father run would be thinking something like, “Look at that old coot with his robes flapping in the breeze like that.  He's finally lost the plot; time for his family to keep him from going out in public.”  Maybe his friends would look the other way and pretend they didn’t see him.  His servants would be following along heads down, humiliated.

 

As the son approached the village, he prepared for the gauntlet of ridicule and hatred he must endure as he makes his way through the village.  The villagers might even decide to shame him with spit and stones on his way to his father’s house.  Then, what did he see?  His own father … running the gauntlet of shame, reversing the situation … taking the shame and embarrassment of the village onto himself.  He furthered demeaned himself by embracing and kissing this rebellious son.

 

Then the father said to his servants, “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.  And bring the fattened calf and kill it and let us eat and celebrate.  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”  This is more than just a father concerned about the wellbeing of his son.  By instructing the servants to dress his son, he is reinstating the son as master over the servants.   The father’s every activity works to honour this wayward son.  Now, instead of walking through the village in shame, the son walks in honour at his father’s side.  Let the party begin!

 

Here we have an illustration of our relationship with Jesus Christ.  Our sin showed utter disrespect for God.  We shamed and embarrassed Him.  We deserved eternal separation from Him.  Regardless, He was willing to undergo a lot more shame than running with his robes flapping in the breeze.  He endured spitting and beating and flogging.  Then He hung naked on a cross for all the world to see.  He endured the forsakenness of our sin.  He did all this so that we could live in honour forever at His side.  His embarrassment and shame earned eternal life for us.  That is what this story has taught us so far.  Here is God willing to undergo any shame in order to bring us back into His family.

 

But the story isn’t over.  There’s the older brother. He’s still out in the field working. He hears the music, the dancing, the singing. He comes near to the house and asks a servant, “Hey, what’s going on?” Your brother has come and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound. 

And he’s absolutely furious. He disrespects his father, he refuses to join the party. He wants nothing to do with it. Even when his father comes out and pleads with him, he won’t go. He says Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him! In other words, “I’ll be damned before I celebrate your love along with that undeserving son of yours.” And right there, do you see the problem? This son thought he had earned his father’s love and possessions.   

But the father won’t let him off so easily: my son…you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And there the story ends. At the end of the parable, which son is lost? Who finds himself outside of the party? Not the one you’d expect. The good, responsible, upstanding one. The one who did all the right things for all the wrong reasons. And in the end, what keeps him out of the party? Not his brother’s wild living or his father’s reckless love. Nothing but his own stubborn self-righteousness. In the end, self-righteousness is the reason so many people will find themselves lost forever. They don’t think they need the gift of God’s undeserved love because they imagine they’ve earned it. To imagine yourself too good for God’s grace is to be truly lost. 

What is this parable about? First, it’s about the third son, the one telling the story. The Son who left his royal throne, the home of his Father, emptied himself of all the perks of being the only Son of God, took on our human flesh and humbled himself to be born of a virgin. But there are two big, glaring differences. He didn’t squander his Father’s inheritance, we did. We stole God’s blessings of life and health and wealth and used them to pursue our own selfish, pleasure-seeking purposes. We are why Jesus was born in the pig-pen of this world, surrounded by the slop of sin and death. We are why he was hung between criminals on a cross, mocked and jeered at by the rabble of the streets. We are why he was lost in a way we could never imagine when his Father abandoned him to hell. And unlike the son in the parable, he had to earn his Father’s love. He not only had to live a perfectly obedient life, He had to carry the sins of the world to the cross and hell and die to earn his Father’s favour. And only when he had done it all, perfectly, did God exalt him to his rightful place at the head of heaven’s feast where he rules all things. 

This parable is about us, too. We were all born as lost children. Lost in sin. Doomed to die and be lost forever. But God found us. He found us in Baptism, washed away our sins, adopted us into his family, gave us a place in his house, gave us all the rights and privileges of true sons and daughters. 

In spite of this, our sin does not decrease, God’s grace continues to increase. We are the same self-righteous, stubborn, wilful sinners, but thankfully by God’s ‘means of grace’, His Word, His Holy Sacraments, we are able, like the lost son, to see the dire desperation of our circumstance and like him come to the Father in humility and penitence. Sadly, some reject the gift of grace, and are left void of empathy, standing by their human opinions with hearts of stone and are lost.

