Reflection: Nullifying the Word of God (August 26, 2012)

The 13th Sunday after Pentecost
Isaiah 29:11-19; Ephesians 5:21-33; John 7:1-13

According to researchers, tradition in religion is making a comeback. People have grown tired of fads in religious practice and long for spiritual expression that is deeply rooted in history and tradition. As a liturgical, traditional, and apostolic church body, we Lutherans are poised to reach people who are drawn to tradition. But we still (and always) face the risk of using tradition to nullify God’s Word.

Tradition always tempts us to displace and disregard God’s Word by lulling us into doing things in rote and meaningless ways. Without understanding the reasons behind our traditions, we may even end up valuing our traditions over God’s Word. This becomes apparent when we insist on preserving our traditions even when we can’t explain from the Bible why we have them. In extreme cases, traditions can even contradict God’s Word. That’s what happened with the Pharisees and their traditions.

The Pharisees valued their tradition above everything else. Their tradition took the letter of God’s Word and expanded, supplemented, and twisted it to the point of being in conflict with it. Jesus said that they had nullified the word of God by their tradition. Nullified God’s Word? What did Jesus mean by that? He meant that by disregarding God’s Word and relying on their tradition, the Pharisees had taken away the effect and impact that God’s Word could have when it is learned and practiced. They had displaced God’s Word with the teachings of men. They nullified it. We would be very shocked at this if we weren’t used to nullifying God’s Word ourselves.

Through tradition, ignorance, neglect, or abuse we have our own ways of disregarding God’s Word and displacing it in our thinking and practice. When we do, we take away the effect and impact that God’s Word could have in our lives. Thankfully, Jesus has His ways of breaking through the barriers that we set in place to keep God’s Word in check. When our hearts were far away from Him, He came near to us. When we had nullified His Word, the Word became flesh and demonstrated the full extent of God’s love for us by giving up His life on the Cross. In doing so, Jesus validated what men had long nullified and showed us that His Word is greater than any attempts to nullify it.

Audio file of the sermon" Nullifying the Word of God"

Devotion: Inside Out, Not Upside Down (Mark 7:1-13)

Audio file of this devotion

¹ The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and  ² saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were "unclean," that is, unwashed.  ³ (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders.  ⁴ When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)  ⁵ So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?"  ⁶ He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  ⁷ They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'  ⁸ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."  ⁹ And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!  ¹⁰ For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.'  ¹¹ But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God),  ¹² then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother.  ¹³ Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that."  

Mark 7:1-13  

David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, wrote a book with Gabe Lyons entitled “unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity ... and Why It Matters.”  The book details and analyzes research about what the impressions that young, unbelieving Americans have regarding Christianity.  One of the findings of this research is that a majority of unbelievers in the target age group (late teens to late twenties) view Christians as hypocrites.  This is not very surprising.  Not only does it reflect an attitude toward Christians that unbelievers have had for as long as research has been done, it is consistent with the growth trends regarding this issue.  However, it is surprising that, unlike previous generations, today’s young people don’t seem to have a problem with hypocrisy.  They see hypocrisy as something necessity for getting what you want out of life and expect everyone to act hypocritically, at least on occasion.

This increasing acceptance of hypocrisy has to be viewed by us Christians as bad news, not good news.  It turns things upside down.  If being hypocritical on occasion is acceptable what other immoral behaviors are seen as okay?  If such behavior is okay occasionally, how long will it be until it is acceptable frequently — or even all of the time?  Besides, who decides if a situation justifies hypocrisy and what if there’s disagreement on this point?

Besides, the upside-down people who excuse hypocrisy aren’t cutting Christians any slack.  What they view as hypocrisy isn’t hypocrisy at all.  From their point of view, we are charged with hypocrisy — for pretending to be something we are not — when we fail to live up to the standards of God’s law.  But when Christians sin we are not being hypocritical, we’re being exactly what we are: sinners.  What the people surveyed for the book “unChristian” failed to understand is that the difference between believers and unbelievers isn’t outward, but inward.  Christians don’t behave any better than nonChristians (a sad fact also documented in the book), but Christians have forgiveness for their sins by faith.  Faith is the inward and unseen difference between believers and unbelievers — and between hypocrites and forgiven sinners.  While Christians ought to live in accordance with the moral standards of God's Word, looking for faith on the basis of behavior turns things upside down.  God desires that we seek to turn things inside out not upside down.  He enables us to let our inward faith express itself in love.  And, so far, there is no research that that finds any fault with faith expressing itself in love.

Reflection: Empty Words and Words Full of Life (August 19, 2012)

The 12th Sunday after Pentecost
Proverbs 8:1-9; Ephesians 5:6-21; John 6:51-69

Words are important. We know the importance of words for communicating ideas. We also know the importance of words for capturing people’s hearts and moving them to action. Words like “hope,” “change,” “freedom,” “forward,” and “peace” convey ideas that stir and excite people. Unfortunately, many of the ways in which these words are used in our society rob them of their power. Detached from action, important words are simply rhetoric. They are empty words.

