Month: June 2022

Freedom

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(Luke 8:26-39)

We have a unique relationship with freedom in our country. We certainly appreciate our freedom as a nation and the many liberties we enjoy because of it. Free speech affords us the opportunity to speak without fear of being silenced or censored. The right to bear arms means we are able to defend ourselves. But we also know the tension that exists when those freedoms are abused and taken too far. Free speech seems to have its limits if what is said qualifies as hate speech. The right to bear arms has been abused and results in calculated acts of violence and murder. So as much as we have been, and will continue to be willing to fight for such freedoms, wonderful as they are, such freedoms will always be abused by some and taken to shameful extremes. As long as that happens, tension will exist and turmoil will surround our freedoms to some extent. 

The people in the region of the Gerasenes seemed to take issue with the matter of freedom, too. They didn’t seem to think that freedom was good for the demon-possessed man in their midst. At least that would appear to be the conclusion one could draw based on their reaction after Jesus healed him. Luke described how they responded in verses 35-37: “When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear.”  

Jesus had just freed a man from the demon that had been tormenting him, and that, more than even the demon-possessed man himself – was what frightened them! What is wrong with this picture? How could a man being healed cause more consternation for a community than the same man did when he was demon-possessed? How could his freedom cause them so much fear? What was wrong with them?

Here we have another scenario in which we have issues with freedom – when we’re talking about the freedom of others. It’s one thing for us to expect and appreciate freedoms when they apply to us, but we don’t always have the same standard when freedoms are applied to others. Do we celebrate when a convicted criminal, on the basis of either good behavior or some legal loophole, is granted a reduced sentence and given freedom earlier than his original sentence? No, we typically want to see more time served, more punishment meted out, not less. “Those” kind people don’t deserve freedom! And when the co-dependent relationship falls apart because I am no longer needed, I resent that freedom or independence the other person has gained. Spiritually speaking, it takes some time for us to be OK with the “really-awful-guy-turned-committed-Christian” conversion stories, too. Freedom… for “those” kinds of people?

May God forgive us for being so selfish about the freedom he grants to others! We’re really no different from the unmerciful servant of Mt. 18 who, after having his own debt canceled, went out to wring the neck of the man who owed him a pittance by comparison! The good news of the gospel means that we have been freed from spiritual slavery! Jesus snapped the chains of our slavery by his crucifixion, but we want to play the role of arbiters determining whether or not others deserve that same freedom we enjoy.  

May we instead appreciate the freedom Jesus came to bring much as the demon-possessed man did! And, may we appreciate the power of his Word by which he grants that freedom. In this series, we are focusing on the power God’s Words possess, and here we see exactly how powerful those words are. The demon-possessed man was not the only one who witnessed the power of Jesus’ words. 

Not even Satan’s henchmen could ignore Jesus’ powerful words! They had to comply! “For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man” (v.29). Jesus’ words are never empty. They are never spoken carelessly. They are never powerless. Jesus speaks and action takes place. The one identified as “Legion” was well aware of Jesus’ power and the power of his words, not just because he put an end to the possession, but also because of what else Jesus was capable of doing. We know this from the pitiful begging that followed.

“And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss” (v.31). Hell is not a popular concept today, and fewer and fewer people continue to even believe there is a hell. Or, they joke rather lightly about it. Don’t ever buy into the garbage about people preferring heaven over hell because heaven is full of hypocrites. Don’t ever believe the lie that the company in hell is somehow better or that there are certain spaces in hell that would be preferable over places in heaven. Some sell the lie that preachers and the Christian church just use the imagery of Satan and hell to strike fear and to terrify people so they fall into line and submit to the church’s authority.

None of it’s true! But you don’t have to take my word for it; pay attention to how the demons react upon recognizing the authority of Jesus! There was nothing pleasant about hell – they begged to possess pigs, to be sent into swine, over being sent back to hell! What does that tell you about the reality of hell?!?

