The Treasure
McConnellsburg Lutheran Parish
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
7/30/2017
Matthew 13: 44-52
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Today in the Gospel reading, Jesus tells a series of “kingdom parables”. You know the ones: Where He says what the Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God is like. Over the course of His ministry, Jesus described the kingdom in many ways. Today we will focus on the two short kingdom parables – the hidden treasure, and the fine pearl. We will consider questions of ultimate value. And we will be reminded of what and who are truly priceless, and how.
You’ve probably seen those credit card commercials, the ones that list off the price of several items or activities. They’ll say things like: “Gas for the car, $40; airline tickets, $800; beachfront hotel, $600.” Then, after a short pause: “Spending a tropical weekend getaway with the family—priceless!” Then comes the final line: “Some things in life can’t be measured; for everything else, there’s MasterCard”. It’s not a bad series of commercials, because it makes us think—at least momentarily—about what is valuable to us.
Take the man in this first parable, who found the hidden treasure in the field. That treasure, what was it? A stash of gold, perhaps? Maybe some precious jewels? How about some ancient artifacts? It really doesn’t matter, because this is a parable and the specifics within it aren’t so important. Rather, the crucial thing is the point that Jesus was trying to make. The point is: It was so valuable to the man that he just HAD to have it. He sold all that he had. He gave up his total net worth, and exchanged it for the field and the treasure that was hidden within it, and presumably, ended up a very wealthy man.
Likewise, in the second parable, there was a merchant looking for pearls. The man knows value when he sees it. Then he finds one that is just the perfect shape, just the right color, and of a size that makes it valuable beyond his greatest expectations. When he finds that one pearl of great value, he liquidates his portfolio so he can get his hands on that precious jewel.
Now, one interpretation we could draw here, and one I’ve heard in many sermons, is that the kingdom of God is what is of ultimate value. That being a follower of Jesus, having faith in Him, being baptized, hearing His Word, receiving Him in the sacrament—that these things together are more important than ANYTHING else.
Seeing it and understanding it that way, we might conclude that our faith—which holds onto God’s grace in Jesus Christ—is our greatest treasure. Knowing Jesus is the most important thing. Amen. But I would urge you to think of this parable in another way.
If we take this meaning of the parable, we are left wanting. This interpretation leaves things to our somewhat shady and weak abilities, and your often confused priorities. It ought to make you think, “If God’s kingdom is truly worth more than anything, even all my possessions, why I don’t act like it is?”
In other words, “’Why don’t I pray all that much? Why don’t I immerse myself in my Bible each and every day? Why don’t I fear, love, and trust in God above all else? Why do I take God for granted so often and so easily? Why don’t I love my neighbor as myself? Why don’t I give more generously and more joyfully to support of God’s work, the work of that kingdom that I supposedly value so greatly? Am I taking this treasure for granted?”
Well, to all the “whys” we could very simply and correctly answer, “Because I am a poor, miserable sinner”. And to all the, “Am I goofing up?” questions, we could also truthfully answer, “Yes, absolutely.”
Does our sin ultimately disqualify us for the treasure? Does our failure to appreciate the treasure make us ineligible? Will we stand before the God’s judgment throne empty-handed, because we didn’t sell all our possessions in service of Him? No, we will not.
And why is that? It’s because there’s another way of looking at these two parables. A way that is more correct theologically. When we more rightly understand both our nature and God’s nature, we begin to see it. Instead of thinking of the treasure hunter as YOU, think of the treasure hunter as GOD. Instead of you being the merchant, think of GOD going through the marketplace.
Now the parable is seen from a completely different angle, with a different subject, and a different object. Now the treasure that is hidden in the field is you and me! Now the pearl of great price is the sinner who becomes a child of God!
And what does God “sell” to make His purchase? The better question is: Who? As the ultimate answer to every theological question is, from Sunday School right up to standing in front of God’s judgment seat, it’s Jesus. Jesus, God’s only Son. The Father’s greatest treasure, the sum of all His value, was sold to make us His treasured possessions.
Jesus paid the price, too. He too gave all He had, to make us His own.
Luther puts it this way in the Small Catechism: “He has purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own, live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.”
We have no value of our own. We are not worthy or valuable except in that God created us and loved us so very much. We bring nothing to the table; no merit, no worth. Scripture says the best we can offer God is as filthy rags; something that is pretty much useless, rejected, and suitable only for discarding in the trash.
But God sees us, even in our sin, as His treasures; His great pearls. To Him, we are worth even the humiliation and suffering and death of His own Son. And there at the cross of Jesus, He makes us into the treasures that shine with heaven’s brightness forever. What are you worth to God? Everything.
