Tag: preaching

The Bread of Life for Eternal Life

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(John 6:35-51)

You are at the drug store looking for something to provide relief and recovery from certain symptoms you’re experiencing. While in the aisle you are scanning everything, sorting through what seems like an endless assortment possibilities. What exactly are you looking for? Something that not only claims to be able to provide the relief you’re looking for, but will effectively do so. You aren’t looking for a placebo. You aren’t looking for something that is cheap and ineffective. How do you know what will work? You read the box, assess the claims it makes, and end up purchasing the one that holds out the most promise to get the job done. 

As we continue giving our attention to Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse, we see a number of very bold claims on the part of Jesus. And his claims are not fuzzy. They do not cause confusion by lacking clarity, nor are they hidden in some mysterious verbiage that requires special enlightenment to understand.

No, just as you’d expect to see on the product in the drug store, Jesus clearly states who he is and what he’s able to do. When you find that, what you need, what not only claims to work, but which actually does, you take hold of it. You don’t keep on looking for something inferior that underpromises. You take what works. Jesus, the Bread of Life, reveals this morning that where nothing else works, he does.

The first part of Jesus’ teaching, which we looked at in the first post in this series, drew our attention to that which doesn’t work. Not only what doesn’t work, but what actually will end up doing more harm than good. Jesus emphasized the importance of not making our lives about food that spoils.

We do well to carry out a routine review in our lives to guard against slipping back into sloppy spiritual habits that find us favoring the pursuit of food that spoils instead of food that sustains and endures: Jesus, the bread of life. When any busyness of life that we have chosen prohibits us from feeding more on the Bread of Life in our own lives, we had better be aware: prioritizing a diet of food that spoils is going to leave us spiritually malnourished and potentially starved. Keep allowing the food that spoils at your own risk!

In this middle portion of Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse, we see the focus shift from avoiding the stuff that spoils to highlighting why we have every reason to purse the food that endures to enteral life. Similarly, parents don’t just warn their children against eating too much junk food; they also make sure they eat their fruits and vegetables and the stuff that’s actually good for them. There is nothing better for us than that which is best for us, Jesus, the Bread of Life.

The more I have reflected on these words of Jesus from John 6, the more I am convinced this might be one of the best places to direct a skeptic of Christianity. Why? Because these words of Jesus provide a great opportunity to simply put Jesus’ words to the test. 

Suppose someone recommended some superfood or nutrition that is going to improve your health and make you feel so much better. If they urged you to try it and you were reluctant, you’d probably look into it a bit more. You might ask some others if they’ve heard of it or know anything about it. You’d undoubtedly Google it to find out more about it. While you can do all of those things, and there is wisdom in doing so, you’ll probably come away with so much information on both sides – for or against the recommendation – that it hasn’t really helped you make a decision. You end up doing what you could have just decided right away: you try it. Assuming there are no dangerous side effects or risks, the worst that could happen is it doesn’t deliver what was promised.

But… what if it does? And what if the benefits of trying it far surpass even your wildest expectations? What if it’s life changing and positively impacts your daily mood and energy in a way that you could never have imagined? Well, you’d never know unless you tried it. 

These words of Jesus serve as an invitation to try him out. Read, study, and reflect on what Jesus is saying in all this talk about bread. Then you can make an informed decision on who this Jesus really is. And, as others have pointed out, there are really three possible conclusions to arrive at about Jesus. He must be an off-his rocker lunatic, a deceiving, fork-tongued liar, or he is the Lord God himself. He cannot be all three; only one.

I believe these words of Jesus to be powerful enough to set himself apart as the Lord God, the Bread of Life. He alone is able to provide what we cannot find anywhere else at all. So let us try him out. Let us, as the psalmist encourages us to do, taste and see that the Lord is good!

Let’s start with Jesus’ bold promise in the first verse of this section. “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty’” (v.35). Since this teaching of Jesus came on the heels of his miraculous feeding of the 5,000, it would be natural for the crowds to understand Jesus to be speaking literally, as if referring to his miracle as proof of being able to provide unlimited food and drink.

Even if that were the case, however, the word “never” says more than that. I can personally make a promise to others to do this or that, but I cannot attach a “never” to it, because I won’t always be around to see it through. My days are numbered, so I cannot make promises of “never.” So Jesus’ claim that those who come to him will “never” go hungry or thirsty is on a different level. It sets him apart from your average Joe.

Another straightforward statement of Jesus highlights very directly what is different about him. “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me” (v.38). Hard to confuse that one, isn’t it? Who would make such a claim as to have come down from heaven??? 

Jesus’ statement is so bold that it might be natural for the modern reader to force some other interpretation of his words of here. However, the response of Jesus’ listeners indicates that they knew exactly what he was claiming, and it didn’t sit well with them. “At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven’” (v.41).

They thought Jesus was crossing a line. Healings and miraculous feedings and all that were one thing, but to have the audacity to claim heaven as one’s hometown? That was too far! So they knew full well exactly what Jesus was claiming. And in their minds, things only got worser from there. 

Their reaction provides insight in how to address the common argument from skeptic’s today who claim that if God existed, all he would need to do was appear and it would be all the proof they’d need. If he just made himself visible then they’d believe. Is that too much to ask?

Well, it isn’t too much to ask, but it’s pretty shallow thinking for a person in denial about God’s existence to contend that he’d suddenly believe if God just showed up. After all, that’s an atheist, an unbeliever, we’re talking about; but those listening to Jesus were Jews who already believed in a God. Not only did they believe there was a God, but they were about as devout as could be when it came to worshipping him! And if those who already believed in a God refused to believe that Jesus could be him, then it would be a far greater stretch for a God-denying atheist to believe so even if God showed up as he insisted.

Back to Jesus’ teaching. Those listening to him began to resent him. They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” (v.42). It just wasn’t adding up for them. They couldn’t fathom how Joseph and Mary’s son could be what he was claiming. They knew the family. They saw little Jesus grow up. They possibly even heard stories of the unique details about the day he was born. Certainly someone who was born didn’t just beam down from heaven! They made up their minds. Jesus was just another local citizen, albeit a wise teacher with the power to perform miracles. But that wasn’t unique – God had often permitted his prophets in the past to do such things. But none of them had ever claimed to come from heaven. So what could be so special about Jesus?

His claims. Jesus’ claims don’t line up with the claims of ordinary men. Multiple times in this teaching he made a claim that no ordinary human being could ever have made. We see one of the most profound in verse 40. “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day” (v.40).

We cannot miss the three bold claims woven into this statement. Jesus says that the Father’s will is for all to look on and believe in the Son – in Jesus! Remember that the Jewish people were monotheistic – worshipping only one God was a BIG part of their religion It set them apart from so many other religions with multiple gods to worship and please. They believed and worshipped in one God, but now Jesus’ claim was that that one God desired for them to believe in his Son, in Jesus, for eternal life!

He didn’t stop there. He also claimed to be the one to raise up believers on the last day. That kind of ability surpassed that of a doctor; it belonged only to the divine. People don’t rise from the dead alone; only God raises them or gives others the ability to do so!

Finally, we can’t miss the timing. Note that Jesus wasn’t talking about raising the dead yesterday, today, or tomorrow, but on the last day. How could man, whose life is determined by decades, not only raise anyone from the dead, but still be around on the last day to do so?!?

There is no misconstruing or confusing what Jesus is saying here. His words are not convoluted or complex. He is making clear, yet bold claims that are beyond the reach or ability of any human being.

So to the argument which some make that Jesus never claims to be God in the Bible, what other conclusion are we to draw about Jesus’ words here? There is no alternative! Jesus, the Bread of Life, is the ultimate manna from heaven. “Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die” (v.47-50).

What a difference! The Israelites ate the bread from heaven, manna, and they died. But Jesus, the true Bread from heaven, died, so that all who eat him may live!

How could all of this be? How could Jesus make such a promise?

Because he had in mind the very sacrifice he was going to offer to make it all possible. “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (v.51). Jesus was foreshadowing his crucifixion, where he gave himself up so that the world could have life. The Living Bread willingly died so that the spiritually dead – all people – could live. Only Jesus offers what cannot be found anywhere else: eternal life. 

Do we forget that God originally created us to live eternally? There was no death in his design of things. The word “eternal” only had to be added to describe eternal life after sin and its separation from God changed everything.

So the same way jokes are made asking whether it’s called “Chinese” food if it’s in China or if the French call them “french” fries or just “fries,” there was no need to call it “eternal” life when God first created Adam and Eve, because that’s what life was originally. Sin and eternal death necessitated the distinction between “life” and “eternal life.”

Jesus has reversed that. Jesus restored eternal life, because the sinless One suffered and died and served the sentence for us. Jesus forgave our sins – including every time we sinfully slip into searching for food that spoils again and again.

But with the debt of our sin cancelled, the path to eternal life has been reopened. And it comes only through Jesus, the Bread of Life. Next time, as we close out Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse, we are faced with the question of how we will respond to Jesus’ invitation to feed on him as the Bread of Life. 

The Best Bread

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(John 6:24-35)

There are a lot of good things to be said for being more aware of our diet and nutrition in America, of having a better sense of what is going into our bodies and what effects certain ingredients have on us. However, such awareness is not without its consequences. One of those is that we end up taking the results of this study or that headline to the extreme when it comes to either the positives of negatives of a certain ingredient or type of food. So, rather than approaching food sensibly, in moderation one direction or the other, we go to extremes. We either over-do it on this miracle superfood that promises to help us live to 120, or we completely eliminate something that an “expert” warned could send us to an early grave if we have too much of it. One of the victims of our health-conscious, carb-cutting culture has been bread. We order our burger without the bun. We scoop our bagels. We don’t eat the crusts on the pizza.

That general perception in our culture that bread is nothing more than extra, unnecessary carbs could have a negative impact on our understanding of the imagery Jesus used in his teaching from John chapter 6. We may not as easily relate to the main point Jesus is trying to emphasize by using bread as his focal point, which is simply that bread represented a dietary staple. 

