Peace Be to This House!
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
July 3, 2016
Gospel Text: Luke 10: 1-20
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Yes, peace to you! Peace be to this house! That’s what Jesus told me to tell you, isn’t it? He sends out His laborers into the harvest field and instructs them, “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’” So today, the first thing I want to say to you is what Jesus told me to tell you: Peace be to this house.
Today I want to tell you why you need this peace and what kind of peace it is. I want to tell you where this peace comes from and how it gets to you. And I want you to know how you can be sure you have this peace.
First of all, why do you need peace? Simply put, because we all are surrounded by conflict in many ways. We have conflict in the workplace, conflict in the home. We read of horrendous murders here- near our homes. Conflict between husbands and wives, conflict in families. Moving to a larger scale, we see war among nations and attacks from terrorists. The world is in desperate need of peace.
But all these conflicts are symptoms of an even deeper problem- our conflict with God. We fight against God, we fail to listen to His word, we refuse to walk in His ways. Our basic conflict is with God: We want to be our own god, to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong, instead of trusting in His care and goodness and direction for our lives. This has been going on for a long time. This is called sin. And it’s a killer. Literally. “The wages of sin is death.” How can we have peace when we have death looming over us? Sin, death, guilt before God. Guilt is tucked away in the back of our conscience, crying to get out, in spite of the various numbing agents we use in our guilt-free society. Deep down, we know that something is wrong, terribly wrong, between God and us. And there’s nothing we can do, on our own, to stop or change it.
So we need peace. We need something real that can deal with our deep-down problem. We need what Jesus offers. Jesus tells us of a peace that will deal, effectively, once and for all, with our big problems of sin and guilt and death. A peace that will break down the wall of hostility and conflict we have raised up against God. Only Jesus gives this peace.
The thing is, though, when you have this peace, your life- the outward circumstances of your life- may not look all that peaceful. In fact, your life may look downright nasty. In our text, Jesus sends out His laborers into the harvest field, but it is no bed of roses. He sends them out like lambs in the midst of wolves, He says. And a lamb doesn’t stand very much of a chance against a pack of wolves. Being a Christian can be nasty business. Not very peaceful--outwardly, at least. Even so, there is a peace that Jesus gives that can deal with this trouble-filled life. We need it- we need it desperately!
So where does this peace come from, and how do we get it? Jesus tells us that, too. He says, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” That’s what He tells His messengers to say on His behalf as He sends them out: “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”
You see, the peace that Jesus gives only comes with the coming of the kingdom. The kingdom of God, that is. The kingdoms that men come up with cannot produce this peace. Only God can.
The coming of the kingdom of God brings with it all the blessings of that kingdom: peace, joy, wholeness, healing. Peace with God forever. The beginnings of peace now among one another, as we learn how to forgive and love one another. Peace within our souls, knowing that God is at peace with us and He accepts us and makes us His own dear children.
Yes, even joy, rejoicing, the kind Jesus is talking about when he says, “Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Did you know that, that your names are written in heaven? They are! God knows you and loves you and cares for you--yes, even you! He took you for His own and wrote your name in heaven when He put His name on you in Holy Baptism, the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
The kingdom comes to you. God comes to man. Heaven comes to earth. The direction is always from God to us. He gives us His gifts. Right here in His temple, He gives us His gifts of Absolution, His Word, and His Sacraments. He finds us when we weren’t even looking for him. That’s the way of God’s kingdom.
The kingdom of God has come near to you. Jesus tells his messengers to say that, because Jesus Himself has come near to us. The Son of God came down from heaven and became man. He became one of us, lived where we live. He experienced the conflict and fighting and lack of peace that this world has to give. He stood where we stand. In fact, He stood in our place. He took into Himself, into His body, our sin.
Jesus did this for us on the cross. That’s where the kingdom of God finds its puzzling destiny. It doesn’t look right for a king to be hanging from a cross, but there He is. The king of the Jews--and the king of the Gentiles, too. He’s your king, and the kingdom of God comes near to us in the form of a cross.
That’s why Jesus came, to establish the kingdom of God here on earth. He did it all. Jesus rose from the dead, showing that the chains of sin and the shackles of death have been shattered. The serpent’s head has been dealt a death blow, and now sin and death and Satan no longer reign over us. We have transferred kingdoms. Christ has brought us into the kingdom of light and life, the kingdom of God.
This is for you, and God wants you to know it. That’s why Jesus says to the seventy two, “The one who hears you hears Me.” You see, when you get this good news from Jesus’ messenger- from your pastor, the minister of Christ- it’s as good and certain as if Jesus Himself were standing right here delivering it into your ears. So He continues to send out His lambs, His undershepherds, just like He sent out those messengers so long ago.
You’re listening to Jesus every Sunday when you come here and listen to His preacher. God wants you to know that your sins really are forgiven! The kingdom of God has come near to you--right here, where the Word is being preached! You’re listening to Jesus! Jesus comes and speaks to you, and you stand up to listen, when he speaks to you in the Holy Gospel and when He speaks the words with which He instituted His Holy Supper. Jesus is speaking to you! He really wants you to know these things and to receive this forgiveness.
You see, when Jesus speaks, things happen. His word delivers what it says. When He says, “I forgive you,” it really happens. When He says, through his messenger, “Peace be to this house,” that is exactly what you get--real peace, peace from God and peace with God. It happens. Jesus says so.
