Sermon for Sixth Sunday after Trinity - Ex 20:1-17 Gospel and Law?

                                                                                                           Trinity 6

                                                                                                            Ex. 20:1-17

                                                                                                            7/8/17

            Law and Gospel.  If you have been around the Lutheran church for any length of time, you are very familiar with this phrase.  No doubt, you have heard it repeated, again and again.  This is especially true in the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.             

           Near the end of his life C.F.W. Walther, the first president of the LCMS, gave a series of evening lectures about preaching to the students at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.  They were compiled into a book that bears the title, “The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel” – but everyone just calls it “Law and Gospel.”  This book has had an enormous impact on preaching in our synod to this very day.

            Law and Gospel is an important insight that finds its source in Martin Luther during the Reformation.  It is the recognition that all of Scripture can be divided into Law – those things that we are to do; and Gospel – what God has done for us in Jesus Christ to give us forgiveness and salvation.

            Simply stated: The law shows us our sin.  We see what our life should be like, and we discover that we fail in thought, word and deed. The law leads us to repentance as we confess our sin. That is its proper work.  This serves as preparation so that we can then receive the Gospel in faith through which we have forgiveness and life.  Law comes first as it prepares us for the Gospel.

            Our text this morning is Exodus chapter 20 in which God gives the Ten Commandments to Israel at Mt Sinai.  Now the Ten Commandments are obviously the preeminent example of law.  In the Small Catechism, Martin Luther rearranged the traditional order of the chief parts so that now the Ten Commandments come first because they are law, and the Creed comes second because it is Gospel.

            Yet a look at our text immediately confronts us with something very puzzling.  It states in the first two verses that introduce the Ten Commandments: “And God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.’” That, my friends, is a statement of pure Gospel.

            The Exodus is the great Gospel event of the Old Testament.  God was in the process of taking Israel to be his own as he entered into a covenant with them.  He declared that he was their God.  He had chosen them – not because they were the biggest or the best; far from it.  Instead he chose a people who were slaves and then freed them. Through the mighty events of the Passover and the crossing of the Red Sea he had rescued them from Egypt. The Creator of the universe had saved them.

            Only after saying this does Yahweh go on to state the Ten Commandments.  So in Exodus 20, things move from … Gospel to Law. What’s going on here?  Do we Lutherans have it all wrong?

            Our text certainly does move from Gospel to Law.   And while no, the Lutherans aren’t wrong, this fact does teach us some important things about the Law. For starters, the Law is a great blessing.  It has been given to us by our Gospel God and it describes how we live as the people God has made us to be – his people.  It describes how we live in response to his grace and mercy.

            This law is a tremendous blessing.  God is indeed the Creator of all things.  He is the One who ordered this creation and set it up to work in certain ways.  Life will always go best if we live in ways that follow this ordering. And God has not left us to wonder about what this ordering is.  He has set it down for us in writing in the Ten Commandments, and then further explained what they mean in the words of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and in Scriptures his Holy Spirit inspired.

            The Ten Commandments are indeed a “how to” guide for a good life.  So, God comes first.  You call upon him in times of need, and praise and thank him always. You receive his Means of Grace.  And then in your life with others you honor your parents and other authorities, even as fulfill these vocations into which God has placed you. You help your neighbor in every physical need.  You love and support your spouse and remain faithful.  You help your neighbors preserve their possessions and reputation. You live lives that are content as you focus on the great blessings God has given to you.

            This ordering is true no matter whether a person believes in God or not. This ordering is, in fact, eternally true.  You can never “move beyond them,” and any society that does will experience pain and dysfunction.  We know, of course, that this is what our world is doing.  In particular, we see this in relation to the Fifth and Sixth commandments.  Abortion has killed 60 million babies in our nation since 1973 and it has brought pain to the lives of the women and men it has touched.  Sex is viewed as something to be used in any way you want.  Divorce is just part of life, and marriage between two men or two women is the law of the land.

            It is indeed a sinful, fallen world.  And so if you choose to resist and oppose these perversions of God’s ordering, you will experience difficulties.  You will be told that you are part of a “war on women” because you speak for the unborn.  The world will tell you that you are weird for not having sex outside of marriage and the person you are dating is likely to pressure you to have sex.  You will be labeled “homophobic” for saying that homosexuality is wrong, and that marriage can only occur between and man and a woman.

