Sermon, Sunday October 7 2007
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Brothers and sisters,
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Why are you here today?? Why are you here this morning?? Why do you come here on Sunday mornings? Is it because this is how you were raised? Is it because it’s just what you have always done as long as you can remember? Is it so you have a reason to dress in your Sunday best? Is it so you have an opportunity to socialize and maybe catch up on a little gossip? Or do you come here on Sunday mornings with the same thought and the same request that the apostles had for Jesus in today’s Gospel lesson when they say to Him "Increase our faith!"
If that’s the reason why you’re here then hallelujah, that is good news. But are you sure about that?? Are you sure that you want more faith?? Have you really thought about it? I mean listen to what prompts the apostles to make this request for more faith. The apostles request for more faith is prompted by Jesus telling the apostles about some of the different challenges that Jesus calls His followers to endure.
Jesus calls you to care for the "little ones," meaning those inexperienced in the faith. He calls you to keep others from stumbling in sin and to forgive them consistently. Forgiveness of others can certainly be difficult, but it’s probably not nearly as difficult for you as that rebuking part. That’s the tough part; holding others accountable for their sins. You don’t want to upset anyone. You don’t want to make waves. No reason to ruffle any feathers.
And yet there it is. There is Jesus telling His disciples what is expected of those who would call themselves followers of Christ Jesus. And this is a calling that is not just limited to those who were with Jesus that day. It is a calling that is extended to all of those who would consider themselves to be faithful to the Lord Jesus. It is a calling that is extended to all those who have been claimed by Him in baptism. It is a calling that is extended to you.
So not only are you called to share the love of Christ with your neighbor but you are also called to forgive each other and rebuke each other. How can Jesus demand that much of you?? Doesn’t He realize that you have a life to live; that you have a living to make? You still have to function in this world, right?
But again, it’s clear as day. Jesus compares His followers to slaves here by pointing out in this parable from the Gospel lesson, that slaves are not given any special treatment simply for doing what is expected of them. So again, I ask you, are you sure you want more faith?
But wait, Jesus responds to the request for more faith by telling the disciples that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed then they would be able to tell a mulberry tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea. The faith of a mustard seed?? Well that can’t be that much right? Certainly such a miniscule amount of faith isn’t going to make that much of a difference in your life right?? And really how much faith do you need??
I mean of course you want enough faith to get you into heaven. That’s a no-brainer. And maybe enough to help you pass a test or get a job that you really want. But do you really want enough faith to make you more Christ-like in sacrificial living? You don’t want anything that’s going to make you a fanatic right?
Jesus says it only takes the faith of a mustard-seed. Surely you must have that right? Surely you must have that and some to spare, right? Well, let me ask you this, do you think that you can order a mulberry tree to uproot itself and plant itself by the sea, and it would obey you? Why don’t you give that a shot and let me know how that works out for you. But if it doesn’t work then that can only mean one thing; that you don’t have even the faith of a mustard seed. Not within you, not on your own. Even with your best efforts, you are still slaves. You are slaves to disobedience, you are slaves to sin, death, and the devil.
But still we have this tendency to think that if we do what we are commanded then we will be rewarded. Thus we tend to think that if we follow God’s commands then we will be rewarded. But on our best and most pious days we could not even come close to fulfilling the demands that our Lord expects of us.
And so, in spite our best efforts, we remain slaves to sin, death, and the devil. But the very One who points out to us that we do not have even the faith of a mustard-seed, is the One who has become a slave for us. For it says in Philippians 2 that Christ Jesus emptied Himself and took the form of a slave and humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
In doing this He has paved the way for us to God’s heart. He allowed Himself to become utterly lost in death on our behalf where He was found obedient by God, even to the point of death on a cross. And we, whose death Christ Jesus took upon Himself are also found to be obedient, through faith in Him. Through faith in Christ Jesus, His obedience is our obedience, and His death and resurrection is also our death and resurrection.
But even our faith; the faith that saves us is a matter of grace. For it says in Ephesians that we are saved by grace through faith and even that is not of our own doing. The faith that saves us is the faith that claims us in the waters of baptism and it is the faith that continues to be nurtured and sustained through the Word proclaimed, the partaking of the Lord’s Supper as Christ Jesus comes to us in the bread and the wine and, in fellowship with each other.
So whatever your reasons might have been for coming here this morning; be it to socialize, to show off some new clothes, to continue with something that has always been done in your family or whatever really doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because ultimately you are here this morning because you have been called here. You have been called here by the Holy Spirit through God’s Word. You have been called here this morning so that the faith that you receive in baptism can continue to be nurtured and sustained.
Christ Jesus is bound and determined to increase your faith in Him and so He continues to come to you. So you need not worry about how uncomfortable some of the expectations that are placed upon the followers of Christ might make you feel. You need not worry about looking like a fanatic.
Find comfort in the words of Paul from our second lesson this morning. Paul writes that God did not give us a Spirit of cowardice, but rather of power and love and of self-discipline. Paul tells us to then not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord but to join in the suffering of the Gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace.
So here you sit saying to your Lord "Increase our faith." And that is what He is doing, and that is what He does for you daily as you live in your baptism. And maybe you will never get to the point where you can command a mulberry tree to uproot itself, but through faith your life can be spent in joyous service to the Lord Christ Jesus who became a slave for you.