In Jesus’ day, and still today in many places all over the world, where Grub Hub or Door Dash don’t exist to bring directly to your door any delicacy or delight you crave at any given time, bread is essential. It represents one of the most basic needs in life. Elsewhere in his teaching, Jesus does the same thing in comparing himself to water; it is a basic need for life. So even though we may go days or weeks so much as a crumb of carbs, don’t let that conceal the main truth of Jesus’ teaching: just as bread is a basic need for life, so also – albeit on a much grander scale – is Jesus!

As we listen to Jesus teach, certainly we wouldn’t question his teachings on salvation or eternal life. After all, where would we expect to find a more qualified expert to speak and teach on salvation than the Savior himself? When Jesus speaks on the matter of forgiveness and salvation, we listen and believe, because he is the authority on the subject. 

But let’s also realize something else about the authority and author of our salvation: if he is the expert on such things, then wouldn’t he also be the most qualified to warn us about the most dangerous threats to salvation? In other words, Jesus’ warnings are not just fringe possibilities or long shots to forfeit our salvation, but are in fact the most serious threats of which we need to be aware. So let us listen to Jesus, not only when he speaks of the stuff of eternal life, but also when he warns us about that which seeks to rob us of it.

In the first part of Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse, we see quite clearly the warning Jesus provides. “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you” (v.27). Here is the question with which we are forced to wrestle if we want to appreciate all of Jesus’ teaching: are you working for food that spoils? Before you answer that question, we have to clarify what Jesus is emphasizing. We have to look at his warning as he sets it up in contrast to the “food that endures to eternal life.” 

Jesus isn’t throwing out a blanket prohibition against all of our personal pursuits or passions in this world. He isn’t saying the olympic athlete driven to be the best in the sport is sinning. He isn’t saying it’s wrong to want to advance your career. He isn’t saying you can’t have nice things. What he is saying, though, is that when our drive for those things surpasses or overshadows our pursuit of the food that endures to eternal life, then we have a problem.

With that understanding, we can ask the question again: are you working for food that spoils? What (or who) is it right now that you really really want? What do you have to have? What is receiving the bulk of your time and energy? What is consuming your thoughts? What will crush you if you can’t eventually get it or have it? What might even be a permissible reason for you to justify setting aside your integrity or ethics to get it? What are you willing to make significant sacrifices for as you seek it out? However you might answer any of those questions could be the indicator that you’re working for food that spoils.

And you know what happens to food that spoils, don’t you? Look at what happened to the Israelites who gathered too much manna in the wilderness (Ex. 16). It was covered in maggots! What a powerful visual aid for anything, everything, we could possibly work for or pursue with our short time here on earth that isn’t the stuff of eternal life! That’s what it all will come to! Whatever it is you’re burning the candle at both ends for will not amount to anything. It will all spoil and be gone. 

If it has hit you that you’ve been working for food that spoils for some time in your life, that’s the first step in turning things around. But beware – it’s very hard to give that up cold turkey and trade it in for the bread of life just like that.

Another pleasant visual aid that illustrates this can sometimes be found when bringing in your trash bins from the curb after they’ve been collected. Even after the trash has been emptied from the bins into the garbage truck, depending on what’s been in the bin all week, it isn’t uncommon to peek down into the bottom of the trash bin and see squirming maggots still hanging around. The trash is gone, but its effects are lingering.

So when it hits us that we’ve been giving our lives to working for food that spoils, and in repentance we want to turn things around, be aware that the effects of having worked so long for food that spoils can linger for a bit. It takes time to get rid of it.

But admitting that I’ve been working for food that spoils is the first step. Once I realize that, I can come to grips with how fruitless that endeavor has been, and how fruitful it will be to work for food that endures to eternal life.

Jesus had the crowd’s attention. While they didn’t fully understand yet, they did want to know what that looked like. They wanted to know what Jesus considered to be the kind of work he was calling for. “Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’” (v.28). While curious about turning things around, they still couldn’t detach themselves from the concept of working and pursuing and pleasing. 

This is understandable, given the essence of their religion, which was all about keeping laws and following rules. The Jewish faith emphasized obedience and righteousness and holy living. But, while these are all good things, they are not and never will be salvation things. They don’t save. People today who still share the sense that good people go to heaven are clinging to a work-based salvation. But good works for salvation is not only impossible; it’s also not what Jesus is after. There’s another “work” that is far more important. 

Jesus spelled it out for them. “Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent’” (v.29). Jesus’ take on work was not about what you had to be, but rather who you had to believe. That’s what God was after because that’s the only way God saves – through belief in his Son through whom salvation is secured. Believe in him and you are working for food that endures. And, even as Jesus is imploring his listeners to believe, notice who gets the credit for that work – even that is God’s work! When belief – faith – is created, it is always only God’s work, not ours.

No, we aren’t saved by works; we are saved by believing in Jesus. But you may wonder, since believing is a relatively simple thing, why can’t we then carry on with our daily lives and continue pursuing our other interests and goals in life, the stuff that possibly qualifies as the “food that spoils” which Jesus warned against? If I believe, and that is enough, and that is the work God requires, well count me in. I believe! Good enough, right?

Yes, it is good enough. But here’s the problem: you aren’t.

You aren’t good enough to sustain or maintain – let alone grow in – that belief, that faith. Think of a simple flashlight. It has one task. In shines light. And it will do that one task well and it will do that one task for a long time. But eventually you’ll notice the light from that flashlight begins to dim a bit. It isn’t quite as bright as it used to be. Once that happens, the rate at which it dims seems to accelerate until finally, there is no light. The flashlight stops doing its one job. Why? It’s time to recharge it or change the battery. 

We are not unlike that flashlight. We are called to shine in our faith. We really have one job: believe, which leads us to reflect that faith in our daily lives. But we cannot shine endlessly, and we cannot shine brightly, without either a regular charge or new batteries.

Or, to switch back to the picture Jesus is using, the focus of our series, we cannot function in faith without regularly being fed the bread of life. We need Jesus. A lot of Jesus, not just a few crumbs here and there. That may make our carb-sensitive culture a little uneasy, but trust me, you can’t have too much of this Bread! It is hands down the best bread!

Ministry Means Care & Compassion

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(Mark 6:30-34)

“I don’t care.” The meaning attached to those words can vary, depending on the circumstances under which they’re spoken. They are spoken when it comes to avoiding having to make a decision. “There are plenty of options, just choose one, and I’m good with any of them. I don’t care which one.” Those words can also be spoken to convey that a certain issue doesn’t matter to one person as much as it does to another.

Whatever the context, the one place we want to avoid those words is when it comes to ministry, because meaningful ministry means caring; it means having compassion. We see that care and compassion expressed in different ways in the short verses from Mark 6. 

We’ll start with the most obvious way Jesus demonstrated compassion, highlighted by the Gospel writer Mark in how he sets the scene and builds tension that needs to be resolved. Jesus and his disciples had been putting the pedal to the metal, ministry-wise, and they needed some down time. As they stepped out of the limelight briefly to recalibrate, Mark sets up some potential conflict. “But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them” (v.33). Jesus and the disciples needed rest, and the crowds that had tracked them down threatened that. How would Jesus and the disciples respond?

Jesus and the his apostles were in need of food and rest, and they made a deliberate attempt to step away for a bit to find it. But no sooner had they found it then the crowds once again found them! So much for a little R&R! Knowing how irritable we can become when we get hangry, it would have come as no surprise to see the apostles flare up and shoo the crowds away for a bit. Or, even a polite request for some alone time would have been completely understandable.

It should be no surprise to us at that Jesus showed how much he cared. “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things” (v.34). This is ministry. This is what gospel-geared, Savior-like service looks like in action. Meaningful ministry is not driven by convenience, but by compassion.

That means ministry is not limited to normal business hours. Since ministry is serving people and addressing their spiritual needs, those situations may arise at any time. When they do, we don’t shut the door and ask someone to come back during normal business hours. No, we serve as we’re able to, when we’re able to. 

Jesus’ compassionate heart got the better of him. He couldn’t turn them away, for when he looked, he didn’t see a bunch of time-sucking vampires always in need and draining him physically, mentally, and emotionally. Instead, he saw sheep without a shepherd. So, as the Good Shepherd, he sought to give these shepherdless sheep, these aimless wanderers who didn’t know what they didn’t know, the priceless gift of the Scriptures. He taught them timeless truths that would open their eyes to see Jesus as both their Good Shepherd and the perfect Lamb of God, who came to take away the sins of the world. 

How desperately we all need such a compassionate Savior! And not only because we need someone to care so deeply about us, but also because we need someone to care so deeply about others in our place. Even the most tender-hearted and compassionate among us fails to reach the level of perfect concern that Jesus has in his heart for all people. So to see him not only patiently put up with the crowds hunting him down like paparazzi, but to genuinely long to meet their needs – Jesus is out of our league! Jesus is what we are not. His righteousness is demonstrated through his untainted, selfless concern for his neighbor. How essential for our salvation that in Jesus we don’t just have the Savior we need from sin, but also the Substitute who characterized compassion so beautifully for us. 

Oh to view people in need the same way! Instead, we so easily see people as a hindrance to the task at hand. When my plans are put on hold or scrapped altogether because of someone else’s time of need, I don’t look at myself and see the compassion Jesus demonstrates here. Instead, the audible huffing and puffing of reluctance and resentment or the snarky jab that accompanies my begrudging service are much more common. Jesus saw people in need and his heart ached; we see people in need and are annoyed. 

Imagine if Jesus harbored similar sentiments in his heart toward people in need – no way would he ever have made it to the cross! By that point he would have been sick and tired of serving all the needy souls that chased him down! Then, to take it to another level and be tortured and crucified for the same lot of destitute crowds? Not a chance… if it was you or me in that position.

