+In Nomine Iesu+
Pentecost 11 St Luke 12:22-34 8 August 2010 From your Confirmation instruction you will remember there are two great doctrines in the Bible. Those two are the Law, and the Gospel. They become the lenses through which we read Gods Word. And, though they are diametrically opposed to each other, they also complement each other. <> Lets take a few moments to compare them. First of all, the Law always demands something. The Law demands something from you. And, the Gospel always gives something. The Gospel gives to you something you would otherwise not have. The Gospel gives what you are incapable of producing for yourself. In your reading of Scripture, whenever you read that you are to do something thats Law. The converse is this whenever you read that God has done something for you, thats Gospel. The Law demands. The Gospel gives. The Law is about what we are to do or not do. The Gospel is always about what God does for you. And, since the Law always demands it can only kill. The Law can never create. It never provides the means to meet the demands it makes. Indeed, the Laws demands are impossible for us to meet. The Law takes life always. The Law can never give life. And, since the Gospel is always about what God does, it can never make any demands. While the Law always kills the Gospel always gives always bestows life. The Gospel always bestows what was previously lacking. Especially, the Gospel gives the promise of Gods favor. The Gospel gives life, and that, ongoingly. <> Now, all of that is quite straight forward, even if it may sound a bit confusing. There is, however, one thing that remains to be added. There are times when the Law is used by God in the service of the Gospel. What I mean is this. There are times when, instead of making an outright demand, the Law rather simply makes a statement of fact. There are times when the Law simply reveals the reality within which the Gospel works. I know that sounds rather odd, but I think you will understand as we go through todays Gospel. <> Whats the first thing that Jesus says in todays text? Do not be anxious about your life. That sounds like Law, doesnt it? Dont do it! Sounds like a demand. But thats almost like telling fire not to be hot. Why? Because sin is involved. We are sinful creatures, and sin creates anxiety. Sin causes a restlessness that cannot be ordered out of existence. Its like ordering a child not to act like a child. Impossible. Children act like children. And, sinful people act like what they are sinful people. And part of our sinful nature is worry, anxiety, disquiet, fretfulness. All those attitudes adhere to us because our sinfulness puts us at odds with God. Those attitudes flow from the center of our being from our conscience. And, the sinful conscience is never at ease. <> But now, lets look at this statement of Jesus as being Law in the service of the Gospel. Jesus says, Do not be anxious about your life. We ask a question. Why not? Why shouldnt I be anxious? The answer is not what you might expect. The answer is not, Because Jesus says so. Or, Because if you want to be a Christian and really obey God you cant worry about things. Rather, the answer is simply this. Because you dont have to be anxious. You dont have to worry? <> Its almost breathtakingly simple, isnt it? You dont have to be anxious. No drama. No hidden meanings. All quite straight forward. Simply a statement of fact. Anxiety isnt necessary. We hear that and instantly another question arises. Why not? Why dont I have to worry? And, again, the answer is incredibly simple. Because Jesus has taken care of things. God has promised to take care of your life. The rest of our text is simply Jesus explanation of what He means by that promise. <> No doubt there were a number of quizzical faces staring back at Jesus after He had told the crowd not to be anxious. Quizzical faces that bespoke unuttered questions. What are you talking about, Jesus? So, what does Jesus do? He explains Gods care of His people. Indeed, Gods care for all people. And He does so with examples that we could enlarge upon with any number of additional illustrations. <> First come the basics. Food and clothing. Does God know you need such things? Absolutely. And His knowledge of your needs turns into the supplying of those needs. Look at the birds, Jesus says. Does God take care of them? Absolutely. God feeds them. And, guess what, Jesus says, You are far more important than any number of birds. Implication? If God will consciously care for birds, how much more will He care for you. <> Secondly, what about life itself? Can you add a moment to the length of your life by worrying about it? Of course not. Your life was created by God. Created by Him and carried along by Him. He has given it to you. And, He will take it. No amount