Good Gifts Come from Above

The twentieth sunday after pentecost

Shepherd of the Hills Ev. Lutheran Church (WELS)

James 1:17-27

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. 19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. 26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (NIV)

Do you remember how badly you wanted it?  It was the only thing you could think about.  In your mind you had this working list made up of all the practical reasons that you “needed” it.  You invested time in researching it to make sure it was the best.  You saved up enough money and finally you were able to buy it.

That was then.  This is now.  Now, it doesn’t begin to compare to the newer models.  Now, you look at it and all you can think of are all of the things it doesn’t do.  You see everyone else with a shiny new one and you pout because yours isn’t good enough.  It seems like you’re “the only one” who doesn’t have anything recent and you “always” have to settle for older models.  You are so much worse off because you never get anything fun and new like everyone else.

Funny as it might sound, it’s very easy for us to feel that way, isn’t it?  We have been programmed into thinking that if we don’t have the latest or the newest, then we don’t have anything.  Ironically, you could take truckloads of stuff out of our houses, and the truth is, we’d still have abundantly more than the overwhelming majority of people in the world. I point this out, not to bring about feelings of guilt, but because we need an occasional reality check once in a while.  We are so much more inclined to ungratefully dwell on all that we don’t have, instead of the rich supply of what we do have.  Face it, far more people in this world than we care to admit would be thrilled just to live off of what we throw away in a year.  In many ways you have more than your parents did, and much more than your grandparents ever did.  And all this even in the middle of the “harshest” of economic times.  You get the point – we’ve got lots.

But that’s not really the point, actually.  As James reminds us this morning, it’s not so much about what you have as it is who gave it to you.  What’s worse than not being truly appreciative of how much we have?  It’s forgetting where it came from in the first place.  James reminded us in our Second Lesson this morning: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (v.17).  Yes, you may have put it on your check card.  The check written to pay it off may have come from your check book.  It might have been your cash used to purchase it.  But make no mistake, you have it only because God gave it to you.

And whether it is acknowledged by others or not, God is the giver all things good.  So even the good that the unbeliever enjoys is good that comes from God.  Like the sun that shines everywhere, from the highest alpine meadow to the lowest tucked away valley, and everywhere between, so God is the giver of every good thing this world has ever known.  That has always been the case and it always will be the case.  It will never change, as James illustrated with the words, “who does not change like shifting shadows.”  As the sun shifts, a shadow may change slightly over the course of the day.  But the sun doesn’t change.  It still shines.  Our good gifts may change, but the giver of them does not.  He is God.  His gifts will always be good.

Of these good gifts, there is a gift that God gives that far surpasses the rest of them.  One gift that by comparison completely overshadows the rest.  Without this gift, no other good gift matters.  One can live his appointed years on this earth enjoying all the other good gifts God gives, but without this one essential gift, he cannot live beyond that in heaven with Jesus.  That gift is the gift of faith, and just like every other good gift, it comes only from God, only because God chooses to give it, as James reminded us.  “[God] chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created” (v.18).  The birth that he refers to here is the spiritual rebirth of being born again into God’s family.  We were given physical life when our mothers brought us into this world.  We were given spiritual life when God called us to faith through his Word, whether that first involved the application of water with the Word in baptism, or whether that Word stood alone and the good news of life and salvation in Jesus so permeated the heart that the blindness of unbelief could no longer oppose it and a child of God was born.

You have countless good gifts from God, but none greater than this.  Not a one.  Not even close.  Your faith in Jesus as your Savior from sin is priceless, though it came at a cost.  Though it cost you nothing, it cost God the Father his Son.  How much does a Father love someone for whom he’s willing to give up his own Son?  Enough to also to go another step and give you his Word, which lays out in such an incredibly detailed manner the historical record of his loving actions on your behalf.  History is plastered with record after record of God’s gracious deeds on your behalf and yet, as compelling as they all are, they were only the shadow of what was to come.  The reality, the greatest gift of all, came in the person of your Savior, Jesus Christ.

James reminds us that that great gift, and all other good gifts, are from God. When we receive good gifts, when we have things that we enjoy, we have ways of showing that we appreciate them, don’t we? We do that naturally without even thinking about it.  People can tell what we truly treasure by observing certain things.  Your schedule for example will reflect what is important to you by making time for certain things.  If working out is important, you set aside time for it.  If watching your kids play sports is important, you schedule time for it.  If you have a hobby or a show or some event that you treasure, you make time for it.  You also handle things differently if they are important to you.  The china that has been passed down to you is one of those “look, but don’t touch” items for little hands, whereas a hand-me-down T-shirt doesn’t enjoy the same protection.  If we treasure something, usually others know about it, because we find ourselves talking about it often.  These are just a few of the ways that we show we appreciate certain gifts and other things that are important to us.