            Yet the impact of the Fall and sin is not limited to those things outside of you.  Yes the Ten Commandments describe God’s ordering of creation.  Yes they describe how to live life well.  The problem, is that much of the time, you don’t do it. In thought, word and deed you don’t put God first. You don’t call upon and praise him as you should.  You don’t use and cherish the Means of Grace the way you focus on other things like sport and hobbies.  You don’t obey your parents, and you don’t do all the things you should as a parent to raise your children in the faith.  You ignore your neighbor’s need because it would take time from what you want to do.  You have sex outside of marriage and pursue lustful thoughts through pornography. You don’t protect your neighbor’s possessions.  You gossip, and enjoy sharing and hearing news that makes your neighbor look bad.

            So yes, the law accuses you.  It shows you your sin.  It doesn’t only do this in a general kind of way, but it reveals that very specific thoughts, words and actions are sinful before God. And the “before God” part here is key, because he always gets the last word. The world can tell itself that there is no God, no sin, no judgment – you know better.  You know that your sin cuts you off from the holy God and brings judgment and eternal damnation.

            Yes, Luther and the Lutherans are right.  The law in its proper work shows you your sin. It prompts confession and repentance.  But it does so to lead you to the good news of the Gospel.  In our text we hear: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”  After Yahweh had brought Israel through the Red Sea, Moses and the people sang a song which said, “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed.”

            The word “redeem” means to free from slavery.  The New Testament has taken this word an applied it to what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.  St. Paul told the Galatians, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”  How did he do this?  Paul said in the previous chapter, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us--for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’-- so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.”

            The law says, “Do this.”  It says, “Do this, all the time, every time or you will receive the curse of God’s judgment.” Because we are sinners who deserve this judgment, Jesus Christ received it in our place.  He received our judgment as he died on the cross and then rose from the dead. By doing this he redeemed you.  He freed you from the slavery of sin and death.

            Christ did this for you. He the righteous and holy One received your sin and punishment.  He did this in order to give you his righteousness and holiness.  Paul told the Galatians, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”  When you were baptized, you put on Jesus and his righteousness.  Now when God looks at you, he does not see your sin.  He sees what Jesus has won for you – what he has made you to be. 

            This is Gospel. But this Gospel brings us back to the Law.  Through the word of the Gospel the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead has made you a new creation in Christ.  The One who created faith in you now prompts your faith to act in love.  In fact St. Paul told the Galatians: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.”

            We don’t, like the medieval church, invent ways to be pious. We don’t create works to do, because these always end up being self-serving.  Instead, in his ordering of creation, God has given us the things to do. They are things that reflect his will. They are things that help others.

            Christ has redeemed you.  So, teach your children the faith, and obey your parents without complaining.  Christ has redeemed you.  So, use our resources to help those in need.  Christ has redeemed you.  So, help and support your spouse in the things he or she has to do. Christ has redeemed you. So, don’t take things at work and help to preserve property and possessions in all settings.  Christ has redeemed you. So, speak in defense of other people and shut down gossip by saying that you don’t listen to that stuff.  Christ has redeemed you. So, rejoice and give thanks for the many blessings God has given to you.

            The Lutheran are right. The most important movement is from Law to Gospel for in that way God keeps us as repentant, forgiven sinners who are in Christ and ready for the Last Day.  But the life of faith also moves from Gospel to Law. The work of the Spirit through faith in Christ leads us to love and serve in the way God ordered things.  Gospel moves us to seek to live the best life which God has set forth in the Law.      

 

 

           

               

             

             

Commemoration of Isaiah, Prophet

Today we remember and give thanks for the prophet Isaiah.  Isaiah son of Amoz is considered to be the greatest of the writing prophets and is quoted in the New Testament more than any other Old Testament prophet. His name means “Yahweh [the Lord] saves.” Isaiah prophesied to the people of Jerusalem and Judah from about 740 B.C. to 700 B.C. and was a contemporary of the prophets Amos, Hosea, and Micah. Isaiah was a fierce preacher of God’s Law, condemning the sin of idolatry. He was also a comforting proclaimer of the Gospel, repeatedly emphasizing God’s grace and forgiveness. For this he is sometimes called the “Evangelist of the Old Testament.” No prophet more clearly prophesied about the coming Messiah and his saving kingdom. He foretold the Messiah’s miraculous birth (Is 7:14; 9:6), his endless reign (Is 2:1–5; 11:1–16), and his public ministry (Is 61:1–3), but most notably his “Suffering Servant” role and atoning death (52:13—53:12). The apostle John’s description of Isaiah, that Isaiah saw Jesus’ glory and spoke of him (John 12:41), is an apt summary of Isaiah’s prophetic ministry.

