B, Lent 1 - Genesis 9:8-17 "A Re-Creative Covenant"

Refraction of light causes light to be bent and through different degrees of bending comes various colours on the spectrum of light.   God created water droplets to refract light showing it to Noah after the flood.  We see the result of this still today, when standing between the sun and a rainy sky to see a rainbow in the clouds. 

When we stand on the ground, we only see half the refracted circle of light, which is a rainbow.  Become elevated in the right position, one would see a full circle of colours being produced from the sun shining on a backdrop of falling water droplets.

God caused this wonderful display to make humanity a promise!  He says, “I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”  And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:  I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” (Genesis 9:11–13 ESV)

God’s promise to all living creatures is called a covenant.  God establishes the covenant with Noah.  When we enter into a covenant, usually the agreement is made between two parties, but the rainbow covenant is different.  God makes the covenant without any input from Noah or his sons.  God’s covenant with Noah is a one-sided agreement.

Even today the covenant is still binding since it relies only on God’s word.  However, other covenants are broken because they rely on both parties keeping the agreement. 

Humanity sees the rainbow as a symbol of hope.  A rainbow flag was used as early as the sixteenth century as a symbol for the peasants’ cooperative movement in the German Peasants War.  In the nineteen sixties the rainbow peace flag became a common sight.  Today when some see a rainbow flag displayed, they immediately assume it as being a symbol for diverse sexuality.

However, the rainbow seen in the sky, surpasses all human flags or cooperative movements.  After a storm has passed over, a rainbow can allow us a breath of relief, to come outside once again, to give thanks for the rain, or  to begin cleaning up the damage.

But the transcendence of the rainbow, as a covenant of God, gives us even more relief than knowing a storm has passed.  And it does so, not because of what we remember when we see a rainbow, but what God sees and remembers!  We hear, “When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”  (Genesis 9:16 ESV)

God not only makes a one-sided covenant, but he also makes an everlasting covenant!  Regardless of what humanity sees in a rainbow, God sees and remembers his promise to all living creatures of the earth, forever!

The refraction of light comes from a source of pure light.  The light of the rainbow comes from the light of life, God the Father who transcends all life, and from whom all life is lit and living. 

The light of life shines God’s love upon us.  The love of God is pure light, and it shines on all humanity, regardless how humanity views love, and refracts it into the coloured corrupted desires of the human heart.

In the days of Noah, the love of God had been fractured,  and people had completely fallen away from him.   Humanity continued in the pursuit of pleasure, that saw Adam and Eve, fall.  The sons of God, those born to Seth, and the descendants of Adam’s other children who followed Seth, were attracted to the daughters of man, those born to Cain and his followers.

Attractive here means good.  The sons of God saw the daughters of man as good.  This was greater than a lust over good looks, but a temptation and turning from God, continuing humanity’s pursuit of good and evil knowledge,  just as Adam and Eve had turned from God at Eden.

Therefore, in the days of Noah, “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.  So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”  But Noah found favour in the eyes of the LORD.” (Genesis 6:5–8 ESV)

So, God made a covenant with Noah, and after he rebirth the earth in the flood, he put the rainbow in the sky.  God sees the rainbow and remembers he will not flood the earth, despite humanity bending the bow of God’s covenant!  Refracting it into a fractured rebellion against his light in a corruption of colours.  

Despite the many colours of humanity’s knowledge of love.  Despite those Luther opposed who sought to climb up to God in love for the “greater good”.  Despite those today whose knowledge of love is governed by what feels good.  God sees the rainbow and remembers his covenant!

But you who see the full circle of God’s love sees his Son, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  You know the coloured light of your emotions, your will, and your deeds are tainted.  Even if we became wholly inclusive in our diversity, collecting together all our colours once refracted from the original pure light of God, we know our colours are contaminated with impurities.  No longer do all the colours of the rainbow reverse in refraction back to the pure light of God.  Our colours combine to block out God’s light and create darkness.   Whatever colour we refract, we identify as sinners!  We know God’s light gets bent in us!