Thankfully, it wasn’t. It was Jesus. Caring Jesus. Compassionate Jesus. Always, at all times. For us, no matter how much in need we may ever find ourselves to be.

And you know exactly what he longs to do with that compassion which he extends to us; he desires to express it through us to others in need. Ministry that is meaningful takes into account what is meaningful to my neighbor in his time of need. It sacrifices my own wants and plans and preferences when care and compassion for others overrides everything else. When compassion calls us to meet physical needs, we do what we can. When those needs are emotional, we support as we’re able. When those needs are spiritual, we jump at the opportunity to point the lost and the hurting to their healing, caring, compassionate Savior.

Jesus didn’t just show care and compassion to the crowds in this account, but also to his coworkers. Remember, it was the needs of his coworkers in ministry that prompted Jesus and the disciples to get away in the first place. Jesus cared about their physical well-being, too. “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place” (v.31-32). While it is absolutely the most rewarding thing we ever get to be a part of, that doesn’t mean ministry is easy. It isn’t, always. It can be exhausting. It can be draining. It can include long days. So we need to be aware of that for each other, as most of us here aren’t full or even part-time paid coworkers, but volunteers. 

There is of course the personal ministry that we carry out in our daily lives, but there is also the congregational ministry that goes on. We want to be sensitive to that for each other, so that we don’t discourage taking care of one’s self or including margin in our schedules. And when you do serve in some capacity, you must always know that it’s good and wise to say no, too, when necessary. Even when it comes to ministry, God has created our bodies and souls to need breaks, to need rest, to need restoration. Let’s make sure we’re giving that to each other, especially because sometimes, as we see this in this account from Mark, that rest can be rather short-lived!

We actually see the final example of care and compassion first in Mark’s introductory description of this account. Those sent by Jesus to carry out meaningful ministry were now reporting on that ministry, and Jesus cared enough to listen. “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught” (v.30).

There are really two takeaways here: first, when we carry out meaningful ministry, a trust has been given to us. Since God calls us to carry out this work faithfully, we are responsible for holding ourselves accountable to others. Most often that takes the form of some sort of reporting, either formally or informally. If you belong to a church that has called a pastor to serve you with the gospel, you have every right to hold him accountable in carrying out that ministry. Just as the apostles did to Jesus, so also pastors report all that they are doing and have done in ministry.

You, too, are accountable for participating in this ministry as well. That is, after all, one of the most significant reasons we join a church – to use our gifts to participate in ministry.

Church membership isn’t like a trip to Costco, where I am solely a consumer filling my cart with more things than I need. You aren’t responsible for stocking the shelves at Costco. You don’t check out customers or scan their receipts. At Costco you are simply a customer.

But church is not Costco! At church you are a customer and a coworker. So when you take up a task, when you are involved in ministry, a part of that means caring enough to be held accountable to do what you said you were going to do.

That’s the first takeaway – reporting and accountability.

The second is simply that Jesus listened. They were reporting to Jesus what they had done. Now when you picture this taking place, do you imagine Jesus being the hardline boss, waiting to jump down the throat of us his employees? Probably not. More likely, he listened and offered encouraging feedback and direction to use the opportunity as a teachable moment to equip them for future ministry. 

We can do the same! When we are willing to serve in some official capacity as we carry out our ministry together, this is no small thing to which we have agreed! We are agreeing to give our best for the best, and rather than holding to the “they should be grateful I’m serving” attitude, we want to be eager to provide updates and progress. And on the other side, we want to eagerly hear such reports, so that we might encourage and uplift each other in service, and offer assistance or guidance whenever it’s needed.

Those serving care enough to hold themselves accountable, and those to whom they report care enough to listen and provide support. While it’s not the big picture idea from these verses, it is one more way that meaningful ministry involves caring for each other.

Meeting the needs of others is not the occasional good deed that we’re willing to do when we put “real” ministry on pause; meeting the needs of others is the ministry, the gospel-geared, Savior-like service to which we’re called. It isn’t an inconvenience; it’s our calling. It isn’t a hindrance to getting ministry done; it is how ministry is done as we serve to open doors through compassion that ultimately permit us to point others to their compassionate Christ. 

Is now a good time to consider how your congregation might extend the reach of care and compassion to more in the community? Could care and compassion be a calling card of your congregation? Could you offer grief support or a resiliency ministry for those struggling with addictions? Could you partner with other community organizations already involved in such things to enhance what is already being done?

We don’t have to look very far to see outlets for care and compassion. Could we put Jesus’ care and compassion into practice by meeting more of those needs? Meaningful Ministry is service that is willing to ask those questions and to provide answers as the Lord enables us to. May the Lord grant us such willing spirits.

Hold Firmly

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(Titus 1:5-9)

Last week, at the start of this Meaningful Ministry (aka, gospel-geared, Savior-like service) series, we began with the reminder that our efforts will not always be appreciated by everyone. In fact, we can expect our efforts to be opposed, sometimes with even great effort. Nevertheless, we carry on with ministry because it’s what God calls us to do. 

Now we find the confidence we need in remembering whose authority backs our ministry, and where we find that authority. As one pastor writing to another, Paul reminded Titus that “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (v.9). Therefore, as we continue to consider what meaningful ministry looks like, we must cling to the truth that meaningful ministry is that which holds firmly to the trustworthy message. Meaningful ministry holds firmly to the Word.

If I may say so, although the title of this post is “Hold Firmly,” some of you are, quite frankly, holding rather loosely to the Word of God. That might hurt a little bit to hear, but if so, thank God that his Word – specifically the law – is doing what it is supposed to do. We might be inclined to push back against such a statement (because after all, what about all the others who are not reading this or who don’t regularly attend church?!?), and to do so wouldn’t necessarily be wrong. But those Christians not reading or listening to sermons aren’t alone in their loose grasp on the Word of God – there are plenty more right there with them who have a rather soft grip on the Word. 

That can happen if Sunday morning worship or reading the occasional sermon online is about as engaged as one ever gets in ministry. If there is one thing that believer and unbeliever alike know about Christianity and Sunday mornings, it’s that Sunday mornings are for worship. While the unbeliever obviously doesn’t see any need to be there, the danger for the believer is to see worship as the bare minimum in his affiliation with the church. Yes, one of the greatest blessings God has given to his church as it carries out meaningful ministry is the blessing of worship; but even that blessing can become a bottleneck to anyone who severely shortchanges ministry by defining it as nothing more than going to church. Such a view is a soft grip on the Word. 

Imagine an actor just showing up for the performance. No study of the storyline or character. No rehearsing lines or any thought on how they might be delivered. Or an athlete just showing up for the games. No practice. No drills. No preparation or game-tape on the other team. Very few could pull either off, and to do so with such little effort beforehand not only reflects poorly on the craft, but also fails to set a high standard or raise the bar in that field.

Why would Christians settle for mediocrity in our ministry, settling for less than our best in carrying out Christ’s calling? Why would some idea of minimal means of grace involvement ever be satisfactory? No, we want to practice like we play. Prepare. Be in the Word. Deeply.

There is great reason to hold firmly to this Word of God. We do so because through it God sends us and serves us. Meaningful ministry is our lot, not because we wisely figured out on our own that Jesus might be good for people to know about, but because Jesus sends us, just as he sent his disciples. They went out with his backing, with his authority. And they went out not because they were qualified in and of themselves, but because they were called. He was the one sending them.

He is the one sending you. Not because you are qualified in and of yourself, but because you were called. You carry out ministry with his backing, with his authority. That started when he made you what you are today, when he gave you your most precious status and title: his. You belong to him. You are his. He made you his when he paid with his life and then gifted you with the faith to believe it. 

I most commonly close my emails with that very signature, “His.” It reminds me of the title that carries more weight than any other ever could. My worth and my value and my significance and my purpose are all wrapped up in the One to whom I belong. In a very real way, one of the simplest little hymns many of us ever learned to sing as children still holds dear in our hearts: “I am Jesus’ little lamb, ever glad at heart I am.” I have different titles. I have various responsibilities and roles. Like an umbrella over them all at all times is the precious truth that I am his – and I always will be. 

And he, dear friends, is the One who sends us. When we forget that bond, that relationship, and all that God did to establish it, ministry is less meaningful. That is when it becomes a job, nothing more than a series of tasks, as if the boss just gave you a list of things he needs you to get done. To lose that bond, that connection with our Savior, and allow it to fray, easily turns ministry into misery. I think you’d agree that Miserable Ministry would be a significantly different sermon series. So remember why we hold firmly to this Word: it is a constant reminder of the One who sends us.

It is also the way he has chosen to serve us. This might be the most significant hurdle that keeps many Christians away from more meaningful service: a willingness to continue to be served by God through holding firmly to the Word. Remember, ministry is gospel-geared, Savior-like service. Another reminder: you are incapable of carrying that out on your own. It must be worked into you through the Word. So there is no, “Jesus did this for me, and now I’d like to graduate beyond that and get busy with all of the work of his kingdom.” No, there is only, “Jesus did this for me, and now he will do this through me.”

So we do not busy ourselves with church work while avoiding church Word & worship. They are inseparable. Service is prompted by being served, and if I don’t have the humility to continue being served a steady diet of Word and Sacrament, then my service will be short-lived and running on fumes in no time. It will become about me. It will become a burden. It will burn me out. It will turn me against other Christians as I begin to resent them for not doing what I’m doing. When I am at that point, I fail to notice how much I have come to resemble Martha, begrudging the others who are too preoccupied with the Word in worship and Bible study to actually do the work to which we’ve been sent.

At that moment we are reminded of why it’s so essential to hold firmly to the Word: my jaded heart daily needs its forgiveness and renewal. In the Word alone do I find what my heart longs for: grace for my misguided ministry that somehow turned what is God’s around and made it all about me. That joy of salvation renews me, taking my me-minded ministry and making it captive to Christ. His sacrifice and salvation for me prompts my sacrificial service to others for the sake of that same salvation. It makes ministry meaningful again.

