Reflection: Willing to Serve the Unwilling (February 24, 2013)

The Second Sunday in Lent
Jeremiah 26:8-15; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:31-35


One of the fundamental rules of public speaking is to know your audience. Of course, knowing one’s audience can make the public speaking experience all the more daunting when the audience is intimidating or hostile. There are ways of dealing with an audience that isn't friendly, but what do we do when the audience is unwilling? It’s hard to gain the attention of—let alone the approval of—an unwilling audience.

God sent His prophets to different types of audiences under the old covenant. In today’s Old Testament lesson we find the prophet Jeremiah dealing with a rather hostile audience. Upon hearing what he had to say (“all that the Lord had commanded him to speak”) his audience responded by seizing him and threatening to kill him. He responded by telling them that he was sent by God to speak to them that they would hear His Word and turn away from disaster. He was calling them to repentance. But they were not willing to repent. They decided that Jeremiah was the problem, not them. Jeremiah had done his job. He showed that he was willing to serve the unwilling.

Jeremiah’s experience was a precursor to what Jesus experienced. As He made His way to Jerusalem to be arrested, tried, mocked, beaten, and crucified in order to secure forgiveness for all mankind, He paused outside of the city and spoke a heartfelt lament for Jerusalem. “How often would I have …,” He called out to the object of His love, “but you were not willing.” He knew that He would be rejected by those whom He came to release from the bondage of sin, death, and condemnation, but still He was willing to serve the unwilling.

The call to go to those who are unwilling to listen to God’s Word and to serve those who are unwilling to follow God’s will continues in the life of those who follow Jesus. We are told that there are many people who “walk as enemies of the Cross of Christ” and that we are to take what God has entrusted to us and put it to use in serving them. Many will be unwilling to listen and many more will be unwilling to follow, however our calling is not centered in their unwillingness but in our willingness to serve Christ by serving them. Because Jesus was willing to serve us when we were the unwilling, we can embrace being willing to serve the people we know who are unwilling now.

Audio file of the sermon "Willing to Serve the Unwilling."

Reflection: Temptation Can Be Tempting (February 17, 2013)

The First Sunday in Lent
Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Romans 10:8b-13; Luke 4:1-13


After Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit moved Him to go out into the wilderness to face temptation. It seems like an odd thing to do as the first step of His public ministry, but today’s Old Testament lesson gives us a context for what was going on. Just as God had once chosen the people of Israel to be His “son” and tested them in the wilderness, Jesus had just been proclaimed “My beloved Son whom I love” and was retracing the steps of God’s people. Over forty days, He faced the same temptations and hardships that the people of Israel had faced during their forty years of wandering. But, unlike them, He did not give into temptation.

Why was Jesus able to withstand temptation but the people of Israel were not (or for that matter, why can’t we?) It’s not because He could only withstand the temptations that faced Him by being true God. Such a position would make His temptation in the wilderness a sham. Keeping in mind that Jesus chose to set aside His divine powers in order to experience the hardships, sufferings, and temptations that we experience, we can see that Jesus faced and dealt with temptation according to His humanity not His divinity. He faced real temptations and the real possibility that He could give into them and sin. But He didn't  The reason is that He didn't find temptation tempting.

We know that temptation can be tempting, but sometimes we forget that it doesn't have to be. It’s only tempting when it entices us with something that we desire. If, like Jesus, we desire only those things that are pleasing to our Heavenly Father then temptation is not tempting. So, the problem that we have with temptation (and caving into it) starts with what we desire. By changing our desires, we can keep temptation from being tempting. But how do we change our desires? Today’s Epistle lesson shows us a clear and effective way to align the desires of our hearts with the will of God: “The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.” When God’s Word fills our hearts and minds — when we take it in to such a degree that it starts coming back out in our words — the things of this world take on their proper perspective. Then we see things for what they truly are and our desire for them gives place to a desire for the things of God. And while temptation can be tempting, it’s not for us.

Audio file of the sermon "Temptation Can Be Tempting."

Reflection: No Boasting for Spectators (Feb. 10, 2013)

The Transfiguration of our Lord
Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Hebrews 3:1-6; Luke 9:28-36


This year’s Super Bowl is over and the fans of the Baltimore Ravens are just as ecstatic as the fans of last year’s champions … and of the Word Series winning team, the latest Stanley Cup winner, etc. Fans show their joy over their teams’ victories with parades, parties, and, of course, vast amount of championship merchandise. Despite all this revelry and rejoicing over the teams’ victories, fans remain what they are: spectators. As spectators, fans can’t boast about their teams’ accomplishments as their own. Fans can trash talk, shout their praises, scream incomprehensible phrases, and chant their teams’ “war cries,” but only participants can truly boast.

The truth that there is no boasting for spectators shows us something very important about being Christians. Just like in the world of sports, in Christianity only participants have the right to boast. We may think that there is no place for boasting in the life of a Christian at all, but today’s Epistle lesson speaks very plainly about boasting as God’s people. Of course, the boasting that we are called to is not the arrogant and self-aggrandizing boasting of our world. Instead of being self-centered, the boasting of Christians is in what Christ has accomplished for us, or as 2 Cor. 10:17 puts it, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” But we can’t boast in the Lord if we are simply spectators.