Words have an impact on us, even when they are empty words. That’s why today’s Epistle lesson warns us, “Let no one deceive you with empty words.” It’s not that the empty words can do any harm by themselves, but it’s that they rob us of what we need for life. When we are filled with empty words there is no room left in us for words that are full of life. This concept is further pictured for us in the contrast between light and darkness. A life filled with darkness has no place for light, just as a life filled with light has no room for darkness. Likewise, if our minds and hearts are filled with the words that are empty of life, we have no room and no place for words that are full of life.

So, how do we avoid filling ourselves with empty words and occupy ourselves with words that are full of life? Today’s lessons show us that to avoid empty words we are to avoid the source of empty words and to be filled with the words of life we must turn to the Word of Life. Like words in our other experiences in life, the quality of spiritual words is found in their source. If the source is empty, the words will be empty. But if the source is full of life, the words will be full of life. It’s that simple.

As simple as it may be, we still struggle with matching up words with their sources. This is due in part to the deception of those who hold up empty words as words filled with life. But it is more largely due to our tendencies to seek out the words that we want to hear rather than the words that are full of life. Knowing this tendency of ours, Jesus came into the world to speak the words of spirit and of life. He confronted those who deceived with empty words and He confronted those who preferred easy words. Instead He spoke (and still speaks) the words of eternal life — words full of life for the fullness of life.

Audio file of the sermon "Empty Words and Words Full of Life."

Reflection: The Original Wonder Bread (August 12, 2012)

The 11th Sunday after Pentecost
1 Kings 19:1-18; Ephesians 4:17-5:2; John 6:35-51

The product Wonder Bread was introduced in 1921 and became a national brand four years later. Colorful packaging, innovations like packaged sliced loaves, and effective advertising made Wonder Bread a staple of the American diet, even though it lack any significant nutritional value. Through various initiatives, bakers began adding nutrients to Wonder Bread and other white breads after World War II. Advertising boasted to children growing up in the 1950s that "Wonder Bread builds strong bodies 8 ways." In the 1960s, they were told that it "Helps build strong bodies 12 ways," because even more nutrients were added into the recipe. Today’s Wonder Bread even includes whole wheat. It turns out that the original recipe Wonder Bread product was not so wonderful after all. It also turns out that the 1920s version wasn’t even the original Wonder Bread.

Long before a product took the name, the original Wonder Bread was making bodies whole and healing people of their diseases. More than this, the original Wonder Bread was bringing life to the dead. Of course, this didn’t happen because someone added a few more nutrients to a bread recipe, but came about “by the assumption of the humanity into God” when the Bread of Heaven took on human flesh and dwelt among us.

When Jesus called Himself the Bread of Life He added a promise to His claim. He said that whoever believed in Him would never grow hungry and never thirst. Of course, we know that many Christians have experienced hunger and thirst since Jesus made this promise (and, sadly, many are starving today). But we also know that the hunger and thirst that Jesus was speaking about goes much deeper than being without food and water. It’s the hunger and thirst that grips the person who has no hope, no peace, and no faith. He came to address our spiritual hunger and thirst in ways that no one else was able to. He promised that all who trust in Him will be spiritually satisfied, no matter what their circumstances in life may be. Whether we are hungry or well-fed, thirsty or refreshed, alone or in good company, happy or sad, healthy or struggling with health issues, etc., we find our hope, strength, and satisfaction in the Bread of Life — the original Wonder Bread who is truly wonderful.

Audio file of the sermon "The Original Wonder Bread"

Reflection: Don't Work for What Spoils (August 5, 2012)

The 10th Sunday after Pentecost
Exodus 16:2-15; Ephesians 4:1-16; John 6:22-35

Motivation experts encourage people to focus on their goals by keeping an associated reward in front of themselves visually. They believe that seeing the benefits of reaching the goal moves people to work harder to reach it. So, if you were working to meet a sales goal you might post a picture of the new flat screen TV you want that the bonus would pay for. Or, if you were struggling to finish a college degree you make an image of a resort you’d like to go to as a graduation present as your computer desktop. Many people make use of this motivational technique. Some say that it actually works for them. But how can this technique help those who are working for things that don’t spoil?

Let’s face it. Nearly everything that people are working for in our culture will wear out, break down, become obsolete, etc. It will spoil. Even the things we do to make great memories for ourselves can’t stay alive in our minds. Over time everything spoils, even we do. Spending our lives chasing one goal after another in pursuit of rewards that cannot last sounds rather depressing. No wonder Jesus implores us, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life” (John 6:27). He offers us something to focus on that will last far longer than all the things of our world that spoil. He invites us to invest our time, our resources, our productivity, and money into things that will last rather than spend ourselves on things that will spoil. The “food that endures to eternal life” includes peace, joy, security, meaning and purpose for life, and satisfaction. With it, Jesus fills us up so that we are not endlessly in pursuit of the “food” that spoils.

What image can we use to keep our goal of working for things that last in front of us? Some might suggest an image of heaven mindful that eternal life is indeed the “reward” for those who labor in Christ. But Jesus gives us a more powerful image that moves us to freely labor in light of eternity. He alludes to this image by calling Himself the bread that has come down from heaven. Since His purpose in coming down from heaven was to be lifted up for us, the image of the Cross stands before us as the ultimate motivation to stop working for that which spoils and to work only for the things that last. 

