Behold the brilliance of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:3-6)

February 19, 2012

Dear friends in Christ.

When I was in college, I became very familiar with Intestate 90, especially the stretch between La Cross, WI and Rochester, MN, which was both my favorite, and most frustrating part of the journey.  It was my favorite stretch of the trip when we were on our way back to school because it meant that we were done with the 55 MPH speed limit on Highways 14 and 52 and could start making some good time.  It was my favorite, because I knew that no matter how flat the land seemed, we were slowly traveling downhill as we made our way toward La Cross and the Mississippi River.  But it was the most frustrating part of the trip when we were traveling back to New Ulm, because in that stretch you are traveling almost due west, and no matter when we left Watertown, WI, we always seemed to be traveling due west on that stretch of road as the sun was setting!  Now, if you’ve ever driven into the setting sun, then you know just how bright that light can be! For as you drive, and the unblinking eye of the sun stares you in the face, it can be a struggle to keep your vehicle on the road. Though you put on your darkest sunglasses, pull down the visor, and sit in strange and uncomfortable positions just to block out that light and keep from rear ending the car in front of you, it seems that you can’t escape brilliance of the setting sun. Even though you do everything you can to block it out, it seems that the light evades your efforts and begins to fill the car itself until there is room for nothing else except that light.  In a way, that brilliance is a picture of the brilliance that is revealed to us in the pages of Scripture. For in the Scriptures we find the brilliant light of the Gospel revealed to us in Jesus Christ our Savior. In fact, as we study the lesson before us from 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, we will take time to simply stand and behold the brilliance of the Gospel.

Take a look with me at our lesson today and how the Apostle Paul describes the amazing brilliance of the Gospel.  “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:3–6, NIV84)

How interesting it is that as Paul describes the brilliance of the Gospel that has been revealed in our hearts, he begins by telling us how the brilliance of the gospel has been hidden, veiled if you will, among those who are perishing.  Yet, sadly, this is exactly what our enemy, the god of this age, who is also known as satan, has done.  Though the light of the gospel continues to shine forth with the brilliance of the sun, satan has caused the dark clouds of doubt and disbelief to form in the hearts of billions of people in our world today.  He has shrouded their vision with a veil!  He has blindfolded them and locked them away in the dark and gloomy dungeon of unbelief so that they cannot possibly see the light of the gospel and come to faith and be saved. 

In one way he has done this with the false religions that he is continually introducing into our world so that he might distract more and more people away from the light of the Gospel.  For example, long ago he introduced the teachings of Hinduism to the people of India.  Though it is very possible that one of the Apostles traveled to India and spread the Word of God there, as tradition suggests, the Hindu faith teaches people to work and to serve many different gods in the hopes that they might be one day delivered from this world to the state of eternal bliss.  Again, it was satan who made sure the teachings of Buddha spread so that now millions of people are looking for enlightenment which is designed to free them from a world of suffering.  It was satan who worked overtime to convince the Pharisees, teachers of the law, and many others in the Jewish community that Jesus really wasn’t the Christ.  Now, because of his efforts it is safe to say that the majority of the Israelites of our day and age do not know who Jesus is, or simply reject Jesus as the Messiah who came in fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures.  On top of that it is very likely that satan or one of his demons who appeared to Mohammed back in 633 BC, bringing the teachings of Islam to the Middle East.  But even closer to home, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the one who appeared to Joseph Smith, encouraging him to continue in the teachings that have become Mormonism, a religious group that acts very Christian, and yet does not believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  He is the one who undoubtedly sent some of his demons to appear to the Native Americans who sought to speak with the spirits of their ancestors.  He is the one who is constantly at work in every single Christian church, working subtly to water down the teachings of Law and Gospel, working to foster feelings of apathy toward God and his Word, and even working to convince life-long Christians that they know it all and really have no need to read and study God’s Word for themselves or even gather in worship on a regular basis.

