A, Pentecost 3 Proper 9 – Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30; Romans 7:15-25a “It Croaks and then it Croaks”
It Croaks and then it Croaks Key Texts '15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?' (Romans 7:15, 18-19, 24 NIV)
A sermon on Matt 11:16-19, 25-30, and Romans 7:15-25a
3rd Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 9, YR a) 6/07/11
by Ps Heath Pukallus Katanning Narrogin Lutheran Parish
18 "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners."' But wisdom is proved right by her actions. 27 All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:18-19, 27-30 NIV)
Sermon
There was a little frog who came up out of the ground when it began to rain. As he came up through the mud and darkness he realised he had company with many other frogs. They sat in the rain and croaked; in fact so much so, that the croaks of a thousand frogs created such a din that nobody could hear a thing. These frogs are noticeable and identified by their call; yeah-but yeah-but yeah-but yeah-but. Maybe you have heard one lately!
From the Word of God Jesus says, 'Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest'…yeah-but yeah-but. 'Go and make disciple of all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have told you'…yeah-but yeah-but. 'Blessed are you when people insult you persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me'…yeah-but yeah-but. 'If you forgive those when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive them their sins your Father will not forgive your sins'…yeah-but yeah-but. 'Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved'…yeah-but yeah-but
The frogs get very noisy these days. It's hard to hear the word of God with all their croaking. From where is that sound coming, I wonder? Sometimes it's even harder to hear Jesus tell me just what he has done for me. 'I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me'…yeah-but yeah-but. 'I am with you always even to the end of the age'…yeah-but yeah-but. 'The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a random for many'…yeah-but yeah-but. 'The Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life'… yeah-but yeah-but. 'Take eat and drink this is my body, this is my blood given and shed for you'…yeah-but yeah-but. I'm sick of that noise where is it coming from?
That frog is wallowing in the mud alright, wallowing and croaking doubt within me! You've probably heard that same species of frog croaking in you. It never really seems to go away. Yeah-but Jesus that's too ridiculous to believe. Yeah-but they are not Christians see how they acts. Yeah-but if I can just prove it then I will believe. Yeah-but why should I forgive them I am much better than them. Are the frogs of doubt, the frogs of mis-trust, the frogs of self-importance, the busy feel good frogs of human understanding so loud in you that you fail to hear God or receive the benefits from being in his rest?
Jesus likened his generation to children rather that frogs. Kids playing with each other in the marketplace squabbling and fighting because one won't play and dance while others won't be mellow and mourn. A parent might say, 'you shouldn't have started the fight!' And then all the excused follow, 'yeah-but yeah-but yeah-but'. In Jesus' generation and today he calls us to be discerning; he calls us to sharpen our focus, train our ear, and silence our tongues so we might hear his word, repent, and receive the forgiveness we all need so desperately.
Jesus tells us those who are not discerning are in dire trouble on the day of judgement if they do not repent. Against those who excuse him Jesus denounced their cities in which his miracles were performed, because they did not repent. Like our little frog croaking, so much so, he doesn't stop long enough to be fed, dying once the mud returns to a hard clay pan, so too are those who find every excuse to croak about themselves rather than receive the life giving food of God and repent. The one who croaks loudest croaks it first! These little frogs are prophets of evil and death!
Who are you? Who am I? Why am I the way I am? What makes me do the things I do? These are all very good questions for us Christians on the quest of recognising who we are, as we struggle with sin, and all the baggage these noisy little frogs croak up in us, trying to distract us and those with whom we come in contact.
In Paul's letter to the Romans, he gives us a very privileged look at his disgust with the frogs of evil that harm him. Paul bears his soul to us and struggles with who he is; he is a Christian and hears the Word of God, he is a sinner croaking within and carrying it out. This text in Romans seven is a hard text to digest. I encourage you to dissect it, but for now hear the confusion and angst bubble over as Paul writhes with his reality under Christ and the reality of living with sin in this life. Hear and know that it is not just you who struggles with the frogs of evil. '15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?' (Romans 7:15, 18-19, 22-24)
These would have to be some of the most passionate words spoken by Paul. You might think he should have it all together being a noteworthy apostle; having been confronted by Jesus himself on the road to Damascus and undergoing the definitive conversion experience. But troubled by sin and death he cries out, 'Who will rescue me from death?'
It might seem that we are failures in our Christian lives. So often we only hear the croaking death knells of sin. In fact we see the destruction we cause to ourselves and others all around us, and continually croak, yeah-but to excuse it. But Jesus calls us to stop croaking and rest in him. Yes, stop, listen, and rest!
Listen to this, 'No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.' That is you to whom he has chosen to reveal the Father. And before those little frog croaks begin again, let me give you a "but" from God. One to silence all the yeah-buts within. 'But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. (Rom 3:21-24) God says, 'you are a sinner, yeah-but you are my child now because of Jesus Christ'.
In the gospel we hear that John came neither eating nor drinking and they said yeah-but he has a demon. Let God's messengers reveal to you the demon-like yeah-but frogs croaking in you, so you might repent and seek forgiveness. We also hear Jesus came eating and drinking and they said yeah-but he is a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Let Jesus carry the gluttony and debauchery of your sinful lives. Let him take your sin to the cross so that it no longer weighs you down, let him take the guilt of your sin on himself, so that sin has no power in your lives even though the frogs will never go away while you live in this life. Let Jesus, the wisdom of God, prove you right before God. After all, as we have heard in the gospel, wisdom is proved right by her actions. (Matt 11:19) God is proved right by the actions of Christ on the cross, for you and me!
Jesus says in the Word of God, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." So hold back the croak of death and put on the yoke of Jesus instead. To Jesus Christ and him alone, let us flea. Amen.
Prayer
"I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to us, your little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure." Amen
