The Fourth Midweek Service in Advent Already You Are Clean
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ! So far in our Advent Midweek worship, Elizabeth (Luke 1:41-45), Anna (Luke 2:36-38), and the “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) all taught us important things about preparing ourselves to receive the Holy Communion. Their suggestions and example can only take us so far. Tonight these fellow saints must fall silent. Tonight Jesus speaks. Jesus Himself prepares us for Holy Communion, not by telling us what we must do, but by telling us what He has already done for us: “Already you are clean,” says Jesus, “because of the Word I have spoken to you.” Dear Christian friends, To what might we compare our communion preparation? · Perhaps our preparation can be somewhat compared to what a child experiences on the day of her birth. The birth process requires a lot from her, and she falls into exhausted sleep after she is born, but what did the child really do during her delivery? Mother gives birth to child. For all of her effort and strain, the child does nothing. Momma does it all. · Again and in a similar way, our preparation for Holy Communion might be compared to surgery. In the same way that childbirth is exhausting for the infant, surgery is likewise exhausting for the patient, no matter what the patient’s age. But again, the patient has really done nothing. Perhaps there were a few preparatory exercises, such as medications or the self-discipline of taking no food or water before the surgery, but surgery is done TO YOU. Doctors and nurses must do all the work, and you must allow it. As it is with childbirth and with surgery, where others do the most important part of the work for you, so it is with your preparation for Holy Communion: “Fasting and bodily preparations are indeed fine, outward training,” and these preparations require something of your own involvement. But your contribution is really quite small. Your contribution is comparable to an infant’s contribution to her own birth or a patient’s contribution in his own surgery. As you approach to receive the body and blood of your Lord, someone else has already done the bulk and the majority of the preparatory work for you. Simply finish the sentence you have memorized: Fasting and bodily preparations are indeed fine, outward training, but that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins” (Small Catechism). Stated another way, “Already you are clean because of the Word that [Jesus has] spoken to you.” In this reading from John 15, Jesus describes you as branch that has been miraculously grafted and connected into a vine. “I am the vine,” He says, “you are the branches. … Apart from Me you can do nothing.” · The branches of a grapevine always have continual flow of health and life, supplied to them from the vine. There is never a time that a grapevine is not supplying life to its branches. Even in the cold of winter, after the fruit has been harvested and the leaves have shriveled away, the branch continues to live on account of the vine to which it is connected. · Jesus wants you to think the same way about what He does for you. “I am the vine, you are the branches.” There is never a time when your eternal Vine is not giving His goodness to you. There is never a time when your merciful Vine is not drawing away your sin and replacing it with the nutrient of everlasting life. There is never a time when you are not 100% God’s beloved child, 100% forgiven of every sin, and 100% fruit-bearing in every fiber of your being. There is also never a time when you are not 100% ready, 100% fully prepared, for God’s gift of Holy Communion. In Holy Communion, you receive again the gifts you have already received. “Already you are clean,” says Jesus, “because of the Word I have spoken to you.” The Word that Jesus has spoken to you has done its good work in you: this Word has worked the divine miracle of faith within you, so that you may approach in faith, believing the Words you have heard spoken from the altar, “Given at shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.” · Your Sunday morning devotion time frequently gets trampled by a family argument that erupts as soon as everyone rolled out of bed; · You try to focus your thoughts on what you are about to receive, but your mind wanders like a child in a shopping mall; · You are angry at the pastor; · You would like to fast with Anna, but your somewhat fragile health makes you worry that you will create a problem for yourself if you do; · You must wrestle a child while at the communion rail and so hastily eat your Lord’s Supper that you cannot take the time for Elizabeth’s incredulity: · You know you should give more thought to communion preparation, but there lots of things you know should do. As ever, “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38); All of these things matter, and yet NONE of the matter! 1. Our Lord’s Holy Communion deserves careful attention from each and every Christian—including and especially you. Far be it from any of us ever to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord flippantly or thoughtlessly, as if it were in a bag of fast food at a drive-up window. 2. Nevertheless, Jesus draws us together here “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” At the speaking of the Invocation—at the beginning of worship as at your Baptism—Jesus Christ your Lord completes and accomplishes your preparations FOR YOU. Mothers give birth to their children. Doctors and nurses perform surgery for their patients. In the same way, “Already you are clean because of the Word that [Jesus has] spoken to you.” That person is truly worthy and well prepared—that person is already and truly clean—who has faith in these Words: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” The peace of God which passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen. _______________________________________________ Sermons mailing list [email protected] http://cat41.org/mailman/listinfo/sermons
