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 Israel.”  And finally, when he does speak to her, he calls her “a dog”.

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.

A, Post-Pentecost 2 Proper 5 - Genesis 12:1–3, Romans 4:13,18-25 "Dead Promise"

Romans 4: 13,18–25 (ESV) For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.  In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”  He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.  No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,  fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.  That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”  But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone,  but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,  who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. 

Retirement awaits!  You are in the years of your life when you are beginning to take things easy.  Perhaps this is the case because your body is not what it used to be; it’s wearing out!  Or, you are just backing off the gas, enjoying the fruits of the years you worked.

You are comfortable, it’s time to enjoy the twilight of your life.  Your life ahead promises to be one of relaxation and retirement amongst known people – family and friends!

You had plans earlier in life, to do great things.  Perhaps to be a trendsetter.  But now having done what you’ve done, you are just content to be.  The energy you had in your younger days has long since passed!

But God has other plans for you.  In your latter years he makes a promise to you, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.  And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonours you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1–3 ESV)

You say to God, “What do you mean?  I’m already blessed in my retirement!”  You’ve heard plenty of promises before, many of them broken.  How would you feel getting a command and promise like this? 

To leave the comfort of what you know, the security, the known faces, those you can trust in a community you know!  To enter the discomfort of changing your medical carers, those who know you, your doctor, pharmacist, hairdresser, those at the shop who know what you order, the shops you know where you can get exactly the item you want.  Entering the uncertainty of what you do not know after leaving the blessings of what you do know, does not seem like it would be a blessing.

For Abram to leave his land, his inheritance, from his father, Terah’s house, and known people was a sure sentence of death.  Abram was seventy-five years old when he left his family, having heard the promise of God.  Why would he go?

Let’s look at the promise God makes and to whom it is made.  It appears the only descendant of Abram would be his nephew Lot.  Lot’s father, Haran, had died, so Lot is taken into Abram’s family.  Abram’s wife, Sarai, could not have children.  But despite this he leaves his homeland and inheritance to follow the promise of God.  For all intentions and purposes, Abram is literally a genetic and patriarchal, dead end.

The host of the television show, Hard Quiz, eliminates the lowest scoring contestant, saying to them, “if you get the question wrong, you’re dead to me”, and when they get it wrong are thrown out with the abrupt command, “Out!”

But the promise of God is not to cast out this man, Abram, who was as good as dead,  even though he appeared to be a dead promise.

Just as surprising, Abram also responds to this promise made by God.  Why would he go?  He had everything to lose, since there did not seem to be much going his way!  Why not stay put and preserve what little blessing he had?  There was obviously something greater compelling him to go.

Abram responded to God’s promise some three hundred years after God confused humanity and dispersed them across the world with various languages.  Abram is the archetypal “needle in the haystack”.  He is one of many in the generations after humanity left Babel to fill the earth.  Yet he was a needle as good as dead, with a wife whose baby bearing capacity was also dead.  To be blunt, they were blunt needles, living, dead ends!

All worldly hope in them was dead.  As one would hope to have children, receive an inheritance, and pass it on to offspring, all expectation had died.  But God calls them to a new hope that seems even more hopeless in the eyes of the world, having been called away from the only security they had left, their inheritance and home.

Paul says of Abraham (Abram), “In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”  He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s (Sarai’s) womb.  No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,  fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.  That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4: 13,18–25 ESV)

We hear plenty of dead promises from people and politicians and they make us laugh with sarcasm.  So many promises we hear these days are “dead to us” as soon as we hear them.  We’re sceptical, and our hope, at best, is a doubtful hope, with an expectation to be let down.  How do you feel when promises are made that you expect will be broken?

In the Gospel reading today, we hear, “when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion,  he said, ‘Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him.”  (Matthew 9:23–24 ESV)

We too may laugh in disbelief, or with a hope that the world possesses.  But God’s promises are built on things that are dead to the hope of the world.  Sarai also laughed when God promised to make Abram a father.  But together Sarah and Abraham laughed with joy at the birth of Isaac, God’s promise of life given to a husband and wife, as good as dead!

Our faith is built on the death of Jesus Christ.  It looked for all intentions and purposes, a dead promise!   However, he became nothing to make our nothingness something.  He, who did not know sin and death, became sin and death, to give us salvation and life.  Dead to God we were made something through Jesus’ death.

Jesus did not sacrifice like a priest sacrificing an animal under the Law, but through his mercy and steadfast love became the sacrifice for sin, that makes us something.  He does this when, like Abram ,we are as good as dead, or should be dead to God.

Jesus says, “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:13 ESV) 

A righteous person might make a sacrifice, but a sinner cannot even enter God’s presence to make a sacrifice, they are dead to him.  Someone dead can only be made alive by a love that becomes the sacrifice.  You have received the mercy of God’s sacrifice on the cross.  You have been made alive by the Holy Spirit in the steadfast loving mercy of Jesus Christ.  

The Holy Spirit leads you to step out in faith!  It may not be something as geographically displacing as Abram’s call, or as life changing as leaving family.  It may be seemingly something small in your life, but something that God is calling you to, that will make you as good as dead in the eyes of those around you.  But when the world says, “you’re dead to me”, this will be the Holy Spirit’s affirmation that you're alive in Jesus Christ. 

Like Abram, why would you go?  Why would you follow Jesus Christ?  Or more to the point, “why wouldn’t you?”  Especially if the Holy Spirit is moving you in God’s Word, to do the works of faith that glorify God.  To pass on the steadfast love and mercy, to sinners who like you need to be made something by the blood of Jesus!

When the Holy Spirit works, in, through, and with, the Word of God, he moves with steadfast love and mercy, bringing sinners to the knowledge and blessing of God the Father in Jesus Christ.  He brings what should be dead to God, to life!  The Spirit enlivens the will of God within, to the glory of God.

These works are not sacrifices done with a hope of getting something.  But rather the Holy Spirit enables us to do works of mercy and steadfast love, passing on the blessing of faith, just as Abraham was a blessing to many other nations as the father of faith.  Through us the Holy Spirit will encourage the hope of God over the hope of the world, which really is hopelessness!

If Jesus died for your sin, and was raised so you too are raised, making what was nothing before God something, why wouldn’t you want to follow him in faith, and share this blessing as well?  Amen.