When God sees the rainbow, he remembers we are dust, and to dust we shall return.  He sustains us in this life as we suffer in it.  Yet we hear and trust, “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”  (1 Peter 3:18 ESV)

God commanded Noah to build the ark, and in faithfulness to God, he built it.  Noah was maligned when he did not join others in their flood of debauchery.  He suffered for it, but God saved him through water.

Jesus Christ is the light of God.  The Holy Spirit gives the life of God in Jesus Christ!  God shines the full gamut of light in Jesus Christ.  It’s the full circle of Christ’s light that shines on us in baptism.  Here, Noah is a picture of Christ for us.  “God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.  Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, …through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”  (1 Peter 3:20–21 ESV)

In these days when it has become illegal (in Victoria, Australia) to reflect on certain sins, according to God’s Word, we live under God’s re-creative covenant.  Not only do we know God will not kill all flesh through a deluge.  But we also know in the waters of baptism, God has made a greater covenant with us.  In Christ, we too will be raised to see the colours of God in his eternal dwelling.  This will be the full circle of light Christ once shone on earth, that the Triune God will shine in heaven forever!  

See these colours, revealed to John, recorded in Revelation chapter twenty-one.  “The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass.  The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,  the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.  And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.  And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.  By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,  and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.”  (Revelation 21:18–25 ESV)

See the re-creative colours of God’s eternal covenant with you, refracted with water and the Word through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. 

B, Christmas Day, The Birth of our Lord - John 1:1-14 Hebrews 1:1-4 "Light and Life"

In the first and third verse of Genesis chapter one, we hear, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”  (Genesis 1:1,3 ESV)

All who hear these words should recognise their similarity when we hear John chapter one. 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”  (John 1:1–4 ESV)

Hebrews chapter one draws from the beginning of Genesis and the Gospel of John, as Christ being the Word of God, speaking the word of God, who created the world. 

From Hebrews chapter one, we hear of Jesus Christ, the Son of God our Father, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”  (Hebrews 1:3a ESV)

The true light and life of Christmas is Christ Jesus.  In the beginning at creation, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God the Son, not yet human, was the Word not yet made flesh, and he is the light and life of all things - everything.

But the Word of God, the Son of God, who is God, who is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of God’s nature, was enfleshed into a human being, as a man.  Jesus was born, in the incarnation of created human flesh.  God the Son, was born as the Son of Man, born into a world in which God created for fleshy humans to dwell.

The Creator became created.  God became man.  Conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary, the carrier of the Christ.  A fragile human woman, carrying a fragile human baby.  The eternal Son of God came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary and became a human, a baby boy, to be the Son of Man, the servant of humanity!

Jesus came as the light of life for his creation.  “He was in the world and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.”  (John 1:10 ESV)

Hebrews chapter one does not dwell on the beginning, as does John and Genesis chapters one, but rather picks up the theme of Jesus’ beginning and power, to point us to God’s purpose and destination.  We hear, “After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:3b ESV)

Succinctly and without hesitation the writer of Hebrews, confesses the Son of God, as he who covered sin with his purity and is now seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high, which is God the Father.  He did this for his own people, the people of God, and they did not receive him. 

Brighter than the sun, the Word made Flesh, now shone in the darkness of the womb, in the darkness of the stable, amongst the darkness of his very own people.  And despite their darkness, the darkness did not overcome the Light of the World, the Life of the World, the Word made Flesh!

We Christians, ones who are being made holy through this work of God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, joyfully rejoice over the coming of Christ at the first Christmas.  And we eagerly await and willingly confess our sins, to our Father in heaven, through the help of the Holy Spirit, who fills us with patience for Jesus’ second coming.  We endure in the darkness knowing our destination is Jesus the Christ, light and life of the world.