Audio file of the sermon "Don't Work for What Spoils"

Journal: Yes, LGBTs, You Were Born This Way

If there’s a rallying cry of LGBTs (Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender persons) it has to be “I was born this way.”  This statement conveys a very important claim, a claim that moves the debate over sexual orientation and preference from the realm of morality into the realm of civil rights.  It’s a claim that has met with stiff resistance from people who want to keep the debate as a moral debate either because they truly see it as a moral issue or because they understand the consequences of acknowledging that it is a matter of civil rights.  It’s also a claim that has been erroneously rejected by Christians.

Whether the claim to being born LGBT is a moral issue or civil rights issues is a matter to be settled in the public square.  But Christians should recognize that this claim is absolutely consistent with the teachings of the Bible.  In other words, Bible-believing Christians should respond to this claim by answering, “Yes, LGBTs, you were born this way.”  That being said, what LGBTs mean by that statement and what Christians mean by that statement are two different things.

The meaning of “I was born this way” for LGBTs is made clear when it is also expressed as “God made me this way.”  While the first statement is true, the second is horribly false.  Like all people, including heterosexuals, LGBTs were born this way: sinful.  How the sinful nature with which we are all born works itself out in our lives varies from person to person, but it is very much the way we were born.  God’s Word is clear enough on this matter.  All human beings are born sinful.  So, LGBTs were born this way and gossipers were born this way and thieves were born this way and liars were born this way and selfish, arrogant, obnoxious people were born this, and so on.  But these sinful defects are not the work of God.  We are born sinful, but God did not make us sinful.

The challenge that we Christians face in addressing the challenges of sexual sin in our society is to keep it in its proper context.  Our culture’s rejection of the Biblical teaching on our fallen human nature has corrupted the theology of many Christians.  We’ve made every human behavior, attitude, and decision a matter of our choice and insisted that every human being is endowed with a will that is both free enough and capable enough to choose rightly.  But that’s not our reality (and certainly not what the Bible teaches about us).  In truth, we are all born this way:  slaves to sin.   There is no degree to this enslavement just as there is no hierarchy to the various sins that come from our brokenness.  We are wholly enslaved to sin and even the most palatable of our sins (in our estimation) are horribly disgusting and repulsive to our Holy God.

Every human being is born estranged from God by sin and in need of His redeeming forgiveness.  By the sacrificial death of Jesus, we are reconciled to God by His grace through faith.  It doesn’t matter if our sins are homosexual or heterosexual, socially acceptable or socially repugnant, culturally moral or culturally immoral.  The blood of Jesus frees us from our sins, all of them.  But if we insist that our sins are not sins, if we excuse our sinfulness as a birthright, or if we have the audacity to accuse God of creating us defective then there is no faith, no truth, and no hope in us.  We remain as we were born, enslaved to sin.

Yes, LGBTs, you were born this way.  But God did not make you this way.  However, Jesus has made the way for you to be reconciled to Him – just as He has for the people who were born as heterosexual sinners.  

Reflection: Take Courage

8th Sunday after Pentecost
Genesis 9:8-17; Ephesians 3:14-21; Mark 6:45-56

When we think of courage we’re likely to think of unusual situations in life that call us to brave action.  Certainly, courage is needed to face an enemy in combat or to rescue a person from a burning building.  But seeing courage as something that is extraordinary limits our understanding of how to live our day-to-day lives — and it works against the courageous living to which we’ve been called.  At its core, courage is confidence in the face of a challenge.  A person can only have as much courage as he has confidence and it is only as strong as what it is based on.  False courage evaporates quickly because the person who has it lacks confidence or has put his confidence in the wrong person or thing.  Where there is no confidence or nothing in which to be confident, there is no courage.  Knowing this should give us pause when Jesus calls out to His disciples, “Take courage!”

 

The first implication of Jesus’ call is that His disciples lacked courage.  Their confidence was either lacking or misplaced.  Despite having witnessed the power of Jesus displayed in the feeding of thousands with a small amount of food, they still did not have confidence in Him.  If they had, they would not have been terrified by His appearing to them walking on the storm-tossed Sea of Galilee.  But more than highlighting their lack of courage, Jesus was assuring His disciples that they had every reason to be courageous by having confidence in Him.  “Take courage!” is more than a command; it is the gracious invitation of our Savior to find the abundant courage that He provides to all who put their confidence in Him.

Like Jesus’ first disciples, we have every reason to be courageous when we are struggling through difficult circumstances and facing great loss.  Our courage is unshakeable, not because of our unwavering confidence but because of the never-failing source of our confidence.  “Out of His glorious riches” He gives us strength.  We have been “rooted and established” in His love and “have power, together with all the saints” to live courageously in the certainty of Christ’s love, grace, and power — the power to “do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.”  Including making us people filled with unwavering hope, unshakeable confidence, and bold courage for every circumstance of our lives.

Audio file of the sermon "Take Courage!"