These are but a few of the ways that “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4, NIV84)  These are but a few of the ways that our enemy, the devil, is working to blind even you and me to the brilliance of the gospel.  Even now, as you are looking directly into the brilliance of the gospel as it is being proclaimed to you, satan is working to place a veil over our eyes so that we will no longer see the glory of Jesus Christ as our Savior. He is the one who constantly sits on our shoulders in worship, whispering lies, doubts, and distractions into our ears.  He is the one who seeks to seed our hearts with the dark clouds of doubt and unbelief so that the brilliance of the gospel is slowly diminished and finally blotted out completely.  Though right here, right now, we are basking in the brilliant light of the Gospel shining forth in all its glory, he is trying to convince us that the brilliance of the gospel is just as annoying as the setting sun that I used to drive into on my way home from college.  He is trying to convince us that if we simply take the pair of sunglasses he is offering us and put them over our eyes, then, we will be able to look directly at the brilliance of the Gospel, and see it more clearly. He is trying to convince us that if we just pull down the visor and sit in an uncomfortable position, we will be better able to see the path before us.  But if we should willingly put on satan’s sunglasses, or pull down the visor, or sit in an uncomfortable position, before we know it we will have allowed him to completely block out the brilliance of the gospel in our lives.  Before we know it, we will be blindly following our enemy down the path that leads to his kingdom and the dark, gloomy, and fiery dungeons of eternal death and damnation.

Though it is satan, our enemy, who is continually seeking to blind us to the brilliance of the Gospel, as we have gathered here this morning, it is our Savior who is revealing the full measure of the Gospel’s brilliance to each of us who believes!  Just as Paul wrote in our lesson, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:3–6, NIV84)

Though satan continually seeks to blind us, it was the Lord our God who made known the light of the knowledge of his glory in Jesus Christ our Savior.  It was Jesus Christ himself who came to us and gently replaced the visors and removed satan’s sunglasses so that we could once again see his light.  It was the Lord Jesus, our Savior who shined the brilliant light of his Gospel into our hearts and burned away the dark clouds of doubt and disbelief that satan seeded there.  It was our Savior who used his own blood to polish our stained and tarnished hearts so that they would once again be radiant reflectors of the brilliance of the gospel message of salvation.  It was Jesus Christ our Savior who enabled us to look into the brilliant light of his glory revealed to us in the gospel message of our salvation.  It was Christ our Savior who saw to it that the brilliance of the Gospel was revealed to us so that we might be his disciples. He saw to it that his Word was proclaimed to us so that we also might believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin. For it is in that Word that we learn about our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is in that Word that we learn how Jesus came to earth as a little baby. It is in that word that we learn how Jesus in wisdom. It is in that word we learn how Jesus went through out all the towns of Israel proclaiming the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. It is in that word that we learn how Jesus revealed his glory in his miracles of healing the sick, raising the dead, and driving out demons. It is in that word we are assured that Jesus truly is the Son of God, our Savior.  But best of all, today we had the opportunity to see the full measure of that glory as Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John on the top of that mountain.  As Jesus was transfigured before them we saw the brilliance of his glory and the glory of the Gospel that has been revealed to each and every one of us who believes.

For it is the brilliant light of the gospel that assures us that our sins have been forgiven.  It is that brilliant light of the gospel that assures us that Jesus’ life of perfectly following all of Gods commands and decrees has been applied to us.  It is the gospel that assure us that when Jesus went to the cross he went carrying the weight of each and every sin of each and every person on the face of the earth, even yours and mine!  It is through the message of the Gospel that we are assured that all our trespasses, transgressions, and iniquities have been completely blotted out.  Even the guilt of our sins has been removed.  Now, it is through that brilliant light of the Gospel, which has been clearly revealed to those who believe, that we are moved to take that message to the world.

Just as the Lord shone the light of the gospel into our hearts and created faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, it is the Lord who enables us to reflect the brilliance of the gospel in our lives.  It is the Lord Jesus who moves us to share the brilliant message of salvation in all that we say and do so that many more might be able to see the salvation that is theirs through faith in Jesus their Savior.  It is the Lord who calls us to shine the brilliance of the gospel into the darkness of our world because there are still millions who do not know that their sins have been forgiven. There are millions whom satan has blinded to the brilliant light of the gospel which the Lord has revealed to us, and now it is our turn to tell them. It is our turn to preach Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as his servants. Because if we don’t, those whom satan has blinded will suffer the punishment of eternal death and damnation in the fires of hell. This is why we need to continue to support the mission work of our synod. Even though we may be a smaller congregation in our synod, and even though we face budget concerns and shortfalls ourselves, as Christians, it is our responsibility to support mission work, so that we might send Pastors and Teachers into nations who do not know Jesus as their Savior.

