Maney’s Musings

Sermon delivered at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Westerville, OH, Sunday, April 6, 2008.

If you would like to listen to the whole sermon, click here.

Lectionary texts: Acts 2:14a, 36-41; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35; Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17.

What’s the Human Condition?

In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

In today’s gospel lesson, Luke paints for us one of the most poignant scenes in all the Bible. Two followers of Jesus, Cleopas and his companion, are walking along the road to Emmaus and they are despondent. The most wonderful person they had ever known and in whom they had put their hopes and dreams had been crucified as a common criminal. He was indisputably dead and buried and now they felt quite alone. Not only were they grieving Jesus’ death, they were dealing with their own violated expectations. Instead of redeeming Israel in the way they expected—probably hoping he was going to free Israel from its bondage to Rome—Jesus had gotten himself crucified and they were devastated.

While they were sharing their hurt and brokenness with each other, Jesus “came near and went with them” but they did not recognize him. The verb Luke uses for recognize is “epiginoœskoœœ,” which means more than to just recognize someone by his or her physical appearance. Epiginoœskoœœ means to know something or someone fully, or to understand, the kind of knowledge that results from a deep and intimate relationship with someone. Luke does not tell us how they were prevented from recognizing Jesus but it does not stretch our imagination to believe that one of the reasons was because they were so self-absorbed in their own hurt and problems.

Jesus quickly got them to talk about what was on their hearts and minds and then Luke tells us just how fully the two misunderstood Jesus and the recent events surrounding him. Their faces downcast, the disciples told Jesus of their shattered hopes and dreams about him being a prophet and redeemer of Israel. That the two called Jesus a prophet is significant because in the biblical context a prophet was one who “speaks for God and interprets his will for [humankind]” (Lasor, Hubbard, and Bush, p. 221). This, of course, would have given anyone thought to be a prophet immense authority because he or she was speaking for God and could therefore be trusted to tell the truth. The prophet’s words would surely be believable but apparently Cleopas and his companion did not quite understand so that they could believe.

Then the two told Jesus an even more amazing story about an empty tomb and Jesus being alive that they had heard earlier in the day from women who had visited Jesus’ tomb. The verb Luke uses for amazed means literally to be driven out of one’s senses and we don’t have to try very hard to understand how a story like this, if really taken seriously, would drive us out of our senses. After all, how many people have we seen raised from the dead?

In telling the story up to this point, then, Luke hits a resonant note with us, doesn’t he? If we have lived long enough, we know all too well about shattered hopes and dreams and how they can make us and our eyes look downcast so that we feel quite alone in the world. Whatever the cause—a broken relationship, the death of a loved one, financial hardship, illness or unanswered prayer—we can relate all too well to Cleopas and his companion when they said, “We had hoped…but now…”

Where’s God’s Grace?

Yet it is to the glory of the God who loves us and gave himself for us that this is not the end of the story. God did not leave Cleopas and his companion as they were nor does he leave us the way we are. What did Jesus do to help his two despondent disciples? Luke tells us that Jesus admonished the two for being slow to understand and believe. But notice that even though Jesus admonished the two, he stayed with them and helped them understand so that later they recalled their hearts burned within them as he opened the scriptures to them. Luke seems to be reminding us here that Jesus is present in believers’ lives regardless of whether we are aware of that presence or even understand fully how he manifests himself to us. Jesus is with us when our hearts are on fire because we recognize his presence and even when we are feeling defeated and quite alone in the world.

Jesus then interpreted the scriptures for them so that they would finally understand that he was called to be a suffering Messiah. In other words, Jesus seemed to be saying to them (and us) that if we are going to make him the basis of our hope (and we should), then we must know what that basis is (the cross). He further reminds them (and us) that scripture is the most important way to help us understand Jesus as the basis of our hope and that if we are to really understand scripture, we must submit ourselves to its authority. Why? Because as Peter reminds us in today’s epistle lesson, the word of God is enduring and living; it has the power to give us life because it comes from God, the Source and Author of all life. We must not try to put scripture under our authority and make it say what we want it to say because we do not have life in us; and when we do, then we are attempting to put death over life and can never come to learn and recognize Jesus in our midst.