Did you know that over the annals of time today’s parable has been called the greatest short story in the world, and not without good reason. For the repentant sinner, when society rejects; God willingly accepts – When society judges; God takes the shame – When society condemns; God takes the punishment through His Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. You see, like the wayward son, sin and shame are part of our very existence. In this parable Jesus teaches us that regardless of the sin, if we come before Him in humble penitence, we will be restored to a place of honour in His Kingdom forever. 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

Third Sunday in Lent – 20 March 2022 – Year C

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

The text for this meditation is written in the 13^th Chapter of the Gospel according to St Luke: Verses 1–9:

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ² And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? ³ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? ⁵ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

⁶ And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. ⁷ And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ ⁸ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. ⁹ Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

 

We live in a dangerous world.  Every day the headlines tell us of the evil in the world.  Nature is dangerous and people are dangerous.  We do not even need the Bible to tell us this.  We can learn this from our own experience.

 

The danger of nature is obvious.  Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanos, cyclones, floods, bush fires, are just some natural phenomenons that threaten lives around the world.  Yes, there is the beauty of sunsets and sunrises, the stars in the sky, views from mountaintops and ocean beaches, and so forth, but nature also has its violent side as well … a violent side that brings pain and death to many.

 

The human race is just as bad.  Every day we learn about murder and mayhem on the individual level as well as the level of conflicts and wars between nations.  Gunmen, bombers, and knife wielding maniacs attack people, schools, shopping malls, public transport, and neighbourhoods.  The depravity of the human race is something that is obvious just from experience.

 

In this morning’s Gospel, we heard about some people who came to Jesus with this exact same problem of evil in the world. ^{(Luke 13:1)} “There were some present at that very time who told [Jesus] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices”. These people wanted Jesus to explain why God allows such evil in this world.  Instead of bringing comfort to them, Jesus brought another example to their attention.  He answered them, ^{(Luke 13:2–5)} “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? ³No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. ⁴Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? ⁵No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Jesus was telling them that, sooner or later, everyone will come to the end of his time in this world.  It might be sudden like these people, or it might come after a long life.  Either way, if you come to that end without repentance, you will perish eternally.  The implication is that with repentance … that is with the faith that trusts in God’s promises of the forgiveness of sins, you will be ready for such tragedies.

 

Many people wonder why God allows such evil in this world.  In fact, many people insist that the existence of evil is inconsistent with the God of the Bible.  A God who loves would hate evil and want to get rid of it.  A God who is almighty would have the resources to rid the world of evil.  So, if God is almighty and loving, then there should be no evil.  The evil in the world suggests that if God is almighty, then He doesn’t care, or if He does care and evil bothers Him, then He can’t be almighty.  In either case, this does not match the Bible’s description of God.

 

The answer to this problem comes in several parts.  The first part is to realise that God is not the source of evil.  The Bible clearly states that ^{(Genesis 1:31)} “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” God created a good earth and gave it to us as a home.  However, we soon discover that the first people, Adam and Eve, fell into sin.  When they fell, they broke God’s perfect creation.  They let evil into the world and they passed that evil down to us through all our generations.  As the Holy Spirit spoke through the Apostle Paul, ^{(Romans 5:12)} “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”

 

The Bible also teaches that when Adam and Eve sinned, they didn’t just mess up the human race, but they also messed up creation.  The Lord God Himself gave this diagnosis to Adam, ^{(Genesis 3:17–19)} “Cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; ¹⁸thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. ¹⁹By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” These words explain the reason that nature fights our efforts.  These words teach that even the disasters of nature are the result of the rebellion of humanity.

 

A reasonable person will see that the God described in the Bible is not the source of evil in the world.  Instead, it is the creatures that God created that are the source of evil … first the fallen angels, and then, Adam and Eve.  But this causes us to ask another question.  Why did God create beings who could be so evil?  Why didn’t He make us so that we could never sin?

 

The answer to this question actually shows us a God of love.  The God who is love created us with the ability to enjoy the blessings of love as well.  The thing about love is that it cannot exist without free will.  For genuine love to exist, there must be the possibility of rejection.

