Soul Meets God

Biblical Text: Mark 5:21-43

The text is one of Mark’s famous “sandwiches.” He puts one story on the inside of a story interrupted. I think the reason is that we are meant to compare and contrast the inner and the outer stories. They illuminate each other. And these two stories are stories of desperation and faith. They are stories of the soul. In the inner one a story of how the soul meets God. In the outer one all the lies that Satan might throw in our way. This sermon is a little more experimental than what I normally do. And by experimental I probably mean spiritual experiential.

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A Note on the Tithe

But as you excel in everything– in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you– see that you excel in this act of grace also. – 2 Corinthians. 8:7

The “act of grace” that Paul is extolling here in our Epistle reading for the day (2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 13-15) is the financial support for the needs of the church. Money issues tend to be the third rail of congregational life. Everyone knows that they are important. The one vote you know you will take every year will be the vote on the budget. It is a truism that the Bible talks more about money and our use of it than it does about a whole host of other topics. Yet we tend not to be clear about financial support of congregations. We vote on what we agree to spend, but then often fail to consider our support.

When Paul places financial support for the needs of the church in the category of “act of grace” he is placing it in the realm of the gospel which is a meaningful decision. If he wanted to place such support in the realm of the law he could have done so. There are numerous tithes stated and discussed in the Old Testament and the law of Moses. The purpose of the tithe was for the support of the Levites, the priestly tribe of Israel. “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting, (Num. 18:21)” Those Levites from their tithes were to also take care of the widow, the fatherless and the sojourner (Deut. 26:12). And the law of God is good and wise. When we are talking about things we’d rather not, we are quick to dismiss the law and claim our Christian freedom. Sometimes falling into the error of pitting the gospel against the law. Christ did not come to do away with the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). We are freed from the penalties of the law, but the good will of God expressed in the law is something we seek to fulfill.

One of the oldest stories in the Bible centers upon the disposition of the heart towards God in material blessings. Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground. Abel brought the first born of his flock and its fat portion (Genesis 4:3-4). The LORD had regard for Abel’s, but not for Cain’s. And it is this distinction that leads to the first murder. This distinction is also the difference between the legalistic tithe and Paul’s “act of grace.” God had provided for both Cain and Abel. It was Abel’s trust that the providence of the LORD would continue and continue to be enough, it was his faith in the grace of God, that brought forth his offering of the firstborn and their fat portion. Fear always lurks. Fear that the LORD is not as good as his promises.

Paul continues in 2 Corinthians to make the distinction between an extraction and an “act of grace.” It would certainly be possible to extract an offering from the Corinthians, but such an extraction wouldn’t do anyone any good. It might even be like Cain leading to a hardening of the heart. Instead Paul has “arranged in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it will be ready as a willing gift, not as an extraction (2 Cor 9:5).” Paul’s encouragement is for the Corinthians to understand and act upon the economics of the Kingdom of God. First is that “He (meaning God) has distributed freely, he has given to the poor, his righteousness endures forever (2 Cor 9:9).” The grace of God has been given to us poor sinners in Jesus Christ. And the righteousness of Christ endures forever. We need never fear a lack, for God has made his grace abound. The promise of God here is much like the promise of God given in Malachi 3:10, “bring the full tithe in…put me to the test says the LORD, and I will pour down blessing.” “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness (2 Cor 9:10).” The economics of the Kingdom of God are of abundance. It starts as a mustard seed. It starts as 5 loaves and feeds 5000. The grace of God multiplies that given in faith.

And what does it mean to give in faith? “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Cor 9:7).” Reflect on the will of God expressed in the law that he wishes to see brought to completion. Reflect upon the God’s providence of temporal goods and of his grace in Christ. The “act of grace” is that portion freely given seeking the good of the Kingdom of God that grace might be increased. The will of God will certainly be done, but here is our chance to see it done amongst us and to participate in that grace.

