Monday, July 6, 2020

Fifth Sunday After Pentecost (A) 2020

+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.

Text: Matthew 11:17, 28-29
Theme: Contentment and Rest



Dear friends in Christ Jesus,

The power of the gospel to impart forgiveness, comfort, peace, and rest into our lives never diminishes. The gospel is incorruptible, inexhaustible, and incontrovertible because it is the living word, of the living Jesus, the crucified, risen, and reigning immortal Son of God. In contrast, we have very finite capacities and when we reach our limits all sorts of challenges ensue. Our gracious God knows this and that is why He is never remiss. He attends us whether we are in His house resting in His Word, at work laboring in our vocations, or at home grappling with our family dynamics.

Jesus taught authoritatively in the synagogues and addressed the crowds at length in large and small gatherings. He also spent a lot of time interacting with people in the everyday venues of life. Today He makes reference to one of most common of those venues, the marketplace. The marketplaces were excellent playgrounds for the local children when the trading had ceased. Undoubtedly Jesus had observed their activities on many occasions. Contrary to the practices of the time, Jesus often referred to children when teaching the faith. When playing, kids imitate what they observe the grown-ups doing. Jesus refers to them now in order to call out the hypocrisy of the current generation.

He says the current generation is like those children calling out to others, “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.”1 The children calling the tune condemned the other children for not bowing to their wishes. Specifically, when they played ‘weddings’ the other kids didn’t dance. They didn’t join the celebration. Conversely, when they played ‘funerals’ they didn’t grieve. Wedding and funerals were very public activities that children observed and participated in. (It was not uncommon at the congregation I served in Colorado for the preschoolers to play chapel. They took turns playing the role of the pastor.)

So, what was Jesus’ point? He points out their duplicity. The inbreaking of God’s kingdom in the person of Jesus was confronting for them, but also it was too generous. On the one hand, they didn’t like their definitions of righteousness being overturned. On the other hand, they didn’t like this overabundance of grace that seemed to be thoughtlessly poured out wherever Jesus went. The direct point of comparison involved Jesus and John the Baptist- John as the forerunner, Jesus as the fulfillment. John the Baptist was too ascetic for them, too inhospitable. They didn’t like his call to repentance. They didn’t like being called out for their sin. John was a solitary figure who drew people out into the wilderness. He didn’t hobnob with the people of society.

Then, along comes Jesus. He’s interacting with anyone and everyone. He’s dining at the homes of Pharisees, forgiving prostitutes, and healing lepers. He’s teaching and preaching in every village and making Himself available to people to the point of exhaustion. He was too filled with kindness, grace, and forgiveness for their liking. Though He drew huge crowds, in the end most deserted Him. The crucifixion was too unpalatable for them.

The Jewish leaders, on their part, couldn’t control either Jesus or John the Baptist. They couldn’t conform them to their program of religiosity. So, John the Baptist and Jesus were both accused of being demonic. And, so it is that Satan himself supports such accusations out of desperation. You see, the closer God is, the nearer we are to His truth, the more in tune we are with His Spirit, the less convincing are the devil’s claims that God is aloof, apathetic, impotent, or cruel. Unable to substantiate these claims of plausibility, the devil resorts to the label of madness. After all, who but a demon-possessed madman would claim to be the divine Son of God! His followers are soon painted with the same brush. And, as is the case in every age throughout history, believers in our increasingly secular society are more and more likely to be labelled as fanatics, or loonies.

In short, Jesus condemned them for being unpleasable. They couldn’t be satisfied. This Messiah didn’t meet their expectations. Naturally, we all have expectations. Life consistently involves managing and re-evaluating expectations- rejoicing in those that are met and lamenting those that fall short. Dear friends, any expectations we have of God must be founded on what He reveals to us. We can’t dictate to God according to our whim.

When sinful, fallen creatures make selfish demands on a holy, gracious God, something more than disappointment awaits. People, because we are permeated by a state of fallenness, are characterized by contradiction, conflict, confusion, and complexity. God is characterized by simplicity, though He often appears to us as paradoxical and mysterious. He is pure, unadulterated love. But it’s hard even for believers to see that sometimes. Our natural tendencies are to be legalistic when it suits us. Typically, this means wanting someone else to ‘toe-the-line’, to meet our standards of morality. Conversely, we also have the propensity to play fast and loose with the gospel when it suits- when we’re wanting some cheap grace for ourselves.

But forgiveness isn’t cheap. It came at the immeasurable cost of Jesus’ life. This chapter of Matthew ends with beautiful words of compassion from Jesus. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”2 As He says in John 10, Jesus is the good Shepherd. He doesn’t come to steal, and kill, and destroy like the unfaithful hired hand. He says, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”3 Wearied by the struggles of life, Christ offers us true rest.

Any person who has struggled to barely stay awake before collapsing into bed understands the need for rest. Exhaustion, though, isn’t all of the same sort. It may be due to hard, satisfying labor where worthwhile accomplishment has been achieved. Conversely, fatigue may be due to the complete depletion of energy required to maintain an ongoing struggle or defence. The heart, mind, and will can become exhausted as well as the body. We understand these truths experientially. At some point, we’re out of capacity to go on.

Dear friends, the most compete and unbearable type of fatigue that exists across all categories is caused by trying to carry the weight of our sins. One thousand lifetimes of compensation would not lessen the weight of guilt by one fraction. Trying to suppress the guilt doesn’t work either. It eats us up inside. Therefore, David says in the Psalms, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long…my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.”4 Only one person can carry that burden. He carted it up the hill of Calvary. There is rest in the shadow of the cross.

The Scripture says, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.”5 Jesus Christ was crucified to make atonement for your sins. He was raised on the third day. The weight of our sins has been lifted. You heard it in the absolution. You’ll taste in in the sacrament. And this rest, this spiritual, divine rest, transcends all temporal chaos- that is all the busyness, struggle, angst, and activity that drains our physical, mental, and emotional capacities. And it is a sampling of what is to come. The Promised Land, heaven, is the place of rest. It is the baptismal inheritance of all believers. It is already yours. May you, through the Spirit, look forward to its full enjoyment. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +

Fifth Sunday After Pentecost
5 July 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt

1 Matthew 11:17 2 Matthew 11:28-29
3 John 10:10 4 Psalm 32:3-4
5 1 Peter 2:24


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