When I hold firmly to the Word of God at work in all of this, I see that same Word of God at work in me. 

In these verses, Paul laid out quite the list of qualifications for ministry to Titus. While this standard of expectations certainly applies to all Christians, there is an especially important reason Paul emphasizes it for a pastor: because the pastor is understandably associated most directly with God and his authority. As one called by Christians to serve them with the gospel in Word and Sacrament, he is God’s representative. But just as surely as all of these qualifications apply to all Christians, so does the call to hold firmly to the Word of God apply to all Christians. 

In fact, without this final point in this section of Paul’s words to Titus, what precedes is purposeless. Why? Because apart from the Word at work in us, there’s no innate desire to embody the qualifications Paul lists, nor is there any ability to carry them out.

Take note of how Paul refers to the usage of teaching and doctrine, which as often as not seems to get a pretty bad rap – even within the church these days. Many view doctrine as divisive (despite the reality that it is actually what unites). Many view doctrine as a hindrance to Christian living (despite the reality that Christian living flows from it).

But see how Paul touches on it! He uses the word “encourage.” To remain faithful to the Bible’s teachings, to hold the view that doctrine is so very important and matters greatly – this is encouraging. What is discouraging is to see it downplayed, to hear the point of view that only the Jesus and salvation stuff really matters, and we can politely agree to disagree on all the other stuff. The problem with that view is that all of the “other stuff” flows from the Jesus and salvation stuff; it isn’t some add-on or take-it-or-leave-it a la carte menu. It all ties to Jesus, and for that reason, it is encouraging, as Paul maintained. 

So hold firmly to that Word of God – all of it. Our Meaningful Ministry will be blessed as we do so. For it is through the Word of God that he sends us and serves us. And as he does, he will serve us and equip us with everything that we need to carry out faithful, meaningful ministry.

Surviving Snubbed Service

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(Ezekiel 2:1-7)

Would say that you love your job? Do you have the kind of job that makes you dread weekends because you have to wait until Monday to get back to work? Does your job make you pop out of bed in the morning with energy and excitement because you get to go to work? I’m guessing that even if you really enjoy your work, you’d still agree that the scenarios I just described are pretty exaggerated. Some are blessed to really enjoy their work and thrive in it, while others dutifully carry on out of necessity, because it pays the bills.

Regardless of how you feel about your job, as people belonging to God, you have another calling, and I am not exaggerating when I say that it is absolutely the most important thing that anyone could be a part of during their lifetime here on earth. For that reason, it is also more meaningful than anything else we could do on earth. Why? Because heaven and hell hang in the balance, and would you believe it – God uses us to factor into that outcome. How?

It’s called ministry. If we hear that word and all that comes to mind are things like pastors, teachers, church work, and schools, we have far too narrow a view of ministry. Ministry is not limited by a location or a timeframe – it’s possible anywhere and everywhere and at any time. The simplest definition of ministry is “service.” But it’s more than that. After all, the person waiting on your table at the restaurant is involved in service. The librarian assisting you with checking out a book is providing you a service. 

Ministry, however, has a special purpose: it’s gospel-geared, Savior-like service. The ministry to which we are called – all of us as Christians – is in service to the good news of Jesus as Savior of the world. Sometimes our service may include directly communicating that beautiful gospel; many times it is simply service prompted by that gospel or building a bridge to that gospel down the road. Since it is gospel-geared, Savior-like service, that is what makes it meaningful ministry. 

So our focus in this first post of the series may be a bit unsettling. It’s not the kind of inspirational pep-talk that you might expect to get everyone geared up to go out and thrive in their ministry. But it is a hugely important truth that needs to be included anytime we talk about ministry. It’s essentially the sad reality that as meaningful as ministry is to God – it’s his favorite thing, by the way – there will be many for whom ministry is not meaningful at all. In fact, there are and there will be many who not only want nothing to do with it, but who also despise you for carrying it out. 

If anyone could relate, it was the prophet Ezekiel. After having just witnessed quite the strange vision, he had now dropped faced down to the ground and was being given his marching orders. He was being send as God’s spokesman. Awesome! What a privilege! What an honor! To get to be the one to personally relay God’s message? Amazing!

There was just one catch: he wasn’t being sent to people who would be tickled pink to hear it. Oh, they should have been, for sure. God’s chosen people ought to have delighted each and every time God valued them enough to personally send a spokesperson to them. What other nation could make such a claim, that God cared enough about them to repeatedly, determinedly, persistently, send prophet after prophet to them? They should have been honored to have been thought so highly of by God to take such measures. 

But that wasn’t how God described them to Ezekiel. Not even close. In fact, by my count, some form of the word “rebellious” was used five times in just this short section! Sprinkle in an “obstinate” and “stubborn,” here, and “revolt” there, along with the flattering description of “briars and thorns” and “scorpions,” and it sounds more like Ezekiel is being sent to war against the enemy rather than to proclaim God’s Word to God’s own people!

Even that would have had some appeal if God had revealed that this would be the ultimate turnaround story and that the Israelites would return back to God as a result of Ezekiel’s ministry. But God gave him no such promise. In fact, he prepared him for the more likely outcome that that they would fail to listen, based on their rebellious tendencies. 

Wouldn’t our ministry together be easier if we had the kind of promise from God that assured us that whenever we have the chance to be his spokesperson to someone else, it will always be received with a warm welcome? It will always result in repentance? It will always lead others to turn to Jesus in faith? God didn’t give Ezekiel that kind of assurance, so we probably shouldn’t expect it either.

That, however, does not nullify our need to carry it out, just as it didn’t for Ezekiel. God warned him, “You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious” (v.7). Ezekiel was sent to carry out his ministry regardless of the outcome – “whether they listen or fail to listen.” So are we. That is both frustrating and freeing.

It’s frustrating because we always want the Word to work the best possible outcome, resulting in eternal life for everyone who hears it. But it doesn’t, and that means at times our ministry is going to feel like a waste of time. Sometimes we’ll get snubbed. Sometimes painfully so. And this may happen rather quickly, right out of the gates at times, or it could be a much longer, drawn out process. 

It may come from something as simple as an offer to pray for someone in a difficult situation, only to have that offer immediately rejected because the person doesn’t want any prayers to some “imaginary” God. It may come from a tersely rejected offer to share with someone else what your faith has meant to you. If you’ve shared your faith enough times, you have stories of rejection. A door slammed in your face. A conversation cut short the minute it became about Jesus. A relationship that suddenly more or less dissolved the moment your religion became a part of it. The butt of jokes from others – possibly even family members. No, we know full well that our service, our ministry, will be flat out rejected at times rather quickly.

Other times that rejection, that snubbed service, may be longer and more drawn out. This could be a relationship that you’ve patiently tried to reconcile over time, only to have those efforts rebuffed by the other person. It might be a family member you’ve prayed for over the years and have been very persistent with in your conversations about Jesus who hasn’t seemed to have budged at all. It’s the unchurched person you have gone out of your way to know and serve as every opportunity has come up who has never once expressed appreciation or thanks. It’s the straying member you have reached out to for months to let them know you care and to check in on them, only to have them fall away and reject their faith altogether. All of these things can happen in ministry, and it’s frustrating when they do.

But it’s also freeing that God involves us in meaningful ministry because he didn’t task Ezekiel and he doesn’t task us with being responsible for the outcome. While it can be extremely difficult to do, we have to keep our faithful ministry efforts separate from their results. The results aren’t your responsibility. They aren’t my responsibility. The results are the responsibility of God alone – and for good reason! That helps us from getting puffed up with pride when God uses us to bring about amazing results in his kingdom, and it keeps us from despairing and feeling worthless when our efforts seem to amount to nothing.

In either case, regardless of the outcome – even if it’s rejection – the reason our ministry will always be the most important thing? Because there is no plan B. There is no alternative method or approach that serves as a backup plan by which people might be saved. It’s only through the gospel. Apart from the gospel, no one can ever know their guilt and shame has been released by the Savior who was pierced and crucified for them. No one can ever know the blessings of sins forgiven unless they hear about and believe in the only One who can forgive sins: Jesus. No one can ever have peace in the face of death unless they hear and believe in the One who died for them. No one can ever have the hope of eternal life unless they hear and believe the gospel. 

That’s why your ministry matters. God can use the gifts he’s given you in ways to serve the gospel, even when you yourself haven’t directly communicated the gospel. Your hospitality to your neighbor or your kindness to a coworker might make such an impression that they want to know more about what drives that. Your offerings support mission work in new churches and in foreign lands so that others can proclaim the gospel (and those same offerings just sent ten of our teenagers to the WELS Youth Rally where they were enriched with the gospel). Your labor or service around the church property reflect positively when guests are present. Your efforts at connecting with new families a school ministry let them know they are welcome and that yours is a place for them to hear more good news. Your invitations to others to come to your church will also bear fruit. There are no little, trivial, unimportant efforts regarding ministry, as God is able to use all of our collective efforts to advance his gospel and build up his kingdom. 

Yes, at times our service will be snubbed. But we’ll survive. We’ll survive because other times our service won’t be snubbed; instead, it will bear spectacular fruit. Other times God will use you in ways you could never have predicted to radically change someone else’s life with the gospel, and to forever change their eternal life as well. What could be more meaningful than that?

Defying Death Is Not Death-Defying

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(Mark 5:21-24a, 35-43)

Have you noticed the shift in the way we discuss death and prepare for it as a society? A friend recently shared an article from a rabbi regarding death. The article had some good insights in preparing for death that would be very beneficial for anyone to consider. He presented a number of thought-provoking questions that could probably help anyone struggling with the reality of death. The general approach he took in his article was to emphasize the importance of making sure you’re living the life you want to live right now that lines up with your priorities.