Though there may be times when we are afraid to start talking about Jesus, it is our God who gives us the courage we need.  For the very light we now proclaim to the world is the light which the Lord himself has shinned into our hearts.  It is the light of the Gospel which is even more brilliant than the light of the setting sun that I continually drove into on my way home from college.  But even though it is that much more brilliant, it is also that much easier on the eyes.  It is in the gospel that we find our Savior Jesus Christ revealed to us!  Though this brilliance has been veiled to those who are perishing, it has been clearly revealed to you and me who believe.  Take that brilliance with you.  Reflect it in your words and actions, and shine even as you share it with the world.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN

Jesus Reveals His Authority (Mark 1:29-39)

February 12, 2012

Dear friends in Christ.

Over the past number of years the TV series, Mythbusters has revealed the truth behind some very popular myths in our society.  Using scientific method, curiosity, and quite a bit of ingenuity they have revealed the truth behind some myths, the sheer implausibility behind others, and even revealed that some myths, as ridiculous as they might seem, are at least a possibility.  Well, in many ways, this is the very thing that Jesus is doing in our lesson today as he reveals himself as the Savior of the World who holds authority over all things!  For as we meet Jesus in our lesson today, we see him revealing his authority over sickness, over satan, and over all of our sins.  In fact, I invite you to open your Bibles to our lesson today and we’ll see just how Jesus is revealing his authority.

Now, as you are opening your Bibles to Mark 1:29, let me remind you of what was going on.  As we heard in our gospel lesson last week, it was the Sabbath day.  Jesus had been teaching in the synagogue, amazing the people because he was teaching with such authority, when suddenly a man with an evil spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24, NIV84)  Immediately, Jesus had told the evil spirit to be quite and come out of the man, which amazed the people all the more.  Now, as our lesson begins in verse 29, we see what happened after Jesus and his disciples left the synagogue.  In fact, let’s start with verse 28:  “News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. 29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them." (Mark 1:28–31, NIV84)

Though it had already been a busy day for Jesus, his day would soon be getting busier. Although Jesus was now heading to the home of Simon and Andrew, undoubtedly for a meal and some relaxation, he would soon be facing crowds of people who would come to see him. But now, as Jesus was in the home of Peter and Andrew, he had an opportunity to reveal his authority over sickness to the disciples who were present. For as our text told us, Simon’s Mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, yet, when Jesus took her hand and helped her up, the fever left her. Not only did the fever leave her, but Jesus healed her so completely that she got up and started to serve them the evening meal. That in itself was quite an amazing miracle. For if you think about it, you all know what it’s like to suffer with high fevers. You know how exhausted and how relived you feel when the fever finally breaks. You know how good it feels to curl up and sleep soundly knowing that you are on the road to recovery. But that’s not what happened with Peter’s Mother-in-law. When Jesus healed her, she was so completely healed and undoubtedly so completely thankful that she was immediately able to get up and work without the slightest bit of weariness.

This is how Jesus revealed his authority over sickness in our lesson today, and this is how Jesus reveals his authority over sickness in our lives as well. Though we have never had Jesus physically take our hands and help us out of bed when we’ve suffered with a fever, Jesus is the one who heals us. Though we are used to taking Aspirin or Tylenol, Advil or Aleve, or even Zicam for our cold symptoms, it is our Savior who makes them work. Though we are used to going to the doctor and getting some kind of prescription medicine to help us over come specific illnesses, it is our Savior who allowed us to discover them. For it is our Savior who has authority over our sicknesses and it is our Savior who sometimes allows our sicknesses to linger, but even if they should linger, even if head cold develops into Pneumonia, even if we should someday contract a terminal illness, it is still our Savior who heals us. It is still our Savior who demonstrates his authority over our sickness by taking it from us, or by taking us from it. For in his grace, when we are ill, Jesus either heals our sickness so that we can continue in our lives here on earth, or he heals them completely by taking us to his side in heaven. Either way our Savior’s authority reigns supreme.

But this is only one of the ways in which Jesus reveals his authority in our lives. For as our Savior, Jesus not only reveals his authority over sickness, but he also reveals his authority over our enemy the devil. In fact, this is what Mark is assuring us of as our lesson continues.  Take  a look at verses 32-34:  “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was." (Mark 1:32–34, NIV84)

As we said, earlier that day, Jesus had been preaching in the synagogue, he had healed a man suffering from demon possession, and the news had spread like wild fire! Now, after the Sabbath had come to a close at sunset, the people from all over the area brought the sick and the demon possessed to Jesus. They brought them because they knew and believed that Jesus could heal them. They brought them so that Jesus could drive out the demons that were tormenting some of the people, and that is exactly what Jesus did. Jesus showed his authority over satan by driving out those demons. He showed his authority over satan by not allowing any of the demons to speak as they came out of the people. As he did this, Jesus showed in no uncertain terms, that satan’s power was no match for his own; Jesus showed that he was truly the Son of God who had authority even over our enemy, the devil.