What would you pay or have you paid for a dream vacation? Thousands of dollars? What about the best luxury car on the market? Tens of thousands? What about your eternal salvation? What would you pay for that? Well, you can’t. Far beyond anything MasterCard could provide, only the true Master can provide that, and it is truly priceless!
With our first, superficial understanding of the parable—one that sadly still finds voice within many Christian churches—we could never have the kingdom anyway. Nothing we can do, nothing we can earn, nothing we can give up for the kingdom of God will buy our way into heaven. Only Jesus could pay the price. Even if we did, literally, sell everything we had and give to God; even if we went to live in the most dismal slums of the earth, serving the poor and the lepers, it still isn’t enough. We would still be lost, if we didn’t have Jesus.
But Christ has paid the full price. He has bought us back, and our value to God depends on HIM, not on US. This is why we can rest assured, knowing the treasure of God’s kingdom is ours forever. Jesus put it on HIS tab, on His account, and there is no credit limit there. His purchase will never be declined by the Father. His mercy will never go bankrupt. His love will never be repossessed. His deposit is eternally trustworthy and true.
What a great treasure we have in these words of Christ. They illustrate to us the great value of belonging to His kingdom. They show us the value God places in us, and more importantly, the value we have in Christ. That value is shown in the ultimate price Jesus paid for us at the cross. May we always treasure Him who has treasured us beyond all comprehension. Dear pearls of great price, we are priceless to our heavenly Father, through the love shown to us in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
When Sowing the Seed Seems Useless
McConnellsburg Lutheran Parish
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
7/16/2017
Matthew 13: 1-9, 18-23
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
It can be very discouraging to be a Christian these days. It seems like our whole culture has turned against the Christian faith. It can be very discouraging to be a member of a congregation these days. It seems like every church all across the country is having to deal with lower attendance and financial difficulties. Yes, it’s very discouraging, and we can feel deflated and defeated. What’s the use anymore? We’re tempted to give up.
That’s why the Gospel reading for today is so timely and so needed. In the Parable of the Sower, from Matthew 13, Jesus gives us a picture of what’s really going on. This parable helps explain why there can be so meager results in response to the ministry of the gospel. But at the same time, this parable also encourages us, in the midst of our discouragement. It encourages us to know that our work will not be in vain. And so this Parable of the Sower is a very fitting word for times like these, “When Sowing the Seed Seems Useless.”
Jesus uses an agricultural metaphor for His parable. It’s the image of a farmer, a sower, going out to sow seed. Jesus begins by telling the story purely in those terms, talking about where the seed falls and what happens to it and what the results are. And then later in the chapter, He explains the parable in terms of the spiritual realities it conveys.
Jesus provides four examples of what can happen when the seed is sown. And three of those four examples are negative. That’s why it can be discouraging to be involved in the sowing of the seed. We don’t see the results we would like to see after the seed is sown. Note throughout here, by the way, that the problem is not with the seed. There’s nothing wrong or deficient in the seed itself. The problem is in what happens once the seed has been sown.
So four examples. Let’s take them one at a time. Jesus begins: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.” And Jesus then provides the interpretation: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.”
The sowing of the seed does not happen in a vacuum, but in the real world. There are forces at work that would hinder the gospel seed from taking root and producing fruit. And noted first here is the work of the evil one, that is, the devil. The devil’s goal is to keep people from believing God’s word, and thus keep them in darkness and unbelief. That’s what happens when people come in contact with God’s word, but it seems to bounce right off, to go in one ear and out the other. The hard ground has not been plowed or broken up, so that the seed just sits there on the surface, and the devil comes along and snatches it away. People don’t sense their need for a Savior. They feel sufficient in themselves. The thing is, their heart becomes so hardened that it may take some painful plowing–a tragedy or a setback or failure, whereby they finally hit bottom–in order to get them to feel their need for the gospel. So that’s the first example of when our sowing the seed may seem useless, that is, when the ground is so hardened that nothing gets through, and the devil comes and takes the word away.
Second. Jesus continues: “Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.” And then the explanation: “As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.”
Here are people who come into the church–for a while–but they don’t last. At first they seem happy to be a Christian. And that may last some weeks or some months. But maybe they’ve been misled into believing that being a Christian should mean that everything is going to be pleasant and trouble-free from here on out. They think that they should be living their best life now. They’re not ready to endure hardship or persecution. The Christian faith has not taken real deep root in them. They can’t stand the heat, so they get out of the kitchen. They leave the church. They fall away from the faith.