Collect of the Day:

Lord God, heavenly Father, through the prophet Isaiah, you continued the prophetic pattern of teaching your people the truth faith and demonstrating through miracles your presence in creation to heal it of its brokenness.  Grant that your Church may see in your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the final end-times prophet whose teaching and miracles continue in your Church through the healing medicine of the Gospel and the Sacraments; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Sermon for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity - Lk 5:1-11

                                                                                    Trinity 5

                                                                                    Lk 5:1-11

                                                                                    7/1/18

            I did not grow up hunting and fishing.  As I have mentioned in the past, outdoors stuff like that was simply not part of my family’s experience.  My Grandpa Surburg grew up in Chicago within walking distance of Wrigley Field.  My dad grew up in Brooklyn, NY.  In these settings, hunting and fishing were just not part of life.

            Now I have gone fishing.  I used to look forward to fishing with my aunt and uncle at their cottage on Lake Huron.  I’ve done it in other settings as well. Those experiences have taught me that I have done a great deal of another activity that is very much like fishing.

            Next week Matthew, my dad and my nephew will be going out to Pennsylvania to go train watching.  Watching trains is very much like fishing.  You have to know where to go. There are places like the Altoona, PA where you are going to see lots of trains, and then there are rail lines where you will see almost nothing.

            In both activities there is the excitement of “catching one.”  Just as the fisherman is thrilled to feel that pull on the line, and then the weight of a fish as he or she reels it in, so also there is the thrill of hearing the horn and seeing the light of an approaching train.

            And then there is also the reality that in both activities, despite the best plans, sometimes things just don’t go well.  You can be in the right place, but if circumstances are off, it doesn’t matter. The fish aren’t always biting, and the trains aren’t always running.  During the late 1980’s my dad and I went with friends to West Virgina to watch trains. It was an area known for heavy train action moving coal.  However, it turned out that our trip took place right in the middle of a coal miners’ strike, and so we didn’t see a single train moving.

            In our Gospel lesson this morning we find Peter and his companions after they have had just such an experience fishing. These were men who didn’t go fishing for fun and relaxation. It was their job.  Their livelihood and that of their families depended on it. They knew their business and how to do it, but of course, there were no guarantees. And that night they had been fishing and caught nothing.  Unfortunately, despite catching no fish, there was still work to do.  Their boats were pulled up along the shore as they cleaned their nets in preparation for the next time they went out.

            We learn that Jesus was also there at the lake of Gennesaret – the sea of Galilee.  Beginning in chapter four, Luke has told us about Jesus’ ministry of teaching and healing. We learn that after his temptation, “Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.”  Our Lord’s teaching and miracles quickly gained him a following.  People wanted to hear him and to see what he was going to do.

            Jesus was there at the water and a crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God.  He saw the boats belonging to Peter, and to James and John.  So he got into Peter’s boat and asked him to put out a little from the land.  The boat became a floating podium as he taught the people gathered along the shore line.

            Now we have heard this text so many times that we probably overlook how presumptuous this seems.  What would you think if some random person just sat down in your office at work or took a seat in your car and said, “Drive me to Carbondale.”  Most likely you would be put off by this.

            However, from the previous chapter we know that Jesus is not exactly a random person to Peter.  Jesus had been teaching in Capernaum on the Sabbath and Luke tells us that “they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.”  He had cast out a demon from a man at the synagogue and Luke reports, “They were all amazed and said to one another, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!’”  And then Jesus had gone to Peter’s house and healed his mother-in-law who had a fever.

            At this point, Peter knew Jesus and his ministry.  He had heard the Lord’s teaching.  His own family had received a great blessing from Jesus, and so he was willing to oblige him.  But what came next went beyond this.  When Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Peter knew that Jesus had it all wrong.  You didn’t fish during the daytime in the deeper water.  That was just dumb, because that’s not how you catch fish.

