agonizing minutes. By the end, five young girls lay dead and another five lay critically injured.
Maybe you remember hearing about this school shooting; schools now lock their doors during operating hours because of it. Maybe you remember something almost more shocking than the shooting itself: the Amish community forgave the shooter. They consoled the shooter’s devastated father. They comforted his grieving wife and set up a fund for her family. They even attended the shooter’s funeral. A father of one of the victims even said: “[Roberts] had a mother and a wife and a soul and now he’s standing before a just God.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Nickel_Mines_School_shooting) Could you forgive something like that? It would be difficult, wouldn’t it? It’s difficult enough to forgive the driver who has cost you thousands of dollars in damage to your car because he was texting while driving. It’s difficult to pick up the phone and call your brother who accused you of being love-less. It’s difficult to even look at the teacher who disrespects your efforts in school. It can be difficult to let this debt against you go. It leaves you wrestling with so many emotions. On the one hand you understand the need to forgive, but on the other hand the drive, the passion to forgive is missing— and you’re left with this seething, pent-up anger inside. You want to leave this prison of hatred, but how can you do so while still properly dealing with the wrong committed against you? How Can I Forgive? How could Joseph ever forgive his brothers? He has eleven of them! And they unleashed horrors in his life! They alter the future of his life because they hate him. And Joseph has done nothing wrong! His father, Jacob, favors Joseph more than any other child. He hands him a fine coat crafted out of exotic colors and the finest of linens. He keeps Joseph home and out of the fields so that no harm comes to him. And Joseph’s brothers watch this! Why doesn’t their father love them all the same? Why is Joseph treated differently? Because this treatment is not fair. They hate it. They hate him. They hate Joseph so much that they plot out ways to kill him— literally: kill him. Have you ever reached the point when all you daydream about are ways to kill your brother or sister or mom or dad? That you actually devise a plot to lure him out to a desolate location? That you craft an elaborate story of how a wild lion jumped out of the brush and ripped him to pieces? That you point to a dried out cistern as the perfect hiding place for the body? (37:18-20). The brothers do! When their plan goes into motion and Joseph arrives at the desolate location, they don’t kill him. They do not kill him because there is no money in that. Instead, they sell him to a group of slave-traders for 20 shekels of silver. They place Joseph into a life of slavery for $252.72. How can you ever forgive someone who sells your personal freedom and any hope of a future for just a day’s wage? That’s not all there is; it gets worse. Because his brothers sell him into slavery, Joseph becomes a slave for the supreme commander of the Egyptian army. Joseph does well; his owner respects him. Yet, when his master’s wife lies about Joseph’s seductive ways, he’s thrown into prison. He’s forgotten; no one remembers an innocent man remains locked up. His brothers are the reason he rots in jail. How can you ever forgive that? How can you ever put such hatred behind you? How can you ever talk to them, let alone look at them ever again? Because that’s what happens. In our reading, Joseph finally stands in front of his brothers. He’s no longer a slave; he’s second-in-command over all of Egypt. Pharaoh had pardoned him and promoted him to the position of overseeing food distribution during a seven-year-long famine. The brothers now stand in front of him, begging for food. They do not recognize him, but he recognizes them. This is it, right? This is where you get your revenge. Your adversary cowers in front of you and you hold their future in your hand! You can make their life more miserable than the pain they inflicted on you! That’s what feels fair! That feels right! And that’s what our hearts may wrestle with doing. Make them slaves to you! The sibling who ripped into your reputation and your character— well, let her know you didn’t appreciate it. Hold a grudge! Stop calling her so she feels a hole in her life. Stop sending birthday cards so that she has a miserable day knowing that her sibling does not like her. Fasten her to the chains of guilt so that she must approach you first, bow down, weep and beg for your mercy and your favor! The one who costs you money, hold his guilt over his head! Don’t forgive him, but always mention the accident so that he feels compelled to sing his apologizes! That woman who hurt your family, well, give her the cold shoulder so that she realizes she cannot be friends with everyone. That she’s not as popular as she thinks she is. That you control her happiness. That’s what makes sense, right? That’s what our heart can lunge at! When someone hurts you, get even— no, inflict worse pain on anyone who crosses you— because, after all, you did nothing for them to start treating you poorly. They hurt you first and you had to suffer. So, make them suffer longer, feel more miserable, and hurt even more. That feels right and fair. That feeling of revenge makes it difficult to forgive. Even Joseph’s brothers expect revenge. They themselves admit it! “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” They make