Let’s stay on this topic for a bit, as it isn’t one that gets perhaps as much attention as it deserves. What about demon possession today? Why is it not more prevalent in our culture? Well… who’s to say it isn’t? What if it’s every bit as prevalent, just not labeled as such? Without diminishing the very real turmoil and devastation that mental illness causes in our world today (or the great progress we’ve made in not treating it as some taboo), is it possible that some of the extremes we witness – on the streets, in school shootings, in other random violent acts that have no logical explanation other than chalking it up to the convenient “mental illness” – could be Satan’s work? Or did you suspect that demon possession would naturally involve Satan or his demons openly identifying themselves and taking credit for it? 

Let me ask you this: in a culture increasingly disinterested in religion – which is great for business as far as Satan is concerned! – what would Satan have to gain by drawing attention to religious stuff like demon possession? He’s got a good thing going – why risk ruining it? Remember, it isn’t a popularity contest with Satan. He isn’t concerned about making a name for himself. His goal is not to attract followers, but to distract followers from Jesus. He doesn’t need his TikTok to go viral – he just wants to make sure Jesus doesn’t.

So frankly, the more damage he does “under the radar,” in ways that carry no overt religious or spiritual undertones, he’s tickled pink. Meanwhile, in other countries all over the world, countries which cling heavily to a variety of religions, know this: demon possession is quite common, alive, and very well-known. Satan simply isn’t clamoring to make a name for himself in our society in which so few barely even believe he exists. He’s not looking to rock the boat in a society in which so many boats are heading exactly where he wants them to be. 

But for those who know Satan exists and the very real threats he poses, as the demon-possessed man from Luke 8 did, see what a difference that freedom made in his life! “The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with [Jesus]…” (v.38). What shockingly different reactions between the townspeople and the man! They witness Jesus disarm and dismantle evil and they begged Jesus to leave, but the man experienced freedom from evil and he wanted to stay with Jesus! The townspeople had almost gotten accustomed to living with the demon-possessed man and his eccentrics and didn’t know what to do when things were normal. But for the man, being demon-possessed had given him a personal glimpse into the very real and deadly dangerous spiritual realm, and once freed from it, he had a new lease on life and a radical shift in perspective on what really mattered: Jesus!

And what a difference that freedom makes in our lives! Do not take for granted that you don’t experience any more days in the darkness of unbelief. All you know is light. All you know is life. All you know is the very real freedom from the fear of sin condemning you, from the fear of Satan controlling you, from the fear of death consuming you. That is your reality in Jesus Christ because of the freedom he won from all three of those enemies by his death and resurrection. His death made the full payment for your sin. His death crushed Satan’s head. His resurrection undid the permanent hold death had on us. You are free! Freedom in Jesus Christ is yours. And it is yours because of the power God’s Word possesses. You have heard and believed those words. You continue to hear and believe those words, and wherever the Word is heard and believed, there alone is freedom.

And here’s more evidence of the power God’s Words possess: he doesn’t even have to be the One speaking them for them to be effective! Why else would Jesus willingly oblige and grant the request of the townspeople for him to get out of Dodge? Because he knew that even though he would be leaving, the power of his Word would not. No, he entrusted that powerful word to the newly freed man. As much as the man begged to bask in his newfound freedom at the feet of Jesus, Jesus had other plans in mind. “Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him” (v.38-39). 

How powerful do you think that word was coming from the mouth of the freedman? Evidence suggests a large number from this region came to faith, as crowds of believers from this region are mentioned later on in the Gospels following Jesus. The Word worked on the man to bring him freedom and the Word worked through the man to bring others freedom. The Word worked on you to bring you freedom and the Word will work through you to bring others freedom. 

As long as secular freedoms are abused, there will always be a certain amount of tension when it comes to freedom – at least in the temporary, worldly sense. But spiritually speaking, there is no greater gift that grace bestows than the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. This gift is so valuable that it holds up no matter our circumstances, no matter what is going on at any given time in our lives, we wake up free, we go to bed free, we live free every single day. 

