Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
Friedheim10653 N – 550 W
Decatur, IN 46733
260-547-4248
www.zionfriedheim.org
A 21st Century Parish with a 1st Century Faith
Acts 2:42
Celebrating our 170th Year
Chartered February 25, 1838
June 29, 2008
Proper 8
The Troubler of Humankind - Matthew 10:34
Decatur Indiana is the home of the world's first monument dedicated exclusively to peace. Lady peace stands in the yard of the Adams County Courthouse. This little known fact is quite compelling in light of the Savior’s words from our Gospel lesson for today. He speaks quite plainly; I did not come to bring peace by a sword.
In our Gospel lesson for today Jesus calls upon His disciples to love Him above all others. Matthew continues from last week’s Gospel lesson with the price of discipleship. In Vv. 34-36 Jesus declares that His coming will cause dissension in families because disciples will love Him more than any member of the family. In Vv. 37-39 Jesus calls upon His disciples to take up the cross and to lose themselves in His cause. To those who do this, Jesus promises rewards, (Vv. 40-42). In this passage we have both the cost and the reward of discipleship. Let us pray to the Lord…
“O God, you have prepared for those who love you joys beyond understanding. Pour into our hearts such love that, loving you above all things, we may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire.”
Introduction: King Ahab called Elijah the “troubler of Israel” because he demanded justice and obedience to God. Christ was a troubler in His day — He cleansed the temple, broke the Sabbath law by healing on it. He challenged the religious leaders for their hypocrisy and bigotry.
In our day Jesus is the troubler of our society. He is not content with a status quo based on injustice and falsehood. When conditions are evil, Jesus comes not to bring peace but a sword — conflict, fighting, dissension. Out of this conflict will come genuine peace when truth and justice triumph.
Jesus will have no part in the violence of our day because it is the product of hatred. Controversy and conflict result when truth challenges falsehood, right faces wrong, and love opposes hatred.
Though He was born the Prince of Peace, Jesus shocks us when He says He did not come to bring peace but a sword. Peace is not always possible. There are times when war is inevitable.
Christians dare not live at peace with Satan. Stand for the truth, justice, and liberty and enemies will cluster around you. Jesus was and still is a controversial figure. He makes us choose sides in the battle of good and evil.
Jesus brings a sword of conflict into our world.
1. When truth confronts error.
A. Though he was born Prince of Peace, Jesus shocks us when He says He did not come to bring peace but a sword. Peace is not always possible. There are times when war is inevitable. For us as Christians we saw this publicly last Sunday when Breanna Biggs was baptized. When she was baptized she was made a child of God and a member of Christ’s family the Church. At the same time she was made an enemy of Satan. We might have just as well placed a bull’s eye on her for this what happened to her and each of us on the day we were born again of the Water and the Word. War was declared on us by the Father of lies Satan himself.
B. Christians dare not live at peace with Satan. Take a stand for the truth, justice, and liberty and enemies will cluster around you. Jesus was and still is a controversial figure. He makes us choose sides in the battle of good and evil. So says the Joshua, If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.... As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
Transition: Jesus brings a sword of conflict into our world when truth confronts error. The sword of conflict comes when right opposes wrong.
2. When right opposes wrong.
A. Jesus was referring to the fact that His coming forces people to choose sides: either they will choose to do what's right and follow Christ, or they will choose to avoid persecution and reject him. The result is that even families will be divided, as those who reject Christ turn on those who accept Him.
B. Jesus would rather have everyone repent and turn to Him, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4) He was not advocating this conflict, nor was He happy about it; rather it came about as a result of people choosing to reject Him. At the end of an extremely emotional day one filled with praise and triumph we find Jesus standing off at a distance weeping over the city of Jerusalem. He does this for He knows that ultimately the people would reject Him. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! By the end of the week Jesus would be dead.
Though He was born the Prince of Peace, Jesus shocks us when He says He did not come to bring peace but a sword. Peace is not always possible. There are times when war is inevitable.
Christians dare not live at peace with Satan. Stand for the truth, justice, and liberty and enemies will cluster around you. Jesus was and still is a controversial figure. He makes us choose sides in the battle of good and evil.
Jesus brings a sword of conflict into our world.
1. When truth confronts error.
A. Though he was born Prince of Peace, Jesus shocks us when He says He did not come to bring peace but a sword. Peace is not always possible. There are times when war is inevitable. For us as Christians we saw this publicly last Sunday when Breanna Biggs was baptized. When she was baptized she was made a child of God and a member of Christ’s family the Church. At the same time she was made an enemy of Satan. We might have just as well placed a bull’s eye on her for this what happened to her and each of us on the day we were born again of the Water and the Word. War was declared on us by the Father of lies Satan himself.