up a letter from dad saying: “I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.” They even try to punish themselves: “We are your slaves!” They know they deserve terrible punishment for their actions. Joseph stands in front of them, the second-most powerful man in the ancient world. Fingers lifting off his headdress. Index finger and thumb sliding off his signet ring. Chin rising so that his eyes look down at his brothers. This is it; this is where you get even. He opens his mouth, sighs, and announces: “Don’t be afraid. I forgive you.” How do you forgive something like that so quickly? He lost years because he was a slave! He is kept away from his family! He lives in another land! Yet, no grudge! No resentment! No anger! Just ““Don’t be afraid. I forgive you.” How Can I Forgive like that? Well, look at the words of Joseph. In verse 19 he says: Am I in the place of God? Joseph puts the motivation of our forgiveness into its proper perspective. If forgiveness is tied to what you feel is fair, then God should treat you fairly. That means, there is no reason for God to forgive the broken promises to be a more patient person. There is no reason for God to look past the times we locked his Word away so that it could not reach our ears, mind, and hearts. There is no reason for God to cancel out the many times we hated hearing his promises that we trusted in our own efforts and decisions. God would have every right to lock us up as eternal slaves in hell! That is what disobedience deserves. That would be fair. Yet, God, in mercy, cancels out our incredible debt. He allows his Son to suffer because evil men lied about his reputation. He allows his Son to be imprisoned to the cross because the Jewish nation hates him, the non-Jews reject his authority, and his disciples are too afraid to stand up for him. God forgets his Son on the cross, leaving him to cry out alone. God sends Jesus to pay your debt of millions owed him. God sends Jesus so that you are set free from hell’s bondage, set free from guilt, set free for eternal life! This is where forgiveness starts. How Can I Forgive? Do not start by looking at the person who hurt you. Start by looking at the God you and I hurt first. God would have every right to damn us to hell, but in mercy, he forgives. The first thing he says on Easter Sunday is: Peace be with you! Do not fear divine revenge. Do not be afraid that God will remember your wrongs and hold them against you. Live in the peace of knowing that God has taken your sins and has removed them from you as far as the east is from the west! See how much God has cancelled out! See that you stand before him a debt-free servant! You have been forgiven eternal death. Be compelled to forgive those whose actions against you do not result in you damning them to hell. To “forgive” means releasing someone from a personal grudge. The picture behind “forgiveness” is that of “lifting up and carrying away.” When Joseph reads the letter: “Forgive your brothers…” he is asked to lift up the baggage of hurt feelings, take them away, and leave resentment and bitterness behind. If you forgive someone, it means you do not seek revenge; you are not fighting to get even or to make someone’s life miserable for the sake of making their life miserable. If you forgive, you are announcing that person is set free from owing you repayment. So, does that mean you should shrug off and not pursue justice against those who wrong you? No, it doesn’t. Sin has consequences. Consequences may result in punishment. A change in that person’s life may come as a result of their actions. The son who takes advantage of your generosity may have to go without. No, not because you want him to become homeless and beg for food; rather, he you are teaching him how to better manage his money. The friend who lies, may lose your trust. It is not that you treat them poorly. Rather, the result of their lies means that you cannot expect him to be completely honest with you. The one who commits a crime, you forgive—meaning that you will not repeat that crime against them. You are announcing that they do not need to fear your wrath and anger. Yet, their actions may result in them repaying with time behind jail or restitution. How Can I Forgive? Announce that you hold no ill will against that person. Maybe you still feel angry. Maybe you really don’t want to see the person who wronged you—yet. What do you do? You pray. You pray because forgiveness is not a natural feeling. What is natural is to feel revenge and to get even with those who harm you. The power to forgive others may not come overnight. So, pray, ask God to put words in your mouth, patience in your heart, and kindness in your life. Even our Prayer of the Day addresses the need to pray over this. Lord, let your mercy and grace always lead us, let it motivate us in life and let it be our closing words. Let us show your mercy; let us reflect your undeserved love to others. And so we pray, “Father, forgive us our trespasses and move us to forgive those who trespass against us. It can be difficult to forgive. It’s difficult to forgive someone who has wreaked such havoc in your life. Yet, before anger takes a foothold in your heart, remember the havoc God has removed from your personal account. God, in mercy, releases you from an eternal prison in hell. He restores to you the rights of children! Set free from sin, you are motivated to forgive others. Set free from sin, you ask for the ongoing strength to forgive. Look to your Savior and find strength in How You Can Forgive.
