A, Post-Pentecost 12 Proper 15 - Romans 11:29-32, Matthew 15:10-28 "Mercy for Sinners"
Text Romans 11:29–32 (ESV)
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you were at one time disobedient
to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in
order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience,
that he may have mercy on all.
Sermon
Can a person measure their faith? How do I know whether I’ve got great faith,
or fragile or unstable faith? Really,
should one seek to measure faith?
In Romans 10:17 we hear that faith comes
from hearing the gospel preached.
Today we have heard in the Gospel (Matthew
15:10-28) Jesus finds himself in two places and receives two very different faith
responses as he, the Word made flesh, moves, teaches, and preaches amongst the
people of his day.
In fact, when confronted by Christ and his
Word, the reality of God in my presence quickly reveals just who I am as well
as what I think, do, and feel.
Usually one of two things happen, sometimes
both things happen at the same time.
Either I become proud, arrogant, and conceited, or I become crushed and
confused, and sometimes even both, somehow at the same time.
Indeed, even in the bible readings we have
heard this morning, my mind races and makes me feel certain things and makes me
want to do certain things too.
The first thing that jumps to mind in the
readings is from the second half of the Gospel reading. I see the way Jesus approaches a Gentile, a
Canaanite woman who has heard the word and approaches Jesus with faith. I struggle with the fact that Jesus does
three things before the woman that for me, seems a bit harsh. He ignores her, then refuses to speak to her,
saying, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of
Two things happen in me as I hear God’s
word, I question and then doubt. Surely
Jesus is a God of love; why does he do this?
I am tempted into doubting God’s word and seek to alter it to suit me,
making it a little less offensive. And
once this happens then the threat of either conceited arrogance or crushing
confusion hangs over my head.
It seemingly appears that his Word is not
completely true as far as my thoughts and feelings are concerned. It seems if I were to evaluate my faith at
this moment, I might be in danger of not finding any! Or would I?
Or perhaps, instead of faith, I realise disobedience is working within
me!
Then I think about the first half of the
Gospel reading. Those wretched
Pharisees: what right have they got to be offended at my God? If I was there, I wouldn’t doubt Jesus for a
minute; I am so much better than them!
But just when I become proud of my pharisaic
ways over the Pharisees, Jesus’ Word rings in my ear, ‘Are you so dull?’ He tells me the things that come out of my
mouth and heart are the things that make me unclean; evil thoughts, murder,
adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.
Then depending on the day, I respond with
pride, “I don’t do any of those things”, or I justify myself with a big “yeah-but”
and change God’s word to suit me, so I mightn’t have to address the things I’m
doing in my life, and the things I’m not doing as well.
Or, on the other hand, at other times I see
Jesus lift the bar of the law, that much higher, so there is no way I can jump
over it, and utter shame fills my heart, “how can I go near God when I am such
a bad sinner?!”
Either way, I have become my own authority
on good and evil. My own goodness
renders God unnecessary. And my
inability to be perfectly good makes me unable to work my way out of the death
my deeds deserve.
The point is: you and I are inherently
sinful. Sin is not just what I do, it is
who I am! When presented with a model of
Jesus’ life I see that there is no way possible for me to make it to heaven by
my own efforts. In fact, my efforts push
me further and further away from God, every time.
For God has consigned all to disobedience,
that he may have mercy on all. (Romans 11:32 ESV)
In fact, God hands us over to see our
sinfulness so that the gift of Christ is recognized for what it is: the
greatest gift anyone has ever received. God’s
gifts and his call are irrevocable.
Even in the midst of so much sin and selfish
behaviour God continues to have mercy on us.
My sinful nature, with all its doubt, worry, and pride, is continually
being exposed by the light of God.
The closer we are drawn to the light of God
the brighter the stain of our disobedience stands out next to the brilliance of
Jesus Christ. I am not able to wash the
disobedience from my clothes. I need the
blood of the lamb to cleanse me once and for all!
But I also need the Holy Spirit to remind me
of it, so I am reassured of my cleansing, as more and more disobedience within
comes to light.
It is Jesus who has kept the Sabbath holy,
so much so by the will of God the Father, he truly rested in death in the grave
on that Holy Sabbath Saturday, between Good Friday, when he died, and Easter Sunday,
the day of his glorious resurrection.
It is Jesus’ perfect modelled-life in me,
winning me, leading me, and forgiving me for my disobedience. It is Jesus’ blood which covers my sinful
nature yesterday, today, and tomorrow. God does not go back on his Word!
In the gifts of baptism, the bread and the
wine, and in his Word, these gifts are irrevocable, irreversible, and
universal. You are 100% sinner so God
the Son can be 100% your Saviour.
This is not an invitation to go and
sin. No! This is a reality impressed upon all of us
that before we commit a sin, we are already condemned sinners in being and
nature. Human beings, being human, whose
doings fall with the human spirit of Adam within each of us.
Even in the midst of our disobedient natures
God’s gift of faith will never be withdrawn.
Faith comes from God and leads us to God. Faith comes from the Word and leads back to
his Word. Faith comes from the Holy
Spirit, and the Holy Spirit comes from God the Father and God the Son, and
faith leads us to Jesus Christ, God the Son, and through him to our loving
Heavenly Father.
Is there a need to measure faith? No! God gives us the measure of faith we
need, and he never breaks his promise to us.
He gives us his gifts and continually calls us!
When the Word offends you, and you become
conceited like the Pharisees in Jesus’ day.
When the Word of God increases the depth of your sin, shedding light on
the disobedience of your heart. When the
Word of God shows that you are a foreigner in God’s eyes with no way of being
persuaded to follow God’s Law by your own efforts. Marvel that Jesus himself graces your heart
with his blood that makes you righteous.
Be overwhelmed that as a sinner you can be
confident in his glorious presence, when you really deserve nothing but
death. Allow the Holy Spirit to kill
knowledge of good and evil within and replace it with the knowledge of victory in
Jesus’ resurrection from death.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to raise this great faith within you, knowing that God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable, continually crying out to Jesus, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Amen.