Not so the world.  You will not hear anything about God the Father, or God the Holy Spirit.  And what you hear of Jesus is minimal, at best.  You will not hear that he is the Son of God, or that he is the Christ, the Messiah.  When he is sung about in carols, they’re sung as a sentiment for feeling a certain way at this time of year.

Thanks be to God, Christmas is called Christmas.  The world cannot separate Christ from Christmas no matter how hard they try.  And thanks be to God our Father, he has given us voices to sing carols about Christ, and mouths to proclaim, the name of Christ, as our Messiah and as the Messiah for all people.  Despite Saint Nicolas and his charity being dragged into the harlotry of ho, ho, ho, happy holidays and desperate desires for the latest craving, Jesus Christ is still the true light and life of an ever-darkening world.  

In fact, Jesus’ light shines brighter and brighter as the true messianic gift to humanity, the true salvific servant of man, as the world seeks to dwell in darkness and deception, which is the lie that our commercialised Christmas has become.  Yet the darkness cannot overcome the Christ in Christmas!

Those seeking popularity on television will not tell you who is the Christ in Christmas!  Nor will the singers proclaim who the holy child is, so meek and mild. 

No, they are living the lie that the worldly Christmas has become, as they continue to add deceptive words to deceptive words to keep the lie going.  And we all know what this lie is!  We all participate in the lie, when we entertain the dark spirit of the Christmas lie by putting our faith in our desires for silver and gold – gifts that are gods made with human hands.

As the psalmist says, “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.  They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.  They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.  They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat.  Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.” (Psalm 115:4–8 ESV)

But you and I are being made holy and set apart by the holy Christ Child.  He grew and made purification for your sin!   Jesus Christ is the one true holy gift of God, shining in the brightness of eternity, in the holiness of purity to cover all darkness in you this Christmas! 

This is your gift from God for all eternity to not only dispel the darkness the world has without him, but the darkness you have within.  Jesus Christ is the Word made Flesh who dwells amongst us but also tabernacles within each of us, enlightening us with grace and truth.  Let the Christ be born daily in you, knowing the promise, “From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” (John 1:16 ESV)

He is the gift that keeps on giving, from the beginning to the end, through the darkness of death into eternity.  The one true gift that shines into the future and gives hope in a holy destination for you and all humanity who believes in him.

Let the Holy Spirit be the true Spirit of Christmas which can freely give the gift of the Christ of Christmas to all.  Those of you who have been deceived by the darkness into seeing this season as a season of personal pleasure-seeking with its gathering and giving gifts of greed, and that’s all of us, know the gift of forgiveness is for you!

Receive the gift of grace upon grace this Christmas!  The gift of Christ upon Christ!  The gift of God from God, Light from Light, very God of very God, made Man, to serve you, a child of God.

Hear the promise from John chapter one, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:11–13 ESV)

Our right to be children of God is not a human right, but a freedom given to us as the gift of God.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and Christ was the light and life of the world.  At the end Jesus Christ is the gift that leads from darkness into a destination of light and life. 

The Word made Flesh is the gift of light and life for you!  Amen. 

A, Holy Trinity Sunday - Genesis 1:1–5, Matthew 28:20b "Let There Be Light"

Genesis 1:1–5 (ESV) In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.  And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Matthew 28:20b (ESV) “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

With headlamps on our helmets, we descended into the entrance of the cave, descending down a series of stairs into what seemed the bowels of the earth.  Once underground our family stood in a large cavity looking up at the light streaming in through the entrance.  It was dark, but still we could see what was in the cave. 

We saw tree roots from trees above, sending down their feelers through the roof of the cave for water some twenty metres below.  There on the bottom were bones from animals who had unexpectantly fallen through a hidden hole in the forest floor to their death in the darkness below.

At the bottom of this large cavity, we walked past the bones into a smaller area with crystal formations of stalactites growing down and stalagmites growing up from the bottom.  The light from our headlamps lit up this subterranean wonderland.

