Until He Was Glorified

Biblical Text: John 12:12-19, Matthew 27:13-26, Refrain verse: John 12:16

It was Palm Sunday or these days also the Sunday of the Passion. The service is actually a bit of theater starting with a procession of palms. But soon after the service switches gears to the reading of a longer passion account. I’ll be honest here, the hymns of Palm Sunday carry it all. You can open with Jubilant All, Glory, Laud and Honor and continue in the same vein with Hosanna, Loud Hosanna. After you’ve read the passion sits a wonderful modern hymn No Tramp of Soldiers’ Marching Feet that makes that transition itself. Close with Ride on, Ride on in Majesty which ends on the eschatological notes that this sermon does. “Bow thy meek head to mortal pain, then take, O God, thy power and reign.”

The sermon is a study in contrasts. I like this one. Which honestly is rarely true. I’m too much of a perfectionist on somethings, but being an every Sunday preacher – and in lenten season much more than every Sunday – you can’t give each one the polish you might otherwise. But the inspiration comes from a note that John gives “His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.” Each of the contrasts of the procession of Palms and the Passion underscores the divine irony. The disciples don’t understand, Pilate doesn’t understand, the chief priests don’t understand, the crowds don’t understand, and there were are with all of them. We don’t understand, until we see him glorified. It was all written about him. It all happened to Jesus. But it is only after the resurrection that we might understand.

There is more in there as the sermon develops each contrast. And there is the final eschatological move. What we might foolishly have hoped for in that first kingly procession yet awaits. And that is the power and glory that we today so often dismiss. But that awaits for tomorrow. Today, the king comes humbly. Today, his throne is a cross. Today, he comes heart by heart in grace.

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Assuming God’s Love

Biblical Text: Luke 7:36-8:3
Full Sermon Draft

The texts are following along in Luke’s gospel. What is unfolding is the divide between people who are answering Jesus is “a great prophet” and “God has visited his people”. And what I think Luke is attempting to show is how just answering “a great prophet” is necessary but not sufficient. A “great prophet” faith will fail, and it will often fail before it has even started. That is Simon. He thinks he is sitting in judgment of the prophet, but he has failed to treat Jesus even as a prophet.

I’m not sure I completely got there, but this I think is something the modern church often does. It thinks it is inviting Jesus over, but when it does, it sits in judgment of Jesus. It assumes like Simon that they owe nothing, that God owes them. And consequently it presumes to question the love of God. That is a place where any “great prophet” can go. We ourselves are our own best prophets. And the less the great prophet conforms to our desires, the less He looks like a prophet. We think we are sitting in judgment. The woman on the other hand knew her sins, but she also assumed the love of God. This love is not a complete assumption because she has witnessed Jesus. It is not a compete assumption for us also, because we have seen the cross. The picture as it develops to me is that we should always presume on the love of God. Especially when we don’t understand what is happening or we are undergoing trial. In those times we might question God’s love, but his revelation of self is that whatever we are experiencing will be brought about for our benefit. Such is God’s love.

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Out of the Heart…

Biblical Text: Mark 7:14-23
Full Sermon Draft

This is the second part of the Jesus’ discussion in Mark chapter 7. The first part (last Sunday) focused more on the centrality of the Word of God. In the words of the Lutheran confessions that would is the sole norm of life and faith. It is the norming norm. All of our traditions must conform to the Word of God. The second part Jesus turns from false source of authority to the source of our problems with it. It is not that we don’t know the Word of God, but that naturally, out of the heart of man, come evil designs. What we take into the body cannot defile us as Mark comments settling the question of foods once. But we naturally take part in wickedness and fall into foolish ways.

The sermon examines Jesus’ comments on both wickedness and foolishness and puts it in the context of the larger bible’s discussion of understanding and foolishness. It then bridges into the good news. Out of our natural hearts come wickedness, but God is about replacing those hearts.

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