Rev. Charles Lehmann + Matthew 10:34-42 + Pentecost 6
In the Name of + Jesus. Amen.
“The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also
live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he
also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny
himself.”
When Saint Paul wrote those words to Timothy, he may have had today's
Gospel lesson in mind. Jesus tells us today that if we do not take up our
cross and follow him that we are not worthy of Him.
This doesn't come as a surprise. We know we're not worthy of Him. We know
that we are, as Paul says, faithless. We live our lives as if God does not
exist. If we truly believed that God exists and is the sort of God He says He
is, we would never for a moment wonder what to do in a moment of trouble. We
would pray. We would remind God of His promise to provide us with daily bread.
We would know with absolute unfailing certainty that whatever was happening,
no matter how evil, God was working it for our good. We would know that
because we would always have in mind that God loves us.
But too often, that's not the way we live. Too often we allow our fears to
rule us. We become afraid that God isn't who He claims to be and that He won't
do for us what He has promised to do. In those times, we look to the world and
our sinful flesh for what we need in life. It is in times like this that the
saying “God helps those who help themselves” starts to make sense. We become
impatient. We want God to work on our timeline instead of His. But more than
that, the saying “God helps those who help themselves” says that God's word is
worthless. It doesn't matter what He's promised, it's still all up to you.
But we've all heard the saying. It's so popular that a lot of people think it
comes from the Scriptures.
But it doesn't. If it were true, we would have no hope at all. We cannot
help ourselves. If God is going to wait for us to take care of business before
he saves us, we will be lost in hell forever. We are completely helpless in
the face of our sin. Even Saint Paul lamented in Romans 7 that he could not
free himself from the ugly grip of the sins that plagued him every day. When
he wrote to the church at Ephesus he said “You also were once dead in
transgressions and sins.” Also. Paul along with us, dead in trespasses and
sins until Christ made Paul, and you and me, alive.
So what does Jesus mean when He tells us to take up our cross and follow
Him? If that is what it takes to be worthy of Him, then we certainly want it.
But how can it even be possible? If we try to figure out some way to suffer
and die with Christ by our acts of piety or by doing good deeds for our
neighbor, we'll be like mythical Sisyphus. Greek mythology says he is condemned
eternally to roll a rock to the top of a mountain only to see it roll to the
bottom just before he accomplishes his goal. He never does quite enough. He
always falls short. When we try to save ourselves, we fail just as badly as
Sisyphus. We never know if we've done quite enough. We never have any sort of
certainty or comfort.
Thankfully, Jesus gives us the key to understanding what taking up our
cross and following Him really means. Our Lord says, “Whoever finds his life
will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” and then
later “Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a
prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a
righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.”
What is the reward of the prophet? What is the reward of the righteous
man? If we search the Scriptures, we can find the answer. Abel was a
righteous man. When he offered a lamb as a sacrifice to atone for his sins,
his offering was pleasing to the Lord. Abel knew that only the blood of a lamb
would turn aside the Lord's wrath. His brother Cain offered the firstfruits of
his harvest. Cain had worked hard by the sweat of his brow to grow the grain
that he offered to the Lord. But the Lord did not want Cain's works. The Lord
wanted Cain to acknowledge his sin like his brother Abel had. This angered
Cain so much that he murdered Abel. Abel, confessing his sins and desiring the
Lord's mercy received the reward of a prophet. He died a prophet's death
It didn't stop with Abel. When Joseph gave the interpretation of his
prophetic dreams to his brothers, they plotted to kill him and sold him into
slavery. But God delivered Joseph and used him to save his evil brothers.
Four hundred fifty years later, Pharaoh tried to murder the prophet Moses
before he could even speak. It was only through the mercy of Pharaoh's own
daughter that Moses lived and was used by God to deliver Israel from slavery.
Elijah lived most of his life under a death sentence because he preached the
word of God instead of saying what the kings wanted to hear. Death or threats
of death have always been the reward of the prophet.
Jesus Himself during the week of His passion cried out, “O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to
it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her
brood under her wings, and you would not.”
The world always pays the same wage to those who do not conform to it.
Suffering and death lies in wait for all the righteous. To take up your cross
and follow Jesus is to follow Him into His death. But that is no easy thing.
How do you follow Jesus into His death when it happened almost two thousand
years ago? This can only happen by becoming a child of God. It can only come
when God's Word is spoken and the water of baptism is poured onto you.
As many of you as have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized
into His death. In your baptism, Christ's life has become your life. Every
time that He trusted His Father. Every time He served His neighbor. Every
time He healed the sick. Every time He raised the dead. When your heavenly
Father looks at you, He sees all of the most holy, loving, and sacred acts ever
done by Jesus, His beloved Son. When you die, you will die innocent, just as
Jesus was innocent. In your baptism you have already received all of Christ's
righteousness, all of Christ's holiness. There is no sin, no evil deed, no
good deed left undone which your Lord has not already forgiven you for. All
your sins are wiped away. All of them are gone forever. You are righteous.
You will receive a righteous man's reward. And so, when you die innocent, God
will vindicate you, His precious and holy child. He will raise you up with all
the dead, and you will live with
Him in heaven incorruptible. All of this you have received in your baptism.
It is not hard to understand why Luther said that there is enough in your
baptism to occupy your mind for your entire life. When we are faithless, God
remains faithful. He cannot deny Himself. He cannot deny His name. His name
is on you, dear Christians.
The one whom Christ has named with His own name, He will never abandon.
Baptism now saves you because it puts you into the life of your Savior.
People loved by God... fear not. You are worth more than many sparrows.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and
your minds in faith in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Rev. Charles R. Lehmann
Pastor, Saint John's Lutheran Church, Accident, MD
http://chaz-lehmann.livejournal.com
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