 

Suppose God had created us with no choice, but to do what He commanded.  Then we would be like machines running computer programs.  A clever computer programmer could write a program that would give this machine the appearance of love … the appearance that it really cared for others.  Of course the machine wouldn’t really love anyone.  It would just be executing code.  The love would not be real.  In fact, the machine wouldn’t have a choice.  It would simply be following its programming.  That is not real love.

 

God did not create robots.  He created us in His image.  The God who is love created us with the ability to love.  Therefore, He created us with free will … a free will that can fail.  An almighty God of love is consistent with the existence of evil … on the basis of the free will … we need … in order to experience love.  The Bible teaches exactly that … that God created us with the ability to love, but we used the free will … that comes with love … to do evil instead.  The evil in the world does not indicate that God does not love us.  Instead, it shows that it is the human race who has rejected God’s love and chosen evil instead.

 

But then the question becomes, “Is that it?  Is there no more?  Are human beings doomed because they used their free will to sin instead of love?”  Here is where the God of love transcends the evil choices of His creatures.

 

Even though He already knew that we would rebel, He still created us.  He already had a plan in place to save us from our own evil choices.  Even though we are sinners, God sent His only begotten Son to die for us as the Apostle Paul said, ^{(Romans 5:8)} “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

 

The natural consequences of our evil would have destroyed the human race long ago.  Our own evil should have caused our own extinction, but God put His plan of salvation into effect.  He limited the consequences of sin until the time was right for Him to send His Own Son to take up our human flesh and take our place under the judgment of the law.

 

Jesus, as both true God and true man, took the eternal consequences of our sin onto Himself and He suffered the punishment for them as He hung on the cross and died for us.  As the Apostle Peter said, ^{(1 Peter 1:18–19)}“You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, ¹⁹but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” 

 

Through Jesus, God the Father not only relieved us of our eternal suffering, but He has also assured us of eternal life.  For Jesus did not remain in the grave after He died on the cross, but He returned to life in an immortal body.

 

In this resurrection, God has given us eternal life as He promised through the Apostle Paul, ^{(1 Corinthians 15:20–23)} “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. ²²For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. ²³But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.”

 

Not only has God given us eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ, but He has also transformed the evil consequences of this world.  In the parable of the fig tree, the vinedresser pleaded with the landowner, ^{(Luke 13:8–9)} “Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. ⁹Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.” The evil things of this world, like digging around the root and applying manure, discipline us and make us stronger.  God transforms them from curses into gifts for our blessing.

 

Just as the gardener worked with the tree in the parable, God the Holy Spirit also works with us.  He overcomes the evil in this world and uses it to strengthen us.  He works to produce repentance and faith in us.  That faith receives the gift of the forgiveness of sins that Jesus earned for us.  Jesus earned that forgiveness when He suffered and died for us on the cross.  Jesus allowed all those bad things to happen to Him so that He could give His good things to us.  Through His life, suffering, death, and resurrection, we receive forgiveness, life, and salvation.  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

 

  

Second Sunday in Lent – 13 March 2022 – Year C

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

The text for this meditation is written in the 13^th Chapter of the Gospel according to St Luke: Verses 13 – 35:

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” ³² He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. ³³ Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ ³⁴ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! ³⁵ See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

 

 

 

Jesus’ long, winding road to the cross was filled with obstacles. Last week, he ran head-on into the prince of darkness in the wilderness. This week, he runs into three more obstacles, all of which would prevent him from carrying out his mission of salvation. We’ll handle the first two together. 

Religion and politics are always a nasty combination. Revelation 13 tells us that one-part religion and one part politics and a dash of demonic influence is the perfect recipe for the antichrist. Whether it’s the emperor cult of 1st century Rome, the medieval papacy, Hitler’s Third Reich, the Islamic caliphate, Putin’s orthodox brand of autocracy or any other unholy alliance of religious and political authority. Whenever the two get together there is sure to be trouble, persecution and bloodshed. 

The Pharisees came to Jesus, pretending to be on his side. “Get away from here – Herod has put a bounty on your head. You don’t want to get yourself killed, do you? Get out while you still can.” 