We went further and further into the cave, following the directions, many other tourists had followed before. The light from the entrance was now far behind us, and the only way we could see was with our head lamps and torches.

At one point we had to squat, moving nearly on our hands and knees, to get through the narrows of the cave into the last open section to explore.  In there, we sat on a bench and marvelled at the rock formations.

 It then occurred to us if our lights went out, we would have been in a bit of bother.  There was no one around to show us the way out, if our five headlamps went out.  I suggested as we sat there in the silence that we should see what the darkness is like.  So, we turned off our lamps.

We had a saying in my family, when I was growing up as a child, that something is as dark as the inside of a cow!  Now I’m not sure how that saying ever came about!  I don’t know of anyone ever going inside a cow, to know how dark it might be.  But sitting there in that cave, I suggested to my family that this is what the darkness must be like inside a cow!

It was dark!  Usually after one’s eyes adjust to the darkness you can see something.  We sat there for some time, and one couldn’t even see their hand in front of their face.  It occurred to me that getting out of the labyrinth of tunnels of rock would be near impossible, even with guided walkways.  What would it be like in the darkness with nothing?  There was nothing to see!  One could only hear the sound of darkness. 

The sound of darkness is deafening silence!  But the sound of darkness within myself, my wife, and children, was a clamouring cry of chaos and uncertainty.  It would have been some hundreds of metres of ups and downs, lefts and rights, ducking under stalactites and steps back up to the cavern of light and rebirth back into the light of day.

In the beginning God said, “‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good.  And God separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.”  (Genesis 1:3-5a ESV)

We don’t realise how much we need God to let the light be light for us.  It came very apparent to us in the bowels of a cave, we needed light.  Even though we had torches and headlamps, the thought of not having them was frightening.

We take the light of God’s creation for granted.  The light God shone to create the first day of creation was not so much the light we get from the sun, moon, and stars.  But rather, the light of time and the light of God’s presence in time, bringing light to the chaos of darkness.  The light of the sun, moon and stars was only to be created on the third day to order time into the brightness of day, and the soft night-time light, of stars and reflection from the moon.

But even the lit darkness of night, brings fear, like being in a cave in the dark with treacherous jagged crystals and rocks lying in wait, to cause injury to flesh and bone.

Little children are often fearful of the dark, not being able to see, their imaginations see the worst in what they cannot see.  Likewise, the elderly, prefer not to go out into the night, for fear of falling over, falling into the hands of the ill repute, or the coldness of the night.

However, since the fall of humanity just after creation, the opposite is also true.  Jesus says, “this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” (John 3:19 ESV)

The truth of the matter is, we have become accustomed to darkness.  Then, once the light is returned, it’s like having a torch shone in our eyes after being in the dark.

Yet, from creation, God has continued to “let there be light”!  Every day that comes to be, God has let it be.  In God’s creation he provides for us, he uncovers the darkness for us, and he gives us life.

In the beginning of John’s Gospel we hear,   “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  (John 1:1–5 ESV)

The light that provides for us, uncovers darkness, and gives life, has not, and will not, become overcome by darkness.  This is the light of God’s Word which said, “let there be light”, and continues to say, “let there be light”, despite the darkness.

Jesus is the continuing Word of God’s light.  He says, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 ESV)

However, the question is, “How do we follow Jesus, when there is darkness within and all around us?”  We know that no one followed him to the cross!  All fell away from supporting Jesus in the darkness of night, leaving Jesus to bear the darkness of Good Friday alone.

But we also hear,  “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”  (2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV)

Having just passed through Pentecost, we have heard how after Jesus’ death and resurrection, those who fled from the day of crucifixion, boldly bore the cross in their conviction and confession, even unto death!  God has sent the Holy Spirit, to let there be light in us. God is still letting the light shine in the darkness!   God is still saying, “let there be light!”