I’m sure we’ve all seen examples of this. People who come into the church and seem happy to be here–for a while. But when things don’t go their way, whether in their life or in the church–then they drift away and stop coming.
Today I want to warn us against this happening to us. It’s not just about other people. This is a danger for us, as well. When life turns sour, are we going to give up on God? Are we going to bail out on the church? God help us in our weakness! We need the sustaining power of the gospel, the Word and Sacrament God uses to strengthen our feeble knees, so that we do not fall away.
Third example: “Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.” Interpretation: “As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”
The thorns, what are these? “The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches.” These things can choke out the word of God in our life. We get so caught up in these things that our faith gets squeezed out. We get so busy or consumed with other things that we have no time for God’s word. People claim that they have no time to go to church, that Sunday is their only day of the week to sleep in. But our priorities then are out of whack. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”
Again, this is a danger even for us. We can get so caught up with other things that we lose sight of the priority of hearing God’s word. Like Martha, we can become so anxious and worried about many things that we neglect the one thing needful, which is to sit at Jesus’ feet and receive from Him.
Three examples so far, and all of them negative. The seed is sown in each case, but there are no lasting results. The devil snatches the seed away from the hardened ground. The heat of trouble or persecution causes the plant to wither and die. The cares of this world and the desire for wealth choke out the priority of God’s word. Bad results in each case. And that helps to explain why we see empty pews in church and a lack of zeal and fervor for the gospel.
But lest we become totally discouraged, Jesus adds one more example to give us hope when we feel like giving up. When sowing the seed seems useless, we learn that things are not always what they seem. Jesus tells us why: “Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” The interpretation: “As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Well, finally, at last, some positive results! All is not lost! There will be seed sown that will not be snatched away or burned up or choked out. There will be seed that does take root and grow and produce a good crop. We have Jesus’ word on it.
Why? It’s not because we are such good soil in and of ourselves. No, we must confess that apart from Christ we can do nothing. You see, the power is in the word itself; the power is right there in the seed. Consider what you heard in the Old Testament reading today. The Lord God promises: “My word that goes out from my mouth shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I send it.”
Yes, God’s word is powerful and creative. It does produce results, very good results indeed! This is the gospel word that tells us of our Savior. It is the word of Christ. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” God’s word is alive and active, and it penetrates into our heart to produce repentance and faith. This is faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Savior, who rescues us from sin and death and the devil by his own death on our behalf and his glorious resurrection. What Christ won for us on the cross is delivered to us in the mighty and life-giving gospel. The word works.
So do not despair, little flock. All is not lost. Sowing the seed is not useless. Christ is building His church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. God will keep you in the faith. God will bring others to faith in Christ and keep them in the faith and in the church. And God does this through the ministry of the gospel, through the preaching and teaching of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments.
And so we continue to sow the seed. Christ has sent us on this mission, and the results are up to Him. Sometimes it seems like nobody is listening, nobody is responding, and we feel like we’re just spinning our wheels and not getting anywhere. The Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles also experienced this frustration. We’re not alone in this. No, Christ our Lord is with us as we sow the seed. Along with His commission to baptize and teach, Jesus gives us His assurance: “And lo, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus has not abandoned His church. He is with us, and He will not forsake nor forget us.
Dear friends, when it seems like sowing the seed is useless and will not produce results, and we feel like giving up and packing it in–at times like these, remember the Parable of the Sower. Jesus assures us that all our sowing is not in vain. The word works. There is no greater activity going on in the world today than the sowing of the gospel seed. You need it. The world needs it. And Jesus will bless it. “He who has ears, let him hear.” Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Rest for the Heavy Laden
McConnellsburg Lutheran Parish
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
7/9/2017
Matthew 11: 25-30
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
In New York Harbor there stands a famous statue, the Statue of Liberty. In her one hand, Lady Liberty is holding a tablet bearing the date July 4, 1776, the day of America’s founding. In her other hand, she is holding aloft a torch, symbolizing liberty enlightening the world. In the harbor, the Statue of Liberty stands right next to Ellis Island, our nation’s largest immigration station for many years. Millions of immigrants made the long sea voyage from Europe in those days and came through Ellis Island, passing the Statue of Liberty as they arrived. They came seeking freedom. They came seeking opportunity. They came seeking better days. And so for those coming over on the boat–and I’m guessing some of your parents or grandparents did–they would see the Statue of Liberty, and it served as a powerful symbol of hope and promise to them.
Hope and promise for those weary travelers, that’s what the Statue of Liberty offered. But today I want to tell you about a greater hope and a greater promise, for all those loaded down with even greater burdens. That hope and that promise are found in the person of Jesus Christ, who says to us today, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Yes, “Rest for the Heavy Laden,” that is Jesus’ promise to you today.