of striving will allow you to live one instant longer than God intends. <> Then He points to the flowers. Look at their beauty, Jesus says. Did they create that for themselves? Of course not. Thats Gods work. And yet, those flowers are more beautifully arrayed than Solomon in all his splendor. Implication? If God expends such energy on a temporary thing like the beauty of a flower, what will He not be willing to expend on you? <> And then, just in case someone had missed the point Jesus goes through His list again. Food. Clothing. Life. All these God has promised to take care of. God has promised to care for you. You dont have to be anxious. <> But, do we get the point? You might wonder. Lots of time, lots of money, lots of energy is expended on the very things Jesus says we dont have to worry about. Am I properly fashion conscious? Do I have sufficient food? Is my car up to date? My computer? My appliances? Will I be able to take care for myself in my old age? Look at how we try to deny the effects of time. Always a search for perpetual youth. Fitness regimens. Botox. Tummy tucks. Diets. All the rest. What did the writer of Ecclesiastes say last week? Vanity. Vanity. All is vanity. It all verges on a denial that God can be trusted to care for us, doesnt it. <> And the problem extends far beyond individual anxiety. We see it in our daily life as well. Can I depend on the economy? What about the political situation in our country? Will we survive as a nation? Will our enemies attack us? Can they be defeated? Is the government to be trusted? <> Even the Church is not immune. We careen from one synodical convention to the next. Will my candidates be elected? If they arent, then what? What about the resolutions the convention passes? Will the Church prosper? Worry. Anxiety. And in the face of all of it Jesus says, You dont have to be anxious. <> But perhaps the greatest anxiety of all at least for Christians comes in this: death. What about when I die. I can feel it coming. What then? Will I be condemned? I deserve to be. Will God be merciful to me when Im at the point of death? <> A young mother is preparing her little daughter for the first day of kindergarten. The little girl is fearful. Worried. She doesnt want to go. She doesnt know whats going to happen. Its all new, and its all scary. What does mom say? You dont have to worry. It will be fine. Why should the little girl listen to mom? Why should moms words mean anything to that little girl? Why should moms you dont have to worry be enough to satisfy the daughter? Why? Because moms been through what the little girl is now facing. Mom knows what shes talking about. Shes experienced a first day of kindergarten. She knows whats involved. And she knows what will happen. The little girl will go, and spend the day, and come home and everything will be fine. <> So it is with us as we face death. Jesus says, You dont have to be anxious. His words carry weight. Why? Because He knows what Hes talking about. He has gone through death. He is, as Scripture describes, the first fruits of them that sleep. He has died. He has entered the grave. And He has risen from the dead. He has been raised to life again. He has overcome death. So, when He tells you not to be anxious about death you can trust Him. He has taken away the sting of death by taking your sins into Himself. You no longer stand condemned. And even more, He has already warmed your grave with His own body. He has emerged from death ahead of you alive. And He has done all this for you. <> Thus, when Jesus says, Fear not, little flock, that isnt Law. Jesus isnt making a demand. He is simply re-stating what he said at the beginning You dont have to be anxious. Dear friends, Jesus is your treasure. He is your treasure in the heavens that does not fail. He is for you. By baptism you have been placed into the hands of Jesus. And there, you will live out this life cared for by your Savior. And there you will also be cared for as you go through death into eternal life. Thanks be to God! Amen +Soli Deo Gloria+ ___________________________________________________________________ 'CAT 41 Sermons & Devotions' consists of works that are, unless otherwise noted, the copyrighted property of the various authors; posting of such gives members of this list implied consent for redistribution _with_attribution_ unless otherwise specified by the author (as long as no charge is made for the work and it is not made part of a compilation), as well as for quoting or use in a congregational setting _with_or_without_attribution_. Note: This list's default reply is to the *poster*, NOT the list. Do *not* reply to the list with your comments, but to the poster. Subscribe? Send ANY note to: [email protected] Unsubscribe? 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