Christ Lutheran Church
Cleveland, Ohio
July 14, 2024
by: Rev. Dean Kavouras
Pentecost 8B
God’s Final Will
Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! (Psalm 85:4)
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We have all heard about children who were born into contrary and miserable circumstances. Who suffered various degrees of abuse at the hands of their parents and guardians. We need not go into detail. We have all watched enough TV to know. Or, God forbid, we may have been one such child.
But fear not!
Fear not! “For the LORD will be your everlasting Light, and Your God will be your glory!” (Isaiah 60:19)
What sin, death and Satan are so good at destroying, our God redeems with everlasting love – just like he says in Jeremiah 31:3, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”
But our eternally merciful God and Father doesn’t only talk the talk, but he walks the walk. This is why we would die a thousand deaths before giving up our crucifix. Because it is the single and perfect Icon of God’s Love for us. Yes that is what you see before you. God’s eternal love, “for his mercy endures forever.”
“By his stripes we are healed,” says Isaiah, and “the LORD laid upon him the iniquity of us all.” That is what we see before our eyes, and the nourishment on which we feed at the altar, viz. the exalted, victorious, resurrected flesh and blood of Jesus in Holy Communion. All else is just talk.
Our God is not a casual observer of our misery but in the person of his Son, and now in the person of his saints he has “skin in the game.” Holy skin by which he will graft over all our abrasions and lacerations, even our amputations that we lost to sin. Because the LORD says in Isaiah, “I will restore them double.”
On what basis do we ascribe such love and healing power to our God? Is it wishful thinking like Muslims engage in? Or bunker mentality after so many setbacks that can only hope that redemption is true? No! It is based on today’s readings, especially today’s epistle.
But before we get ahead of ourselves let us get the whole story.
Our God condemns sin in the world at large, and among his people in particular. And after a long period of patience – you can’t believe how long – only don’t use such patience as a chance to play the angles – he temporarily turns against all people who will not humble themselves before him; will not repent of their sins, reject their self-directed destinies, believe the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ and give themselves altogether into his keeping. It is like the prayer Lutherans pray every morning and evening, “For into your hands I commend myself. My body and soul and all things. Let your holy angel be with me that the evil for may have no power over me.”
But “those people,” as we learn in today’s Old Testament lesson and today’s gospel, could be us! This is why Saint Paul says, “Let him who stands take heed lest he fall.” The devil is way craftier than you are. He can appear as an angel of light and take you down in a flash. Your flesh is many times more interested in “enjoying sin for a season,” than your spirit is willing to stand strong.
In Amos chapter 7, twice, the LORD was busy preparing to wipe out his people. This was not simply an object lesson, or a case of “scared straight.” The LORD was ready to do it, and he made his will known to his prophet Amos.
But in both cases, Amos who was a type of Christ, pled on behalf of Israel. He said, “O LORD God please forgive! How can Jacob stand, he is so small.” And in both cases the LORD relented!
Mercy!
But, unrecognized mercy. Mercy for which the Old Testament church had no appetite. But instead continued in their evil ways. Continued with their theft, their love of luxury, their violence, and sexual sins of every description – that might make people blush even today.
And they did not want to hear any objections. In the case of Amos, Amaziah the priest who was bought and paid for by King Jeroboam, told Amos to stop speaking divine words against Jeroboam and the people of Israel, because the land “cannot bear” his words. Amaziah, Jeroboam and all his people wanted the party to go on and on and on. (It reminds one of a certain nation, doesn’t it.)
Maybe we should not say this lest it encourage people to sin. But the LORD was patient with Israel for 200 more years! But then all hell broke loose. But even when it did, and the Old Testament church was soundly thrashed, and sincerely repented, it did not last for long.
Fast forward 700 years to today’s gospel. God’s prophet, not Amos this time, but John the Baptist is still preaching the same message of sexual purity and faithfulness – and loses his head, literally, for his trouble.
No wonder Saint Paul exclaims with mighty wonder in Romans 11:22 “Note, then, the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.”
Fast forward 20 more years and we hear this grand finale by Saint Paul as he addresses the newly baptized in the region of Ephesians. And in it we learn God’s final will. His final plan, end game, denouement. And it is to recapitulate all of history – the good, the bad and the ugly – in Christ and to make it all good! As it was in the beginning.
Saint Paul goes on to say that in Him, note the baptismal language, “in him,” we have an inheritance planned for us before the foundation of the world; and that it is sealed with nothing less than God’s Holy Spirit until it is fully acquired. Amen