I’m sure there is someone out there who tithed and regrets. But I honestly have never met that man or woman. There are lots of spiritual reasons. “Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also (Matt 6:21).” “Whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward (Matt. 10:42).” And there are many other such verses. But not least of the reasons is probably something that Paul says here. “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully (2 Cor 9:6).” Those who “excel in this act of grace” usually have the best eyes to see the return.

So my encouragement here is for your Spiritual good. Take the time. Decide in your heart cheerfully. And support the Kingdom of God with your gifts. As you excel in everything, see that you excel in this act of grace also.

Not Today’s Tom Sawyer

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Biblical Text: Mark 4:35-41, Job 38:1-11

This is the “free will” or bondage of the will sermon. The texts of the day, at least to me, set it up perfectly. The effect of the law in our day I believe is felt most acutely when we are talking about knowledge or technique. We all have a sense that something is wrong, but natural man today believes everything could be solved simply with more knowledge or better technique. Enter the God of the whirlwind from Job. “Who is this who darkens my council with words without knowledge?” That doesn’t prevent us from holding onto that. Our situation is so ruined and dire – we have no free will in spiritual things – that even omniscience wouldn’t do us any good. We need a savior. We need someone to change the rules. And the that is what Jesus does. He fulfills the law. He has perfect knowledge and technique. And to our broken want-ers what he offers is grace. Have faith. God loves you and will see you through.

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Weapons of Righteousness

With the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left – 2 Corinthians 6:7

Flavor Flav turned 65 this year. I wonder if he ever found out what time it was? Or if it is just time to start collecting social security. Yes, that is pure corn, and you probably don’t remember Flav. He was one of the early rappers in pivotal group Public Enemy. His shtick to this day is wearing a giant clock and interjecting, “Do you know what time it is?” Which if you’ve got an apocalyptic sweet tooth is impossible not to like. Because we all should be asked if we know what time it is more often. The hour is later than you think.

But the good news of any apocalyptic is that Christ is both the Alpha and the Omega. Christ can operate with both the right hand and the left. Moses had placed “good and evil” before the gathered Israelites (Deuteronomy 30:15ff) and urged them to “choose life.” Of course Moses was talking about the law which is good and wise. Our problem is choosing it. Knowing what time it is by Moses isn’t a good thing. But Paul has a different proclamation. “We appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain…look, now is the favorable time, look, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:1-2).” What time is it? It is the day of grace. If you are still in the flesh and reading this, now is the time that grace has come to you. Now Christ helps us.

How does Christ help us? With weapons of righteousness for the right and for the left.

What the heck does that mean? I think the base picture is the ancient warrior who held an offensive weapon, a sword, in the right, and a defensive weapon, a shield, in the left. The right is the instrument of power. The left is the tricky one. It is tricky for a few reasons, but the greatest is the fact that the greatest strength of the warrior comes not from skill with the right, but from savvy formation with the left. My shield in formation protects not just me but the man to my left. The army that lost was almost always that one that broke ranks first and no longer fought as a unit. And they would do this because they trusted their own might and not their fellow’s shield.

The apostle leading up to that summary has a couple of lists. Weapons of the left: “endurance, afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger (2 Corinthians 6:4-5).” The Apostle Paul held formation through all of those things. He proclaimed Christ and our eternal life in Christ thought all of those things. He kept the faith. And paradoxically it is those weapons of the left that are much more meaningful. The grace of Christ which is seen most clearly in the cross is centered in our endurance of what this temporal world has for us. But that does not exclude weapons of the right: “purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, the power of God (2 Corinthians 6:6-7).” All of those are active things. You could call those the Sanctified life. The Saints also have weapons of righteousness that demand use and skill, not just endurance. The endurance weapons of the left are typically better, but there are times that demand action, that demand holiness and truthful speech.

Flavor Flav’s question, the apocalyptic question, is always meaningful. “Do you know what time it is?” Now is the favorable time. God acts with his grace both through the left and the right. But do you know which is called for in your life? As Luther would say, “sin boldly.” Choose your weapon, but have faith in the grace of Christ to make now the day of salvation regardless the choice.