Ironically, what his article on death did not address, is what actually happens to us when we die. More and more, this seems to be the trend regarding death and end-of-life issues – we avoid the death part. Certain practices that are becoming more prevalent, like holding “Celebration of Life” events in place of funerals or memorial services, or even a living funeral that allows the person to participate in their own funeral before they die, reflect this avoidance of death. Our aversion to discussing death isn’t necessarily a surprise, as it likely comes from either a fear of what that might be, or the uncertainty that prompts us to keep our collective heads in the sand and avoid the topic altogether.

But if there is anyone in our society who should have no problem taking the lead in discussing this topic that applies to everyone, it should be Christians. Death does not need to be a taboo topic for those of us who by faith cling to the One who undid death and its terrifying threats. Death is different for the children of God than it is for the children of this world. Jesus reminds us why in this section of Mark’s Gospel, and as the current series (“A Top-Down Faith”) concludes, we thank God for the top-down faith that allows us to see death differently – not as the world does, but as it really is.

The man named Jairus would never view death the same. We don’t know much about Jairus outside of this account. His position as synagogue leader would have been similar to someone serving on a church council or even as the church president. He was responsible for overseeing and managing the synagogue. When his daughter became sick, Mark details for us how he approached Jesus. “Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, ‘My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live’” (v.22-23).

The disciples in the boat last week could have taken a page from the synagogue leader’s request in how to appropriately approach Jesus! We see in Jairus two things that are noteworthy. One, he demonstrates a confident trust that Jesus was able to heal his daughter, and two, the manner by which he asks displays an endearing measure of humility. Unlike the disciples, Jairus didn’t arrogantly conclude in the midst of his own personal storm regarding his daughter’s terminal illness that Jesus must not have cared. Instead, he humbly expressed his confidence in Jesus by politely asking him to heal her.

Jesus obliged. He then accompanied Jairus to his home. However, tragedy struck while they were on their way. Before they had arrived, they were met with the devastating news that it appeared to be too late. His daughter had already died. The messengers reasoned that there was no point in having Jesus continue on to the house anymore since she was already dead.

But Jesus had other plans. “Overhearing what they said, Jesus told [Jairus], ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe’” (v.36). When you have a miracle of this magnitude where a dead person is raised to life, it isn’t surprising for that kind of a thing to generally grab all the attention in the narrative. But we would miss out on so much if we neglected to delve more into the details of Jesus’ response to Jairus!

“Don’t be afraid.” Fear surrounding death comes in all shapes and sizes. There is a fear of the unknown surrounding death. While the Bible makes it clear what happens when believers die, it doesn’t walk us through the actual experience of dying itself, nor do we always know how we’re going to die. There is also a fear of the unknown regarding the remaining family members after a death. How will they handle it? How will they be cared for? How will they get through x/y/z without this person? And to all of these fears, the unbeliever can add another: the fear of uncertainty in not knowing where he is going, or even the intuitive awareness that her life has not measured up, and she will have to face the consequences. 

Of those fears just mentioned, only the last one is justified, for if nothing changes for the unbeliever, there is no more legitimate fear than that of suffering in hell for eternity! To the other fears, though, just as Jesus said to Jairus, so he says to us: “Don’t be afraid.”

Let your anxious fears be drowned in those words. Do not insist on following them with a “but…” or a “how…” or any other uncertainties for which we might be inclined to seek out an answer. Just take Jesus’ words to heart.

He didn’t explain to Jairus why he didn’t need to be afraid. He didn’t lay out his plans for raising his daughter so that it made sense to Jairus why he didn’t need to be afraid. He just eased his aching heart with the assurance that he had nothing to fear. In fact, instead of being afraid, Jesus encouraged Jairus to replace that fear with something else: faith.

“Just believe,” Jesus said. It’s the easiest thing in the world. It’s also the hardest thing in the world.

On the one hand, since the work of conversion, of coming to faith in Jesus, is entirely and completely the work of the Holy Spirit through and through, it couldn’t be easier! He did that work in us. We have no claim to make or any role to play in coming to faith. It is all God’s work, not ours. We did nothing – that’s easy!

However, having been brought to faith in Jesus and now being aware of all of the gracious promises he gives us in his Word, it becomes more difficult to “just believe.” That’s because we start to see how often our own thoughts and experiences in life seem to test our trust in those promises. It is easy to say I believe in Jesus; it is hard to live in his promises by faith. It’s hard not to demand knowing the answer when we’re at a crossroad in life. It’s hard not to insist on being in control of challenging situations. It’s hard when things don’t work out the way I want them to or think they should. Regardless of whatever the circumstances may be, to look to and lean on every word and promise of God – this is a hard thing! 

But it gets easier the more we do it. Rather than trying to understand why it’s reasonable or makes sense in this or that scenario to believe, just believe. Just listen to Jesus. It doesn’t have to make sense first. I don’t have to see the clear, logical path first. I don’t have to have the answer or solution first. No, first, believe. Then, faith will see what happens next. For example, a dead daughter being raised back to life.

Notice that Jesus didn’t raise Jairus’ daughter because Jairus understood it or could explain to the crowds what Jesus was about to do. No, Jesus raised her because… Jesus raised her. Because he could. Because he cared. Because there are no limitations to what God can do. He is capable of doing anything at any time. Just believe.

Some didn’t. Some didn’t believe. In fact, not only did they not believe Jesus, they took it a step further and ridiculed him with laughter. “When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, ‘Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.’ But they laughed at him” (very.38-40). They did not, as Jesus had encouraged Jairus, “just believe.” And for their lack of faith, they weren’t allowed to witness the miracle first hand. Jesus dismissed them and cleared out the home.

But Jairus, who had already displayed the confidence that Jesus could powerfully intervene on behalf of his daughter, saw his faith rewarded, and along with him his wife, who likely shared his trust in Jesus. Together with the three disciples of Jesus’ inner circle, they all witnessed the impermanence of death when Jesus is involved. “He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished” (v.41-42). Jesus didn’t disappoint. 

Neither does our faith in Jesus. 

A faith in Jesus that fully trusts what he is capable of doing does not have to insist that he do it. What I mean is this. Sometimes people – even Christians – make the measure of their faith conditional. Their faith is dependent upon whether or not God acts on their behalf in accordance with their desired outcome in any situation. If he doesn’t, their faith diminishes. But that sort of a faith doesn’t really have much of a foundation.

Rather, a faith that fully believes that God can do something, but also remains intact – strong even – in the times when God chooses not to act in accordance with our desires or wishes – now that is faith! To believe that God can heal my loved one dying of this or injured by that, but nonetheless embracing the outcome by faith even if he doesn’t – this is the faith we’re after! Because it is a faith that really sees death as it is: temporary. A nap. Nothing more than restful sleep.

Doesn’t it stand out how casually Jesus treats death in this account? There was no special potion or concoction that needed to be crafted, no ritual or rite that needed to take place. There were no steps to carry out beforehand for it all to work out. Jesus simply told a little girl to wake up from her nap. That is what death is to Jesus! What do we, who are in Jesus, have to fear?!?

So let us apply this to our own death, and to the deaths of those we love who are in Christ. When facing what appears to be imminent death, is God able to intervene and hold off death? Absolutely. We know he is. But will he choose to do so just because he can? Not always, for he personally knows two things that we can’t fully grasp.

One, he knows how much more incredible it is for the believer to cross the finish line home into heaven. What a great reminder for us to shift away from speaking of those who have died as being “taken from this world.” Death is not being taken from this world; rather, it is being brought into the presence of Jesus!

Two, Jesus fully knows that death is a short-lived sleep from which all physical bodies of believers will be raised. We will be glorified to live eternally in the new heaven and earth that is coming. And it will be one without cemeteries.

Therefore, we can face death fearlessly. Having been washed in the waters of our baptism, having been fed a steady diet of Word and Sacrament, having heard the absolving words of Jesus from the pages of Scripture and from the lips of fellow believers, “you are forgiven,” death is nothing more than a peaceful sleep, a restful nap, that does more than just open a window into pleasant dreams, but ushers us into the perfect reality of home in heaven. 

The raising of Jairus’ daughter was not the headliner – just the opening act. The real performance was Jesus’ own death and resurrection! Because of that, death and fear do not go hand-in-hand for the believer.

Here is a reminder from Hebrews to cement this truth in your hearts. “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:14-15). In Christ, God took on a body so that the power of death could be broken and that we would be freed from death and freed from being enslaved by the fear of death.

Defying death is not death-defying. There is no danger or risk in dealing confidently with death. You know and believe in the One who undid death. So be unafraid to discuss death with others, and alleviate their fears by pointing them to Jesus, who defied death for us.

Sow What?

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(Mark 4:26-34)

You don’t have to have a green thumb to be fascinated by seeds. When it comes to growing things, without diminishing the hard labor of farmers or gardeners, the seed is really responsible for doing all of the work. Once the seed is in the ground, it more or less takes over from there. The one tending to it may be able to control certain variables, like irrigation or fertilizer, but the seed is going to do what God designed it to do regardless: grow. 

It doesn’t always work like that, though. Consider the baker. The cake doesn’t bake itself. Multiple steps like properly following the recipe and baking it at the correct temperature for right length of time are necessary for the cake to turn out. That work does depend on the baker. Or take the software designer – if his coding is off, the software will have bugs and glitches and not work as it is supposed to. There are plenty of jobs that require constant monitoring and following the appropriate steps and procedures for everything to go smoothly. But when it comes to making a seed grow, the seed does all the work. 

The Word Works

Jesus emphasized this in his first parable. Once the seed was in the ground, look at what happened next. “Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how” (v.27). To a degree, whether the farmer works hard or hardly works, whether he puts in a full day or slacks off by sleeping in, either way, the seed is going to do what the seed is going to do: grow. And, it doesn’t need anyone’s help, as Jesus reminded his listeners: “All by itself the soil produces grain” (v.28).

Jesus’ is interested in more than just agriculture here; he is illustrating how God’s Word grows his kingdom. His Word, and his Word alone, does all the work.