Too many Christians in our culture have grown comfortable being spectators of the Faith rather than participants in it. They echo the words of Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration, “It’s good, Lord, to be here” as an expression of their desire to disengage from serving the world, doing the work of the church, and making the sacrifices that being an active disciple of Jesus demands. They come to Sunday services with expectations of uplifting entertainment not meaningful participation. But God breaks through our stubborn inaction. Presenting His Son before our eyes as the fulfillment of all that the Law and the Prophets had revealed about God’s plan for our salvation, He calls us to participate in His work in the words, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” And when we listen we hear His gracious call to join Him in extending His love to our dying world. The same love that has made us participants in Christ and given us the privilege to boast in Him.

Audio file of the sermon "No Boasting for Spectators."

Reflection: There Is Work to Do (February 3, 2013)

The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Jeremiah 1:4-19; 1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:13; Luke 4:31-44

As news spread about Jesus’ abilities to heal the sick and to drive out demons, crowds began to seek Him out. It must have been tempting for Jesus to stay in the moment and enjoy being the center of attention for so many people — it certainly was for His disciples! But He knew that there was work to do and that He had to stay on task. He had not come into the world to bring temporary healing and deliverance, but He had come to heal and deliver mankind for eternity. “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God …” He said. “I was sent for this purpose.” Jesus was focused and intentional because He knew His purpose and understood the work that He was sent to do.


Not knowing what our work is or the purpose for it can lead to all sorts of problems. Some may be humorous, like dressing in nice clothes for work that is dirty and messy. Others may be tragic, like failing to get the training it takes to keep other people safe from harm. As important as the focus of our work and the clarity of our purpose are, it’s easy for us to lose our focus and be confused about our purpose. In the distractions of our busyness and through the consuming demands of our earthly goals, God’s purpose for us is easily lost. When we don’t know what work it is that God has called us to do, we are ill-prepared and poorly motivated. Like the people in Capernaum, we look to Jesus to meet our earthly needs and give little thought to His greater purposes for us.

Our clarity of work and purpose begins with recognizing that we are called to be God’s servants, just as Jeremiah was. Like Jeremiah, God knew us before we were born and formed us in the womb according to His purposes for us. We were crafted for the very work that He prepared for us in the beginning. We have also experienced God’s Word coming to us just as Jeremiah did. We have made our objections and received God’s convincing response, “I know you. I made you. I’m calling you. I am for you.” And we've received God’s commission to speak the words that He has given to us and we are blessed with the same assurance that Jeremiah received, “Do not be afraid .. I am with you to delver you.” Chosen, shaped, called, equipped, and commissioned by God, we are His servants to bring His redeeming Word to the world. There is work to do.

Audio file of the sermon "There Is Work to Do."

Devotion: Worshiping the Works of Our Hands (Jeremiah 1:4-16)

Audio file of this devotion.

4 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." 6 Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." 7 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD." 9 Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." 11 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" And I said, "I see an almond branch." 12 Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it." 13 The word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north." 14 Then the LORD said to me, "Out of the north disaster shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For behold, I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the LORD, and they shall come, and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil in forsaking me. They have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands."

Jeremiah 1:4-16

When God called Jeremiah to be His prophet, the young man responded with some hesitation. He knew that the spiritual condition of Israel was seriously bad. The people had forsaken the true God and chased after false gods — things that are not gods at all. He also knew that the message that God had for His people wasn't going to be well received. In a word, he was afraid. He tried to convince God that he was not the right person for the job. After all, who would listen to a young man like him? And even if people listened to him, Jeremiah was certain that he lacked the speaking skills necessary to convince people to turn away from their idolatry and turn back to the living God. But God rejected Jeremiah's objections, dismissed his fears, and assured him that he had been specifically created and equipped for the work to which he was being called. God knew this about Jeremiah because He Himself had chosen, called, equipped, and commissioned Jeremiah to speak His Word of judgment against His people for "worshiping the works of their own hands."

While we've grown far too sophisticated to whittle wood and shape metal into objects that we would worship as gods, people in our world continue to make their offerings to false gods and worship the works of their own hands. In place of idols made from stone or wood or precious metals, we have shaped the things of creation into our own idols to worship. We have fashioned gods out of the good gifts of government, personal wealth, human reason, science, technology, etc. and have feared, loved, and trusted them in place of the only true God while insisting that we have done nothing wrong. In some ways, Jeremiah's call, while daunting, was preferable to our call to speak God's Word against the false gods of our time. At least the people of Jeremiah's situation recognized that there was something greater than themselves. In our experience, many people have put themselves in place of both the true God and false gods.

Unfortunately, the sins of our society have significantly influenced us. Conditioned by the rampant idolatry of our culture and immersed in its self-centeredness, we are prone to approaching the true God on the basis of our self-idolization. We buy into popular thinking about earning God's favor through being good people — on the basis of the works of our own hands. It's easy to view ourselves according to our own goodness or, at least, by being better than many other people. We look to God to bless us because of what we have done or have refrained from doing. Such idolatry draws us away from the Cross and into ourselves. We are spiritually sick and enslaved. But the God who sent Jeremiah to reclaim His people has come to us in our sickness and captivity. He who knew us before we existed chose us to be His people in the beginning, formed us in the womb for His purposes, and called us to proclaim His Word of life and healing. Healed and made more alive than ever by Jesus' loving sacrifice on the Cross, we live our lives in response to His love and grace. Now the works of our hands are the acts of worship we perform in carrying out His desires. Through the works of our hands others come to know the living God who heals their diseases and drives out their demons. In the works of our hands the good news of Jesus is carried forward into our broken world and brings restoration and reconciliation. Our excuses melt away in the face of our God who has filled our mouths with His Word and calmed all of our fears. It is our privilege and our joy to worship Him with the works of our hands.