The Muddy Middle

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Biblical Text: Mark 4:24-36

This is a sermon on a parable, and it is a parable that is unique to the Gospel according to Mark. And parables are way trickier that you think. But this one is pure gospel. In my reading it is not about the reception of the word. All the things about the reception of the word are guaranteed. The seed will be planted. There will be growth. There will be a harvest. It is a parable about the church – or the individual – in between those two great givens of planting and harvesting. There will be growth, “but we know not how.” It’s the middle. It’s a mess. But what you get to witness is the mysterious will of God. That’s what this sermon contemplates. It’s a little different than what I typically preach, but I think it stands.

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An Appeal to Heaven

If you read any old books, and by old here I mean anything from roughly 600 AD to 1900 AD, one of the things you realize is that all the authors – even the ones not known for their orthodoxy – know their scriptures. And they appeal or allude to those scriptures in nuanced ways. Ways that we either miss completely, or might even say “nah, that can’t be the allusion.” I was thinking about that while reflecting on the Old Testament reading for today – Ezekiel 17:22-24 – and the recent flag absurdity.

If you are blessedly unaware of that absurdity, Mrs. Alito, wife of the Supreme Court justice, likes to fly flags. One of the flags she has flown was the Revolutionary War era “Appeal to Heaven” flag (pasted in somewhere near here.) It was commissioned by George Washington for the small six boat Continental Navy. The pine tree was a symbol of New England – Pines being quite common. The phrase, “An Appeal to Heaven,” is a reference to John Locke. Locke was the English enlightenment philosopher whose thought probably did more to inspire early America and its governance than anybody else. Maybe even more than the Bible, although that could be argued. In this case Locke argued in his Second Treatise on Civil Government, “where the Body of the People, or any single Man, is deprived of their Right, or is under the Exercise of a power without right, and have no Appeal on Earth, there they have a liberty to appeal to Heaven, whenever they judge the Cause of sufficient moment.” In that quote you can hear such later American phrases as “endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights.” There is also the foundational American idea of the Social Compact, think the Mayflower Compact. The governments are established to ensure rights. If those governments deprive citizens of rights, they have broken the compact, and there is a right to “an appeal to heaven” or revolution.

That is all hardcore enlightenment. But Washington paired the sentiment with the image of the tree. Washington liked Biblical tree images. And they all liked the Old Testament better than the new. (They all thought they were the new Israel. In Lincoln’s phrase, “a semi-chosen people”.) Washington would leave the Presidency quoting Micah 4:4, “they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.” It was his turn to sit under his; His work was complete. But long before that work was complete, before he even knew if it would be successful, he tied the enlightenment thinking of an appeal to heaven to a lone tree.

God says in Ezekiel 17, “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out…I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain…and under it will dwell every kind of bird…and all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord. I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree…I have spoken, and I will do it.” I don’t think it is a mighty leap for someone committing treason if it fails, who could easily consider himself a clipping off the top of the mighty British Empire, as making an appeal to heaven for the LORD to lift them up. For the LORD to create a place for every kind of bird under this new order being brought forth.

Washington never fails to tear me up. The greatest man history ever produced. And as an enlightenment amalgam it isn’t a bad vision. And I almost daily give thanks for being one of Washington’s “distant posterity.” But the sprig is not from any earthly empire. He is from the remains of Israel. And the high and lofty mountain is not a glorious capitol, not even the Acropolis or Mt. Zion, but Mt. Calvary. Our Appeal to Heaven – the eternal appeal to Heaven – free us from our sin wrought chains was answered. The rebellion against Satan, the World and our own flesh not only was started, but was successful. And under Christ’s branches, every kind may dwell and produce fruit and become noble.

The LORD promised he would do this. The LORD keeps his promises.

Is God Trustworthy?