Last, it is noteworthy that Cleopas and his companion did not recognize Jesus until they were enjoying fellowship with him at table. This echoes Jesus’ promise in Matthew that where two or three are gathered in his name, there he will be in the midst of them (Matt. 18:20) and here we see a gospel writer joining others in the NT in emphasizing the importance of table fellowship in knowing Jesus. It is from this passage, in part, that we Anglicans find the basis for our glorious way of worship each Sunday in Word and Sacrament.

Where’s the Application?

So what application does the Emmaus story have for us today? First, if we are to take seriously Paul’s admonition to grow to the full stature of Christ (Ephesians 4:13), i.e., to be like Christ, then we must learn what is the mind and will of Christ so that we will better recognize him in our midst. In the process of becoming like Christ, our job is not to ask, “What would Jesus do?” but rather to ask, “What would Jesus have us do?” To learn the mind of Christ so that we can become like him, we must do what Jesus did for Cleopas and his companion—search and correctly interpret the scriptures—because he understood scripture to be the living and breathing word of God. Consequently, we need to read the Bible regularly because it is God’s word to us and it is essential for our Christian maturity. Simply put, it will help us better understand the mind of Christ so that we can be more like him and this understanding will help us better recognize his presence in our lives. We have seen in today’s gospel lesson that Jesus thought so and we have also seen in today’s epistle lesson that Peter believed God’s word to be living and enduring, able to produce the results God wants.

This leads us to our second lesson from the Emmaus story. If we are to read scripture regularly we must humble ourselves and expect God to speak to and work in us when we do. This was the mistake of Cleopas and his companion. They apparently tried to make scripture say what they wanted it to say rather than expecting to be transformed by reading it. Otherwise, why would Jesus have scolded them for being slow to believe what the prophets had declared about himself? In essence Jesus said to them, “Why are your eyes downcast in the midst of this joyous occasion? If you knew what the prophets said, those who spoke and interpreted God’s word, then you would have known this was going to happen and you would have expected my death and resurrection and would not now be sad,” i.e., “you would have joy even in the midst of your own personal sense of loss!”

We see this dynamic echoed in today’s NT lesson. Peter urged the Israelites to repent and be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit so that the Spirit could help them do the things they needed to do to be saved from the corrupt generation in which they lived. These three voices in today’s lessons represent the consistent Voice we hear in the Bible: we cannot save ourselves; we are only saved by God’s grace and enduring presence in us by the power of his Word and Holy Spirit. Christianity is not a self-help religion; it is a God-empowered religion. Thanks be to God!

When you read God’s word, do you read it with a sense of anticipation that the Holy Spirit living in you is using it to help transform you into being like Christ each day and help you better recognize him in your midst? Or are you more like Cleopas and his companion, walking down the road of your life with your face and eyes downcast so that you cannot recognize the Risen Lord walking with you because you do not know who or what to look for? Early last week I was helped to understand this truth when Jesus enlightened me [personal testimony on calling Ron, my prep for Paul, and my reading of Wesley, mindset and mind set]. When you read scripture with the expectation that you will grow in your understanding of Jesus and his will for you, your hearts will burn within you because he will give you the desires of your heart (Ps. 37:4).

Finally, the Emmaus story reminds us about the importance of being real in the midst of Christian fellowship. While they were on the road to Emmaus, Cleopas and his companion at least had the wherewithal, or perhaps the grace, to talk about their hurts and fears with each other; they didn’t try to tough it out on their own or pretend like nothing was wrong. They were also real enough to share their shattered hopes and dreams with a perfect stranger, and humble enough to listen to someone whom they instinctively knew had the authority and power to help them. Doing so allowed Jesus to help them gain a fuller understanding of scripture and himself so that their hearts burned within them.