Of course, the great irony is that (Mark 3:6) tells us the Pharisees had been scheming to do the exact same thing for over a year. They just couldn’t agree on when and how to do it. And Jesus…well he seems blissfully unconcerned. Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’

The thing is, (1 Peter 1:20) tells us Jesus knew exactly what was in store for him in Jerusalem. He’d planned it with his Father before creation and he’d already predicted several times that in Jerusalem he would suffer, die, and rise again – on the third day. …… As written in (John 10:18) He’s the Lord. No one takes his life from him; he lays it down of his own accord. …. He’s already gone head-to-head with the prince of darkness in the wilderness on an empty stomach and won, he’s got nothing to fear from some self-inflated puppet king. No amount of political pressure will keep Jesus from winning salvation for all. 

Next he takes a jab at religion, religion as represented by the Pharisees. He knows what they’re really thinking, that they’re plotting his death too…that all of their supposed concern for his safety is just smoke and mirrors. In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day – and then the real issue – for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! 

Now there’s a shot: if a prophet of God is going to die, it has to be in Jerusalem, the heart of Jewish religion. Jerusalem had earned a reputation when it came to God’s prophets. We read how Jerusalem responded to Jeremiah’s message – (Jeremiah 26) they called for his death. According to tradition, (2 Chronicles 24:21) Isaiah was sawn in half in Jerusalem and Zechariah was stoned to death right in front of the temple. God’s NT spokesmen didn’t fare much better in Israel’s capital. (Acts 7:54-60) tells us that Stephen was stoned to death by the Sanhedrin and (Acts 12:2) that James was beheaded there. 

Politics and the Pharisaic religion hated Jesus. Politics accused him of treason, for claiming that he was a king. Politicians twisted His words out of context to support their own agenda, but they have no use for the Jesus of Scripture. What good is a king whose kingdom is not of this world; who rules not by law or sword but through the Gospel; who’s promise of health and wealth and security is not in this world, but in the next? It’s no wonder that those who thirst for power and glory here have nothing but hatred for the one who hides his power and glory in humility. 

But Jesus has turned the tables on political power. King Herod has fallen on the forgotten scrap heap of history – and Pilate would have too, if the authors of the Creed hadn’t credited him with presiding over Jesus’ crucifixion. But Jesus died and rose and not only made history in Jerusalem but redeemed Jerusalem from her history. Jerusalem had put her trust in politics but politics could not save Jerusalem or her people, only Jesus could. Only Jesus did. 

Religion charged Jesus with blasphemy, for daring to say that he was the Son of God. Religion had no use for Jesus either – as strange as that might sound – because Jesus had come to destroy the legalistic, self-righteous religion that the Pharisees embodied and that comes naturally to all of us.

He ignored the obstacle of man-made laws they had erected that complicated the holy will of God. Jesus interpreted and explained the Law without any need for the opinions of puffed-up Pharisees. He unleashed the law in a way even the most pious Pharisees couldn’t handle: ^{(Matthew 5:48)} be perfect; ^{(Matthew 5:18)} keep the unchanging Law of God down to the smallest letter, the least stroke of a pen– ^{(Matthew 22:37)} Love the Lord with your whole being; ^{(Deuteronomy 10:12)} keep the commandments and you will live. 

Demonstration of public piety is not good enough. Self-righteousness won’t cut it. The Pharisees knew, deep down in their hearts, that Jesus was right and that God demands more of people than anyone can give. And it was this sharpening of the law, this public humiliation that caused the religious leaders of Jesus’ day to want him dead. 

But it was the Gospel that made them thirst for Jesus’ blood. They were offended that this authoritative and popular rabbi from Nazareth would dare to offer God’s unconditional love and mercy to the religious losers, to society’s outcasts, to prostitutes and tax collectors. They couldn’t stand that he ate with sinners, that he said ^{(Matthew 20:16)} the last would be first and the first would be last., ^{(Luke 18:9-14)} that he boldly taught that repentant sinners, not self-righteous Pharisees would be found “not guilty” in God’s courtroom. They hated him because he preached that the way to avoid God’s judgment and find his salvation is not to try hard and do better, but ^{(Philippians 3:8)} to die to yourself, to see your good deeds as nothing but trash, and place your faith completely in his perfect life and atoning death for salvation. But all their resentment still wouldn’t stop Jesus from dying for them.  