The Bible doesn’t need our help to be effective. It doesn’t need to be wrapped up in a catchy sermon series or marketing. It doesn’t need to be supported by flashy professional media. The Word doesn’t work better because the church is bigger or smaller or has a cooler name. The style of worship doesn’t enhance the Word, nor does our logic or reason make it more likely to take root. It’s not anything we do at all. The Word does the work all by itself. The Holy Spirit uses it to bring life from death. He uses it to create and keep faith, faith that receives an abundance of rich gifts which he continually distributes through that same Word. 

Neither do we need to know the inner workings of the Word to know that it will work. In fact, you can’t. That’s why one individual soaking up everything about Christianity with a fervor that is contagious, suddenly becomes MIA and turns into a cold case. It’s also why the obstinate atheist unexpectedly becomes filled with faith. Why the one and not the other? I don’t know. Neither do you. God does, and we know how he does it and we know that he only does it one way: through his Word.

That’s why we understand how essential that small sentence at the beginning of Jesus’ parable is, “A man scatters seed on the ground” (v.26). If it starts with that, then we need to start with that. Nothing happens without the seed being scattered. Nothing happens to stored away seed. It won’t grow. It won’t produce. It won’t… anything.

So the Word must be sown. The seed must be scattered. The bedside Bible that is rarely opened is nothing more than another item to be dusted off when cleaning. The Bible app on your phone that never sees the light of day is only adding more clutter to your home screen. For the Word to work, just like anything else, it has to be used. If the Word is not spoken, shared, read, studied, confessed, preached, taught, passed on, etc., it will not produce. The Word needs to be communicated for it to work. The seed needs to be scattered. Are you scattering the seed?

When the stranger in line next to you opens up and ends up sharing some personal matters she is working through, are you looking for a chance to scatter the seed? When your unchurched friend returns from traveling to a family member’s funeral and expresses to you his doubts and uncertainty regarding death and the afterlife, do you scatter the seed? Your classmate is wrestling with feeling worthless and insignificant – do you scatter the seed? A church member close to you confesses something they’ve done that has left them reeling in guilt and shame – do you scatter the seed? 

Scatter the seed under your own roof, too. Fathers, are you taking the lead in this area? Are you scattering the seed of the Word in your marriage and in your home? If not, what is holding you back? If it’s your fear of having an inadequate understanding of the Bible or feeling that you aren’t qualified, look again at Jesus’ words: “Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how” (v.27). God isn’t calling you as a father to be an expert in the Word; he’s just calling you to scatter it so that he can do the work of building his kingdom. The Word works, so put it to work. And as you do, you’ll begin to notice the blessings over time.

The Word Works Big Blessings from Small Beginnings

The Word works, and it works big blessings. But it does so from small beginnings. Jesus explained, “It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade” (v.31-32). The Word’s work is like the mustard seed – it starts small, but over time grows and develops into something big.

A newborn infant and splashes of water accompanied by God’s powerful promise. God is able to grow the small seed planted there into something magnificent. A small beginning, yes, but big blessings will follow. An ongoing dialogue between two friends, one of whom is asking questions of the other about God and the Bible. A small seed is being planted, which God can grow into much bigger blessings over time. 

A sermon is shared, a service is streamed, an invitation is extended. A passage is quoted, a prayer is said. A hurting soul is comforted. A small bit of bread and wine are received. A devotion is read together. In all of it, the small mustard seed of the gospel is being scattered, and through all of it, God is causing big blessings to grow. 

But because it starts so small, and because at times it seems to take so long to grow, we must fight the urge to give up on it when we fail to see immediate results. The atom-size attention spans we have in our day and age have not helped. We hardly have to wait for anything anymore, so when we do, we become quickly irritated and give up to move on to something else. Perhaps the days of dial-up internet and rotary phones weren’t as bad as we make them out to be – at least they fostered a measure of patience in our everything-is-instant age! Regardless, keep scattering the seed with the complete confidence that from that tiny gospel seed, God will grow big blessings. 

The Word Works in Me

It isn’t necessary for us to know how the Word works to be able to trust that the Word works, since the Holy Spirit is the one doing the heavy lifting. While that is true, one of the blessings that Word produces in us is the desire to learn it, to know it, and to understand it better. Look at Mark’s description of Jesus’ teaching at the conclusion of these two parables. “With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything” (v.33-34). They grew in their learning. Jesus used parables to explain to them things they didn’t understand. And what they didn’t understand, he explained to them. And this happened on an ongoing basis!

Such is the cyclical relationship we have with the Word. The more we’re in it, the more we crave it. To those who avoid it because they don’t understand it, the solution is to be in it more – not less! – so that it will provide us with better understanding.

What did you do the last time you didn’t understand something.? Perhaps a movie ending didn’t make sense. Maybe you couldn’t explain why something that appeared to be in good working order wasn’t doing what it was supposed to. What did you do? Did you just walk away, clueless and content to remain in your ignorance? I doubt it! I’m guessing you googled it in hopes of finding an answer. You may have even texted or talked to a friend about it. You very likely took at least some step toward having a better understanding.

Why are we so reluctant to do the same with the Word? If you don’t get it, that’s fine, but getting away from it is not the solution to getting it. The solution is to scatter more seed. More, not less, and give the Word time to germinate in your heart and mind. Allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten and open up the Scriptures to you.

It’s been said that people overestimate what they can accomplish in one year, but underestimate what they can accomplish in 3-5 years. Reading the Bible in a year may not be for you, but what about reading it in three? What about finding others in whom the seed has just been planted and is starting to sprout, and committing together to keep after it for the long-term? It starts small. It takes time. But it can and will grow great things in your life, because the Word works! Scatter the seed!

Victory from Defeat

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(Genesis 3:8-15)

The team that gets swept in four games doesn’t win the championship. The candidate with fewer votes doesn’t win the election. The contestant with the wrong answer doesn’t win the gameshow. There’s no rigorous testing or investigation that needs to happen in such cases to determine the winner from the loser; it’s plain to see.

Unless you’re God. Then it’s more of a challenge. Why? Because God wins, and God doesn’t just win in victory, but God has repeatedly shown that he also wins in “defeat.” In other words, no matter how things may appear to us through our earthly eyes, whatever we’re seeing, God is able to use to win – to bring victory out of it. Yes, even victory from defeat. 

We have the follow-up to what appeared to be the most tragic defeat in all of history in our verses from Genesis 3. God had spoken the world into existence and established Adam & Eve as its keepers and overseers. He gave them the freedom to enjoy the created world in countless ways, while also providing them with opportunity to worship him by honoring the one command he did give them: not to eat the fruit of a certain tree. Satan, though, had his rebellious heart set on turning the created against their Creator, and never before and never again will one bite come at such a price. With it, sin had infiltrated God’s perfect world, and the occasion in our verses details for us what happened next. 

The question is often asked, “Why didn’t God just start all over after the fall?” That’s actually a fair question. The thought behind that question comes from the rationale that starting over could have avoided so much of the devastation that sin has caused in the world. While that may be true, if God had elected to take a mulligan and do it all over again, he would have been bound to his own word that warned of hell for anyone who ate the fruit from the one tree he prohibited (Gen. 2:16-17). To start over would have resulted in the first two souls ever created being sentenced to hell for eternity.

So God chose the better way, laid out in these verses from Genesis 3, so that no one – not even our first parents – would need to be sentenced to hell for eternity, because his Son would serve that sentence in our place.

The same question, “Why didn’t God just start all over after the fall,” could be asked from another perspective: that of God’s righteous wrath. Why didn’t God instantly turn his holy face from them? They had disobeyed his clear command. They didn’t deserve an explanation from him, let alone to ever have any interaction with God again. He surely could have written them off, condemned them, and started all over again based on just their actions alone.

Instead, God shows us who he is. He is more interested in pursuing sinners than he is in punishing them. Do you believe that about God? He reveals that to us about himself in this very account. Not only that, but our top-down faith also allows us to see that God is more than capable of bringing victory out of defeat. 

While God will not force anyone to come to faith in him or to love him, what God will do is make those things possible for everyone. Not only that, but he also provides more than enough reason for our faith and love to be directed to him.

Perhaps no account demonstrates this so clearly and so powerfully as “The Fall.” In fact, the heading for this section in our Bibles might be better labeled “God’s Determined Grace.” For even though the fall into sin brought irreparable damage to God’s perfect creation and to our lives and relationships, it was also the occasion through which God introduced his radical grace. And the greatness of God’s grace will always far outshine the severity and shame of sin. That’s because grace makes it possible to experience victory even in defeat. 

That doesn’t otherwise happen outside of grace. The losing side loses. While there may be some lessons learned and some positive takeaways, the defeated side in any war still loses. The losing party in the election still loses. The jury in a courtroom doesn’t rule in favor of both sides; there is a winner and a loser in every trial. That’s the way it works. The winning side enjoys the victory while the losing side is defeated.

But God’s promise in Genesis 3 turned that on its head. Even as God lays out his first gospel promise in all of Scripture, what is he doing but announcing victory in the face of defeat? The serpent had won. He had succeeded in deceiving Adam & Eve in sin. He was victorious. Yet look at how God proceeded with the interrogation process and judgment rendered after the fact.

He started with Adam, and the fact that he was hiding was a dead giveaway, an obvious indicator of his guilt. In a roundabout “I did it but it’s not really my fault” kind of way, double-dishing the blame on both the woman and basically God for putting her there with him, he did at least admit his defeat. He had eaten the fruit. Guilty. 

Instead of declaring Adam’s sentencing for his guilt right then and there, God moved on. The woman was up next. Taking her lead from Adam’s example, in similar fashion she gave yet another “I did it but it’s not really my fault” response, pinning it on the serpent. But at least she did admit her defeat. She had eaten the fruit. Guilty.

Instead of declaring Even’s sentencing for her guilt right then and there, God moved on. The serpent was up next.