Yet another benefit of that freedom? We are free to commit. Forced commitment is nothing more than slavery. We aren’t slaves. We’ve been freed and we will remain free – the power of God’s Word possesses that promise. In the next post, we’ll see how to maximize that freedom by committing to following Jesus.

Scattering & Gathering

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(Genesis 11:1-9)

Ever since man has worked the ground to grow food and live off the land, scattering and gathering have been a part of life. First, the seed for crops is sown – spread out and scattered. That scattered seed is then watered, either by means of rain from the sky or different types of irrigation that have been designed or developed over time. The crop is cared for and tended to, and finally, when the time is right, what is grown is harvested. The seed that was first scattered is then finally gathered at the harvest. 

Scattering and gathering is also a picture of what God has been doing with his people throughout history.

From the very beginning, God called his people to scatter. God’s instructions to the world’s first family was this: “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). Following the Flood, God called for his people to scatter again. “Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth’” (Genesis 9:1). We might notice also that each time God called for man to scatter over all the earth and fill it, it had the promise of his blessing attached to it. It was therefore a good thing God was calling man to do. Scattering was sanctified!  

Whereas scattering took place from the beginning, gathering will take place on the last day. In reference to his return on the Last Day, Jesus explained, “And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens” (Mark 13:27). In the very first days, God called for man to spread out and scatter, but on the last day, those who are his will be gathered together. Paul, who teaches about what that Last Day will be like in 2 Thessalonians, introduces his teaching with the words, “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him,…” (2:1). At that point, there will be no more need to scatter, for after all things have been carried out as the Lord said they would be, all that will remain is for Jesus to return to gather his believers together to be with him in the new heaven and earth at his designated time. 

This morning, we see a smaller scale picture of the scattering & gathering in two major events that are sandwiched in the timeline of history. And we see it being carried out whether mankind initially desires to oblige or not. If God desires to scatter, and man rebels, God will make a way to ensure that his desire is carried out. Furthermore, where it would appear from a human perspective that there are far too many obstacles or hindrances in the way of the gathering of people of all tribes, nations, and languages all over the world, God will make a way, as he did on the Day of Pentecost. 

Some might write off the account of the tower of Babel in Genesis 11 as a man-made story to explain the origin of multiple languages. If the Bible is viewed like any other normal book, this account might conveniently suit such an interpretation. But the Bible isn’t like any other book.

However, even if it did read like any other book, then what would the context tell us? So far in Genesis, we have had only narrative accounts, including historical events with historical people and places named. From where would we suddenly be justified in writing off this event as a made-up tale to explain the origin of languages? What this account shows instead is the sad reality that even after the Flood, mankind was still naturally egotistical and rebellious against God. He continued to disregard God’s clear command to scatter, the command given both at creation and repeated again after the Flood.

But why should God be so bothered by this tower building? Why did this matter? Wouldn’t it be a good thing for people to band together? Why would God be opposed to that? Was he just salty that they disregarded his command?

The answer, in part, is found in the purpose behind the plan to build: “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves” (v.4). “So that we may make a name for ourselves.” Where were their hearts? Where was their concern? What does it mean to desire to “make a name for oneself?”

It means to make it about me. That was their concern. It has been and continues to be one of the greatest fears we face: insignificance. Irrelevance. The result is insecurity. Why else was there such a concern about making a name for themselves?

Doesn’t this reflect something rather telling about human nature? We know something is off. We’re naturally like the individual in the relationship who cannot trust, who has a paranoid fear that the other is either ready to move on or is cheating or it’s only a matter of time before they will.

That insecurity comes from the fear of insignificance, and it’s normal for us because it’s justified. We are so well aware of our offenses against a holy God that we rightly sense insignificance. We might mask it behind bravado or brash confidence, but even that is to go out of our way to make sure others don’t sense our insecurity. We posture and puff ourselves up to hide any scent of insecurity that others may pick up. We are terrified of our worst fear being realized: that we don’t matter. 