            Sometimes we think this way too.  God says that he is to come first in our life.  Yet that means giving up time and money.  You give up Sunday mornings to be here.  You give up time during the week for devotions and prayer.  You give up money in your offering.  Other people don’t do that.  For them, every Sunday is another Saturday. They can use all of their money on things that are for just them.  God’s way doesn’t seem so smart.

            Or take Jesus’ instruction to be kind and forgiving. That can be really hard.  It requires you to do things for other people.  It means you don’t get to focus on your anger and nurse it as you look for an opportunity to get pay back – something that feels so good.  Jesus’ way doesn’t seem very smart.

            Peter had heard Jesus’ teaching.  He had experienced his miraculous saving work.  And so he said, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”  Peter acknowledged that Jesus’ way didn’t seem to make sense.  Yet then he added, “But at your word I will let down the nets.” He listened to Jesus and trusted his word.  He obeyed it.  It didn’t make sense. But it came from Jesus and so Peter trusted and did what Jesus said.

            Then we learn that when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. In fact they signaled to their partners, James and John, in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

            This was an incredible and awesome experience!  Frankly, it was overwhelming and when Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord,” for he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken.

            In the miracle, Jesus demonstrated what he had been preaching.  He had been declaring the good news that in his person the saving action of God had arrived.  In him the kingdom of God – the reign of God had come near.

            Jesus said this because he, a human being, was also the Son of God incarnate by the work of the Holy Spirit.  He was present in the world in order to make his way to the cross. Though he was holy and without sin, he had come to be numbered with the transgressors for your sake.

            In that moment, as he saw the incredible catch of fish, Peter was overwhelmed with the sense that he was somewhere he should not be.  He said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”  Peter found himself in the presence of the divine, and it caused him to fear.  He feared because it made him sense the enormity of his sin and the fact that he had no business being in the presence of God and his work.

            You are no different. As sinners who question God’s ways and choose to ignore them, you have no business being in the presence of God.  Like David we must say, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.”

            That is what you deserve.  But Jesus Christ completed his ministry by dying on the cross and rising from the dead for you.  He who knew no sin became sin for you.  He received God’s judgment in your place, so that now by faith in Christ you stand forgiven – justified.  You have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

            Jesus had not come to cause fear. He had come to give forgiveness, peace, hope, and life. So he said to Peter, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”  We learn in our text that then they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

            In our text Peter encounters the saving reign of God present in Jesus Christ.  The result is that he leaves everything and follows Jesus.  He hears Jesus’ word and in faith he follows the Lord.

            This is the same dynamic that needs to be at work in your life.  You too have encountered the saving reign of God present in Jesus.  Through the Means of Grace, Christ has called you to faith and sustains you as a child of God.  His Spirit has made you a new creation in Christ. 

            Because of this, you now follow Jesus.  But what does that mean? In our text, Jesus calls Peter, James and John to follow him and announces that he will make them fishers of men.  The obvious move with this text is to talk about how we now share the Gospel with others.  This certainly is true and it is something I have preached in the past. But at the same time we also cannot ignore the fact that ultimately Jesus was calling Peter, James and John as those who would be his apostles. They were going to be something unique – a once in the history of the world thing – because of their calling by the incarnate Lord.  As witnesses to the crucified and risen Lord, they would have a very special and key role in calling others to faith in Jesus – and that includes you.

            So granted, you are not an apostle.  You are however someone who has received forgiveness in Christ.  You are someone who was not part of God’s people, and yet now because of Jesus you are have the guarantee of salvation and eternal life. So what does this mean for you?

            It means that you forgive your spouse or family member, because God in Christ has forgiven you.  It means that you seek to be reconciled to another person, because God was in Christ reconciling you to himself.  It means you serve the Body of Christ here in this congregation, because Christ served you and gave himself up for you.

            The free gift of salvation in Christ now turns you outside yourself.  It leads you to see in others the object of Christ’s love that he now gives through you.  Your life has been taken up into Christ’s.  St. Paul told the Galatians that “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

            Because of the Gospel you know that there is no reason to say to Jesus, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”  Instead thank and praise him for the salvation and peace he has won for you.  And act in ways that share his forgiveness and love with others.