“The heavy laden”? What sort of heavy load is Jesus talking about? What sort of burden might we be laboring under, from which Jesus will give us rest? Here Jesus is speaking of the burden of the law, which loads us down with heavy demands.
God’s law, the Ten Commandments, sets the highest possible standard for achieving salvation on our own: whole-hearted love for God and self-sacrificing love for neighbor. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That’s a good summary of the Ten Commandments. Do this and you will live. The problem is, we don’t do this. And thus we will not live, that is, live eternally with God. Death and eternal separation from God is the judgment against every sinner who falls short.
And that includes you and me. We have not kept God’s law as it is meant to be kept. We fall short. How completely do you love God? Do you always seek and do His will above all things? Do you trust in Him completely? Do you keep His name uppermost in your thinking? Do you love and learn God’s Word on a consistent basis and therefore set church time apart as sacred?
And then there’s your neighbor. How selflessly and self-sacrificially do you love whoever the person is that God puts in your path? Do you honor those in positions of authority that God has placed in your life? Do you always seek your neighbor’s welfare and well-being? Do you keep marriage as it ought to be kept? Do you ever take advantage of others financially, seeking an edge but to their disadvantage? Do you always speak well of your neighbor, or do you instead engage in gossip or hurtful criticism? The list could go on and on.
These are examples of how you and I fall short of keeping God’s law as it should be kept. We do fall short. We do sin. Even as Christians, we do not keep the law as we should, even though we know God’s commandments are right and good, and we know we should keep them. This is a heavy load that weighs upon our conscience.
St. Paul felt this too. He knew he could not be saved on the basis of his keeping of the law. And so he says at the end of Romans 7: “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Yes, that’s where the law will leave you–in a state of wretchedness, as you realize that your best efforts at righteousness are not good enough.
So who will deliver us from this body of death? Paul answers his own question: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Yes, thanks and praise indeed! God will deliver you from this body of death, and He does it through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus Christ, the only Son of the Father. Jesus Christ, the One who came down from heaven to be our Savior and to fulfill the law on our behalf. He fulfills the keeping of it. Even though He Himself was without sin, Jesus took our sin upon Himself and carried it in His body to the cross.
See that cross laid on Jesus? There is your heavy load laid on Him. There is the unbearable burden that He bore for you. He took it, He bore it, and now you are freed from that load. The work is over, the labor is done. Jesus cries out, “It is finished!” The weight is lifted. Your conscience is cleansed. God’s forgiveness in Christ is full and it is free.
And so it is with that forgiveness and that victory in view, that Jesus says in our text, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Here is a promise that is for you, and it is true and utterly reliable. Christ Jesus will give you rest. Come to Him in faith, trusting His promise. He will give you rest. Rest from the weariness of trying to make it on your own. Rest from the labor of trying to justify yourself before God. Jesus does it for you. It’s His work, not yours, that will save you. You can have complete confidence as you face the prospect of death and the Day of Judgment. Christ’s promise is your confidence. He is your refuge. Take shelter in Him.
Have you ever felt a big rest or relief after a long struggle or labor? Perhaps you’ve been working outside all day in the hot sun. Your muscles are aching and tired. You’re drenched and drained from a long day of labor. Then you come inside, you take a shower, change clothes, drink plenty of water, and you can sit down and relax. Now take that feeling and multiply it exponentially, and that’s what the rest and refreshment and relief that Jesus gives is like. You have rest now for your soul, knowing that your sins are forgiven and that it’s not up to you to earn your salvation. You have rest for both soul and body for eternity, knowing that Christ has won your resurrection from the dead and gives you life everlasting with God and with all the company of heaven.
I spoke at the beginning of the sermon about the Statue of Liberty, a great symbol of hope and freedom for all who come in by it. Political freedom and economic hope, that is. And as great as those things are, let us be reminded of another image, the image of Jesus hanging on the cross. There, His arms are outstretched to you, as He says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” And the thing about Jesus is, He is no mere statue or symbol. He is real, your living Lord and Savior, and He is speaking to you today.