And while Jesus’ determination drove him forward to Jerusalem, his compassion drove him to tears: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often have I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing”. He mourns over his city. He weeps over what politics and religion had done to her. Mostly, he weeps over the people, the unwillingness of their hearts to come to him for forgiveness and protection and salvation. And he wept over their rejection of the prophets he had sent, their rejection of God’s Word, their rejection of him – the Lamb of God who had come to die for them. 

Jesus reveals something important here: while the people of Jerusalem thought they were just rejecting and murdering men – they were really rejecting Jesus. How often have I longed to gather your children together he says. The hen from heaven had been clucking away for centuries through prophets and priests, through spoken words and bloody sacrifices, calling to his children, but they were not willing. They would not repent. They would not believe. They would not receive the One who had come to save them. It breaks Jesus’ heart. This is his city, his temple, his throne. ^{(John 1:11)} “He came to his own, but his own did not receive him”. 

And so the house that was once filled with God’s glory would be left empty and desolate. Begun by the Roman invasion in 70 AD, continued ever since in war after war – the Promised Land is now little more than a glorified target range for the world’s superpowers and the hill on which God’s temple once stood now holds a Muslim mosque. 

And all of it is a Lenten warning to each of us. Do not take God’s grace for granted. Do not say to yourself that you will leave repentance and Jesus’ invitation to believe seriously until later. (2 Corinthians 6:2) tells us now is the day of salvation. 

Jesus still weeps when those who should know better reject his invitation in favour of something else. He weeps when his Church becomes distracted from her mission of proclaiming Law and Gospel and spends her time and energy on endeavours that have nothing to do with the salvation of souls. Jesus weeps when the history of his redemptive work is preached in Lenten services and people who presume to call him Lord have more important things to do than hear what it cost him to save them from their sins. He weeps when Christian parents place athletics and academics and convenience and unique needs over and above their children’s spiritual welfare. He weeps when His Word of truth, the Bible, gathers dust on the shelf, or in the case of worshippers, is only heard in the Sunday service.

You may think I am getting a bit personal and that I should back off – but it’s not me you’re telling to back off, it’s Jesus. “How often have I longed to gather you…but you were not willing!” Jesus gets right to the heart of the matter, doesn’t he: the willingness or unwillingness of our hearts? We’re great at hiding the desires of our hearts under a blanket of excuses ranging from work schedules to prior commitments to weather to darkness – but really, it all comes down to your will. If you really want to do something, you will find a way do it. And Jesus challenges us with the uncomfortable truth: often we simply justify the reason for not to being in his house, studying his Word, receiving his forgiveness, taking shelter under his wing – (Philippians 3:19) explains; because our minds are on earthly things and we’d rather serve our needs than our Saviour. 

Jesus’ invitation isn’t irresistible. He uses simple people and simple means like word, water, bread and wine to call, gather, and protect his people – they are very easy to reject – but the reality is that if we reject them, we are really rejecting Jesus. If we reject them, we’re only hurting ourselves – and, even worse, we are bringing Jesus to tears, we are laying a whip across his back, pounding nails into his hands all over again. 

If we are not willing to receive Jesus in the humble means he has chosen to come to us and we find ourselves on the wrong side of his judgment on the Last Day, it won’t be because Jesus didn’t want us, it will be because we were not willing. 

The good news is that our day of reckoning has not yet arrived. There is still time to repent and believe. Whatever your habits, your priorities, your excuses have been in the past – they can all change today. 

By suffering and dying, Jesus has both forgiven and freed you from slavery to sinful habits, priorities, and excuses – those sins are gone and buried. Jesus still longs to gather you – no matter how many times you’ve rejected his invitation in the past. He is still stretching out the protective wing of his Word and absolution, his body and blood. 

Don’t make the same mistake the people of Jerusalem did. They got angry when God’s prophets called them to repent and change their ways. They rejected and killed them for proclaiming God’s Word. They trusted political power to keep them safe and a religion of good works to make them right in God’s eyes. Look at the violent, war-torn mess that Jerusalem is today, see how the descendants of his chosen nation have been hated and hunted around the world. Could this be just a sample of the destruction Jesus promises to all who reject his invitation. 

Politics and religion couldn’t save Jerusalem and they can’t save us, either. Political power cannot protect us from the destruction God will bring on this world – only Jesus can. Religious devotion to rules – even God’s rules – cannot justify us in his courtroom – only Jesus can. Jerusalem wasn’t saved because she rejected her Saviour. 