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Biblical Text: Genesis 3:8-15, Mark 3:20-35

This sermon treats the Genesis text, which is the Adam and Eve fall into sin, and the gospel lesson, which contains two of Jesus’ most interesting phrases (“Binding the strong man” and “the sin against the Holy Spirit”), as something of problem and solution. There is a popular cynical way of reading the fall that my personal taste for farce and dark humor easily fall prey to. And I am in no way a good enough person to completely say it is trash. But a better person than I took me to task. Yes, the pass the buck. But the situation is the first sin. Everything prior, every experience to that point, everybody was completely trustworthy. Everything worked for the good of the neighbor. Imagine the shock the first time it doesn’t. There is no way Adam and Eve fully comprehended what had happened. At best they had some intuition. And part of that intuition would be some type of accountability. Who is most to blame? My fellow human? The serpent? God?

The Gospel Text is the explanation of the proof that God is and always has been trustworthy – the friend of sinners. Jesus has come to bind the strong man. Long bound in the serpent’s forged chains of sin, Jesus has come to be the man that crushed his head. The one that plunders his house. But it is a strange plundering. Because forgiven everything, we can be Stockholm syndrome captives of sin. The door out of the strong man’s house is wide open. But many choose to stay.

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Courage and Duty

On the American Calendar June 6^th was D-Day and there were plenty of appropriate recognitions of the 80^th anniversary of that day. I read that the last of the Medal of Honor winners passed. Not many years and it will be that last of the veterans of that war. But on the Church calendar June 5^th was a celebration of another guy who must have had the same courage as those who stormed the beaches. Years later, after the eyewitness are gone, it becomes harder to believe in such acts of bravery. The cynics voice shows up and starts wondering which parts are real and which parts are hagiographic myth. And the story of Boniface of Mainz, Missionary to the Germans fits that. It also reminds us just how strange the path of the Gospel to the ends of the earth is.

Boniface was born in England, well, not really England, because England didn’t exist yet. He was born in Wessex around 675 AD. And in an often repeating story the young man, contrary to his Father’s wishes, became a monk. When he was roughly 35, about the same age that Luther nails the 95 Theses – old enough to know better, but still too young to care – Boniface sets out with another monk named Willibrord to Frisia, which is far Northern German near the border with the Netherlands. The mission to Frisia was not a success and they returned home. Boniface then goes to Rome, and while in Rome the Pope creates a new diocese, Germania, and appoints Boniface the bishop.

Now these were the days where Bishops might never even see their own diocese. But Boniface does the unthinkable, He strikes out to his diocese. Not Frisia, not yet, but to Hesse, which is Mainz and Frankfurt today. And this is the place of the great Boniface story – felling the Donar Oak or Thor’s Oak, the sacred symbol and worship space of the local pagans. Boniface took a hatchet to the ancient oak. He used its wood to build his first church. The region heard the story, was amazed that Thor did nothing to the short monk, and apparently converted in mass. Boniface had a real diocese now; one that he served faithfully for over 30 years turning oak groves into churches, monasteries and schools.

But at the age of 79 Boniface remembered Frisia and set off on one last missionary trip. He had baptized many and had left their instruction in various of his fellow’s hands as he went on about the region. Boniface scheduled a larger meeting of all those baptized to be confirmed at a central location. But when he arrived, he encountered not his converts, but a bandit mob looking for the treasures of the great Archbishop. Some of his band wanted to fight, but Boniface refused quoting St. Paul, “be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” The great relic of Boniface – which can still be seen today in Mainz – is a book that was his only defense marked with a sword. The mob found nothing but the word that Boniface had preached.

Pondering the story of Boniface, one repeatedly sees the bedrock of courage and the performance of duty. But that courage and duty take what might be seen as polar opposite expressions. Early, the aggressive chopping down of Thor’s Oak. The removal of the symbol of the current idols. Late, the acceptance of the only defense being the Word of God and the acceptance of martyrdom. Courage and duty are not wrote things. When the appointed time comes, the actions they take might be different. But the prayer might be that either by our actions or our submission, we might display the courage of the faith and so give witness to the hope that lives in us.