This time, however, there is no interrogation. There is not trial. There is no opportunity for the serpent to defend himself. Instead of providing Satan with the opportunity to respond, God has only one thing to declare: judgment. Defeat. Yes, Satan looked like the victorious one as the juice from the fruit trickled down Adam & Eve’s lips, but God had something else to say about it. In no uncertain terms, he declared Satan’s defeat at the hands of the Savior, and victory for any and all who would believe it. The Lord God declared to Satan about Eve’s offspring, Jesus, “he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Gen. 3:15). 

When we leave the garden and arrive at Golgotha, we see God’s promise of victory carried out – albeit a victory that would come through what appeared to be defeat. That supposed defeat, that Jesus had to endure the crucifixion as our substitute, was Genesis 3:15 playing out, for there Satan struck the heel of Eve’s offspring, the Savior. He had to suffer and die. 

His death, however, was not defeat; it was the first of a one-two punch to Satan and all of hell, by which Satan’s head would be crushed. His death served the sentence for all sinners. Jesus bore not only the weight of all sin of all time, but also all the fury and wrath of God’s righteous anger against sin by being abandoned and forsaken to endure hell in our place.

But not forever! No, the glorious final blow of the one-two punch came three days later when the very same Savior, Jesus, rose triumphantly in – not defeat, but in victory! So both in the garden and again at Golgotha, God rendered victory from defeat!

So God still does this for you and for me today. In one of the most painful experiences of what appears to be defeat, a loved one dies. We even speak in terms of defeat – they “lost” their battle with cancer or we “lost” them last night. Yet for those loved ones in Christ, theirs is not a loss at a all; rather, they have crossed the finish line of victory and made it home. They’ve won, because God wins.

It happens also in the aftermath of sin that we commit, when we’ve “lost” (there it is again!) the battle of temptation and are reeling from the collateral damage of that sin – ours or another’s. That empty cup of self-inflicted suffering is where God’s grace and forgiveness are poured out and overflow. So even sin, with all its damage and loss, must give way to the victory of forgiveness and renewal and reconciliation, which is ALWAYS right behind sin, cleaning up its mess. What looks like loss is the very grace of forgiveness that assures us of not only victory, but newfound strength that shapes us ever more into the image of the Savior, so that next time we don’t so easily or willingly stumble. We are battle-tested and better-prepared because of the grace of forgiveness. Victory from defeat. We win, because God wins.

That leads us to thank God through the joy of our sanctified living. But sometimes our sanctified living doesn’t look very sanctified. Sometimes, even though God’s grace has and always will declare us to be victorious, to be winners… we still live like losers, like those who have been defeated. This happens when the life of an unbeliever and the life of a believer appear to be virtually identical. The believer’s language still sounds like he’s on the losing side of the world. The believer still jokes the course jokes that sound like the losing side of the world. The believer is just as indifferent or disinterested in growing in faith and God’s Word like he’s on the losing side of the world. The list goes on.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in the garden, God promised victory from defeat. At Golgotha, he delivered on that promise. Through faith in Jesus Christ as the Guaranteer of that victory, you have won. Your baptism solidifies it. The Supper reminds you of it. So let us live like it. Let us not be indistinguishable from those of the world who do not know or care to know about the victory we have in Jesus Christ. Let us stand out, like winners, like sanctified saints who have a spiritual swagger that is backed up by righteous living. In doing so, we reveal to others what it looks like for God to bring victory from defeat in our lives – and show what it could like like in their’s too.

Real Rest Is God-Given

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(Mark 2:23-3:6)

Are you well-rested? Typically when that question is asked of us, we take it to refer to whether or not we got a good night’s sleep. Certainly that matters when we gather in God’s house for worship. Running on a few hours of sleep or a restless night of tossing and turning presents a very real challenge to remaining alert and fully engaged.

While there is a place for speaking about the importance and benefits of sleep for our bodies, we gather for worship in search of a different type of rest. So I ask again: are you well-rested – spiritually?

We aren’t bound to the Old Testament mandate that worship had to take place on Saturday, which was known as the Sabbath. However, is there perhaps something lost in our not associating that biblical term more frequently with our Sunday morning worship? Its meaning is a good reminder of why we gather, for the word Sabbath means “rest.” That is why we gather worship with God’s people around Word and sacrament – so that God might provide rest every week for sinners stumbling into his house, saddled with a surplus of sins from yet another week. In worship, we find spiritual rest for our souls.

But is it just spiritual rest that God offers us? Are physical and spiritual rest as unrelated as we might think? Consider Jesus, Peter, and Paul in the New Testament. They worked tirelessly for the gospel, so often willing even to put their lives on the line and to stretch themselves physically beyond what the average person is capable of. Do you suppose that was because they had three nutrition-packed meals a day, exercised regularly, and got a full night’s sleep each night? We acknowledge those things are all important, but it isn’t likely an accurate description of their typical day! And yet they had energy and zeal to carry out the work given to them. Why was that?

Might it be that they knew the source of real rest? They had the spiritual rest that flows from the good news of the gospel, the absolute forgiveness and freedom they had through faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Could that kind of rest have the benefit of providing what is needed to not only function, but to thrive – even when physical rest is lacking and the body might otherwise feel depleted? Could it be that the benefits of the rest God gives go well beyond the realm of the spiritual and extend into the physical as well? After all, Jesus does invite us to, “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Mt. 6:33). Is it too limited a point of view to presume that his promise referred only to tangible blessings like possessions, or could that promise be stretched to include even the physical rest our bodies need? Maybe that point merits further discussion for another time.

Nonetheless, because spiritually we are like the stubborn toddler refusing to go down for nap time even though he’s exhausted, we always need reminders of why spiritual rest is so important and where we are to go to find it.

Sadly, we have an example of where not to seek out that rest in Mark 2. Rest is not found in a rigid adherence or disciplined obedience to the law. Rest is not earned, as the Pharisees thought of it was. Their upbringing and understanding was that rest was waiting on the other side of righteous living. 

They could not have been more wrong. To approach the law as if it could possibly serve that purpose is to grossly misunderstand the law.

Have you ever played the game of Operation? The goal is to remove all of the bones/ailments without allowing your tweezers to touch the metal rim surrounding each area of “surgery.” Otherwise, the electric buzzer sounds the alarm of failure, which only startles and stresses you out all the more. Yet as stressful as that game may be, at least someone can win it. It has an end.

But there is no end, no way to win when it comes to keeping the law, because it’s a never-ending thing. All day, everyday, the buzzer sound of God’s law is constantly going off, signaling yet another failure on our part, and with no end in sight. What a far cry from rest that is! 

And so instead, to fabricate their own little “wins,” the Pharisees would do primarily two things: 1) add extra laws that they could keep on occasion to boost their ego and confidence, or 2) draw attention to how miserably others failed to keep the law by comparison. How easily they deceived themselves! They believed that either course of action was somehow providing the ever-elusive rest they sought in the law. In reality, all either one of those options ever achieved was to distract and deceive them from a real awareness of their own epic failure at keeping the law. That’s because the law can’t achieve what they wanted it to. It cannot offer peace. It will never bring rest. It only accuses, condemns, and kills.

Jesus clearly demonstrated this for them one day in the synagogue. Appealing to their deep affinity for the law, while also showing them how far off they were from understanding it, he introduced his miracle by calling their understanding of the law into question. “Jesus asked them, ‘Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’” (v.4). He plainly asked the experts of the law what their understanding of it was, and their response spoke volumes: “But they remained silent.”

The law is summed up in one simple four-letter word: love. And yet, they refused to grasp what Jesus was saying because their own loveless hearts were so attracted to their twisted misunderstanding of the law that it blinded them to the neighbor in need right in front of them. Not only that, but their understanding of the law was so corrupted that they couldn’t even rejoice in the merciful miracle of healing that Jesus had carried out; instead, they went out and plotted how they might murder the loving Healer!

The law can never provide us with rest, because that is simply not a path it provides. The law’s path provides just one purpose: to show us how loveless we are. Do you understand that?

That is why you will be disappointed when using the law as a metric for anything other than judgment within the Christian faith. Judgment is all the law can bring. So if we seek rest through the law, we either end up like the Pharisees, choosing from those two options of either creating extra laws or focusing in the inability of others to keep the law. The greatest danger of either option is that we end up driven away from Christ and Christianity altogether. That is because rather than ending up at the cross, where God desires his law to lead us, the one who rejects the cross in favor of remaining on the path of the law will always and only end up at a spiritual dead-end.

This happens gradually. It happens subtly. It happens when more and more, we put the acknowledgment of our own sin on autopilot, as if confession is merely a prerequisite for focusing our attention on the real problem: how bad everyone else is. While we sin, others sin in worse ways AND they don’t even admit their sin like we do!

In this way, instead of the awareness of our own sin leading us to deep sorrow and contrition, we actually pridefully spin our awareness of our sin as proof that we’re on a level above other sinners who not only do worse stuff than we do, but they’re so bad that they don’t even acknowledge it!

While we might deceive ourselves into thinking that short-term satisfaction is a rest that comes from repentance, it isn’t at all. Instead, it’s the temporary high of a puffed-up pride that wants to cling to the false rest of being a higher-class sinner than other low-life sinners. Eventually, though, it all comes crashing down. Eventually we are set straight by the realization that the very thing that we looked to for temporary relief from sin – zeroing in on other worse sinners, is not relief at all! On the contrary – it is actually more condemnation and guilt! Because now we must heap yet another sin onto the existing pile of our own sins: the sin of pride, for thinking ourselves to be superior to other sinners! Mark my words: there is no rest in the law!

Jesus set us straight with two truths from his profound words in verses 27 & 28. “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” First, the Sabbath was not given to man as another religious ritual that was required, but rather as rest to be received. It was not another item on some perceived to-do list that God required as a prerequisite to rest. No, it wasn’t “do this, then rest,” but rather, “ rest, for all is done for you.” 

But who could make such a claim? Only the One who is “Lord even of the Sabbath.” What does it mean to attach the title of “Lord” to some activity or achievement? It means that the one named is the owner, the supreme, the authority, the master of that thing. The “lord” of anything means he’s over it and oversees it.