What about you? Do you need help in reading the Bible daily or perhaps interpreting it so that you understand it better and be transformed by it? If you do, then the Emmaus story reminds us of the importance of joining a small group for purposeful Bible study and regular Christian fellowship. While it is true that God works in us through the Holy Spirit to help us gain a fuller understanding of his word and purposes for us, it is also true that God uses other humans to accomplish the same, just as Jesus helped the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. If you are having trouble in establishing good disciplinary habits like daily Bible reading, join a disciple group and ask its members to help you. If you are having difficulty interpreting scripture, ask a mature Christian friend or someone you trust in your group, or one of your pastors for some suggestions about a good Bible study or commentary, depending where you are in your journey. The more you are willing to access people and resources to help you in your daily Bible reading, the better you will understand. And the better you understand, the easier it will be for you to recognize the Risen Christ in your daily life. I do not know exactly how this all works but I know it does work because it is my testimony and the testimony of millions of Christians over time and across culture that it does.

Are you content to walk through life with your face and eyes downcast or do you want to have your hearts burn within you because you know that the Lord is risen and really present with you? The choice is yours. He stands ready to help you wherever you are in your journey. How do we know this? Because he has spoken to us through the law, the prophets, through scripture, and most importantly, he has taken on our flesh and given us this promise directly through Jesus, the Word. That’s good news now and for all eternity.

In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.

As we enter this season of Lent, it seems to me that the following prayer from William Barclay is quite appropriate. Without the authoritative and reliable Word of God, we are left mainly to our own devices in all our fallen and sinful brokenness. May you find his prayer edifying as you begin your own season of self-reflection.

O God, we thank you for all those in whose words and in whose writings your truth has come to us.

For the historians, the psalmists, and the prophets, who wrote the Old Testament.

For those who wrote the Gospels and the Letters of the New Testament;

For all who in every generation have taught and explained and expounded and preached the word of Scripture;

We thank you, O God.

Grant, O God, that no false teaching may ever have any power to deceive us or to seduce us from the truth.

Grant, O God, that we may never listen to any teaching which would encourage us to think sin less serious, vice more attractive, or virtue less important;

Grant, O God, that we may never listen to any teaching which would dethrone Jesus Christ from the topmost place;

Grant, O God, that we may never listen to any teaching which for its own purposes perverts the truth.

O God, our Father, establish us immovably in the truth.

Give us minds which can see at once the difference between the true and the false;

Make us able to test everything, and to hold fast to that which is good;

Give us such a love of truth, that no false thing may ever be able to lure us from it.

So grant that all our lives we may know, and love, and live the truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

—From Prayers for the Christian Year by William Barclay

Everyone has warned me not to tell you what I am going to tell you… They all say “the ordinary reader does not want Theology; give him plain practical religion.” I have rejected their advice. I do not think the ordinary reader is such a fool. Theology means “the science of God,” and I think any [one] who wants to think about God at all would like to have the clearest and most accurate ideas about him which are available. You are not children: why should you be treated like children? In a way I quite understand why some people are put off by Theology. I remember once when I had been giving a talk to the R.A.F., an old, hard-bitten officer got up and said, “I’ve no use for all that stuff. But, mind you, I’m a religious man too. I know there’s a God. I’ve felt him: out alone in the desert at night: the tremendous mystery. And that’s just why I don’t believe all your neat little dogmas and formulas about him. To anyone who’s met the real thing they all seem so petty and pedantic and unreal!”

Now in a sense I quite agreed with that man. I think he had probably a real experience of God in the desert. And when he turned from that experience to the Christian creeds, I think he really was turning from something real, to something less real. In the same way, if a man has once looked at the Atlantic from the beach, and then goes and looks at a map of the Atlantic, he also will be turning from real waves to a bit of colored paper. But here comes the point. The map is admittedly only colored paper, but there are two things you have to remember about it. In the first place, it is based on what hundreds and thousands of people have found out by sailing the real Atlantic. In that way it has behind it masses of experience just as real as the one you could have from the beach; only, while yours would be a single isolated glimpse, the map fits all those different experiences together. In the second place, if you want to go anywhere, the map is absolutely necessary. As long as you are content with walks on the beach, your own glimpses are far more fun than looking at a map. But the map is going to be more use than walks on the beach if you want to get to America [from England].

