“God Gives Heart-healing Mercy to Heartbroken Repentance”
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our
Lord [Amen.]
“Oh, how great is Your compassion,
Faithful Father, God of grace, That with all our fallen race
In our depth of degradation
You had mercy so that we Might be saved eternally!
I will praise Your great compassion,
Faithful Father, God of grace, That with all our sinful race
In our depth of degradation
You had mercy so that we Might be saved eternally.”
(Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.
559:1 & 5)
Old Testament
Reading.............................................................. Jonah
3:1-5, 10 (esp. 10)
When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God
relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did
not do it.
Prologue: “It’s not fair! No! It’s just … not … fair … at
all!” That’s the cry of many people, perhaps some of you listening to this
sermon today even as myself, who have witnessed things happen in a way that,
if you were God, you would certainly have done them differently … right?
Two week ago I emphasized in my sermon that “Epiphany” means to
reveal, make known, manifest; that God revealed, made known, manifested
Himself throughout the Old Testament era; that He ultimately revealed, made
known, manifested Himself in the person and work of Jesus Christ; that He
continues to reveal, make known, and manifest Himself today when you read
and hear His Holy Word, reflect on the significance and meaning of your
Baptism, dwell on the comforting declaration of Holy Absolution, and
properly partake of the consecrated bread and wine of Holy Communion; and
that through the visitation of the foreign magi Gentiles, He revealed, made
known, manifested the gracious truth that Jesus came to redeem all people,
both Jews and Gentiles alike.
Today’s text is a portion of the familiar account of Jonah. He
desperately tried to avoid God’s assigned task of calling the Ninevites to
repentance and dispensing God’s mercy and grace to them. In it God
revealed, made known, manifested Himself to be patient, compassionate, and
merciful. At the same time, He also revealed, made known, manifested that
another emphasis of Epiphany is taking, telling, and demonstrating God’s
forgiving nature for the sake of Jesus Christ to people who are mired in
their sins and don’t yet know the truth about Him. Jonah full well knew the
truth about God but, in his own twisted and deluded way, thought the
Ninevites didn’t deserve His forgiving kindness. So, he desperately tried
to escape God’s call much like Moses and others had attempted to do.
However, remember also that God always has the last word, and that
last word in today’s text is that …
“God Gives Heart-healing Mercy to Heartbroken Repentance.”
The author of the Higher Things Reflections devotion almost two
years ago on February 15, 2013 wrote: “The Word of God went forth and did
what it said. Nineveh, the great city of Assyria, the great enemy of
Israel, heard the preaching of the Word of God and the Spirit worked
repentance in them. They saw the doom their sins deserved and trusted in
the promises of the God of Israel to spare them.
“Through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, the sins of the whole world
have been paid for. Because of that, we need to learn that the Lord is not
out to get people. The Lord didn’t want the people of Nineveh to perish in
their sins. So He sent Jonah to preach the Good News of repentance and
faith in the promises of Yahweh. Jonah preached and the Spirit did His work
through the Word and the people were saved.”
God’s wonderful Good News, however, was preceded by stinging Law.
Why? Simply because …
I. God’s Stern Law Seeks To Get Sinners’ Attention. (1-4)
1Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2“Arise,
go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I
tell you.” 3So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of
the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in
breadth. 4Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he
called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
Repentance is the strong emphasis of both Advent and Lent in
preparation to celebrate the birth and resurrection of Jesus. Old Testament
prophets, New Testament writers, John the Baptizer, and even Jesus Himself
were always calling their hearers to repentance. Saint Mark recorded in
today’s Holy Gospel Reading that “… after John was arrested, Jesus came into
Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled,
and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (St
Mark 1:14-15 ESV)
Regarding the urgency of repentance Saint Paul couched it in
eschatological context when he wrote in today’s Epistle Reading that “… the
appointed time has grown very short. For the present form of this world is
passing away.” (1 Cor 7:29b & 31 ESV)
God’s Law drives sinners (that included the Ninevites as well as
you and me) to realize their need to repent. The Apology (that word means
defense in this case) of the Augsburg Confession states the following about
God’s Law. “All Scripture, all the Church cries out that the Law cannot be
satisfied. Therefore, starting to fulfill the Law does not please on its
account, but on account of faith in Christ. Otherwise, the Law always
accuses us. For who loves or fears God enough? Who has enough patience to
bear the troubles brought by God? Who does not frequently doubt whether
human affairs are ruled by God’s counsel or by chance? Who does not
frequently doubt whether he is heard by God? Who is not frequently enraged
because the wicked enjoy a better life than the righteous, because the
righteous are oppressed by the wicked? Who fulfilled his own calling? Who
loves his neighbor as himself? Who is not tempted by lust?” (Apology of the
Augsburg Confession V [III] 45-46 [166-167] in Concordia The Lutheran
Confessions: A Reader’s Edition of the Book of Concord. [Pocket Edition]
Copyright © 2005, 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. Pages
133f.)
Our Synod Catechism instructs about God’s Law that as a curb it
“helps to control violent outbursts of sin and keeps order in the world”; as
a mirror it “accuses us and shows us our sin”; and as a guide it “teaches us
Christians what we should and should not do to lead a God-pleasing life.”
In addition, “The Law teaches what we are to do and not to do; … shows us
our sin and the wrath of God; … [and] must be proclaimed to all people, but
especially to impenitent sinners.” (Luther’s Small Catechism with
Explanation. Copyright © 1986, 1991 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis,
MO. Pages 96f. & 101.)