So if Jesus is Lord – master – even of Sabbath rest, then where else would anyone turn for rest? Where else, other than to the One who is over it, who owns it, who determines how to dispense it? If Jesus is the master of rest, then, dear friends, go to him alone for it!

Rest in the waters of your baptism, water that was poured over your pride and washed away the heavy burden of your sin! Hear the words of the Invocation at the beginning of worship and let them take you back to the baptismal font. There the Triune God placed his name on you, and when he did, he purified you from all sin and made you his family member. Rest easy in your identity as a baptized child of God, a reality and a status that cannot ever be stripped from you.

Rest in the words of the absolution that fall upon sinners’ ears to set the tone for our worship every Sunday! Don’t just mindlessly mumble the opening confession of sins each Sunday like a bunch of brain-dead zombies. Prepare for worship beforehand each Sunday by reflecting on the past week and all of the things your sin damaged or destroyed and all of the ways your sin sabotaged the good blessings that God would otherwise have worked through you in the lives of others. Think on those sins and as you do so more and more and their weight grows heavier and heavier, bring them with you to God’s house and leave them their in confession. Then, rest, as through the lips of your pastor and your brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus himself speaks the assurance of your forgiveness in the words of absolution.

Rest in his body and blood in, with, and under the bread and wine in the Supper, for there he provides food that feeds and strengthens weary souls! The forgiveness that has touched our ears and hearts already in worship then also touches our lips, that we might taste the reality of our forgiveness, even as we remember the very sacrifice that was made to offer it. With this sacred meal he feeds us forgiveness and rest follows. Just as dinner on Thanksgiving Day begs to be followed by even a brief rest, so this sacred Dinner of Thanksgiving in Holy Communion is followed by the spiritual rest which flows from it.

Dear friends, are you well-rested spiritually? You are when you run to the Lord of the Sabbath, the master of rest, for what we are so eager to receive, and he is so eager to give.

Not Alone

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(John 15:26-27; 16:4b-11)

They might be among some of the most damaging and destructive words we can hear. They have the power to turn someone’s world upside down.

“I’m leaving.”

Those words might be spoken by the coach or a player to his college or professional team, informing them that he has signed or taken an offer from another team. These could be the words coming from a long-time business partner who wants out or desires to pursue new ventures. And of course, perhaps among the most dreaded, these words might be the bombshell one spouse drops on the other.

So we try to understand the impact Jesus’ words had on his disciples when he informed them that he was leaving. Through the ups and downs of their three-year training during Jesus’ ministry, he had always been there. Even their slow-to-get-it faith at times wasn’t enough to lead Jesus to throw up his hands in frustration and be done with them. Even after he had rebuked them he had always reassured them in their continued commitment to ministry together. Nothing was ever so extreme that Jesus felt compelled to “clean house” and bring in an entirely new crew of disciples to turn things around. They all were with him from the beginning, and he had remained with them.

But soon that would change. Jesus informed his disciples, “Now I am going to him who sent me” (v.5a). He had come from the Father and was now going to be returning to the Father. On Christmas we celebrate Jesus’ arrival as the Savior born in Bethlehem. On Ascension, Jesus departed and carried out these words by returning to his Father in heaven. He would no longer be physically present in person to mentor and equip his disciples for ministry as he had been for the past three years. 

Nevertheless, Jesus also assured his disciples that his departure would bring blessing. “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away” (v.7a). That actually might be the more surprising element of Jesus’ words; not just that he was leaving, but that it would be for their good!

Yet, think of certain scenarios involving the relationship between children and parents. We can see how quickly a situation that looks to be like an undesirable case of departure can turn into something positive and exciting. Parents leave… to pick up grandma from the airport, or to bring home pizza for dinner. dinner. They aren’t leaving for good; they’re just leaving for something good, which will make the return even better! 

So it is with Jesus. He wasn’t leaving for good; he was leaving for something good, and that will ultimately make his return on the last day even better! Why? Because in the meantime he has sent the Holy Spirit to carry out his work.

And what does this gift, the Holy Spirit, do? He keeps our attention where it needs to be, on Jesus, our greatest gift. The disciples weren’t alone – Jesus gifted them his Holy Spirit to assure them of it. We need the same assurance that we aren’t alone. And in the Holy Spirit we have it!

It isn’t just cases of desertion or abandonment; isolation in general is leaving us reeling as a society. We have more ways than ever to connect with other people, yet we remain as disconnected as ever. We have fewer friends than we have in the past. We socialize and spend less time together with them than we have in the past. Sure, there are many contributing factors, and there’s plenty of room for healthy debate about why we’re seeing this trend, but there is little disagreement about the conclusion: it is negatively affecting us. We were not created nor are we wired to be alone or isolated.  

When God created Adam, his creation was good – flawless, perfect, lacking nothing in terms of how God had created him. Yet for Adam to function optimally, God gave him a companion – another human being. Even in our pet-loving society, God didn’t intend for animals to replace the role of human interaction that would enable Adam to thrive. So God gave Eve, his absolute best companion to Adam, to bring his creation to completion.

Even though Adam’s relationship with God was in perfect harmony, not marred in any way by sin, God went a blessed step further, guarding Adam from loneliness and isolation by giving him another human being. And even though our sinful self-centeredness after the Fall forever changed our relationships and how we interact with other people, we still need each other. In fact, one might contend that loneliness and isolation are even more dangerous threats because of the Fall. 

So today we find needed assurance in the Pentecost promise that we are not alone. Single? You aren’t alone. Empty nesters? You aren’t alone. Battling cancer by yourself? You aren’t alone. Surrounded by people but still feeling as lonely as ever? You aren’t alone. New job? New school next year? Not alone. You aren’t alone. 

Hear Jesus’ promise to you again: “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me” (v.26). What is Jesus promising the Holy Spirit will do? “Testify about me,” he said! Jesus wasn’t going to become an afterthought at all! Quite the opposite – he was going to be receiving even more attention.

Recall how many times Jesus followed up a miracle by telling those healed not to tell anyone about it. Well that time had passed! Now that Jesus was promising to send the Holy Spirit, the Spirit’s whole work is to make Jesus and his salvation known to everyone. The Spirit’s message was that in Jesus, we have a Savior for life, a Savior for eternal life, a Savior who will never leave us. The Spirit and the Savior are on the same team, comforting us with that simple promise: you aren’t alone.

Even the title applied to the HS – Advocate – indicates as much. Think of what it means to have an advocate, to have someone speak up for you is to have someone for you, and someone can’t be for you if they’re not with you, if they don’t know you. That’s what we have in the HS. What is the greatest way the HS can speak up for us as our advocate? By pointing us to Jesus! By reminding us we’re not alone. That is what he does in his Word. That is what he does in baptism. That is what he does in Communion. 

And this assurance doesn’t just apply to us when others have left or deserted us; it also applies when we’re the reason for our loneliness or isolation. It could be as simple as withdrawing and making no effort on our end to engage or connect with others, slowly turning sour because “no one ever cares enough about me to reach out and check on me.” Or, when others do reach out to connect, we’re always too busy or have other priorities.

Sometimes it’s worse than that. It’s our words or actions, our habitual behavior, our sin, that drives others away, leaving us isolated. Then, rather than make the effort toward reconciliation that would require our repentance, we keep to ourselves, ruminating on the situation that caused all of it. We allow it to linger and fester, and we spin the narrative in our own heads. This leads us to end up justifying our behavior and refuse to pursue peace and reconciliation because we dig in our heels waiting for the other person to initiate it. And we wonder why we’re isolated or lonely when we’ve manage to plug our noses to the stench of our own sin! 

And on top of all of that there is the guilt, the guilt we have from our own neglect of our relationships. Of course relationships with others matter, but we can only maintain so many of them. So when we don’t keep in touch with others and feel like a crummy friend, guilt settles in. When we don’t call our Mother’s on Mother’s Day, and we feel like horrible children. We can’t seem to follow through with that “let’s get together” that’s been going on for months or even years with someone else.

So on top of the isolation we feel, often self-imposed, our own actions have heaped a pile of guilt on us as we languish in our loneliness! But see what the Spirit reminds us of; see what he came to do and how he points us to the solution. “When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness,  because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned” (v.8-11).

Sin doesn’t smother those who believe in Jesus, because in him it is washed away. In its place he grants us his righteousness. Judgment doesn’t crush us when we’re in Jesus, because look who stands condemned – it is not your name that Jesus inserts there, but the prince of this world, Satan. See how the Holy Spirit reminds us of the victory we have in Jesus! We aren’t cut off from him, even for cutting off others with our sin. It is forgiven and paid for in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit will never tire of testifying that truth.  

And just as the Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would testify about him, so too, do we. “And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning” (v.27). Yes, we testify to others by imitating the Holy Spirit and directing the attention to Jesus – through our words, of course. But often times, for our words to hit ears willing to listen, they must be preceded by action. 

Through our actions, we become the antidote to isolation and loneliness. We don’t need pills, we need people. We need each other. When we see that we understand the joy John expressed in his letters in seeing God’s people walk together in Christian lives filled with love and truth. Event planning brings together like-minded moms who not only maximize their efforts to organize a fantastic event, but keep loneliness at bay by connecting together in the process. Individuals separated by states connect online on a weekly basis to check in and dig in to the Word. The weakened body of a live alone cancer patient requires a hair cut and a light switch, to say nothing of company. In his church family he finds what he needs and isolation is avoided. A motorcycle repair job between two guys is a channel for teamwork and connection, offsetting loneliness in the process. We need each other, and we can give ourselves to each other because we’re not alone. 

And that time spend together, both internally with one another, but also in the important relationships we have with those outside the Christian faith, by our actions gives us permission to speak in a way that follows up our actions. And we can testify as the Holy Spirit did, that in Jesus we have what we need. We are not alone. We have Jesus. The Holy Spirit guarantees it.