The peace that comes with the kingdom of God, the peace that Jesus speaks through His word- this is true peace. The peace of God, His peace which rests upon this house and each and every one of you, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
July 3, 2016
Gospel Text: Luke 10: 1-20
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Yes, peace to you! Peace be to this house! That’s what Jesus told me to tell you, isn’t it? He sends out His laborers into the harvest field and instructs them, “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’” So today, the first thing I want to say to you is what Jesus told me to tell you: Peace be to this house.
Today I want to tell you why you need this peace and what kind of peace it is. I want to tell you where this peace comes from and how it gets to you. And I want you to know how you can be sure you have this peace.
First of all, why do you need peace? Simply put, because we all are surrounded by conflict in many ways. We have conflict in the workplace, conflict in the home. We read of horrendous murders here- near our homes. Conflict between husbands and wives, conflict in families. Moving to a larger scale, we see war among nations and attacks from terrorists. The world is in desperate need of peace.
But all these conflicts are symptoms of an even deeper problem- our conflict with God. We fight against God, we fail to listen to His word, we refuse to walk in His ways. Our basic conflict is with God: We want to be our own god, to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong, instead of trusting in His care and goodness and direction for our lives. This has been going on for a long time. This is called sin. And it’s a killer. Literally. “The wages of sin is death.” How can we have peace when we have death looming over us? Sin, death, guilt before God. Guilt is tucked away in the back of our conscience, crying to get out, in spite of the various numbing agents we use in our guilt-free society. Deep down, we know that something is wrong, terribly wrong, between God and us. And there’s nothing we can do, on our own, to stop or change it.
So we need peace. We need something real that can deal with our deep-down problem. We need what Jesus offers. Jesus tells us of a peace that will deal, effectively, once and for all, with our big problems of sin and guilt and death. A peace that will break down the wall of hostility and conflict we have raised up against God. Only Jesus gives this peace.
The thing is, though, when you have this peace, your life- the outward circumstances of your life- may not look all that peaceful. In fact, your life may look downright nasty. In our text, Jesus sends out His laborers into the harvest field, but it is no bed of roses. He sends them out like lambs in the midst of wolves, He says. And a lamb doesn’t stand very much of a chance against a pack of wolves. Being a Christian can be nasty business. Not very peaceful--outwardly, at least. Even so, there is a peace that Jesus gives that can deal with this trouble-filled life. We need it- we need it desperately!
So where does this peace come from, and how do we get it? Jesus tells us that, too. He says, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” That’s what He tells His messengers to say on His behalf as He sends them out: “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”
You see, the peace that Jesus gives only comes with the coming of the kingdom. The kingdom of God, that is. The kingdoms that men come up with cannot produce this peace. Only God can.
The coming of the kingdom of God brings with it all the blessings of that kingdom: peace, joy, wholeness, healing. Peace with God forever. The beginnings of peace now among one another, as we learn how to forgive and love one another. Peace within our souls, knowing that God is at peace with us and He accepts us and makes us His own dear children.
Yes, even joy, rejoicing, the kind Jesus is talking about when he says, “Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Did you know that, that your names are written in heaven? They are! God knows you and loves you and cares for you--yes, even you! He took you for His own and wrote your name in heaven when He put His name on you in Holy Baptism, the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
The kingdom comes to you. God comes to man. Heaven comes to earth. The direction is always from God to us. He gives us His gifts. Right here in His temple, He gives us His gifts of Absolution, His Word, and His Sacraments. He finds us when we weren’t even looking for him. That’s the way of God’s kingdom.
The kingdom of God has come near to you. Jesus tells his messengers to say that, because Jesus Himself has come near to us. The Son of God came down from heaven and became man. He became one of us, lived where we live. He experienced the conflict and fighting and lack of peace that this world has to give. He stood where we stand. In fact, He stood in our place. He took into Himself, into His body, our sin.
Jesus did this for us on the cross. That’s where the kingdom of God finds its puzzling destiny. It doesn’t look right for a king to be hanging from a cross, but there He is. The king of the Jews--and the king of the Gentiles, too. He’s your king, and the kingdom of God comes near to us in the form of a cross.
That’s why Jesus came, to establish the kingdom of God here on earth. He did it all. Jesus rose from the dead, showing that the chains of sin and the shackles of death have been shattered. The serpent’s head has been dealt a death blow, and now sin and death and Satan no longer reign over us. We have transferred kingdoms. Christ has brought us into the kingdom of light and life, the kingdom of God.
This is for you, and God wants you to know it. That’s why Jesus says to the seventy two, “The one who hears you hears Me.” You see, when you get this good news from Jesus’ messenger- from your pastor, the minister of Christ- it’s as good and certain as if Jesus Himself were standing right here delivering it into your ears. So He continues to send out His lambs, His undershepherds, just like He sent out those messengers so long ago.
You’re listening to Jesus every Sunday when you come here and listen to His preacher. God wants you to know that your sins really are forgiven! The kingdom of God has come near to you--right here, where the Word is being preached! You’re listening to Jesus! Jesus comes and speaks to you, and you stand up to listen, when he speaks to you in the Holy Gospel and when He speaks the words with which He instituted His Holy Supper. Jesus is speaking to you! He really wants you to know these things and to receive this forgiveness.
You see, when Jesus speaks, things happen. His word delivers what it says. When He says, “I forgive you,” it really happens. When He says, through his messenger, “Peace be to this house,” that is exactly what you get--real peace, peace from God and peace with God. It happens. Jesus says so.
The peace that comes with the kingdom of God, the peace that Jesus speaks through His word- this is true peace. The peace of God, His peace which rests upon this house and each and every one of you, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.