Larry Devich
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Advent 3: Tuesday
Read: Zephaniah 3:14-20
The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The
King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more.
(Zephaniah 3:15)
“Sing, O daughter of Zion!” begins our text, so let us begin with this. Zion
was remarkable because of God's presence there, and the daughter of Zion is the
people of God—those who rejoice in the Lord's presence and grace. Another
name would be the Bride of Christ, the Church. This bid for joy is for you.
Many people today are in pursuit of holy living, though that definition will
vary. Since holy means “set apart,” it seems that many believe that a holy life is
one that is different from the norm, perhaps one imbued with a happy spirit or an
added zest and commitment to life. Some will say that a life set apart is one with
noticeable works above and beyond your normal duties.
But is that what makes a life “holy”?
It's true that holy means “set apart,” but not in the sense of out-of-theordinary.
Something that is holy is set apart for God. Think of the temple: what
made the Holy Place holy? The fact that it was the Lord's house. What made the
Holy of Holies even holier? That was the place set apart for the Holy One to
dwell.
Now, please bear with me: second graders tend to get this next sequence
right, while we grown-ups do a fine job of getting it wrong. To be set apart or
holy is to be not unholy, and what makes you unholy? Sin, of course. If you're
sinful, you're not holy; and if you're not holy, you're not set apart from the world
and you can't be in God's presence. So if you want to be holy, what must you
do? Get rid of your sin—get rid of whatever makes you unholy. How is this
done? Through the forgiveness of sins, which God gives you for Jesus' sake.
It's God's grace and presence that makes you holy, not your works or zeal or
passion. Look at the verse above: what makes the daughter of Zion holy? The
Lord has taken away the grounds for her to be judged. He has thus defeated the
enemy, for the devil has nothing left with which to accuse. Furthermore, the
Lord is in her midst—He's present with His people for their good.
What makes you holy? The Lord makes you holy with forgiveness. He gives
it to you because He is present with you in His Word and Sacrament. If that
leaves you zealous and energetic, so be it. If not, you are still holy because Jesus
says you are. The one who suffers immobilizing depression but still clings to
grace is holy; the one who works energetically for charities, but remains
impenitent, is not. As we'll see in the Gospel lesson this week, one is tempted to
believe he's holy only if he feels holy. But it depends not on your feelings or
work, but upon the Lord. Rejoice, daughter of Zion: your King is with you, the
judgments against you are gone, and in Him you are pure.
When Jesus enters meek and lowly To fill the home with sweetest peace;
When hearts have felt His blessing holy And found from sin complete release,
Then light and calm within shall reign And hearts divided love again.
(TLH 65:2) ¶ 12/17/2006 08:10:00 PM 0 Comments
The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The
King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more.
(Zephaniah 3:15)
“Sing, O daughter of Zion!” begins our text, so let us begin with this. Zion
was remarkable because of God's presence there, and the daughter of Zion is the
people of God—those who rejoice in the Lord's presence and grace. Another
name would be the Bride of Christ, the Church. This bid for joy is for you.
Many people today are in pursuit of holy living, though that definition will
vary. Since holy means “set apart,” it seems that many believe that a holy life is
one that is different from the norm, perhaps one imbued with a happy spirit or an
added zest and commitment to life. Some will say that a life set apart is one with
noticeable works above and beyond your normal duties.
But is that what makes a life “holy”?
It's true that holy means “set apart,” but not in the sense of out-of-theordinary.
Something that is holy is set apart for God. Think of the temple: what
made the Holy Place holy? The fact that it was the Lord's house. What made the
Holy of Holies even holier? That was the place set apart for the Holy One to
dwell.
Now, please bear with me: second graders tend to get this next sequence
right, while we grown-ups do a fine job of getting it wrong. To be set apart or
holy is to be not unholy, and what makes you unholy? Sin, of course. If you're
sinful, you're not holy; and if you're not holy, you're not set apart from the world
and you can't be in God's presence. So if you want to be holy, what must you
do? Get rid of your sin—get rid of whatever makes you unholy. How is this
done? Through the forgiveness of sins, which God gives you for Jesus' sake.
It's God's grace and presence that makes you holy, not your works or zeal or
passion. Look at the verse above: what makes the daughter of Zion holy? The
Lord has taken away the grounds for her to be judged. He has thus defeated the
enemy, for the devil has nothing left with which to accuse. Furthermore, the
Lord is in her midst—He's present with His people for their good.
What makes you holy? The Lord makes you holy with forgiveness. He gives
it to you because He is present with you in His Word and Sacrament. If that
leaves you zealous and energetic, so be it. If not, you are still holy because Jesus
says you are. The one who suffers immobilizing depression but still clings to
grace is holy; the one who works energetically for charities, but remains
impenitent, is not. As we'll see in the Gospel lesson this week, one is tempted to
believe he's holy only if he feels holy. But it depends not on your feelings or
work, but upon the Lord. Rejoice, daughter of Zion: your King is with you, the
judgments against you are gone, and in Him you are pure.