Now Theology is like the map. Merely learning and thinking about the Christian doctrines, if you stop there, is less real and less exciting than the sort of thing my friend got in the desert. Doctrines are not God: they are only a kind of map. But the map is based on the experience of hundreds of people who really were in touch with God?experiences compared with which any thrills or pious feelings you or I are likely to get on our own way are very elementary and very confused. And secondly, if you want to get any further, you must use the map. You see, what happened to that man in the desert may have been real, and was certainly exciting, but nothing comes of it. It leads nowhere. There is nothing to do about it. In fact, that is just why a vague religion?all about feeling God in nature, and so on?is so attractive. It is all thrills and no work; like watching the waves from the beach. But you will not get to Newfoundland [from England] by studying the Atlantic that way, and you will not get eternal life by simply feeling the presence of God in flowers or music. Neither will you get anywhere by looking at maps without going to sea. Nor will you be very safe if you go to sea without a map.

—From The Joyful Christian by C. S. Lewis

I read this excerpt from Lewis this week during morning devotions. I had read it before but it caught my eye again, especially because of a discussion we had in our small group Bible study earlier in the week. A common sentiment expressed was that folks were no theologians and they wondered why they needed to study theology.

What do you think? Do you agree with Lewis’ thesis? If not, why? If so, how are you using theology to help you grow in your relationship with God? Where are you on your journey and from where do you get your “maps”? Share your stories with us so that we might grow together in grace.

Sermon delivered at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Westerville, OH, on the first Sunday after Christmas, December 30, 2007

Lectionary texts: Isaiah 61:10-62:3; Galatians 3:23-25, 4:4-7; John 1:1-18; Psalm 147:13-21.

In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Merry Christmas, St. Matthew’s! It was last year at this time that I preached my first sermon here and you were all very gracious to me despite my extreme nervousness. Then in March I preached in front of a bishop and knew firsthand the terror Abram felt in the Genesis account that was read that day. Today, however, marks my toughest test yet. My mother is here to hear me preach for the first time. And she’s taking notes. And she brought extra pens with her! So I beseech you, St. Matthew’s, please continue to be gracious to me this morning, even if I deliver a clinker!

What’s the Human Condition?

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…[I]n him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness [has] not overcome it.” (John 1:1, 4-5). “And the Word became flesh and lived among us…” (John 1:14a). With these words, John announces the wondrous Good News of Christmas. The eternal God, Creator of this vast universe takes on our flesh and is born of the Virgin Mary. The Christmas story is the beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the beginning of the climax to the biblical story of salvation. One of the early church fathers, St. Athanasius, described the Christmas event as “God condescending to our corruption” to save us from the death we deserve. The light of life shines in the darkness of a fallen and broken world and the darkness is not able to put it out, or as Matthew put it in last week’s gospel lesson, a virgin will bear a son and in fulfillment of prophecy, he shall be named Emmanuel, God with us. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.

But sometimes, we are tempted to focus on the darkness rather than the light. That’s partly because we prefer to live in darkness (as John reminds us elsewhere—3:19); it’s the result of our sin and brokenness. Perhaps it is the darkness of political assassination that threatens to throw an entire country into chaos. Or maybe it is the darkness that results from putting our ultimate hope and trust in humans and human solutions rather than God. Maybe it is the darkness that can come from personal illness or from the debilitating effects of aging or disease. Perhaps it is the darkness that comes from separation or divorce or the death of a loved one. Maybe it is the darkness that comes from fear or uncertainty or doubt about our current situation, either as individuals or as a congregation. Perhaps it is the darkness that results from our sinful human pride. Whatever the source of darkness, we are tempted to cry out, like Scrooge did when seeing his former self of Christmases past, that we are quite alone in the world and fall into despair.