Though the demon possession of people is something that we don’t hear about too often in our day and age, the things we do hear about are ghosts, ghost hunters, hauntings, and paranormal activity taking place all around the country. In fact, all you have to do is turn on the TV and you can see any number of shows talking about houses that attract seemingly benevolent spirits that seem to protect and care for the people living in those places. But at the same time we also hear about evil spirits who seem only to want to hurt or harm those around them. All you have to do is turn on your TV and you’ll find trailers for movies whose main focus is all about paranormal activity.  You’ll see adds for video games talking about the darkness that is used and “controlled” by some characters.  You’ll find any number of shows about psychics and other “ghost hunters” who go into houses to study, examine, try to explain, or finally attempt to drive those spirits away. Though many in the world hang on these shows and wonder about what is happening or find themselves becoming very spiritual because they are attracted to these things beyond their explanation, we as Christians see these things and know that satan and his evil angels are still at work in our world. When we see these things we know that satan is still working in these subtle ways to distract us away from the truth of God’s Word and even to make us wonder if our God really isn’t powerful enough to deal with satan.

But even though this is what our enemy is working to do, we can take comfort in the knowledge that Jesus not only has authority over satan, but when Jesus went to the cross, he defeated satan once and for all. For there on the cross, satan did indeed strike Jesus’ heal, but in turn, Jesus crushed Satan’s head. There on that cross, satan thought he was sure to win when Jesus died, but by his death, Jesus not only crushed statn’s head into the ground, he completely and utterly destroyed any power that satan ever held over us. Then, as his body lay in the grave, Jesus triumphantly marched through hell itself to proclaim his victory over the devil.  Because of this, we know that satan cannot touch us. Though he tempts us, we can resist him through the power of God’s Word. Though there will be times when he succeeds and lead us into sin, we know that we are forgiven through Jesus’ blood, and because we have been covered with Jesus’ blood, we know that nothing can harm us. Though there are evil spirits lose in the world causing hauntings, sightings, paranormal activity, and even masquerading as benevolent spirits, we know that these are nothing more than the panicked fallings of our defeated enemy who cannot touch us because we are protected by our Savior.  This is the authority that Jesus reveals to us as he demonstrates his power and authority over satan, his evil angels, and yes, even over our sins.

What greater revelation of authority could there be for us!  What greater comfort could there be for us as Christians than the knowledge that Jesus reveals as he reveals his authority over our sins.  For when Jesus went to the cross, he not only defeated satan once and for all, by his bloody sacrifice he finally and completely washed away each and every sin we had ever committed and every will commit.  This, in fact, was the message that Jesus was sent to proclaim, as Mark tells us in the last verses of our lesson today: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” 38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons." (Mark 1:35–39, NIV84)

While Jesus was in Capernaum, he preached the Gospel and called many to faith. He showed his power and authority as the Son of God by healing people and driving out demons. But now, when his disciples found him that morning, Jesus expressed the desire to continue on so that he might preach the Gospel in other places as well. He expressed the desire to move on so that he might teach others that he was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

This is what Jesus is doing for you and me today! He is revealing his authority as our Savior who cleanses us from our sins. He is assuring us that he is the one who went to the cross to forgive our sins, to make us children of God, and to make us heirs of eternal life. He is assuring us that no matter what sins we might have committed, by his authority, he is able to wipe the slate clean. So, no matter what sins you might be dealing with, you can be assured that Jesus has forgiven them.  Though you might feel that your sins are like leaches that simply won’t let go, Jesus has sprinkled the salt of his blood upon them and made them release.  Though you may feel that your sins have covered your souls like the burned on grease and grime that covers the drip trays beneath your stove’s burners, Jesus has come with the grease bomb of his blood and completely cleaned us.  Though you may feel that your sins have completely over run and killed your souls like the salt spray from the roads kills off the grass on boulevards every year, Jesus has come with the True Green treatment of his blood, cleansed away the salt of our sins, revitalized us, and made us whole, strong, and healthy blades in the field of his kingdom!