But Jesus continues to gather the New Jerusalem – the Church – under his protective wing. Jesus desires nothing more than to forgive us, protect us, and carry us through judgment to eternal life; are we willing to let him? You don’t have to do anything to be saved; Jesus has done it all. 

Now the question is, do we want to be numbered among those who shelter in his forgiveness and rejoice when he appears in judgment. Do we look forward to the day we say and sing: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”? 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray that our Saviour’s desire to save us overcomes every obstacle in his path – even and especially our own unwilling hearts. 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

 

First Sunday in Lent – 6 March 2022 – Year C

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

The text for this meditation is written in the 4^th Chapter of the Gospel according to St Luke: Verses 1 – 15:

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness ² for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. ³ The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” ⁴ And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” ⁵ And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, ⁶ and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. ⁷ If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” ⁸ And Jesus answered him, “It is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”

⁹ And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, ¹⁰ for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’

¹¹ and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

¹² And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” ¹³ And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

¹⁴ And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. ¹⁵ And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

Every year, the gospel for the First Sunday in Lent tells us about the time that the devil personally tempted Jesus in the wilderness.  Last year, we heard the story from Mark.  Next year, we will hear the story from Matthew.  This year, it is Luke’s turn to tell us the story.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness ²for forty days, being tempted by the devil. (Luke 4:1–2) That little phrase, “returned from the Jordan”, reminds us that the temptation happened right after Jesus was baptised.  When Jesus was baptised, the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ^{(Luke 3:22)} “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

 

This was not only an amazing epiphany to John the Baptist and the other people who witnessed Jesus’ baptism, but it was also a message to the devil and all his evil angels.  God the Son has taken up human flesh.  He is bringing the battle to the earth.  This is the one who will crush the serpent’s head.  Not long after the Holy Spirit descended on [Jesus] in bodily form, like a dove; this very same Spirit led Jesus in the wilderness for forty days of temptation.

 

^{(Luke 4:2)} “And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry”. My first response to this little piece of knowledge was, “He must have been really hungry.  I can’t go without food for forty hours without complaining.  Who knows, but I doubt I would last forty days without food?  The temptation must have been intense”

 

But there is a difference here.  Jesus is not only true man, but He is also true God.  I have heard more than one person say, “Jesus on the cross is no big thing.  All He had to do was administer a little divine anaesthetic and the cross would not hurt a bit.”  That phrase ‘he was hungry’ is one of many clues that tell us that Jesus did not always use His divine power.  It tells us that when Jesus took our place under the law, He did not use any resources that we ourselves do not have.  The Holy Spirit working through Luke wants us to understand that Jesus endured the temptations of the devil and the tortures of the cross without using His divine power in any way.

 

The first temptation is very subtle.  Sooner or later most people will wonder what the big deal is about converting stones into bread.  The Gospels record two accounts of Jesus multiplying loaves in order to feed thousands of people.  What could possibly be so terrible about making a little bread out in the wilderness where no one else even needed to see what Jesus did?

 

The bread itself isn’t the problem.  The problem is doubt … lack of faith.  Jesus is living in our place.  Therefore, just as we should trust God to give us all things, so also Jesus should trust God as well.

The devil tried to plant doubt in Jesus’ mind.  God has forgotten you.  He is willing to let you die of hunger.  Back when you were baptised, He said that you were His beloved son, but did He really mean it?  After all, what loving father would allow his son to wander around hungry in the wilderness?  His promises mean nothing to you.  Your concern is for bread; forget about God’s Word.  Take matters into your own hands.  Don’t rely on God.  The devil hoped that thoughts like these would enter Jesus’ mind when he said to him, ^{(Luke 4:3)}“If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” You can see doubt at work in all three of the temptations recorded in today’s Gospel.

 

Now let’s consider the next temptation that Luke recorded. ^{(Luke 4:5–7)} “The devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, ⁶and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. ⁷If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”

 

The devil’s words “it has been delivered to me” remind us of the tragedy of Adam and Eve’s surrender to the devil in Eden.  Here the devil would try to convince Jesus that the world belongs to him ever since Adam and Eve fell.  You made them stewards over the world and they gave the stewardship to me.  Now it is mine.

