Christ Lutheran Church
Cleveland, Ohio
December 20, 2009
Rev. Dean Kavouras
4th Sunday of Advent
Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice, let your
moderation be known to all men, the Lord is at hand. Philippians
4:4-5
Advent is a season of repentance. But God gives us a great gift in
His Word today, He gives us both the permission and the power to
rejoice, not only in Advent but always.
St. Paul’s words today serve several purposes, they are first of all a
directive to Rejoice. What is Joy? Most people confuse joy with
happiness, but they are two very different things. Happiness is
external, Joy internal. Happiness is temporary, Joy is permanent in
Christ. Happiness has to do with temporal things like a winning
lottery ticket or good hair day, but Joy has to do with our great God
and Savior Jesus Christ and the gifts that He gives. Happiness can be
pursued and even obtained for short intervals; but Joy is a Gift that
remains with us no matter what happens, because we know that our sins
are forgiven and we have Peace with God through Christ.
Why do we need this directive, especially since we are New Creations
in Christ? Because of the usual suspects: sin, death and the devil.
Sin leaves us with guilt, and guilt robs us of Joy. The world’s
catechism works hard to deny guilt but it will never succeed. If sin
is the fang of the snake, guilt is the rattle, and wherever the head
is the tail is always close behind.
Death also conspires to divest us of Joy, it makes us sick, weak and
afraid. As with guilt, the world tries to put a positive spin on
death, but nothing it does can take away its sting. Only Jesus, who
willingly suffered death for our sins, and conquered it by His
glorious resurrection can empower us to Rejoice even in the face of
death. The Bible says of our Lord that, “for the Joy that was set
before Him He endured the cross, scorned the shame and is seated at
the right hand of God.” (Hebr 12:2) With these words: Rejoice in the
Lord always, Jesus teaches us to do the same.
And there’s the devil as well who incites so much malice, envy, hatred
and revenge among men that finding joy is like looking for a needle in
a haystack. And so this divine directive, given to Christians of all
ages by the pen of St. Paul, is a priceless treasure that cuts through
despair and fills us with Advent Joy.
God’s word also gives us permission to Rejoice. How are we to live
our lives as Christians? Should we spend our days and nights
anguishing over the sins of our youth? Should we lead drab, austere,
celibate lives like the Shakers? Not at all. It’s true that we
should regret and confess our sins. They are an affront to God, an
assault on our neighbor, and degrading in the extreme to us as
children of God. But with these words, Rejoice in the Lord always,
God instructs us to put sorrow behind us and to Rejoice in Christ our
Lord who became incarnate to save us, and fills our lives with the Joy
of forgiveness, and the promise of eternal life.
Though our faith makes us Glad in the extreme our Rejoicing isn’t the
manufactured optimism of Joel Osteen, or the artificial enthusiasm of
the so-called contemporary worship churches. Instead it’s a reverent
and sober joy which focuses on Christ crucified for our sins, and
raised again for our justification; one that fills us with delight and
our devotion to it knows no bounds.
God’s word also gives us the power to rejoice. Paul is writing these
words, but God is the one speaking, and we must always remember that
His word brings into existence the very thing that it says. As God
spoke the world into existence, He likewise speaks Joy into our hearts
by this Word today. Without His gracious Word we could search for Joy
our whole lives and never find it, but with Him, Joy is ours.
Scripture also instructs those who Rejoice in the Lord to let their
moderation be known to all men. Though Joy is an internal quality, it
can’t help but spill over into the way we live. As God’s people St.
Paul charges us to be reasonable and agreeable, gentle with others,
tolerant of their weaknesses, and as much as humanly possible live at
peace with all men (Romans 12:18). Joy makes this possible, because
when we are at peace with God and at peace within, we are eager to be
at peace with others as well.
God’s word also gives us a reason to Rejoice, namely: the Lord is at
hand. What does Paul mean by these words? First He joyously
anticipates the Lord’s return because on that Day all that Jesus
accomplished by His birth, death and resurrection will be delivered to
us in full! Graves will be opened. Death will be destroyed. Tears
and sorrow will be forgotten and our Joy will be full. Whether the
Day of the Lord is around the corner or many centuries in the future
we should be ever mindful of this Great Event and, by faith, join the
saints of the ages in Confessing: the Lord is at Hand.
But it’s not just the Lord’s future coming that causes us to Rejoice,
He’s also close at hand in the Word He inspired, and in the Sacraments
He ordained.
Whenever we hear God’s Word heralded, whether by Isaiah the Prophet,
John the Baptist or by the “called and ordained servant of the Word,”
we are hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd. By it He gathers us
close to His bosom, carries us through the valley of the shadow of
death, leads us into the Green Pastures of His love and fills our
lives with joy.
The same is true of the Sacraments. In baptism sinners are
incorporated into the Triune God and made holy, even as God is Holy.
In absolution we receive the continuing Therapy we need to be
constantly cleansed of our sins, so that even as we struggle with
temptation our Joy might be full. In the Mass we receive the true
Body and Blood of Christ into our own sinful and dying bodies, so that
the Life of Jesus might be imparted to us in every way.
These things, the Lord’s Second Advent, His Holy Word and Blessed
Sacraments cause us to Rejoice unceasingly in the Lord, and in the
good promises He makes to us. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I
say Rejoice. Amen.
___________________________________________________________________________
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