God laid the task of declaring His Law to the Ninevites on Jonah
then and He does so to Pastors today in order to convict their hearers of
their sin and convince them of their need for repentance. He did and does
so recognizing that “The power to live according to the Law comes from the
Gospel.” (Ibid. Page 97.) That is, …
II. God’s Sweet Gospel Motivates Repentance. (5)
And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on
sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
Okay, just what is this thing called “Gospel”? Simply stated, it’s
“the good news of our salvation in Jesus Christ.” It’s where “God gives
forgiveness, faith, life, and the power to please Him with good works.” In
fact, “the Gospel teaches what God has done, and still does, for our
salvation.” In addition, it “shows us our Savior and the grace of God” and
“must be proclaimed to sinners who are troubled in their minds because of
their sins.” (Ibid. Pages 52 & 101.)
It was quite evident that the Ninevites were convicted by the Law.
As a result, they desperately needed the comfort and assurance of
forgiveness that only the Gospel can give. What an opportunity God gave
Jonah to communicate new life to a broken and hurting people!
In the following chapter of his account, “Jonah and God converse
with each other for the first time. Jonah revealed why he did not want to
preach to Nineveh in the first place. Assyria was Israel’s national enemy,
so Jonah hoped they would perish. The central conflict was between God’s
mercy and Jonah’s unwillingness to extend to Nineveh the grace of God that
had already saved his own life.” In fact, Jonah made it quite clear that
“He would rather die than endure the reality of God’s pity for Nineveh.”
(The Lutheran Study Bible. E. A. Engelbrecht, Gen. Ed. Copyright © 2009
Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. Page 1483.)
So, what motivated Jonah’s wrong attitude? Jealousy? Envy? An
“I’m-better-than-you” self-concept? A personal hatred for the Ninevites?
Hmmm. And have you ever hesitated to speak God’s Gospel-forgiveness to
someone that sinned against you; offended you; or hurt you? If so, was it
because you shared that “Jonah syndrome”?
One of the most wonderful things about being a Pastor is the
opportunities to declare God’s Gospel-forgiveness to people both publicly in
the Divine Services and personally in Individual Confession and Absolution.
I prayerfully hope that all of you find that to be a most wonderful part of
your Christian life as well. When a father, mother, husband, wife, son,
daughter, brother, sister, other relative, friend, congregational member,
classmate, fellow employee, sports team member, or whoever gives the least
evidence of remorse over a sin committed against you, the most appropriate
thing to immediately say is simply, and yes oh so meaningfully, “God
forgives you … and I forgive you too.” That’s both the Gospel message and
the Gospel at work to heal disrupted, damaged, and even broken relationships
with the only thing that can truly heal, namely, God’s sweet Gospel.
That’s what Jesus did to you when hanging and dying on Calvary’s
cross for your sins He prayed: “Father, forgive them … .” ( St Luke 23:34
ESV) That’s what you beg God to help you do when you pray: “forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us … .” That’s why
Jesus atoned for your sins with His holy life, innocent suffering,
crucifixion death, and majestic resurrection from the dead, namely, so
having been forgiven you can now “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph 4:32 ESV)
In conclusion, therefore, in his “story that inspired a nation …
And has brought millions of visitors to Branson, Missouri” Harold Bell
Wright wrote the following in 1907: “We build temples and churches, but will
not worship in them; we hire spiritual advisors, but refuse to heed them; we
buy bibles (sic), but will not read them; believing in God, we do not fear
Him. Only when we can no longer strive in the battle for earthly honors or
material wealth, do we turn to the unseen but more enduring things of life;
and, with ears deafened by the din of selfish war and cruel violence, and
eyes blinded by the glare of passing pomp and folly, we strive to hear and
see the things we have so long refused to consider.” (Harold Bell Wright in
The Shepherd of the Hills. Copyright © 1987 Shepherd of the Hills
Historical Society, Inc. Page 250.)
Even as the Ninevites did then and the early settlers in southern
Missouri were called to do, so also today recognize your sins; grieve them;
confess them; and thankfully receive the forgiveness God offers you for
Jesus’ sake in Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution, His Holy Word, and Holy
Communion. Then, strive by the Holy Spirit’s power alone to correct them by
replacing them with sanctified good works according to God’s Holy Law. Do
so realizing and being motivated by the fact that, …
“God Gives Heart-healing Mercy to Heartbroken Repentance.”
As you do so, always remember and never forget that …
I. God’s Stern Law Seeks To Get Sinners’ Attention. (1-4) In light of
that truth make the following portion of today’s Collect your daily prayer:
“Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities and
stretch forth the hand of Your majesty to heal and defend us … .”
Then, as God’s stern Law convicts and condemns you, know without a
doubt and firmly trust that …
II. God’s Sweet Gospel Motivates Repentance. (5) As you repent of your
sins, be comforted and consoled with the words of today’s Gradual: “For
great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord
endures forever.” (Psalm 117:2a ESV) Then joyfully and gratefully respond
with the words of today’s Introit: “Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of
the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessèd be the name of the Lord from
this time forth and forevermore! The Lord is high above all nations, and
his glory above the heavens! He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the
needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of
his people.” (Psalm 113:1-2, 4, 7-8 ESV)
After all, “Jesus declared that ‘the men of Nineveh will rise up
at the judgment … and condemn’ His own generation of hearers who failed to
repent (Mt 12:41). God continues to call [you] to repentance for [your]
sins of thought, word, and deed. The men of Nineveh furnish [you] with an
example to follow. May they not condemn [you] on the Day of Judgment! May
the Holy Spirit rather lead [you] daily to repent of [your] sins and trust
Christ for pardon and peace.” (The Lutheran Study Bible. Page 1483.)
God grant it all for the sake of Jesus Christ, His humble Son, our
holy Savior. [Amen.]
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
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