Yes, dear friends, you who feel the burden of the law, you who labor under a guilty conscience, come to Christ once again today and lay down your heavy load. Jesus has borne it for you. He lifts it from you. Christ your Redeemer promises you rest today. Rest for your souls. Rest and refreshment for travelers who grow weary on their journey in this wearisome life, for sojourners in this life who are burdened and tired. And finally, Jesus promises eternal rest in heaven. “Come to me,” Jesus says, “all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
McConnellsburg Lutheran Parish
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
7/30/2017
Matthew 13: 44-52
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Today in the Gospel reading, Jesus tells a series of “kingdom parables”. You know the ones: Where He says what the Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God is like. Over the course of His ministry, Jesus described the kingdom in many ways. Today we will focus on the two short kingdom parables – the hidden treasure, and the fine pearl. We will consider questions of ultimate value. And we will be reminded of what and who are truly priceless, and how.
You’ve probably seen those credit card commercials, the ones that list off the price of several items or activities. They’ll say things like: “Gas for the car, $40; airline tickets, $800; beachfront hotel, $600.” Then, after a short pause: “Spending a tropical weekend getaway with the family—priceless!” Then comes the final line: “Some things in life can’t be measured; for everything else, there’s MasterCard”. It’s not a bad series of commercials, because it makes us think—at least momentarily—about what is valuable to us.
Take the man in this first parable, who found the hidden treasure in the field. That treasure, what was it? A stash of gold, perhaps? Maybe some precious jewels? How about some ancient artifacts? It really doesn’t matter, because this is a parable and the specifics within it aren’t so important. Rather, the crucial thing is the point that Jesus was trying to make. The point is: It was so valuable to the man that he just HAD to have it. He sold all that he had. He gave up his total net worth, and exchanged it for the field and the treasure that was hidden within it, and presumably, ended up a very wealthy man.
Likewise, in the second parable, there was a merchant looking for pearls. The man knows value when he sees it. Then he finds one that is just the perfect shape, just the right color, and of a size that makes it valuable beyond his greatest expectations. When he finds that one pearl of great value, he liquidates his portfolio so he can get his hands on that precious jewel.
Now, one interpretation we could draw here, and one I’ve heard in many sermons, is that the kingdom of God is what is of ultimate value. That being a follower of Jesus, having faith in Him, being baptized, hearing His Word, receiving Him in the sacrament—that these things together are more important than ANYTHING else.
Seeing it and understanding it that way, we might conclude that our faith—which holds onto God’s grace in Jesus Christ—is our greatest treasure. Knowing Jesus is the most important thing. Amen. But I would urge you to think of this parable in another way.
If we take this meaning of the parable, we are left wanting. This interpretation leaves things to our somewhat shady and weak abilities, and your often confused priorities. It ought to make you think, “If God’s kingdom is truly worth more than anything, even all my possessions, why I don’t act like it is?”
In other words, “’Why don’t I pray all that much? Why don’t I immerse myself in my Bible each and every day? Why don’t I fear, love, and trust in God above all else? Why do I take God for granted so often and so easily? Why don’t I love my neighbor as myself? Why don’t I give more generously and more joyfully to support of God’s work, the work of that kingdom that I supposedly value so greatly? Am I taking this treasure for granted?”
Well, to all the “whys” we could very simply and correctly answer, “Because I am a poor, miserable sinner”. And to all the, “Am I goofing up?” questions, we could also truthfully answer, “Yes, absolutely.”
Does our sin ultimately disqualify us for the treasure? Does our failure to appreciate the treasure make us ineligible? Will we stand before the God’s judgment throne empty-handed, because we didn’t sell all our possessions in service of Him? No, we will not.
And why is that? It’s because there’s another way of looking at these two parables. A way that is more correct theologically. When we more rightly understand both our nature and God’s nature, we begin to see it. Instead of thinking of the treasure hunter as YOU, think of the treasure hunter as GOD. Instead of you being the merchant, think of GOD going through the marketplace.
Now the parable is seen from a completely different angle, with a different subject, and a different object. Now the treasure that is hidden in the field is you and me! Now the pearl of great price is the sinner who becomes a child of God!
And what does God “sell” to make His purchase? The better question is: Who? As the ultimate answer to every theological question is, from Sunday School right up to standing in front of God’s judgment seat, it’s Jesus. Jesus, God’s only Son. The Father’s greatest treasure, the sum of all His value, was sold to make us His treasured possessions.
Jesus paid the price, too. He too gave all He had, to make us His own.
Luther puts it this way in the Small Catechism: “He has purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own, live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.”
We have no value of our own. We are not worthy or valuable except in that God created us and loved us so very much. We bring nothing to the table; no merit, no worth. Scripture says the best we can offer God is as filthy rags; something that is pretty much useless, rejected, and suitable only for discarding in the trash.
But God sees us, even in our sin, as His treasures; His great pearls. To Him, we are worth even the humiliation and suffering and death of His own Son. And there at the cross of Jesus, He makes us into the treasures that shine with heaven’s brightness forever. What are you worth to God? Everything.
What would you pay or have you paid for a dream vacation? Thousands of dollars? What about the best luxury car on the market? Tens of thousands? What about your eternal salvation? What would you pay for that? Well, you can’t. Far beyond anything MasterCard could provide, only the true Master can provide that, and it is truly priceless!
With our first, superficial understanding of the parable—one that sadly still finds voice within many Christian churches—we could never have the kingdom anyway. Nothing we can do, nothing we can earn, nothing we can give up for the kingdom of God will buy our way into heaven. Only Jesus could pay the price. Even if we did, literally, sell everything we had and give to God; even if we went to live in the most dismal slums of the earth, serving the poor and the lepers, it still isn’t enough. We would still be lost, if we didn’t have Jesus.
But Christ has paid the full price. He has bought us back, and our value to God depends on HIM, not on US. This is why we can rest assured, knowing the treasure of God’s kingdom is ours forever. Jesus put it on HIS tab, on His account, and there is no credit limit there. His purchase will never be declined by the Father. His mercy will never go bankrupt. His love will never be repossessed. His deposit is eternally trustworthy and true.
What a great treasure we have in these words of Christ. They illustrate to us the great value of belonging to His kingdom. They show us the value God places in us, and more importantly, the value we have in Christ. That value is shown in the ultimate price Jesus paid for us at the cross. May we always treasure Him who has treasured us beyond all comprehension. Dear pearls of great price, we are priceless to our heavenly Father, through the love shown to us in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
When Sowing the Seed Seems Useless
McConnellsburg Lutheran Parish
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
7/16/2017
Matthew 13: 1-9, 18-23
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
It can be very discouraging to be a Christian these days. It seems like our whole culture has turned against the Christian faith. It can be very discouraging to be a member of a congregation these days. It seems like every church all across the country is having to deal with lower attendance and financial difficulties. Yes, it’s very discouraging, and we can feel deflated and defeated. What’s the use anymore? We’re tempted to give up.
That’s why the Gospel reading for today is so timely and so needed. In the Parable of the Sower, from Matthew 13, Jesus gives us a picture of what’s really going on. This parable helps explain why there can be so meager results in response to the ministry of the gospel. But at the same time, this parable also encourages us, in the midst of our discouragement. It encourages us to know that our work will not be in vain. And so this Parable of the Sower is a very fitting word for times like these, “When Sowing the Seed Seems Useless.”
Jesus uses an agricultural metaphor for His parable. It’s the image of a farmer, a sower, going out to sow seed. Jesus begins by telling the story purely in those terms, talking about where the seed falls and what happens to it and what the results are. And then later in the chapter, He explains the parable in terms of the spiritual realities it conveys.
Jesus provides four examples of what can happen when the seed is sown. And three of those four examples are negative. That’s why it can be discouraging to be involved in the sowing of the seed. We don’t see the results we would like to see after the seed is sown. Note throughout here, by the way, that the problem is not with the seed. There’s nothing wrong or deficient in the seed itself. The problem is in what happens once the seed has been sown.
So four examples. Let’s take them one at a time. Jesus begins: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.” And Jesus then provides the interpretation: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.”
The sowing of the seed does not happen in a vacuum, but in the real world. There are forces at work that would hinder the gospel seed from taking root and producing fruit. And noted first here is the work of the evil one, that is, the devil. The devil’s goal is to keep people from believing God’s word, and thus keep them in darkness and unbelief. That’s what happens when people come in contact with God’s word, but it seems to bounce right off, to go in one ear and out the other. The hard ground has not been plowed or broken up, so that the seed just sits there on the surface, and the devil comes along and snatches it away. People don’t sense their need for a Savior. They feel sufficient in themselves. The thing is, their heart becomes so hardened that it may take some painful plowing–a tragedy or a setback or failure, whereby they finally hit bottom–in order to get them to feel their need for the gospel. So that’s the first example of when our sowing the seed may seem useless, that is, when the ground is so hardened that nothing gets through, and the devil comes and takes the word away.
Second. Jesus continues: “Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.” And then the explanation: “As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.”
Here are people who come into the church–for a while–but they don’t last. At first they seem happy to be a Christian. And that may last some weeks or some months. But maybe they’ve been misled into believing that being a Christian should mean that everything is going to be pleasant and trouble-free from here on out. They think that they should be living their best life now. They’re not ready to endure hardship or persecution. The Christian faith has not taken real deep root in them. They can’t stand the heat, so they get out of the kitchen. They leave the church. They fall away from the faith.
I’m sure we’ve all seen examples of this. People who come into the church and seem happy to be here–for a while. But when things don’t go their way, whether in their life or in the church–then they drift away and stop coming.
Today I want to warn us against this happening to us. It’s not just about other people. This is a danger for us, as well. When life turns sour, are we going to give up on God? Are we going to bail out on the church? God help us in our weakness! We need the sustaining power of the gospel, the Word and Sacrament God uses to strengthen our feeble knees, so that we do not fall away.
Third example: “Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.” Interpretation: “As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”
The thorns, what are these? “The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches.” These things can choke out the word of God in our life. We get so caught up in these things that our faith gets squeezed out. We get so busy or consumed with other things that we have no time for God’s word. People claim that they have no time to go to church, that Sunday is their only day of the week to sleep in. But our priorities then are out of whack. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”
Again, this is a danger even for us. We can get so caught up with other things that we lose sight of the priority of hearing God’s word. Like Martha, we can become so anxious and worried about many things that we neglect the one thing needful, which is to sit at Jesus’ feet and receive from Him.
Three examples so far, and all of them negative. The seed is sown in each case, but there are no lasting results. The devil snatches the seed away from the hardened ground. The heat of trouble or persecution causes the plant to wither and die. The cares of this world and the desire for wealth choke out the priority of God’s word. Bad results in each case. And that helps to explain why we see empty pews in church and a lack of zeal and fervor for the gospel.
But lest we become totally discouraged, Jesus adds one more example to give us hope when we feel like giving up. When sowing the seed seems useless, we learn that things are not always what they seem. Jesus tells us why: “Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” The interpretation: “As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Well, finally, at last, some positive results! All is not lost! There will be seed sown that will not be snatched away or burned up or choked out. There will be seed that does take root and grow and produce a good crop. We have Jesus’ word on it.
Why? It’s not because we are such good soil in and of ourselves. No, we must confess that apart from Christ we can do nothing. You see, the power is in the word itself; the power is right there in the seed. Consider what you heard in the Old Testament reading today. The Lord God promises: “My word that goes out from my mouth shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I send it.”
Yes, God’s word is powerful and creative. It does produce results, very good results indeed! This is the gospel word that tells us of our Savior. It is the word of Christ. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” God’s word is alive and active, and it penetrates into our heart to produce repentance and faith. This is faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Savior, who rescues us from sin and death and the devil by his own death on our behalf and his glorious resurrection. What Christ won for us on the cross is delivered to us in the mighty and life-giving gospel. The word works.
So do not despair, little flock. All is not lost. Sowing the seed is not useless. Christ is building His church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. God will keep you in the faith. God will bring others to faith in Christ and keep them in the faith and in the church. And God does this through the ministry of the gospel, through the preaching and teaching of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments.
And so we continue to sow the seed. Christ has sent us on this mission, and the results are up to Him. Sometimes it seems like nobody is listening, nobody is responding, and we feel like we’re just spinning our wheels and not getting anywhere. The Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles also experienced this frustration. We’re not alone in this. No, Christ our Lord is with us as we sow the seed. Along with His commission to baptize and teach, Jesus gives us His assurance: “And lo, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus has not abandoned His church. He is with us, and He will not forsake nor forget us.
Dear friends, when it seems like sowing the seed is useless and will not produce results, and we feel like giving up and packing it in–at times like these, remember the Parable of the Sower. Jesus assures us that all our sowing is not in vain. The word works. There is no greater activity going on in the world today than the sowing of the gospel seed. You need it. The world needs it. And Jesus will bless it. “He who has ears, let him hear.” Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Rest for the Heavy Laden
McConnellsburg Lutheran Parish
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
7/9/2017
Matthew 11: 25-30
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
In New York Harbor there stands a famous statue, the Statue of Liberty. In her one hand, Lady Liberty is holding a tablet bearing the date July 4, 1776, the day of America’s founding. In her other hand, she is holding aloft a torch, symbolizing liberty enlightening the world. In the harbor, the Statue of Liberty stands right next to Ellis Island, our nation’s largest immigration station for many years. Millions of immigrants made the long sea voyage from Europe in those days and came through Ellis Island, passing the Statue of Liberty as they arrived. They came seeking freedom. They came seeking opportunity. They came seeking better days. And so for those coming over on the boat–and I’m guessing some of your parents or grandparents did–they would see the Statue of Liberty, and it served as a powerful symbol of hope and promise to them.
Hope and promise for those weary travelers, that’s what the Statue of Liberty offered. But today I want to tell you about a greater hope and a greater promise, for all those loaded down with even greater burdens. That hope and that promise are found in the person of Jesus Christ, who says to us today, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Yes, “Rest for the Heavy Laden,” that is Jesus’ promise to you today.
“The heavy laden”? What sort of heavy load is Jesus talking about? What sort of burden might we be laboring under, from which Jesus will give us rest? Here Jesus is speaking of the burden of the law, which loads us down with heavy demands.
God’s law, the Ten Commandments, sets the highest possible standard for achieving salvation on our own: whole-hearted love for God and self-sacrificing love for neighbor. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That’s a good summary of the Ten Commandments. Do this and you will live. The problem is, we don’t do this. And thus we will not live, that is, live eternally with God. Death and eternal separation from God is the judgment against every sinner who falls short.
And that includes you and me. We have not kept God’s law as it is meant to be kept. We fall short. How completely do you love God? Do you always seek and do His will above all things? Do you trust in Him completely? Do you keep His name uppermost in your thinking? Do you love and learn God’s Word on a consistent basis and therefore set church time apart as sacred?
And then there’s your neighbor. How selflessly and self-sacrificially do you love whoever the person is that God puts in your path? Do you honor those in positions of authority that God has placed in your life? Do you always seek your neighbor’s welfare and well-being? Do you keep marriage as it ought to be kept? Do you ever take advantage of others financially, seeking an edge but to their disadvantage? Do you always speak well of your neighbor, or do you instead engage in gossip or hurtful criticism? The list could go on and on.
These are examples of how you and I fall short of keeping God’s law as it should be kept. We do fall short. We do sin. Even as Christians, we do not keep the law as we should, even though we know God’s commandments are right and good, and we know we should keep them. This is a heavy load that weighs upon our conscience.
St. Paul felt this too. He knew he could not be saved on the basis of his keeping of the law. And so he says at the end of Romans 7: “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Yes, that’s where the law will leave you–in a state of wretchedness, as you realize that your best efforts at righteousness are not good enough.
So who will deliver us from this body of death? Paul answers his own question: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Yes, thanks and praise indeed! God will deliver you from this body of death, and He does it through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus Christ, the only Son of the Father. Jesus Christ, the One who came down from heaven to be our Savior and to fulfill the law on our behalf. He fulfills the keeping of it. Even though He Himself was without sin, Jesus took our sin upon Himself and carried it in His body to the cross.
See that cross laid on Jesus? There is your heavy load laid on Him. There is the unbearable burden that He bore for you. He took it, He bore it, and now you are freed from that load. The work is over, the labor is done. Jesus cries out, “It is finished!” The weight is lifted. Your conscience is cleansed. God’s forgiveness in Christ is full and it is free.
And so it is with that forgiveness and that victory in view, that Jesus says in our text, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Here is a promise that is for you, and it is true and utterly reliable. Christ Jesus will give you rest. Come to Him in faith, trusting His promise. He will give you rest. Rest from the weariness of trying to make it on your own. Rest from the labor of trying to justify yourself before God. Jesus does it for you. It’s His work, not yours, that will save you. You can have complete confidence as you face the prospect of death and the Day of Judgment. Christ’s promise is your confidence. He is your refuge. Take shelter in Him.
Have you ever felt a big rest or relief after a long struggle or labor? Perhaps you’ve been working outside all day in the hot sun. Your muscles are aching and tired. You’re drenched and drained from a long day of labor. Then you come inside, you take a shower, change clothes, drink plenty of water, and you can sit down and relax. Now take that feeling and multiply it exponentially, and that’s what the rest and refreshment and relief that Jesus gives is like. You have rest now for your soul, knowing that your sins are forgiven and that it’s not up to you to earn your salvation. You have rest for both soul and body for eternity, knowing that Christ has won your resurrection from the dead and gives you life everlasting with God and with all the company of heaven.
I spoke at the beginning of the sermon about the Statue of Liberty, a great symbol of hope and freedom for all who come in by it. Political freedom and economic hope, that is. And as great as those things are, let us be reminded of another image, the image of Jesus hanging on the cross. There, His arms are outstretched to you, as He says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” And the thing about Jesus is, He is no mere statue or symbol. He is real, your living Lord and Savior, and He is speaking to you today.
Yes, dear friends, you who feel the burden of the law, you who labor under a guilty conscience, come to Christ once again today and lay down your heavy load. Jesus has borne it for you. He lifts it from you. Christ your Redeemer promises you rest today. Rest for your souls. Rest and refreshment for travelers who grow weary on their journey in this wearisome life, for sojourners in this life who are burdened and tired. And finally, Jesus promises eternal rest in heaven. “Come to me,” Jesus says, “all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.