When Jesus enters meek and lowly To fill the home with sweetest peace;
When hearts have felt His blessing holy And found from sin complete release,
Then light and calm within shall reign And hearts divided love again.
(TLH 65:2) ¶ 12/17/2006 08:10:00 PM 0 Comments
Advent 3: Monday
Read: Psalm 85
"Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed.”
(Psalm 85:10)
Righteousness and peace are friends. Luther quotes St. Augustine to that
effect many times. The one who is not righteous should not expect to find peace;
and, I suppose, the one who inflicts strife is far from righteous. Righteousness
and peace are friends: that's what it means when the Psalm says that
righteousness and peace have kissed each other. They go together.
And what of mercy and truth? They have met together, like two good
companions walking down the road. The one who is merciful can expect to love
truth. The one who is true can expect to receive mercy. All four are fast friends.
All are qualities of the Lord, in whom there is no contradiction.
And you? Not so much.
Mercy and truth don't meet together naturally in you: the truth is that,
because of your sin, you don't deserve God's mercy. Instead, you deserve His
judgment.
Righteousness and peace don't form their friendship in you by nature: by
nature, you're not righteous. Therefore, declares the Lord in His Law, you don't
deserve His peace. Instead, along with His judgment, you deserve His wrath.
Wrath and judgment go together, and they meet in you unless this curse of sin
can be removed.
That is why, as you prepare for the coming of Christmas, both the
Incarnation and the crucifixion of Jesus are so important. When Jesus is born,
the angels declare to the shepherds that He brings peace and goodwill to men. If
He brings peace to men, then He brings righteousness to men, too. How? He
brings it be speaking the Truth, by being the Truth: the Truth that God has
willed to be merciful upon you through His Son, Jesus Christ.
So that you might receive God's mercy, peace and righteousness, God
expends His wrath and judgment for sin on His Son on the cross. At Calvary,
look where the cross-beam intersects with the post: that is where you find your
Savior. And because He suffers God's wrath in your place, that is where God's
mercy, truth, righteousness and peace meet together for you.
For the sake of Jesus Christ—incarnate, crucified and risen, the truth about
you is this: God has mercy on you and declares you righteous for Jesus' sake.
Thus, no matter what torment the devil throws at you, you have peace with God
and eternal life is yours. You know so because of your Lord on the cross—the
same who brings you mercy and truth, righteousness and peace in His Word and
Sacraments today.
Arise, ye drooping mourners! The King is very near;
Away with grief and sorrow! For, lo, your Help is here.
Behold in many a place—O blessed consolation!—
You find Him, your Salvation, Within His means of grace. (TLH 69:3) ¶ 12/17/2006 08:06:00 PM 0 Comments
"Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed.”
(Psalm 85:10)
Righteousness and peace are friends. Luther quotes St. Augustine to that
effect many times. The one who is not righteous should not expect to find peace;
and, I suppose, the one who inflicts strife is far from righteous. Righteousness
and peace are friends: that's what it means when the Psalm says that
righteousness and peace have kissed each other. They go together.
And what of mercy and truth? They have met together, like two good
companions walking down the road. The one who is merciful can expect to love
truth. The one who is true can expect to receive mercy. All four are fast friends.
All are qualities of the Lord, in whom there is no contradiction.
And you? Not so much.
Mercy and truth don't meet together naturally in you: the truth is that,
because of your sin, you don't deserve God's mercy. Instead, you deserve His
judgment.
Righteousness and peace don't form their friendship in you by nature: by
nature, you're not righteous. Therefore, declares the Lord in His Law, you don't
deserve His peace. Instead, along with His judgment, you deserve His wrath.
Wrath and judgment go together, and they meet in you unless this curse of sin
can be removed.
That is why, as you prepare for the coming of Christmas, both the
Incarnation and the crucifixion of Jesus are so important. When Jesus is born,
the angels declare to the shepherds that He brings peace and goodwill to men. If
He brings peace to men, then He brings righteousness to men, too. How? He
brings it be speaking the Truth, by being the Truth: the Truth that God has
willed to be merciful upon you through His Son, Jesus Christ.
So that you might receive God's mercy, peace and righteousness, God
expends His wrath and judgment for sin on His Son on the cross. At Calvary,
look where the cross-beam intersects with the post: that is where you find your
Savior. And because He suffers God's wrath in your place, that is where God's
mercy, truth, righteousness and peace meet together for you.
For the sake of Jesus Christ—incarnate, crucified and risen, the truth about
you is this: God has mercy on you and declares you righteous for Jesus' sake.
Thus, no matter what torment the devil throws at you, you have peace with God
and eternal life is yours. You know so because of your Lord on the cross—the
same who brings you mercy and truth, righteousness and peace in His Word and
Sacraments today.
Arise, ye drooping mourners! The King is very near;
Away with grief and sorrow! For, lo, your Help is here.
Behold in many a place—O blessed consolation!—
You find Him, your Salvation, Within His means of grace. (TLH 69:3) ¶ 12/17/2006 08:06:00 PM 0 Comments
Advent 3: Sunday
Read: Psalm 85
Restore us, O God of our salvation, And cause Your anger toward us to cease.