The same light of life that sustains all of creation, now sustains us with the light of his Son.  This is not the knowledge of good and evil, discerned through the human spirit of desire.  But it’s through God giving us the knowledge of God’s glory in the forgiving face of Jesus Christ, shone in us by the Holy Spirit.

This is why Paul says to the Romans, “The night is far gone; the day is at hand.  So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light.”  (Romans 13:12 ESV)

We can do this because the day of our resurrection has been enlightened within us, casting out the chaos and fear of darkness.  The Holy Spirit has ushered in God’s creative Word, enacting within us God’s baptismal power, which says, “Let there be light”.

Even when everything around you is suggesting the darkness is winning, God wants us to remember that the darkness has not overcome the Light of God.  We have a God of Triune creative and recreative power! 

In addition to this, the Son of God, who is the Light of the World, promises you and me, saying,  “behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b ESV)

Even when creation dies, and God promises us that it will, even then, without sun, moon, and stars, the light of eternal life will shine on us, as we glorify the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit forever around the Triune God’s throne of glory.  Amen. 

A, Lent 4 - John 9:5, Ephesians 5:6–14,18c,21 "God's Light and His Power"

John 9:5 (ESV) “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:14b ESV)   

How?  How does one, who sleeps with the dead, rise?  Is this an impossible proposition?  A human cannot raise themselves!  But with God, all things are possible!

Jesus comes to a man born blind in the precincts of a synagogue.  One could imagine the blind man wondering how he might exist with his blindness.  He has to live off the charity of those coming and going to hear the Rabbis teach.  There was no way this fellow would ever expect to enter the synagogue physically or spiritually, because of his blindness and the religious stigma he bore for being blind. 

The disciples testify to the reality of their blindness and lifeless thinking by questioning Jesus about the sinfulness of either the man or his parents causing his blindness.

“He obviously did something really bad to deserve this!” 

“What do you expect when his parents are the way they are!”

These may or may not have been the thoughts of the disciples, who didn’t suffer with the same physical blindness.  Yet these very same thoughts, easily come from our hearts when we’re faced with the same kind of situation. 

God calls us to judge with a right judgement.  But this is judgement made with all the blindness of self-righteousness, without seeing ourselves in the Light of God.

Just as Samuel looked with blindness at Jesse’s sons, and the disciples at the blind man, we look with blindness too.  We need to hear what God says to Samuel, “For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”  (1 Samuel 16:7b ESV)

Why is it we do not see as God sees?  And how can we look, as God looks?  

Jesus says, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:5 ESV)

We need the “Light of God”, “the Light of the World”.  The light of God is Jesus Christ, and the power of this illuminating Light in our lives is the Holy Spirit.

Notice here the Holy Spirit is the power of the Light!  He has to be, since Jesus is still in the world, but hidden by his ascension to the right hand of God.  God the Father and God the Son are present, since they are greater than time and space.  In fact, time and space exist in God’s eternal hands!

In the peace of our Heavenly Father’s presence, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I encourage you to be convinced in the Word made Flesh, our Lord Jesus Christ, who says to you, “I am the Light of the World.”

But the problem remains.  How, if we are blind, can we see this light?  If we are blind, out in the cold, stumbling around in death, is it by sheer accident that we feel its warmth and enter into the light?

No!  It’s here we need to hear the word of God from Saint Paul’s letter to the Ephesians chapter five.  Hear from verse six, a couple of verses before the start of the lectionary reading for today.

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.  Therefore it says, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ …be filled with the Spirit, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:6–14,18c,21 ESV)

If someone tells you, you must find Jesus or have more faith, realise these as empty words. Like the disciples judging the blind man, Samuel looking for a King of Israel, or you and I projecting our blind judgement on sinners (as opposed to us), we first need the power of the Holy Spirit to illuminate us, so we can see ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. 

The illumination of the Holy Spirit makes us children of the light.  All the fruit of this light is found in Jesus Christ.  He is the only one who is good, and right, and true! 