Amen
Brothers and sisters,
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Why are you here today?? Why are you here this morning?? Why do you come here on Sunday mornings? Is it because this is how you were raised? Is it because it’s just what you have always done as long as you can remember? Is it so you have a reason to dress in your Sunday best? Is it so you have an opportunity to socialize and maybe catch up on a little gossip? Or do you come here on Sunday mornings with the same thought and the same request that the apostles had for Jesus in today’s Gospel lesson when they say to Him "Increase our faith!"
If that’s the reason why you’re here then hallelujah, that is good news. But are you sure about that?? Are you sure that you want more faith?? Have you really thought about it? I mean listen to what prompts the apostles to make this request for more faith. The apostles request for more faith is prompted by Jesus telling the apostles about some of the different challenges that Jesus calls His followers to endure.
Jesus calls you to care for the "little ones," meaning those inexperienced in the faith. He calls you to keep others from stumbling in sin and to forgive them consistently. Forgiveness of others can certainly be difficult, but it’s probably not nearly as difficult for you as that rebuking part. That’s the tough part; holding others accountable for their sins. You don’t want to upset anyone. You don’t want to make waves. No reason to ruffle any feathers.
And yet there it is. There is Jesus telling His disciples what is expected of those who would call themselves followers of Christ Jesus. And this is a calling that is not just limited to those who were with Jesus that day. It is a calling that is extended to all of those who would consider themselves to be faithful to the Lord Jesus. It is a calling that is extended to all those who have been claimed by Him in baptism. It is a calling that is extended to you.
So not only are you called to share the love of Christ with your neighbor but you are also called to forgive each other and rebuke each other. How can Jesus demand that much of you?? Doesn’t He realize that you have a life to live; that you have a living to make? You still have to function in this world, right?
But again, it’s clear as day. Jesus compares His followers to slaves here by pointing out in this parable from the Gospel lesson, that slaves are not given any special treatment simply for doing what is expected of them. So again, I ask you, are you sure you want more faith?
But wait, Jesus responds to the request for more faith by telling the disciples that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed then they would be able to tell a mulberry tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea. The faith of a mustard seed?? Well that can’t be that much right? Certainly such a miniscule amount of faith isn’t going to make that much of a difference in your life right?? And really how much faith do you need??
I mean of course you want enough faith to get you into heaven. That’s a no-brainer. And maybe enough to help you pass a test or get a job that you really want. But do you really want enough faith to make you more Christ-like in sacrificial living? You don’t want anything that’s going to make you a fanatic right?
Jesus says it only takes the faith of a mustard-seed. Surely you must have that right? Surely you must have that and some to spare, right? Well, let me ask you this, do you think that you can order a mulberry tree to uproot itself and plant itself by the sea, and it would obey you? Why don’t you give that a shot and let me know how that works out for you. But if it doesn’t work then that can only mean one thing; that you don’t have even the faith of a mustard seed. Not within you, not on your own. Even with your best efforts, you are still slaves. You are slaves to disobedience, you are slaves to sin, death, and the devil.
But still we have this tendency to think that if we do what we are commanded then we will be rewarded. Thus we tend to think that if we follow God’s commands then we will be rewarded. But on our best and most pious days we could not even come close to fulfilling the demands that our Lord expects of us.
And so, in spite our best efforts, we remain slaves to sin, death, and the devil. But the very One who points out to us that we do not have even the faith of a mustard-seed, is the One who has become a slave for us. For it says in Philippians 2 that Christ Jesus emptied Himself and took the form of a slave and humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
In doing this He has paved the way for us to God’s heart. He allowed Himself to become utterly lost in death on our behalf where He was found obedient by God, even to the point of death on a cross. And we, whose death Christ Jesus took upon Himself are also found to be obedient, through faith in Him. Through faith in Christ Jesus, His obedience is our obedience, and His death and resurrection is also our death and resurrection.
But even our faith; the faith that saves us is a matter of grace. For it says in Ephesians that we are saved by grace through faith and even that is not of our own doing. The faith that saves us is the faith that claims us in the waters of baptism and it is the faith that continues to be nurtured and sustained through the Word proclaimed, the partaking of the Lord’s Supper as Christ Jesus comes to us in the bread and the wine and, in fellowship with each other.
So whatever your reasons might have been for coming here this morning; be it to socialize, to show off some new clothes, to continue with something that has always been done in your family or whatever really doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because ultimately you are here this morning because you have been called here. You have been called here by the Holy Spirit through God’s Word. You have been called here this morning so that the faith that you receive in baptism can continue to be nurtured and sustained.
Christ Jesus is bound and determined to increase your faith in Him and so He continues to come to you. So you need not worry about how uncomfortable some of the expectations that are placed upon the followers of Christ might make you feel. You need not worry about looking like a fanatic.
Find comfort in the words of Paul from our second lesson this morning. Paul writes that God did not give us a Spirit of cowardice, but rather of power and love and of self-discipline. Paul tells us to then not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord but to join in the suffering of the Gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace.
So here you sit saying to your Lord "Increase our faith." And that is what He is doing, and that is what He does for you daily as you live in your baptism. And maybe you will never get to the point where you can command a mulberry tree to uproot itself, but through faith your life can be spent in joyous service to the Lord Christ Jesus who became a slave for you.
Amen
posted by Steve at 3:03 PM
1 Comments:
Great! I loved this whole idea of "why are you here?" and then hitting them with the fact they are b/c God called them.
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