What greater authority could Jesus reveal to us today!  What greater comfort could we receive from the pen of the Evangelist Mark!  For today, Jesus has gone head to head with some very popular myths about his power and revealed his authority over all things.  In such a clear way he has revealed his authority over our sicknesses, over our enemy satan, and even over our sins.  He is truly the Son of God our Savior who has taken care of all these things for us and continues to care for us each and every day.  What greater comfort could there be than the comfort that comes in knowing that Jesus is our Savior who has revealed his authority over all things.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN

The Lord's judgments are just and righteous! (Jeremiah 17:5-8)

February 5, 2012

Dear friends in Christ.

If you were to find yourself on trial for one reason or another, I’m sure you would want to have the best legal defense team you could find.  You would want an attorney who would calmly, confidently, and persuasively argue your case before a jury of your peers.  You would want a jury that would carefully weigh all the testimony made in that courtroom and come to the verdict which the evidence clearly showed.  You would want a judge who would make just and right judgment based on the verdict rendered by the jury.  Well, as Christians, this is what we have.  For we have a just and righteous God in heaven who has never in his life made a snap judgment based on a whim or other emotional factor.  Rather, it is our God in heaven who has provided the world with the documentation of his law, and now judges the world on the basis of that law.  Because of this, we know that when the Lord makes his judgments they are both just and righteous.  This is something that we will see more clearly as we study the text before us today. For through this lesson recorded in Jeremiah 17 we will see that even though those who turn from the Lord are cursed, those who trust in him are blessed, because the Lord’s judgments are truly just and righteous!

Take a look at what Jeremiah has to tell us in the first two verse of our lesson today:  “This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives." (Jeremiah 17:5–6, NIV84)

Now, when Jeremiah first spoke these words to the Israelites living in the Southern kingdom of Judah, he spoke them as the Lord’s judgment against all who had turned their backs on him.  For in the days of Jeremiah, the people of Israel had all but forgotten about the Lord their God.  They had turned to the worship of idols made of wood and stone.  They had forsaken the Lord’s temple, and they had killed many of the Lord’s prophets rather than listening to them.  Though they were still one of the most prosperous nations at the time, they were not living under the Lord’s blessing, but under his curse.  Though to an outside observer they looked like a strong and healthy nation, spiritually they were nothing more than a dead and dried up old bush in the middle of a burning desert wasteland.  And because of this, all those who had turned their backs on the Lord had nothing to look forward to but the curse of eternal death and damnation forever in the fires of hell.

The same thing is true today!  We are living in a land that is quickly turning its back on the Lord.  So many of our leaders in every level of government are turning their backs on our Nation’s God fearing roots, and encouraging us as a people to do whatever they want and believe whatever they want to believe.  Though as a nation, we may be the wealthiest, most prosperous people on the face of the earth, spiritually our nation is quickly becoming a scorched and burning desert wasteland.  Though our country may have been founded on Christian morals back in the 1700’s, those morals are constantly be challenged, cut down, and tossed aside.  For example: 30 years ago, when the Rowe v. Wade decision made abortion legal, murder was suddenly made convenient, abstinence was no longer an issue, sexual immorality was given an open door, and human life was no longer regarded as sacred.  Now today, our nation is quickly sliding down the path, which leads only to the Lord’s righteous judgment and destruction.

How long will it be until we are overrun like the Israelites, who were overrun by the Babylonians?  How long will it be until the Lord says, “Enough!” and simply allows our nation to collapse from within?  I do not know. But I do know that if our nation continues on the course it is following now, turning its back on the Lord and relying on its own ingenuity, all that will be left for it will be the Lord’s curse and his righteous judgment of destruction. Though this might be a disturbing picture for us as Americans, this is the warning that the Lord is directing not only toward our great nation, but it is also the warning which he is directing toward you and me as Christians.

Yes, this is the warning which the Lord is directing even toward us as Christians!  For with these words our Lord is telling us that if we turn our backs on him we will face his fierce and righteous judgment.  If we grow weary of drinking the water of life found in his word, we will be surprised at how parched we will quickly become and how none of the world’s beverages will be able to slake that thirst.  If we find ourselves wandering away from him, growing lazy in worship, or simply giving up to embrace our sins, we know that we could be facing the double barreled curse of eternal death and damnation forever in the fires of hell. This is why the Lord is so fervently warning us with the consequences of turning our backs on him.  For if we, who know the truth of God’s salvation, turn our backs on that salvation there will be nothing left for us except eternal suffering in the burning wasteland of eternal damnation; burning under the scorching heat of the Lord’s justice and punishment for all who turn their backs on him.  Which is the heart of God’s Righteous Judgments!

