Epiphany 4 - series A
29 January 2017
LSB #982 “Blessed Are They”
Collect of
the Day: Almighty
God, You know we live in the midst of so many dangers that in our frailty we
cannot stand upright. Grant strength and protection to support us in all
dangers and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ, Your Son,
our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever.
The old song sings. "Do you know, oh Christian, you're a sermon in shoes."
The old song sings. "Do you know, oh Christian, you're a sermon in shoes."
Citizenship always has its price. True citizenship.
Whether in God’s kingdom or in the world, is never easy. Yet, without it. The
rewards of life and of society are short-lived. And so, God asks us to live
according to His will. But always in light of those rewards, that He has already given you in Jesus
Christ and that He is still
anxious to bestow on you today. The Christian life must always be a
grateful response to what the Father has done for us in the redemptive work of
Christ Jesus. Not rules to live by.
Of course! The world won’t buy it. Success. Power.
Prestige. Rugged independence and self-reliance are regarded by this world as
those things we ought to seek. Christ places His emphases elsewhere. In an essay entitled, “The Beatitudes of Our Current Church Culture” Joe Abbey-Colborne
said this.
“Blessed are the well off and those…with ready
answers for every spiritual question…they have it all.
Blessed are
the comfortable…they shall avoid grief.
Blessed are
the self-sufficient…they wait for nothing, they have everything they want…and
they have it now.
Blessed are
those who are not troubled by…the injustice experienced by others…they are
content with realistic expectations.
Blessed are
the ones who gain the upper hand…they take full advantage of their advantages.
Blessed are
those with a solid public image…and a well-hidden agenda…they are never exposed
and see people…in a way that suits their purposes.
Blessed are
those who can bully others into agreement…they shall be called empire builders.
Blessed are
those who can point to someone else…who is a worse person than they are…they
will always look good by comparison.
Blessed are
you when people praise you, give you preferential treatment, and flatter you
because they think you’re so great. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, because it
doesn’t get any better than this.[1]
“All sunshine
and no rain make for a desert.”[2]
Suffering, of any kind, has become the great enemy
of our culture. Thus, decisions are made
with the specific intent of avoiding suffering. At all costs. Now, I do not suggest that you go out and
look for suffering. If we take the Scriptures seriously, we know, Christians
will suffer. In various forms and
ways. But, God’s promise is simply this.
He works great things in your life. Even through suffering and sorrow.
The Apostle Paul summarizes this point beautifully
in his letter to the Romans. “We rejoice in our sufferings. Because
suffering produces perseverance. And perseverance character. And character,
hope. And hope does not put us to shame. Because God’s love has been poured into our
hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”[3]
Jesus in His sermon
on the mount will say, “Blessed are the
meek for they shall inherit the earth.” -5:3 He then brackets the other blessings. With
a repeated, present tense assurance. “…
for theirs is (ἐστιν) the
kingdom/reign of heaven.” Jesus’s other declarations are generally future
passive. Meaning this will be God’s
action for you. On the last great day.
Jesus’s words, stand
as a two-fold proclamation to those who are spiritually poor and lowly. First,
you should know that Jesus, God’s appointed king. Has come for you. And is
already now with you. And is reigning over you.
Second, in spite of
present weakness and struggles, you can trust that the day of the Lord is
coming. And that He will act decisively for you on that day. He will comfort
you. "Blessed are those who mourn, (empathetic)
for they will be comforted.” (v. 4) He will give you a share in the eternally
renewed earth. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall
inherit the earth.” (v. 5). "Blessed
are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied.” He will give
you the satisfaction of justice, things being “made right” for you and others. (δικαιοσύνή, v. 6). He will show
you His mercy in the final judgment (v. 7). "Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.” He will give you the privilege of seeing Him in His
glory and beauty. (v.8). "Blessed
are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” He will keep you
as His own child (v. 9). "Blessed
are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.”
For those who find
themselves to be spiritually helpless. Without status. Without any excuse before God. Jesus
proclaims this good news. That He has come to be a gracious king. Precisely for
such helpless, empty-handed sinners. He does this for you. So that you may
enter this world as His witness.
Through the waters of baptism, each of us is called by the
Lord to become agents of the Gospel – the presence of Jesus Christ – Wherever
it is God calls you to serve. Jesus simply says, “Let your light so shine before men.”[4]
Some of you are parents.
Your call is to raise your children in a faithful environment. Some of
you are teachers. Your call is to be Christ-like in caring for the students
entrusted to your care. Some of you are students. Your call is to see the
wonder of a vast universe created by the God who loves you. Discover the
talents the Lord has given you and then use them as His witness. Some of you are in the business world. Your call is to honor justice and
righteousness as you work on behalf of your employer. Some of you are in the
trades. Your call is to honor God with quality work and respect your customers.
Some of you are farmers. Your call is to be stewards of our environment. You
feed the world as you managed the Father’s creation.
In every vocation. The Father transforms what you do. And uses it to grace the lives of those who
you come in contact. Use your talents and skills as an opportunity to proclaim
that people of faith make a difference in this lost and broken world. As others,
see your involvement in the workplace. It is an opportunity to glorify the God
who equipped you for the work you do. Every. Single. Day. Do you know. Oh Christian. You are. A sermon in
shoes!
Words –1,176
Passive Sentences -7%
Readability – 78.4%
Reading level – 4.8
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