And while we are so focused on our fear of not mattering, of not being significant, our attention is not on the compassionate God who loves with an everlasting love and longs for everyone to know that love. We’re so preoccupied with worry over being insignificant that we fail to turn our attention to the God who assures us that we aren’t! So we build, we achieve, we produce, we create, we… do whatever we can to make a name for ourselves, to be significant – the whole while overlooking the God who made us significant by redeeming us in the first place!

When we are so enamored with significance, we will resort to anything for attention. Even disobedience. Children disobey, yes, because they are sinners and disobedience comes naturally. But it is often more than that. As the competition for mom or dad’s attention intensifies (due to busy schedules and attachment to screens, for example), even the negative attention due to disobedience is still attention. And attention = significance in their minds. 

By default then, it isn’t about God, which the people at Babel make abundantly clear in seeking to avoid the very thing God commanded them to do! They stated, “otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth” (v.4). There it is, plain as day – direct defiance to what God commanded them to do, and so casually, at that, as if it made perfect sense for them to want to avoid being scattered, to avoid doing the very thing God commanded them to do.

How relatable! Christian congregations have always reflected this same challenge. When a mission congregation is established, it starts with not only a genuine desire but also a need to reach out, to scatter, to carry out the mission Jesus gave his Church at Ascension. If they don’t grow, they won’t be around very long!

But, as God blesses those efforts and the mission congregation grows, its focus slowly starts to shift to internal priorities. Property is purchased. Buildings are constructed. Various ministries are established to meet the members’ needs. And the spirit of scattering to reach the lost becomes overshadowed by the preference to gather with the saints. Ministry becomes about maintaining and sustaining what has been built; scattering becomes work for others to do. 

But the scattering and gathering are an ongoing cycle that will repeat until Jesus returns. It wasn’t only at Babel that the Lord scattered; he did the same thing after he gathered his Church at Pentecost! Those believers who had gathered from “every nation under heaven” (Acts 2) would be scattered back to their respective homes. The good news – the same news that had converted 3,000 souls on Pentecost – would be scattered to the ends of the earth. 

That is the same cycle God calls us to today. Gather, as we do each week, so that the Spirit may continue in us the same work he poured out on his church on Pentecost – filling and fueling us with Word and Sacrament, to equip and stir us up to be scattered out again for his work each week.

It never stops and it will always be necessary. As long as we look to all of the wrong places for significance, it will leave a trail of sin, which calls for the ongoing pattern of confession and absolution. Again and again we turn away from God and to the world in so many little ways, looking for what only God can give. Instead of allowing us to stumble away in such selfish pursuits, he gathers us again and again to show us how much we matter to him by directing us to his cross.

And we are renewed. We are restored. We are refreshed to carry out the work of scattering once again to go gather in other souls to become saints as the Holy Spirit works the same work in their hearts. 

It isn’t just on Sundays that God comes down to his people personally in Word and Sacrament; he has come down to his people personally throughout history. He did that very thing at Babel, too: “But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building” (Gen. 11:5). The Lord came down – don’t miss this! If God doesn’t come down to intervene, our situation is hopeless! God does this repeatedly in the OT, paying visits to mankind (pre-incarnate Christ), and thank goodness he does! (Gen. 18; Ex. 3:8 burning bush).

Yet the greatest “coming down” of the Lord was at the incarnation. When God-in-the-flesh was born into this world on Christmas, he did more than simply stop in for a visit; he lived and dwelled among those he came to save! What does that say about a personal God and how much he cares about his fallen creation?

This really gets at the other reason God was concerned about the building going on at Babel. In addition to the self-centered desire for significance, God’s name was at risk of being left on the back burner. God knows what happens when people make it a goal to make a name for themselves. When concern for our own name and reputation is what fills our hearts and drives us, then there is no more space in our hearts for the LORD. And that is the greatest tragedy imaginable. 

The reason God wanted them to scatter? So that his name would reach the ends of the earth! So that no one would fail to be able to hear of the salvation promised only through him. The importance of this cannot be understated. Just recently in Bible Information Class, the question came up, as it often does: What about those in such and such places/countries who never had the chance to hear about Jesus? Well, this very lesson underscores why it was so important for God’s people to scatter and take God’s name with them. Because when that doesn’t happen, false religions and all forms of idolatry will fill the vacuum left in man’s heart. 