 

Then the devil offered Jesus a deal: “That voice who claimed to be your loving father wants you to suffer and die in order get this world back.  What kind of loving father would do that?  I’ve got an idea that is so much better.  You don’t have to go through all the shame and pain of suffering and death to win back the world.  There could be peace between us now.  It’s a win-win situation – a real no-brainer.  I would be willing to give this world back to you.  All I ask in return is that you would worship me just one time.  That’s all.  I’m not asking for much at all and you would receive so much in return.  Why can’t we just get along?”

 

This temptation is still around today.  The devil readily tells us that we can be at peace with all people.  All we need do is surrender our faithfulness to God’s Word.  So what if not everyone agrees with the Bible one hundred per cent.  The important thing is that we all get along, right?  As long as we make this a better world where everyone is happy, we’re all good, right?  That’s the important thing … worshipping the true god is not really that important.

 

In the final temptation, the devil put on the robes of the preacher.  He quoted from the Word of God, but He only quoted the words that suited his purpose.  ^{(Luke 4:9–11)} “And He took [Jesus] to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, ¹⁰for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ ¹¹and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” the devil quoted from the very psalm that we used in the Introitfor today (Psalm 91:12), but he left out words that change the meaning of the passage.  In this way, the devil changed the psalm from God’s promise to protect us into God’s permission to do stupid things … like jump from the pinnacle of a very tall building.

 

False preachers still do this sort of thing.  They pick and choose which words they will use and which words they will discard.  Even though Jesus said, ‘This is my body;’ ‘This is my blood,’ what He really meant was, ‘This represents my body;’ ‘This represents my blood.’”  Even though Jesus told the church to teach all that He commanded, we only need to learn enough … and we decide what is enough.  We simply forget that telling God that we don’t need any more of His word is the same as telling Him that we don’t need any more of Him.

 

Sadly, we must all confess that we do not listen to the Word of God as we should.  We often let the devil, the world, or our own sinful nature pick and choose the words of God that we will hear.  The devil and the world seduce us with the words that we want to hear, and we have especially made ourselves into false gods by listening to our words instead of God’s Words.  We all deserve punishment both here in time and forever in eternity for listening to the words we like instead of the words we need.

 

We regularly fall to the devil’s lies, but Jesus never did.  Jesus fought back with a strategy that is available to all of us.  He quoted from the Word of God.  Jesus answered him, ^{(Luke 4:4)}  “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” (from Deuteronomy 8).  ^{(Luke 4:8}) “Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” (from Deuteronomy 6).   Jesus answered him, ^{(Luke 4:12)} “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (also from Deuteronomy 6).  God’s Word is the weapon Jesus used to stop the devil.  It is the weapon God has given us.  How sad it is that we often doubt this weapon and fail to use it as we should.

 

Today’s Gospel tells us that ^{(Luke 4:13)} “when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time”. This means that the devil did not depart forever, but only until an opportune time.  The devil tempted Jesus over and over again.  He did not quit until Jesus was dead.

 

Even while Jesus was on the cross, we hear the devil speak through his servants saying, ^{(Matthew 27:40)} “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” There is that phrase of doubt once again: “If you are the Son of God …” Even at the cross, the devil still tried to sow seeds of doubt.  Even as Jesus died, He fought off the temptation with the word of God.  His last words were a psalm: ^{(Psalm 31:5)} “Into your hand I commit my spirit”. 

 

We often fall through the devil’s lies, but Jesus never did.  Jesus withstood the devil’s temptation on our behalf.  He is our champion.  He never sinned.  He stayed on the hard road to the cross.

 

Eventually, the World was His again, but not through compromise.  Jesus fulfilled every promise God made.  Jesus withstood the devil himself in the wilderness of hunger.  He endured temptation even to the cross.  Jesus never wavered.  In the end, Jesus defeated sin, death, and the devil.  He rose from the dead. He bought us back with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death that we might be His own and live under Him in His Eternal Kingdom.

 

With His victory on the cross, Jesus earned forgiveness for us.  The Holy Spirit brings that forgiveness to us as He works faith in us through Word and Sacrament.  The Holy Spirit will aid us in our struggle with the devil’s temptations including the temptation to compromise God’s Word.  The Holy Spirit will strengthen our faith and bring us home to Life Everlasting.  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