Remember the Sabbath Day

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Biblical Text: Mark 2:23-3:6 (and Deuteronomy 5:12-15)

So this Sunday in the Church year is the one that starts the Long Green season. The festival season, which stretched from Advent through Trinity Sunday (Christmas to Pentecost), is over and another word for this is Ordinary Time. And the first lessons given are interesting as they are on the Sabbath Day. By this time the Easter attendance bump is long past, and most pastors are hoping the Summer lows are not too low. The Festival season gives people extra reasons to attend. The long green season – made longer this year because the moveable feast of Easter was so early – is more like the Christian life. It has its high moments, but most of it is lived in the plain. Which is why I think starting it with a reminder of what the Sabbath is, is a sharp choice.

And as Lutherans we also have a sharp law-gospel distinction to proclaim – completely in tune with Jesus in the gospel lesson – about the Sabbath. In the law the Sabbath is simply about rest. It only demands that nobody in your authority do any normal work. The gospel purpose of that law is that we might draw near to the Lord. And in the promises of Jesus there are a multitude of ways that we can so draw near. The law itself is good and wise, but it doesn’t save. You could spend you day of rest just sitting and check the box. Salvation rests in drawing near to God.

The sermon develops those thoughts through a reflection on how work expands to fill the time, old blue laws, and a meditation about what I think is the Spiritual sickness of the day. It is not that we don’t want a Sabbath, but that our people collectively don’t want this Lord of the Sabbath. And so we get the heavy yoke of the work of the Devil, the World and our own flesh.

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Jars of Clay

One of the most powerful images in the entire bible is Paul’s in our Epistle reading from 2 Corinthians 4:7 – “we have this treasure in Jars of Clay.” It so perfectly captures the now and not yet existence of this world. We now have this treasure, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection, life eternal. We have it. It is all ours in Christ. Yet we have it in jars of clay. Something that can be broken tomorrow, even accidentally. Something that was made for a common purpose. Something that was not made to last. The eternal in the temporal. The majestic in the common. The divine in the human.

And Paul continues to bring out the reality of this treasure being in jars of clay. “We are afflicted in every way.” The treasure that we have does not spare us from suffering. It does not spare us from having enemies or facing persecution. Neither does it spare us from everyday indignities. Everything that is fallen humanity’s is ours. Everything except the final blow. “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed.” We have this treasure. Whatever the world might do to the clay jar, the treasure remains. And if they break the jar, the fragrance spreads out revealing the eternity of Christ in us. Even ground to dust, we shall be called back on that last day. For we are not crushed.

“Perplexed.” If you run across anyone who says they’ve got it all figured out, run, fast. The faith is always encountering things that just don’t seem right. The ways of God are not our ways. The desires of God are not always obvious. The sufferings of His people, if they didn’t perplex you, would be more troublesome. Even the Apostle Paul can be perplexed. “What about my brothers according to the flesh (Romans 9)?” And if you understand his conclusion to that with complete clarity, please tell me. The one thing I can tell you is that Paul does not despair. “Perplexed, but not driven to despair.” Somehow, all Israel will be saved. “Oh the depths and riches and wisdom and knowledge of God (Romans 11:33).” Perplexed, not driven to despair.

“Persecuted, but not forsaken. Stuck down, but not destroyed.” It is so easy to give up. Clay is fragile. What it is carrying is more than it was meant to carry. But Christ is with us. He walked the road first and has not left us. And not even Satan has a weapon that can destroy us. We can only destroy ourselves by dumping the treasure of filling ourselves with his lies.

“Carrying around the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our bodies.” God works by death and resurrection. He is the God of creation and recreation. What he once made good, which has fallen, will be restored in perfection. Now we carry our cross. Not yet, but soon, the groaning of this world shall cease and the Sons of God shall be revealed, made manifest. Made plain. The treasure no longer carried in jars of clay, but the life of Jesus manifested in our bodies. That resurrection body that nothing common to this world may trouble.

We are jars of clay, but we also have the treasure. You don’t get to forget either. So that all the glory belongs to God. A God who finds the broken and common and bid us move up to a heavenly seat.