Therefore, because our baptism is a Holy Baptism, because our communion around the body and blood of Jesus is a Holy Communion, and because the Holy Word of God has its fulness in the holy risen Son of God, we are forgiven and fed with the power of God in the Holy Spirit. 

As a result, we can discern what is pleasing to the Lord.  The works of darkness can then be exposed.  The first work of darkness exposed by the Holy Spirit is the darkness within.  This darkness is your apathy towards hearing God and allowing the Holy Spirit to reenergise you with his power.  Over against continuing in your own power to judge good and evil. 

Allowing the Holy Spirit to power your judgement will immediately enable you to see your sin.  Do not be frightened of this!  The fear that arises within you, is the same fear Adam and Eve felt in the Garden.  The devil seeks to do the same to you as he did to them by separating you from God’s peace through your sin and sinfulness!   

However, you now have the power of the Holy Spirit illuminating Jesus Christ, so trust in what you have received.  The knowledge of Jesus Christ always wins out over a knowledge of good and evil.  The Holy Spirit empowers you in the knowledge of Jesus Christ!

It seems Paul makes a statement of contradiction, saying, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.” (Ephesians 5:11-12 ESV)

Do we expose, or do we not speak about the works of darkness?  It all depends on how we talk about these works and whose they are!  Exposure through confession, brings all into the Light of Christ, giving sight to those once blind.  Whereas, speaking about them boastfully or as gossip, plunges us into darkness, and exposes our blindness. 

So, we take no part in unfruitful works by exposing our own works of darkness in confession.  This is the Holy Spirit removing the blindness.  Similarly, praying with others in their confession, intervening on their behalf also brings them into the Light of God. 

When we walk in the light of God, we allow God the Holy Spirit to use us in leading others out of death into life.  This is submission to one another out of reverence for Jesus Christ.

It may seem shameful to talk to others about the struggles we have with our sinfulness.  But if it is spoken of, in the power of the Holy Spirit,  the power and shame of secrecy is dispersed by the Light of Jesus Christ.

Some might charge us as being boastful about our sin or trying to justify it.  But in reality, “coming out” to others as a forgiven sinner, by the power of the Holy Spirit, requires one to sacrifice their pride and be exposed as weak and in need of divine help. 

No one boasts over the sin one needs forgiven; over the sinful nature we know condemns us to death.  Rather we cry, “Lord have mercy on me, a sinner!” 

So, in God’s Light and in the power of the Light we boast, having been forgiven, and not our sinful nature or the sin that comes from it!

Just as it was not the will of God, that the man at the synagogue was born blind because of someone’s sin, it is not the will of God that you continue under the condemnation of sin either. 

But rather, just as Jesus Christ removed his blindness to display the works of God’s light and power,  the Holy Spirit is the power of God, to enlighten you in the forgiveness of God’s Holy Word and Sacraments!  Amen.

Let us pray.

Lord God, Holy Spirit, you are the true and constant support in every need, a Spirit of truth and promise, God’s finger, the water of life, a heavenly fire, which warms cold hearts and ignites them with true love for God.  You have revealed yourself to the apostles with wonderful gifts in a powerful wind and fiery tongues.  We ask you now therefore, to come into our hearts, to strengthen and gladden our ignorant consciences.  Sanctify us with your blessing and be unto us the holy assurance of our redemption and salvation.  Amen.[1]

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[1] Prayer by J. K. Wilhelm Loehe, from Treasury of Daily Prayer, p1111, Concordia Publishing House

C, Advent 1 - Luke 21:27-28,36 "Stand Before The Son Of Man"

Luke 21:27–28, 36 (ESV) And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.

A man and woman, a dog, a horse, and a chicken, all find themselves standing before God after their time on earth, and he asks them, “What was your purpose while you lived in the world?” 