B. Christians dare not live at peace with Satan. Take a stand for the truth, justice, and liberty and enemies will cluster around you. Jesus was and still is a controversial figure. He makes us choose sides in the battle of good and evil. So says the Joshua, If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.... As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
Transition: Jesus brings a sword of conflict into our world when truth confronts error. The sword of conflict comes when right opposes wrong.
2. When right opposes wrong.
A. Jesus was referring to the fact that His coming forces people to choose sides: either they will choose to do what's right and follow Christ, or they will choose to avoid persecution and reject him. The result is that even families will be divided, as those who reject Christ turn on those who accept Him.
B. Jesus would rather have everyone repent and turn to Him, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4) He was not advocating this conflict, nor was He happy about it; rather it came about as a result of people choosing to reject Him. At the end of an extremely emotional day one filled with praise and triumph we find Jesus standing off at a distance weeping over the city of Jerusalem. He does this for He knows that ultimately the people would reject Him. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! By the end of the week Jesus would be dead.
Transition: Jesus brings a sword of conflict into our world when truth confronts error. The sword of conflict comes when right opposes wrong. It comes when love challenges hatred.
3. When love challenges hatred.
A. Just as Jesus called His disciples by name, we too as Christians are called the same. Thus says St. Paul in his letter to the Romans, Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. These words are read at almost every funeral. They announce not only who we are, they tell us whose we are. You are a Christian incorporated into Christ’s family – the Church.
B. We have been given the same mission which is to proclaim the Good News to the ends of the earth. We do this as we support foreign missionaries as we learned of this work of Pr. Groth this past week. We do that by living the faith. Some call it “gossiping the Gospel”. Will we be misunderstood? Possibly. Will we be mistreated? At times. Can we expect the same “treatment” as Jesus warned His disciples? Of course! Yet, this is not our concern. Our focus must remain on being faithful – faithful to the Savior, faithful to His Word, and to express to others the hope which we have.
C. Though it seems hard and dangerous, the Lord gave us His assurance that He is with us all the way. His last five words He spoke before He Ascended speak volumes, “I am with you always…”
Conclusion: After you leave this sacred space the sermon really begins. Taking the higher road, the road that will lead us to the kingdom of God, is not without trials and difficulties. But our unfaltering faith as Christians will be rewarded in the end. To hate means to love less. Jesus here invites His children to love human relationships less as they love Him more.
All relationships and possessions pale in value when compared to Jesus Christ. Consequently, disciples are to ensure that nothing interferes with or transcends their relationship with Christ. The veracity of this notion is confirmed by the very words of the Savior Himself. Christ Himself says, those who love father or mother, son or daughter, more than Me is not worthy of Me. The point is clear - we must love these relation-ships less and Jesus more. Nothing must stand between us and the Savior.
What is your position, my friend? Can you make that kind of commitment? Is there anything in this world that is more valuable to you than the One who sacrificed Himself on a tree for your salvation and so ensure that you might have everlasting life? During this coming week may we think on these things!
C. Though it seems hard and dangerous, the Lord gave us His assurance that He is with us all the way. His last five words He spoke before He Ascended speak volumes, “I am with you always…”
Conclusion: After you leave this sacred space the sermon really begins. Taking the higher road, the road that will lead us to the kingdom of God, is not without trials and difficulties. But our unfaltering faith as Christians will be rewarded in the end. To hate means to love less. Jesus here invites His children to love human relationships less as they love Him more.
All relationships and possessions pale in value when compared to Jesus Christ. Consequently, disciples are to ensure that nothing interferes with or transcends their relationship with Christ. The veracity of this notion is confirmed by the very words of the Savior Himself. Christ Himself says, those who love father or mother, son or daughter, more than Me is not worthy of Me. The point is clear - we must love these relation-ships less and Jesus more. Nothing must stand between us and the Savior.
What is your position, my friend? Can you make that kind of commitment? Is there anything in this world that is more valuable to you than the One who sacrificed Himself on a tree for your salvation and so ensure that you might have everlasting life? During this coming week may we think on these things!
2 comments:
Jesus did not break Sabbath! To say HE did is blasphemy and heresy! HE broke the Pharisees Sabbath which was not Yahweh's Sabbath. They had added to and subtracted from Torah creating their Sabbath. That was lawless - sin! To say Yeshua broke HIS Sabbath, the one HE established at the beginning and in Torah, is just not true. And the "sword" that HE brings is the Sword of HIS Word - Torah that divides. Which side are you on? Are you on the side of Truth, which is characterized is Scripture as HIS Word and HIS Law. Or are you on the side of lying heresy with all its additions and subtractions, such as in professing Christianity. Read the Scriptures apart from man's doctrine, seek the Truth and the Truth will set you free!
banner - you are correct Jesus fulfilled the entire law for us as we can not keep the law because of our sin. You are also correct in that Jesus' broke the Pharisees interpretation of the law which was always additions to the laws the Lord had given.
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