And our experience is quite universal, isn’t it? I read in the newspaper recently about a PR stunt in NYC. People were invited to bring things they wanted to rid themselves of and run them through a giant shredder. Some folks brought pictures of boyfriends or girlfriends who had dumped them. Others brought unpaid bills or bad medical reports. Whatever it was that folks brought to the shredder, all reported feeling better after having shredded what they brought. But as I read this story, I couldn’t help but feel sad for these folks. While they all desperately wanted a fresh start—much like many of us do when we make our New Year’s resolutions—they all appeared to want to remain in the darkness because by their actions they were putting their ultimate hope and trust in themselves or some other human solution. They were unwilling to come to the light of life and give their ultimate hurts, fears, hopes, and dreams to Jesus, the Word made flesh (John 1:14). Whenever that happens, we demonstrate that we prefer to remain in the darkness rather than come to the light, and we set ourselves up for disappointment, failure, and ultimately death.

Where’s God’s Grace?

But thanks be to God that he doesn’t want us to end up like that and he has acted decisively to do something about it! While we might prefer to remain in darkness instead of the light, John tells us emphatically that the darkness has not overcome the light. It is the light of Christ that shines in our lives when we choose to accept God’s gracious invitation to have life in him rather than go our own way and suffer death. In taking on our flesh and bearing our sins on the cross, God has given us a wondrous and gracious gift; he has said “yes” to humanity. God has done what is necessary for us to have a relationship with him again, the kind of relationship he envisioned when he created us but which our sin destroyed. This relationship begins here and now because as John’s passage reminds us, life, real life, is more than just the span of years allotted to us here on earth. It is a relationship with the Living God made possible in Christ that transcends time and goes on forever. It is God’s victory over sin and death and it is the story of our salvation—that is the light that the darkness has not and will not overcome.

This is God’s gracious gift and offer to us and it is ours for the taking if we choose to claim it. What about you? Do you prefer to walk in the light or remain in darkness?

Where’s the application?

As a congregation in the midst of change, turmoil, and uncertainty, it seems to me that we especially need to hear God’s promise to us through John: The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. How can we respond to God’s gracious invitation to humble ourselves and live according to his good will and purposes for us, both as individuals and collectively as a congregation? First, as John tells us, we must believe God’s promise to be with us, especially in the darkest of hours. Do you believe this? If not, ask God for the grace and humility to believe so that the light of Christ will overcome your darkness.

If you are a member of a small group, ask your brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for you as well. By taking on our flesh, God showed us that he can and does work through other humans too and from the very beginning the Church has seen itself as being Christ’s Body through which he works. The very presence of our new bishop this morning to offer us encouragement and support is further evidence of this truth. And if you do not belong to a small group, join one and become connected, both to Christ and to other members of his Body. You won’t be disappointed because God did not create you to be alone; he created you for relationship.

And while you are praying for yourself, pray for this church, not just for St. Matthew’s but for the broader church of which we are a part. Pray especially for those who oppose us or who would wish us harm, asking Jesus for the grace needed to bring him honor and glory, to let his light shine in our lives in the midst of darkness. We just recently finished a forty day period of prayer and fasting that led us to our decision to disaffiliate from TEC. How much more do we need to know God’s will for us during this uncertain time so that we can seek to follow him faithfully. If we do not listen for God’s voice in prayer, we will soon find ourselves walking in the darkness rather than the light. We in effect say to God, I don’t believe you are the Source and Author of all life, and having a relationship with you is not all that important to me.

We also need to be reading our bibles daily to help us better understand God’s will for us because the Church has long recognized that we can and do hear God’s voice in scripture. Open up a BCP and turn to page 941. You will see a list of daily readings both there and on the pages before and after. If you follow the readings of the daily office, you will have read most of the Bible in two years. Choose to do this so that you might be more open to the light of Christ in your life and the life of our congregation each day. It will also help you remember that God is with us, even in our darkest hours, and it will help you stay connected to the Source of your life.