of Houston, situated literally in the Gulf of Mexico. It looks like a little sandbar and lies just nine feet above sea level. When Isaac Cline arrived in Galveston, he was so sure that no hurricane would ever touch this booming city that he publicly spoke against the need for constructing a seawall.
Well, a few years after his confident assumption, a ship began sending reports of a tropical depression pushing west across the Caribbean islands. A few days later, the island of Antigua warned of a strong tropical thunderstorm. Soon, meteorologists stationed on Cuba warned of a category-4 hurricane (with winds whipping up to 145 miles-per-hour) heading westward towards San Antonio. Isaac Cline received these reports; Isaac Cline disregarded the reports. He believed the storm would boomerang to the northeast. But it did not. When the hurricane warning flags were finally raised in Galveston, it was too late. The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 remains the deadliest natural disaster in United States history. About 12,000 people lost their lives because Isaac Cline failed to warn the people of the approaching danger. When you are the watchman who has news for life, you become responsible for the lives of others. Isaac Cline had information that could have saved lives, but did not share that information until it was too late and too much life was lost. On this Christian Education Sunday, God asks you: How dedicated have you been at being my watchman? Much of our society remains comfortably uninterested in eternity. It can happen that even you and I grow unconcerned about what beliefs have entered our hearts. God gives you his Word and God Makes You His Watchman so that you may warn against sin and share God’s grace. In verse 7 God says: Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. There it is; you see whom God addresses: Son of man. In this setting God speaks to his prophet Ezekiel— a man, someone’s son. Yet, these words are not only meant for him; our gospel reading connects these words to you. Matthew 18:15 reads: If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault. God no longer talks to Ezekiel; he speaks directly to you. You are “sons” and “daughters” of man. That is saying more than: “You have a mom and a dad.” Being a “son of man” reminds you that you are different from a “son of God.” You are mortal. Your life has a beginning and an end. People who are mortal have a job: you are watchman. In ancient times, a watchman marched along the towering city walls, scanning the region for any sign of danger. The very instant he caught a glimpse of the enemy marching towards the city, he blasted the trumpet, warning the military to take up arms and alerting citizens to take cover. (1) The watchman recognizes danger. (2) He sounds the alarm. (3) He does everything in his power to keep people safe— because he holds people’s lives in his hands. Yet, God does not instruct you to climb a wall, march around, and scan the horizon for invaders. He explains what you, as a watchman, do. Hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. The ‘Word’ God has spoken are the Words that make up the Bible. The Bible teaches this one reality: one day you will stand before God Almighty. It can happen at any moment. You may close your eyes in death today and meet your Maker. Or your Jesus could rip the heavens open, slam his golden throne down on this earth, and send out hundreds of thousands of angels across the entire world to gather all people before him. Only those who cling to the saving work of Jesus are able to stand before him without fear. You know this message, right? You learned it in Sunday School, in catechism class, in Sunday sermons, and in Bible class. And if you heard this message, then it means God has spoken his Word to you. And if God has spoken his Word to you, then it means God has Made You a Watchman for the special task of warning against sin. Yet, why you? Out of all the people on earth, why are you made a watchman? I mean, you didn’t sign up for this, did you? After all, that’s Pastor’s job. You pay him to talk about Jesus and heaven and hell with people. No one’s paying you to approach a friend about their lifestyle. In the end, it’s really none of your business, right? If someone wishes to be an alcoholic and dabble with drugs, then that’s their right. If your son wants to live with his girlfriend outside of marriage, then he should be free to do so! If your child doesn’t want to worship, but still believes there is a God, then that’s good enough. If your friend thinks worshipping God out in nature is enough to enter heaven, then who are you to say otherwise? Why meddle? Why warn against sin? Do you want to know why? Because God has Made You His Watchman. He makes you responsible for the spiritual lives of others because he has put his Word into your life. You have the knowledge of what is going to happen on the Last Day. Not everyone knows. Not everyone is overly concerned about eternity. When [God] says to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and [God] will hold you accountable for his blood. The devil has led much of present-day society to label exposing sin as “judgmental.” Quite frankly, the devil just wants no one to point out sin so that more will join him in hell. And if he can get you and me to say nothing, then he has won. My friends, the reason to warn against sin is not to look morally better than someone else. The reason to warn against sin is not to shame others. The reason to warn against sin is not to pat yourself on the back for not struggling with the same addiction and habit as someone else. The reason to warn against sin is to warn against the eternal consequences of sin! To warn against eternal death separated from God in hell. God Makes You his Watchman so that you can warn against sin. God is serious about punishing sin. Yet, as serious as he is about removing sin, God Makes You his Watchman so that you can share his grace. “Grace” means “undeserved love.” God hands youa message of warning so that people may avoid judgment. Yet, for all those times you did not want to sound judgmental, all those times you turned a blind eye to a lifestyle you know was wrong, God would have every right to judge you. Yet, your Sovereign Lord [declares], “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.” You God wants all people saved (1 Timothy 2:4) and so he sends Jesus. Jesus does not ignore your failures; he suffers for them. He dies for the times you are too ashamed to warn anyone of God’s judgment. He suffers your judgment in order to stand you before God his Father forgiven! The reason God has Made You His Watchman is for you to share his grace. Yes, you! You may be an elderly watchman—70, 80, 90-years-old or older! If you ever ask yourself: “Why am I still alive? What does God want me to do?” then find a purpose for life in our verses. God makes You His Watchman! Just think of it—you have worshipped God for 70, 80, or 90 years—and you still come here! Why? Don’t you know everything already? Don’t you already believe in God? Don’t you know the Christmas and Easter stories forwards and backwards? Don’t you know all about heaven and hell? Of course you do! And yet, you realize that trouble does not go away as you get older. You still need to hear that God will not send you to hell because of the foolish choices of your youth. You still need to hear that God is in control of the world— including wars and natural disasters. You still need to cling tighter to grace— to be sure that God forgives you free of charge! You have worshipped here for years because you want to be reminded against and again just how much God loves you. So, what can you do at your age and at your stage in life? There are those who think they already know everything the Bible has to teach. God uses you (and your life experience) to encourage those younger than you to remain in worship. God is using you as his watchman to share his grace with your fellow believers. Maybe you are an empty-nester watchman. The kids are no longer kids; they are adults. Your son grew up, got married, lives right around the corner, and has a family of his own—with children who have yet been baptized! Your sister once worshipped with you. She lives five miles away, but doesn’t make Sunday a priority anymore. She travels around Michigan on the weekends. She stays up late Saturday night and sleeps in Sunday mornings. She worships with you only when the family is in town. Perhaps you ask your child: “Where’s God in your life?” As his mother, you want to see him in heaven. You’re afraid by the things he has said and the way that he lives that he considers forgiveness to be “fluff” and “unnecessary.” Tears well up in your eyes because you did not raise your child this way. What do you do? Sound the warning as the Watchman God has Made You. God instructs: If you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself. Do you see the job God gives you? God does not say: “You must turn him from his ways.” He simply says: “You warn.” God assures you: If you warn and they ignore you, you are not guilty for their unbelief. As long as that child or sibling or friend is in your life, God uses you as his watchman to share his grace. Your kids may be growing up right now. If God has made you a parent, then it means God has made you responsible for the wellbeing of that child. So, you take care of them. You feed them, take them to school, enroll them in events; you shower them with so many blessings. Yet, as parents, you want your child to want to come to worship. You want child to spontaneously wake up early Sunday morning and come here. And sometimes they do— and what a blessing it is to see the Holy Spirit move their hearts in this way! Sometimes they don’t— and what a responsibility you have to crush the devil’s temptation raging in their heart to despise worship. As parents, sometimes you may have to make children come to worship with you. I would love for Clara to want to get shots because they keep her healthy. But she’s five-years-old. She does not want shots. I know shots are best for her wellbeing— and while she may not like me for bringing her to the doctor, I bring her to a person who will help her life. You bring your child to worship so that they can know Jesus better. If you desire for your child to want to worship, then talk about worship. What did you hear in the sermon that stuck out? How does it apply to what your family faces now? How does it give you comfort? Share it! Explain why you are here (when their friends are sleeping at home). Why do you worship in this church (and not somewhere else)? Explain to your child how God’s Word lights up the path to eternal life. Be the Watchman God makes You as you share the love of Jesus with your child. Isaac Cline had information that could have saved lives, but did not share that information until it was too late and too much life was lost. You have information that leads to eternal life. While this world continues, it means you have time to warn against sin. Sin is rebellion against God. It tries to remove you from him; it seeks to throw you in unbelief. It is that serious. Yet, as serious as God is about punishing sin, he more serious to forgive sin. He uses the Bible to tell you: “You are forgiven.” Forgiven by his grace, his undeserved love alone. Use the time you have now to share his grace with young and old and family and friends. Be the watchman God makes you. Someone to warn that unbelief results in hell. Someone to warn against sinful lifestyles. Someone to share God’s forgiveness. Someone to share the joy of growing closer to God. God Makes You His Watchman to warn against sin and to share God’s grace.
Augustine, the more the settlers of St. Augustine stood open to invasion. After 107 years of being attacked by the English, French, and Portuguese (and various pirates), the Spanish military constructed this fort [Castillo de San Marcos].
The fort still stands— and if you ever visit, its walls remain in pristine condition. You see, the Spanish used a special kind of rock for the walls called coquina. Coquina is a natural, hard, dense rock formed almost entirely out of crushed (and compacted) sea-shells. The Spanish discovered this hard rock would not erode from the ocean’s salty breeze. The walls did not dry out and crumble under the hot Florida sun. The best part about this hard wall? It resisted enemy cannonballs. Whenever enemy ships fired at the fort, those cannonballs would bounce off the walls—literally. No matter how long or how many cannons fired, nothing could demolish the fortress. At the end of the day, when darkness covered the water and the enemy ships stopped firing, Spanish soldiers would go out and patch up any wall damage. The next day, when the sun rose, the enemy had no idea where they had attacked the previous day. Three hundred-fifty years later, Castillo de San Marcos still stands because no one could destroy its walls. Isn’t it interesting to consider the reasons for constructing a fort at all? You build a fort because you have enemies. Someone will attack you. Someone does not care about your overall welfare. Someone hopes to destroy you. If you expect enemies, then you make every effort to protect yourself. God tells you quite plainly: Enemies will fight against you (Jeremiah 15:20)— enemies who stand opposed to Jesus, and therefore lived opposed to the teachings of Jesus you carry in your heart and practice in your life. The pressure to leave the family of God is intense. It’s tiring. It may even feel worthwhile to lay God aside. Yet, God barks out the encouragement: March On, Christian Soldier! Flesh will fight against you, but No one will overcome you. Did you expect that? Flesh will fight against you? But you’re a Christian! People are supposed to like you! You have God’s Word in your life. It means that you imitate Jesus by being kind and forgiving, patient and generous. Why would anyone ever fight against you? Not to mention, you have God on your side. Isn’t he there to make sure you always feel happy, that you always have money, that nothing bad ever happens to you? Why should anyone ever fight against you? You have done everything God expects of you! Just like Jeremiah. You see, God appoints Jeremiah to be his prophet. As God’s prophet, Jeremiah is sent to the nation of Judah (located in present-day southern Israel). He walks among his fellow Jews— people who knew God. People familiar with God’s miraculous Ten Plagues—plagues which pushed Pharaoh to let their ancestors leave Egypt. People who heard how God gave the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. People who held the promise of a Savior from sin. So, Jeremiah traveled in a familiar location among people who shared much in common with him, and he preaches this message: If you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray… As surely of the Lord lives,’ then the nations will be blessed by him (4:1-2). It’s a simple message: You will not die if you turn to God in faith. How do people respond? You understand, O Lord[…] think of how I suffer reproach for your sake. When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, […] I never sat in the company of revelers, never made merry with them; I sat alone because your hand was on me and you had filled me with indignation. Jeremiah’s neighbors point a finger in his face, ordering: ‘Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord or you will die by our hands’ (11:21). A high-ranking priest in God’s temple who heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, [and] had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the […] Lord’s temple (20:1-2). Prophets shout: “You must die! Why do you prophesy in the Lord’s name that […] this city will be desolate and deserted?” (26:8-9). A captain of the guard had [Jeremiah] beaten and imprisoned (37:15). Government officials plead: “This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people” (38:2,4). And a King answers: He is in your hands (38:5). What has Jeremiah done wrong? The nation of Judah rejected God. God threatened destruction for their unbelief. God had Jeremiah share his message of judgment. Jeremiah did what God said— and he suffers for it! People hate him because spread the Word of God! And God tells you—a Christian--flesh will fight against you. This idea that the life of a Christian will be easy and filled with nothing but happiness and pleasure and friendship does not pair with what God tells you to expect. Flesh will fight against you. Flesh, that is, those who reject Jesus will reject what you have to say. You invite your son to worship so that he might find the real purpose of life in this world. Yet, he laughs at you and gives some excuse as to why he doesn’t need God now. You teach that God’s view of relationships: one man and one woman, who do not simply live together, but are bound together in marriage. Yet, your daughter replies, “Yes, mom, but this is 2017. Get with the times!” You repeat: Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16). That’s what makes Jesus so important. Yet, your friend’s daughter says: “Don’t be so judgmental. There’s more than one right religion.” It hurts, does it not? It hurts when someone attacks your character and reputation. It hurts when someone avoids you— even though you are a pretty kind person. It hurts when you are called names, hung up on, shrugged off, and rejected. It feels like an unending pain or an incurable wound. Your ego stings because you repeat God’s Word— and people hate you for sharing it. Can you imagine how easy Jeremiah’s life would have been if he just said what people wanted to hear? He could have ignored Judah’s idolatry. He could have changed God’s message from: “Destruction!” to “Peace and safety!” He could have said nothing at all. Then he would have more friends and the temple priests would not say bad things about him and the king would not threaten his life. And if you keep your beliefs here in this church building or keep them bottled up inside of you, then your friends would not put you in that awkward spot of sharing beliefs they consider “weird.” Your co-workers would not call you judgmental. You could fit into the lifestyle of this world a little bit more. Yes, your life could be so much better if you just do not have God in it! Don’t agree with that? Want Jesus and pleasure in this world? That’s the paradox of which Jesus speaks. You can share God’s teachings on worship, money, sex and marriage, heaven and hell. You may lose respect because others do not want to hear God’s teachings. You may lose popularity because you serve God with your life. Or…, you can change God’s standards of morality to fit the popular thinking of this world and you will win many friends, but you will not have God on your side (see Matthew 16:25-26). You will either love God so much you would rather lose the world than to lose him, or you will love the stuff in this life so much that you would rather lay aside God than to lose wealth, status, or pleasure. God tells you what you can expect: Flesh will fight against you. People who have rejected God will reject the words of God you share. Nonbelievers are not the only ones who fight against your allegiance to Jesus, but the flesh of your own heart kicks against his teachings too. Look at your heart; examine what it loves most. See a dead end at the end of worldly wealth and success. Listen to the Lord [who] says: “If you repent, I will restore you.” Turn away from thoughts that seek worldly wealth; find real value in Jesus. On the cross, Jesus reveals what a heart wrapped up in worldly pleasure deserves: Separation from God. Jesus cries out: “God, why have you forsaken me? Where are you? (Psalm 22:1). No one pulls the nails out of his hands and feet. No one silences the smug soldiers taunting him. No one gives Jesus the glory owed him as God. No one gives him pleasure because he carries our disobedience. Jesus must endure shame and insult because by nature, everyone hates the perfect God stands for. Jesus must endure shame and insult because his life matches the perfect God demands. Even though many fight him, he offers the perfect life God demands. The perfect life no other human being has ever held in this life. All those times our hearts fight God and seek pleasure in this world, those are heaped on Jesus. He suffers, he dies, he is cut off from the sight of God, so that you never will be. He rises from the dead to show that God removed the sting of death. He appears to you in his Word and whispers: “Peace be with you; you are forgiven” (John 20:21-23). Flesh will fight against you because you are connected to Jesus. Yet, March On, Christian Solider. March on past the name-calling. March against the pulls and tugs to find real value in the amount of money you have or your popularity or the pleasure of homes and success. March On, Christian Solider, because you are marching to the real rest Jesus holds for you. March On, Christian Solider, because nothing will overcome you You will stand out in this world; God tells you to expect this much. You stand out— not because you (yourself) look different. You will stand out because you are a representative of God to this world. Frightening? It can be. Explaining that marriage is between one man and one woman for life may not make you too popular. Your child may not want to hear the reality that only Jesus makes people right before God. Your friends may laugh at you when you do not indulge with them. You may feel pressured to cave in, to place God off to the side, and share a worldly view on life. Yet, God promises: I will make you a wall[…] a fortified wall of bronze— something better than the coquina walls of St. Augustine’s fort. Imagine standing at the base of a towering wall made entirely of hazy-golden bronze. Strike it with a sledgehammer, but you cannot dent the wall. Shoot arrows; watch them ricochet off. Ram it with a tank, but the wall still holds. No one and nothing will penetrate such a defense. God makes you a bronze wall— made strong to withstand attacks on your faith. No, not because you are so strong, courageous, and mighty. It’s because God has given you his Word upon which to stand. In verse 19, God says: Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them. If you are insulted for the Bible’s teachings, then know this: they are rejecting God’s teachings, not your opinions. If your heart questions why you worship as often as you can, your heart needs to listen to God’s Third Commandment closer. If you are the last believer left on earth and you feel all alone, then know every single person left on earth must bend to you, not you to them. God’s message of forgiveness in Jesus will never change. People must change to hear the message. You who hold to this message will never be overcome. The God who conquered death will raise you to life on the Last Day of this world’s existence. The God who makes the devil’s accusations against you fall flat, assures you: “You are forgiven.” The God who removes the consequences of your sin (and mine), will bring you into heaven. No one will stop him from doing this. His Word stands. His Word is that bronze wall. You stand behind that wall. So, March On, Christian Soldier! Flesh will fight against you. Do not be alarmed at that. Flesh will fight against you, but No one will overcome you because God has enclosed you behind his wall. March On, to heaven Christian Soldier! No one will overcome you. |
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