The chicken tells God that her purpose was to lay eggs for food for the man and the woman and to have baby chickens so they too could produce eggs and more chickens.  Some of us chickens would also be food for humanity too.  The chicken testified to its practice of scratching around the place eating insects, grubs, and grains of seed during the course of each day.  The chicken also joyfully tells of its production of chook poo and how it fertilises the ground.

The horse is then called to testify to its purpose to which it tells God it is a beast of burden.  We horses carry humanity on our backs, pull loads of goods, and plough paddocks with our horsepower. And, like the chicken, the horse also confesses its poo is good for the garden.

The dog is then brought forward to attest to its function in the scheme of daily activity.  The dog reveals its purpose as a protector and a friend of the man and woman.  It tells of its dogged determination of chasing down other animals like cattle and sheep, to help humans round up their herds and flocks.  But the dog also freely bears witness to the not so nice practise of eating rotten flesh, scavenging, and even returning to its own vomit from time to time.

Finally, the humans stand before God to give evidence of what their function is in the world.  But the humans don’t know what to say to God.  They didn’t realise they had to stand before God.  In fact, they had forgotten God existed and thought they were the ultimate reality on earth.

Humanity has forgotten its function!  What is our purpose in life?  When Jesus returns how will we stand before the Righteousness of God. 

How does one stand before the Son of Man?  Face to face, toe to toe with Jesus Christ on the last day we will all stand before the Son of Man!  And as we stand before him, the full account of our lives will be revealed down to the last dot and tittle. How does one stand before the Son of Man?

The Son of Man is a title that Jesus often used for himself and often connected with his coming at the end of time.  Jesus is also the Son of God, but he never uses this title. Rather, it is spoken of him by Gabriel the Archangel when Jesus was conceived in Mary. He is named the Son of God in the linage of man in the genealogy of Adam.  The Devil, demons, and the Jews all accuse him in connection with being the Son of God.  But Jesus lived, suffered, and died as the Son of Man, and during this time promised his return as the Son of Man.

In stark contrast to Jesus calling himself the Son of Man, we position ourselves as sons of ourselves, second to no one.  Each of us would prefer to be recognised as heroes of humanity rather than a son of man. 

Man in his misogyny and females in their feminism, both challenging each other and turning in on the centrality of their humanity, seek to stand aloof in one’s own righteousness. Being a son of man like Jesus doesn’t appeal to us, as something to which we might want to attain or to one whom we would want to submit.

But Jesus promises, “…they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”  (Luke 21:27–28 ESV)

And he continues, “But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36 ESV)

To understand what Jesus is telling us about straightening up, raising your head, and standing before the Son of Man in the future, we need to see what Jesus teaches us about standing before the Son of Man in the word of God.

Jesus addresses how a person stands when he tells a parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:  “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’  But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other.” (Luke 18:9–14a ESV)

Jesus stands before humanity as the servant Son of Man.  Then Jesus will stand before humanity with power and great glory at the end of time.

Jesus tells us, the Son of Man comes to us in this life and knocks, he says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20 ESV)

And, “…once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’  Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’  But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’  In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.”  (Luke 13:25–28 ESV)

Jesus stands to serve, and he will come and stand to see if we have received his service.  Those who do not want his service in this life will continue in that.  Those who realise they need his service and allow him to be our servant will enter the eternal service of God the Father where there is eternal peace.

Jeremiah looked forward to the time of Jesus’ service of righteousness in a time when salvation and security on earth seemed fleeting.  He says, “In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’” (Jeremiah 33:16 ESV)

It is advantageous for us, as we enter the Advent season,  to let the light of Christ serve you.  Let him illuminate your sin and save you as he stands before you and knocks.  Let God function in your life as your God so you can stand in his eternal kingdom functioning as saints saved for all eternity. 

For the kingdom and the power and the glory belongs to the Son of Man. And he stands before us, offering himself as gift, today and every day, until he returns with all power and glory. Amen.