(Psalm 85:4)
“Will You be angry with us forever?” That's one of the questions of Psalm
85. The Lord was angry because of the peoples' sin: how long would He be
angry with them?
Now, in any other situation with any other god, you'd expect an answer like
this: “God will stop being angry with you when you shape up and start keeping
His commandments. When you start doing what He's commanded you to do,
then you can expect Him to cut you a little slack.” That makes sense: you can
probably imagine yourself saying to someone, “I'll stop being angry when you
stop provoking me so.”
But when it comes to God's wrath, it will never work. For one thing, you
can't keep God's law well enough to appease His wrath (Romans 3:19-20); in
other words, you're unable to shape up. But it gets worse than that: as long as
God deals with us only by His Law, that Law will cause us to sin more (Romans
4:15)! It's not that the Law is at fault. Rather, the Old Adam inside of us will
make us act like a little child whose parents have just said, “Don't touch.” As
long as we're sinful, we're going to do precisely what angers God. That's what
the Bible says.
So how will God's anger cease? Not by dealing with us by His Law, but by
dealing with us by His Gospel. Born sinless, Jesus obeyed God's Law. On the
cross, He suffered God's wrath for our sin. God took out His anger for you upon
His Son, so that He might deliver you from sin and wrath.
Thus we pray in this psalm, “Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause
Your anger toward us to cease.” The import of those words is this: “O Lord, do
not deal with us according to Your holy Law, because our sin will only invite
Your wrath. Instead, deal with us in mercy for Jesus' sake. You have caused
Your anger to cease on Calvary, expending it all on Your Son at the cross.
Therefore, restore us to holiness—not because of our person or works, but
because of Your Son and the work He has done for our salvation.
And so we pray in the words of this psalm, “Show us Your mercy, LORD,
And grant us Your salvation.” The Lord does exactly that. He shows His mercy
by placing His Word into your ears, declaring, “I forgive you all of your sins.”
He shows you to His table and says, “Take and eat, this is My body and blood
for the forgiveness of sins.”
We give thanks that, when we gather in worship, we do not gather around
God's Law alone—to do so would be only to invite God's wrath. No, we gather
with this very Good News: God isn't angry with us anymore. For Jesus' sake, He
is the God of our salvation.
He wears no kingly crown, Yet as a King is known;
Tho' not arrayed in splendor, He still makes death surrender.
Hosanna, praise and glory! Our King, we bow before Thee. (TLH 57:3) ¶ 12/17/2006 07:14:00 AM 0 Comments
Restore us, O God of our salvation, And cause Your anger toward us to cease.
(Psalm 85:4)
“Will You be angry with us forever?” That's one of the questions of Psalm
85. The Lord was angry because of the peoples' sin: how long would He be
angry with them?
Now, in any other situation with any other god, you'd expect an answer like
this: “God will stop being angry with you when you shape up and start keeping
His commandments. When you start doing what He's commanded you to do,
then you can expect Him to cut you a little slack.” That makes sense: you can
probably imagine yourself saying to someone, “I'll stop being angry when you
stop provoking me so.”
But when it comes to God's wrath, it will never work. For one thing, you
can't keep God's law well enough to appease His wrath (Romans 3:19-20); in
other words, you're unable to shape up. But it gets worse than that: as long as
God deals with us only by His Law, that Law will cause us to sin more (Romans
4:15)! It's not that the Law is at fault. Rather, the Old Adam inside of us will
make us act like a little child whose parents have just said, “Don't touch.” As
long as we're sinful, we're going to do precisely what angers God. That's what
the Bible says.
So how will God's anger cease? Not by dealing with us by His Law, but by
dealing with us by His Gospel. Born sinless, Jesus obeyed God's Law. On the
cross, He suffered God's wrath for our sin. God took out His anger for you upon
His Son, so that He might deliver you from sin and wrath.
Thus we pray in this psalm, “Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause
Your anger toward us to cease.” The import of those words is this: “O Lord, do
not deal with us according to Your holy Law, because our sin will only invite
Your wrath. Instead, deal with us in mercy for Jesus' sake. You have caused
Your anger to cease on Calvary, expending it all on Your Son at the cross.
Therefore, restore us to holiness—not because of our person or works, but
because of Your Son and the work He has done for our salvation.
And so we pray in the words of this psalm, “Show us Your mercy, LORD,
And grant us Your salvation.” The Lord does exactly that. He shows His mercy
by placing His Word into your ears, declaring, “I forgive you all of your sins.”
He shows you to His table and says, “Take and eat, this is My body and blood
for the forgiveness of sins.”
We give thanks that, when we gather in worship, we do not gather around
God's Law alone—to do so would be only to invite God's wrath. No, we gather
with this very Good News: God isn't angry with us anymore. For Jesus' sake, He
is the God of our salvation.
He wears no kingly crown, Yet as a King is known;
Tho' not arrayed in splendor, He still makes death surrender.
Hosanna, praise and glory! Our King, we bow before Thee. (TLH 57:3) ¶ 12/17/2006 07:14:00 AM 0 Comments