But this is not the end of the story, for if it were, we would have nothing to look forward to.  We would find no joy in the service of the Lord our God because we would see him as nothing more than an angry and vengeful God.  But this is not the way we see him, and this is not the way we know him.  For we know the Lord as the God who has told us: “all who trust in him will be blessed.”  This is the other side of our Lord’s just and righteous judgments!  For though he will truly curse all those who forsake him, we know that he will indeed bless all who trust in him.

This was the message, which Jeremiah also carried to the people of Israel.  For even though nearly the entire nation of Israel had turned their backs on the Lord there were still those who had remained faithful to him, and it was to those people that Jeremiah said: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7–8, NIV84)

With these words, not only was the Lord assuring his faithful people that they would be blessed if they trusted in him, he is also assuring us that by trusting in him, we will truly be blessed no matter what we might face in this life.  For when we trust in the Lord we are those who listen to the Lord’s Prophet.  We are like trees planted by streams of water.  When our trust is in the Lord we are able to sink our roots down deep into water of his word.  We are able to grow tall and strong because we are constantly receiving all the nutrition that we could possibly need.  We are able to spread our branches high and wide so that we might provide shade and comfort to those who need it most.  Even though we might face the severe heat of trials and hardships in this life, though we often face the blistering sun of temptation, when we are rooted in the word, trusting in the Lord our God, our leaves will not wither or fall.  For when we place our trust in the Lord, it is the Lord who sees us through every trouble.  When we place our trust in the Lord we have the ability to let go of our worries and simply follow where he leads.  When we trust in the Lord, we are able to accept whatever challenges or hardships he might place on us, and wear them with joy, knowing that if he asks us to bear them he will also give us more than enough strength to stand up under them.  We will be able to stand up as his children under his just and righteous judgments.

This was the very privilege that the Lord gave to a family in my neighborhood while I was still in grade school.  For when I was in seventh grade, the smith family down the street lost their 18-year-old son in a car accident.  The son, who had been out deer hunting, was returning home when a deer jumped out in front of his car, it crashed through the windshield, broke the son’s neck, and he died that night even before he reached the hospital.  On top of that, a few short months after his funeral, his mother was diagnosed with cancer, and even though the doctors did everything they could to fight it, she died less than four years later.  Though I don’t remember much from the son’s funeral, I remember clearly the events of the wife’s.  I remember standing in the receiving line at the funeral home.  I remember countless friends talking with the husband and crying with him.  I remember even more people hugging him and offering their words of sympathy.  I remember wondering how someone could ever endure the death of his son and wife within a few short years of each other.  But the most amazing thing I remember is the solid rock of faith that this man was when it was our turn to talk to him.  I remember his unwavering trust in the Lord his God.  I remember how he accepted this new tragedy, confidently assured that the Lord had not forsaken him, and knowing that he would see both his wife and his son again when the Lord called him from this life to eternal life in heaven.

This is the justice and the righteousness of the Lord’s judgments.  These are the kinds of blessings that we also receive here on this earth when we trust in the Lord.  Though we may not have a stress free life, though we may not have all the money or possessions we might want, though our eyesight may not be the best, or our hearing might be failing, though our heart might not work the way we want or we find ourselves living away from family and friends, when we trust in the Lord we can still find joy and fulfillment in all these situations through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior!  When we trust in the Lord our God, we find his blessings in every aspect of our day to day lives.  When we trust in the Lord our God, our greatest blessing is the forgiveness of sins that his Son won for us through his death and resurrection.  This is the just and righteous judgment that the Lord has for you and me as his children, and this is the judgment with which he longs to bless the world.

Though our world may have turned its back on the Lord, sliding ever closer to the curse of damnation there is still hope for each and every person who trusts in the Lord.  For just as those in Israel who trusted in the Lord were saved when the Babylonians came, those in our world today who trust in the Lord will be saved by their faith.  This is the message that we as Christians now bring to the world at large.  Though we may not be able to lead all the people of the world to turn their trust to the Lord, through the working of the Lord, and the power of his word, we will be able to lead some to place their trust in him as their God.  Those who do will no longer face the Lord’s curse, but will look forward to the Lord’s righteous judgment, which will shower his blessings upon them. These are the Lord’s just and righteous judgments!  Though they are different than the judgments handed down in a courtroom, they are based on the law of the Lord our God.  May we never be found among those who turn their backs on him and look forward to nothing but his curse, but rather let us always be found among those who trust in him and live in his blessings.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN