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St. Luke 18:6-14 - Trinity XI
In the name of Jesus. Amen. Our Senior Youth made quite a showing in St. Louis.
The second day of the conference, they wore these really loud green tie-died
shirts which made them look like a group of turtles.
They sure got everyone's attention! How could they not? Surprisingly enough it
wasn't because of the color, it was what they had written on the back. One of
plenary speakers even asked them to stand up - evidently not knowing how many of
them there were - to show everyone the back of their shirts.
"Ask not what you can do for Jesus but what Jesus has done for you." What a
confession of what they learned in confirmation! Don't make a big deal of the
things you do for God - the verbs you do for God for what saves is what Jesus
did for you - the verbs He did for you.
You see, dear Saints of God, God deals with us two ways: by means of the Law or
by means of the Gospel. Both are His. Both are true. Both are good for us.
The Law talks about what we do for God. The Law curbs sins, labels sin. "That's
sin and that's not sin," says the Law. The Law shows us our sins. "Not only is
that a sin," says the Law, "but that's a sin that you do."
The Law promises salvation based upon what you have done for God. When you fail
- which is always - the Law condemns you. The Law is never directed at someone
else, it is always directed solely at you. It is always accusing you, always
consigning you to hell for your sins. That's the consequence of sin - of
breaking the Law - you go to hell.
In today's Gospel - the Pharisee is in the Law - going on and on about what he
is and isn't before God. "O God, I THANK YOU, that I'M not like other people
- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even this sinful tax collector. I FAST
twice per week and I GIVE tithes of all I possess." (v. 12-13)
Did you hear that? I do this. I do that. I am not like this. I am not like that.
I, I, I, me, me, me. You know that you have slipped into dealing with God by
means of the Law when you "run" the verbs. When you are the do-er of the verbs.
"I live a good life. I don't do this sin. I don't do that sin. I, I, I, me, me,
me."
Dear saints of God, we do it too all the time! Ever thought this? "It's not like
I'm a murderer or I had an abortion. I basically am good. I don't cheat on my
spouse, I work hard. I don't use drugs. I go to church most Sundays. I will be
in heaven, right?"
I,I,I.. me..me..me.. That's one way to try be saved. It's called the Law. If you
want to stand before God like that, best do it perfectly.
And if you don't, be afraid. For the Law's condemnation - the condemnation of
the Pharisee in today's Gospel - is your condemnation.
There is a hell, a separation from God, full of suffering filled with those who
tried to stand before God by their own righteousness - who tried and failed to
run the verbs before God.
The Pharisee's problem is not simply that he despises and thinks himself better
than the publican next to him. That's bad. It's bad when he did it and it's bad
when you do it too. No, the real problem is that the Pharisee thought he could
stand before God based on what he had and hadn't done - by running all the
verbs.
The Gospel is a completely different message. While the Law talks about you, the
Gospel proclaims what Christ did for you. As St. Paul says in the Epistle,
"Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and then He was buried. He
rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures."
Jesus has taken upon Himself your sins. Jesus has justified you. Jesus redeemed
you. Jesus bought you back from sin, death, and the power of the devil not with
gold or silver but with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and
death. Jesus rose and His life is your life, your heaven, your salvation, and as
the song says "your bright bright bright sunshiny day."
Did you hear that? Did you hear who was running all those verbs? While in the
Law, we run the verbs, in the Gospel, the Lord Jesus runs all the verbs! What He
did for us - poor miserable sinners - is what counts before God.
That's the Gospel. God will not treat us as our sins deserve. He runs the verbs
and all of them are cross-filled verbs. He lived for me. He died for me. He rose
for me. He lives for me. What He did counts for me!
Jesus runs all the verbs in the Gospel. That's the "for you" of the Gospel. He
does, you receive. That's faith. Faith flows from His gifts which deliver what
He won for you on the Tree.
He washes your sins away in Baptism. He puts salvation into your ears in His
life-giving Word. In Holy Absolution, He forgives you for all of the times you
have tried and do try to stand before Him by your running the verbs. Soon, He
will feed you His Body to eat and His Blood to drink at His Supper.
He washes. He forgives. He feeds. He runs all the verbs in the Gospel for you
and you are on the receiving end of His run verbs.
"God be merciful to me," says the tax collector standing far off not even
beginning to look at heaven. The only hope for the tax collector, the only hope
for you and me is that the Lord indeed run the verbs. That God be merciful to
sinners.
God did. He is in Christ merciful to sinners. He ran the verbs for the publican
troubled by his sins and for you and me all the way to the Cross, grave, empty
tomb, and right hand of God. That's for you and me.
Now, come and receive all His done verbs in the Sacrament: Take eat His Body
given for you. Take drink His Blood shed for you for the remission of all your
sins. Receive what He did for you put into your mouth at His Supper.
He even runs that verb doesn't He? Right into your mouth.
"Ask not what you can do for Jesus but what Jesus has done for you." Well done,
kids. Not you, but Christ for you. Jesus runs all the verbs in the Gospel. In
the name of Jesus. Amen.
Edited on: September 06th, 2005 11:43 pm
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