So, for the sake of souls, God took matters into his own hands at Babel and forced his people to spread out. On Pentecost, God again took matters into his own hands and miraculously equipped the gospel to be scattered, removing any language barrier that might have hindered it. Still today God will take matters into his own hands to see that his Word is scattered. Where believers are reluctant to do so, he is not above taking matters into his own hands to see that this important work is carried out. After all, he desires that when he returns, it will be to gather a large harvest of souls for eternity. Let us then be a part of his scattering and gathering so that he returns on the Last Day to find the large harvest of souls for which he longs.

Victorious Over Meaninglessness

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(Luke 24:44-53)

Aristotle was on to something with the phrase, “well-begun is nearly done.” He was emphasizing the importance of not only getting a project started, but starting it in a strong or favorable way. The theory is that the rest of the work comes much easier from that point on, significantly increasing the likelihood of completion. 

The expression also applied to Jesus’ words at his ascension. Well-begun is nearly done. Jesus got the mission of the church rolling, and he got it off on the right foot: he suffered, died, and he rose. That’s a great start! When on the cross Jesus cried, “It is finished,” he was speaking of your salvation. That part is done. There is no unfinished business or requirement that needs to be met in order to restore a perfect relationship with God that had previously been ripped apart by our sin. It’s all done. We’re all good with God.

But just as surely as Jesus stated, “it is finished,” from the cross on Good Friday, from the clouds at the Ascension, Jesus might as well have said, “It isn’t finished.” Because it isn’t – that is, his mission. No, Jesus’ mission – your mission, our mission, the church’s mission, is why we’re here – because that job is not yet finished. We’re here – living, breathing, alive – because that mission has not yet been completed. You’ll know when it is completed because that will be the day Jesus returns to put a permanent end to suffering and sin.

Until then, though, our mission continues. After beginning the mission and completing the backbone of it in order for us to continue carrying it out, Jesus spelled out our mission. Before returning to the right hand of the Father, he said, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (v. 46-48).

Jesus did the heavy lifting to solidify our salvation. In truth, Jesus is still every bit as much the one who does the heavy lifting today. His disciples are the ones who bring that mission to completion by witnessing to others that Jesus has already done the heavy lifting. Let’s be a little clearer: you are the ones who bring that mission to completion by witnessing to others that Jesus has already done the heavy lifting.

You get to tell others to put down their heavy burdens. You get to tell others to set down their work righteousness. You get to tell others they can let go of their guilt. You get to tell others they do not need to keep carrying their past record of wrongs. You get to tell others their sentence of an eternity of community service has been commuted. You get to tell others there is rest in Jesus, forgiveness from the Faithful One and salvation in the Savior. 

That is your mission, my mission, our mission. Is it clear? Do you need more explanation? Is something fuzzy? Good news: Jesus stands by ready to clarify, just as he did with the first disciples. “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (v.45).

Consider how the phrase “open-minded” is used today. It is not usually a compliment when someone tells you that you need to be more open-minded about something. It implies you’re stuck in your ways, that you can only see a matter one way, that you are incapable of viewing it any other way. So here, Luke uses the phrase to indicate that Jesus’ disciples had a very limited understanding of Scripture. The very purpose of opening their minds was for them to gain a better grasp of Scripture. Why did they need a better grasp of Scripture? So they could understand the mission better, not just in terms of what to do, but why to do it.

Much is made of this in the way of leadership development these days, and rightly so. If people are only given a “what” – the nuts and bolts and ABCs of carrying out some task, they lack the drive to carry it out. They need to know the “why” – “why does this matter? why is this important?” Jesus covered the “why” by reviewing his suffering, death, and resurrection, thereby setting the tone for rolling out the mission: “repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (v.47-48). 