Finally, come to worship God each Sunday, this glorious God of ours who has overcome sin and death for us and offered to be our light that no darkness can overcome. Lift up your hearts and minds to him. Give him your joys, your hurts, and your concerns and trust him to act. Come to his Table each week and feed on Christ in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving. In doing so you will find strength and power that will enable you to see and have the light of life shining in the darkness.
What I have been talking about, of course, is how to respond faithfully to God’s gracious offer to us to have a relationship with him in Christ, a relationship that begins here and now. God has said “yes” to us by taking on our flesh and offers us the opportunity to walk in the light of Christ; but to do so, we must say “yes” back to God. We must do the things necessary on our part to grow and nurture our relationship with God and to keep the light of Christ burning brightly in our lives. This is not unlike the effects of physical exercise. If we want the benefits that exercise brings, we must exercise. If we want the benefit of having the light of Christ in our lives, a light that will overcome our darkness, we must do our part to nurture our relationship with Christ so that his grace will continue to grow in us and help us grow to his full stature. Then we can see for ourselves that the light of life is shining in the darkness and the darkness has not and cannot overcome it.

Does this mean that our troubles will magically disappear? Hardly. Christians are never promised a trouble-free life. What the Christmas story does remind and promise us is that God has overcome sin and evil and if we choose to humble ourselves and submit to his will for our lives, he will help sustain us, especially in our darkest moments. That is the promise of Christmas. The light of life has come into the world, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. I will close with my own story from this past year that I hope will represent this wondrous truth [personal testimony].

So if you are afraid that darkness might overcome you or our congregation, take heart and embrace the promise that is in Jesus Christ. The God who created us, loves us, and gave himself for us has come to us as a baby born in Bethlehem. In his coming we will find our light and no darkness can ever overcome it. And best of all, he has given us the means of grace to grow in our relationship with him, even when darkness tries its best to overcome us. In those moments, remember this: The light of life has come into the world. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not been able to overcome it. That’s good news in these uncertain days—and for all eternity.

In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.

Sermon delivered at St. Matthew’s Church, Westerville, OH, on the fourth Sunday of Advent, December 23, 2007

Lectionary texts: Isaiah 7:10-16, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25, Psalm 80:1-7.

In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Good morning, St. Matthew’s! Today is the fourth and final Sunday of Advent and we light the fourth candle on the wreath, the candle that signifies love.

God’s Grace and the Human Condition

In today’s NT lesson, Paul declares boldly that he has been set apart for the Gospel of God (Romans 1: 1), immediately alerting us to the fact that the Gospel does not originate from humans, but from God. Gospel, of course, means “good news.” But if I were to ask you what is the “Gospel of God,” how would you answer? What is the Good News of God? Paul summarizes it nicely in the rest of this passage from Romans: God becomes flesh in Jesus of Nazareth, is crucified, raised, and ascended into heaven. And of course in our Gospel lesson this morning we read about the beginning of this wondrous story—the birth of Jesus, God taking on our flesh in fulfillment of the promise he made through the prophet Isaiah to be with us, “Emmanuel.” Emmanuel, God with us. This is good news because it means that by taking on our flesh, God has not given up on humanity. God has taken on our flesh and given himself for us in a very costly act on the cross to offer us a chance of restoring the relationship with him that our sin has broken. This restored relationship doesn’t begin when we die and go to heaven, it begins here and now. Why? Because God is with us here and now. It is a wondrous and awesome mystery that boggles the mind, but it is part of the Gospel of God and therefore we can believe it with confidence because it comes from God. God is with us to love us and redeem us here and now.