When a believer or a group of believers has lost sight of the mission, minds need to be opened to understand the Scriptures and get back to the “why” of our mission: the good news of Jesus’ perfect life, willing suffering, innocent death, powerful resurrection, and glorious ascension. These are the bedrock of our very being. These remind us of where we stand with God and why – we are at peace with him – sins paid for in full – because Jesus did it all. That news is for us to soak up for ourselves!

That news is also for us to share with others! Nothing has changed in the 2,000 years since Jesus ascended; the mission remains the same. We soak up that message; we share that message.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located in Arlington National Cemetary in Virginia, is a monument dedicated to all of the unidentified military service members who have died fighting in our nation’s wars. It is guarded by soldiers of the United States Army, and it is considered one of the highest honors to be selected to serve as a sentinel (fewer than 20 percent of volunteers are accepted). Visitors can watch the ceremony that takes place as the guard is changed at various times. When that takes place, the guard being relieved will state to the oncoming guard, “Post and orders remain as directed.” The other then responds, “Orders acknowledged.” In other words, the mission to stand guard at the tomb is the same today as it was on the day it was first given, to stand guard at the tomb. 

We need to hear the same reminder today, “post and orders remain as directed.” The mission that Jesus gave to his church at his ascension is the same mission of his church today. Nothing has changed. “Repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (v.47-48). Nothing has changed. That is our mission. 

In addition to speaking of opening the disciples’ minds, there is another term that Jesus used that includes the idea of changing one’s mind. That is essentially the meaning of the word, “repentance,” which Jesus stated was a part of our mission. As disciples today witness, the Holy Spirit changes minds through the Word. Repentance takes place as others are led to see their sin and rejoice in their Savior and his forgiveness. Minds – and eternities along with them! – are changed as the mission is carried out. Repentance changes minds about Jesus.

Do our minds “need to be changed?” Does repentance need to take place where we have lost sight of the mission? Do we need to confess that the reason we’re not carrying out the mission is that we’re not caring about the mission? Do we need to acknowledge that we’ve too readily admitted to failing at the mission but have not been very quick to make any changes and resume carrying out the mission we’ve been given? Have we too often told ourselves the “I’m too _______ to carry out the mission” – too timid, too inexperienced, too young, too old, too tired, too… etc.? 

The truth is that we’re “too” forgiven not to carry on the mission. Jesus takes the least qualified, and sends them – sends us – to carry out his mission. That was who he sent at his Ascension, and that is who he sends today. And those he sends, he equips, just as he did ten days after his Ascension through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. That was what Jesus was promising in verse 49: “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” 

To those willing to carry on the mission today, Jesus promises the same powerful Spirit. He equips us with the Word of God, he has dressed us properly in our baptism, and he feeds us regularly through the Sacrament. We lack nothing for carrying out the mission. Jesus needs only hearts stirred by the gospel and lips willing to speak. That’s really all he is looking for, and he can work with that wherever he finds it. Will he find those two things when he looks to you for them?

We live in a culture that clamors for fame. Influencers hope their social media accounts blow up and lead to fame. YouTube offers the hope of a viral video that might pave the way to fame. Sadly, the prevalence of shootings can be tied to a desire for fame – even from such tragedy. In a fame-focused culture, let’s commit to the same pursuit; let’s chase after fame.

But not for you and me. Let’s make Jesus famous. Let’s recapture for a world disenfranchised by the Christian Church what Christianity is all about: Jesus. Let’s stop praying small and start playing big. Let’s stop tearing down the world and focus more on lifting up Christ. Less of digging in our heels and more of digging into the Word. Let’s worry less about making Christianity unpopular and focus more on making Jesus famous.

After all, he got it all started – “well begun is nearly done.” Let’s faithfully finish what he started. Let’s let him bring to completion through us what he brought to completion on the cross. At his Ascension, he spelled out his mission clearly for us. Let’s recommit to carrying it out by making our lives less about us and more about Jesus as we carry out his purposes. Jesus’ resurrection – and ascension – have given your life meaning – let’s let our lives mean as much as possible in pursuit of winning as many souls as we possibly can together!