It is easy to believe that God is with us during this Advent season, especially if our houses are brightly decorated, we have our families with us, and enjoy the abundant prosperity of health and wealth that many Americans enjoy. But what about those of us who have lost our health or jobs, or who are divorced or have suffered the death of a loved one recently? What about those of us who are old and all alone? Is God still with us then? Apparently Matthew thought so because in the next chapter he went on to describe the slaughter of the Holy Innocents, an act so evil and despicable that Herod surely could not have been the sole author of it. Surely it was an act that was spawned from Hell itself. There was weeping and great mourning as parents grieved and agonized over their children, but Matthew does not retract his statement, he does not say, “Well, because Herod slaughtered the Holy Innocents, God is no longer with us.” No, Matthew sticks to his guns—Emmanuel, God with us. In fact, it is in our darkest hours that we can be most open to the possibility of the truth of Emmanuel, God with us. In our suffering, grief, fear, loneliness, and brokenness we realize that we are not in control and invincible. We realize how fragile we are and life is, and given sufficient grace, we come to realize that this life span of ours is but a drop of water in the massive ocean of eternity. It is then that we realize how desperately we need to attach ourselves to the Source and Author of all life so that we can begin to live life abundantly, now and for all eternity. It is precisely in these moments that we are ready to hear the wondrous truth—Emmanuel, God with us.

By contrast, when things are going well and we enjoy abundant prosperity, both materially and spiritually, we become fat and sassy, our sinful human pride and arrogance take over, and with the encouragement of Satan, we begin to delude ourselves and start believing we don’t need God. We forget Emmanuel, God with us, and we separate ourselves from the Source of life.

The mystery of suffering also reminds us that as Christians we live in the “already-not yet.” Tomorrow night we will gather together here to celebrate the birth of God made flesh, Jesus—Emmanuel, God with us. In his birth, death, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation, we are reminded of the “already.” God has taken on our flesh and acted decisively to restore us to him if we will only choose to accept his gracious offer. But sin and brokenness remain and our complete restoration will not be fulfilled until Christ’s second coming. Then the “not yet” will occur. Christ will wipe away every tear and there will be no more mourning, or pain, or death, or suffering (Rev. 21:4) and we will live with and worship our Source of life forever and ever. Until then, however, we Christians must wait with patient anticipation and prepare ourselves so that we might be ready when Christ returns, for no one knows the hour when that will happen (Matt 24:36).

Application

In closing, it seems to me that in the life of our congregation, now is a good time for us to remember Emmanuel, God with us. The events of this past week have conspired to cause great confusion, fear, anxiety, and uncertainty among us, and perhaps we are tempted to forget Emmanuel, God with us. Or worse yet, perhaps we are tempted not to believe Emmanuel, God with us. What will happen to us as a congregation? To this property? It is precisely during times like this that we need to hear and believe Matthew’s word to us—Emmanuel, God with us. Regardless of what happens to this property or to us, we need not fear because God is with us and promises never to abandon or forsake us (Matt 28:20)! This is the Gospel of God and it is ours if only we believe it. This does not mean that there will be no dark days ahead or that uncertainty and confusion will magically disappear. Nor does it make us immune to all the other bad things that life can serve up. Rather, it means that if we humble ourselves and believe God’s mighty promise to be with us, we will be victorious, irrespective of outcome, because we will not let the lesser things of life interfere with God being with us and guiding us.

Do you believe this, that God is with us even in the darkest of hours? In the early third century, there was a bishop of Rome named Hippolytus. Hippolytus was long recognized as a schismatic bishop because he opposed those who had an inadequate understanding of Jesus’ humanity and divinity; they couldn’t believe Jesus was fully God and fully human, God with us. But now Hippolytus is a saint because he did believe the Gospel. Imagine that—a schismatic saint. When dealing with the Gospel of God, Hippolytus believed that we cannot put ourselves in authority over scripture; rather, we must submit to the authority of scripture and believe the things contained in it, things like Emmanuel, God with us, because that is the way God has chosen to make his Truth known to us. If we humble ourselves and believe God’s promise to be with us even (or perhaps especially) in life’s most dire moments, nothing can defeat us—not the slaughter of the Holy Innocents, nor suffering, or death, or brokenness, or separation, or fear, or uncertainty because of Emmanuel, God with us. That really is good news, now and for all eternity.

In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.