James spends a number of verses giving numerous examples of how we can demonstrate with our lives how thankful we are to God for all his gracious gifts, especially the gift of our faith, and it’s object, Jesus.  One of the ways by which we show how much we treasure the gifts of our good and gracious Father is in how we speak.  And also in how we don’t speak.  In fact, often times that is where we tend to struggle.  It’s not in what we say, but sometimes learning not so say anything.  James said it this way: “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” (v.22).  We often have it turned completely around.  We’re quick to speak and much too slow just to listen.  We could learn from the example of the loquacious young man who approached the philosopher Socrates, hoping to learn from him the art of speaking.  Socrates explained that he would have to charge the young man double, as he needed to teach him not just one, but two skills: how to speak, yes; but also how to hold his tongue. We are thankful for God’s gracious gifts, especially his gift of faith.  Let us reflect it by being quick to listen and slow to speak.

That skill, the ability to hold one’s tongue and just listen, tends to be very much related to one’s success in controlling anger.  James reminds us, “man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires” (v20).  That’s probably not a big shocker to most of us, that letting our anger get out of control doesn’t generally result in conducting ourselves in the righteous manner that God expects.  In fact, it’s almost just a little bit condescending, isn’t it?  As if we know better, but we do it anyway.  Obviously uncontrolled anger and righteousness have nothing to do with each other!  Indeed, we might be inclined to think, “well duh!” when reading this, except that such a response would only highlight all the more how shameful it is that we know well enough, but that our behavior still doesn’t reflect the practice of James’ blatantly obvious point.  We are thankful for God’s gracious gifts, especially his gift of faith.  Let us reflect it by controlling our anger.

As we seek to control our anger, one of the ways we can do it is by “get[ting] rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept[ing] the word planted in you, which can save you” (v.21).  It’s much easier to control our anger if we avoid the garbage that sets us off and dwell more in the Word which saves us.  But James goes on to make a crucial point about that Word: it is of little value if it merely goes in one ear and out the other.  He points out that another way in which we can show our thanks to God for his generosity is in how we treat his Word. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (v.22).  Applying what is heard in God’s Word is essential.  Yes, the Word works, but not like some simple voice recognition technology, where the listener of the Bible merely acknowledges that he is in fact hearing the Bible.  Rather, the words heard must hit the heart. 

For example, consider the man who hears the fire alarm go off in his office building, but remains in his cubicle even after the chaotic exit of all his fellow employees has taken place.  He dies in the burning building.  Why?  Not because he didn’t hear the fire alarm, but because he didn’t take to heart what it meant and apply it’s emergency warning and evacuate the building.  Or what would you think of the convicted criminal sitting in his jail cell who doesn’t move an inch from his bed even after the deputy unlocks his cell, informs him that he’s been pardoned, and holds open the doors to freedom?  He heard that he was freed, that he was pardoned, but he chose to remain in prison.

So it is with those who hear God’s law, but do not bother to heed it’s warning.  So it is with those who hear God’s gospel, his good and gracious gift of pardon and forgiveness in Jesus, but refuse it and instead choose to remain in sin and its prison.  Don’t merely think that hearing the Word is sufficient and fool yourself.  Apply it.  Do what it says.  When it calls for repentance, repent.  When it guarantees forgiveness, believe it.  Let it sink into your heart, transform it, and make you new and whole again.  Right now you are showing your thanks to God for his gracious gifts by hearing his Word.  When you leave this morning, show that you treasure that Word not just by hearing, but by doing, by applying it and by putting your gift of faith into practice in the many ways James points out.  Amen.

“For the freer confidence is from one’s own works, and the more exclusively it is directed toward Christ alone, so much better is the Christian it makes.” (Luther)

Rejoice in the Gospel

The nineteenth sunday after pentecost

Shepherd of the Hills Ev. Lutheran Church (WELS)

Philippians 1:12-18a

¹² Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. ¹³ As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. ¹⁴ And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear. ¹⁵ It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. ¹⁶ The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁷ The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. ¹⁸ But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. (NIV)

Motivation matters.  It’s why a loss to a college football player may be a devastating blow, whereas a loss to an NFL player may not affect him nearly as much.  The college player will leave it all out on the field and do everything he can to get a win, because he’s motivated to make it to the next level.  But the NFL player has already made it.  He gets paid the big bucks whether he wins or loses, so he may not be as motivated as the college player is to give it his all.  The finished product in art class for the high school student trying to get into the Art Institute is probably going to be of a little higher quality than the student just handing something in because he wants to pass the class.  The one student is motivated to put together an impressive portfolio in hopes of her art being recognized, while the other just wants to graduate.  The employee who is motivated to eventually take on an upper management position within the company is more likely to do the extra little things above and beyond what is expected than the employee who is happy just to punch in & out each day and receive a paycheck for showing up.

The same applies to us as Christians.  Motivation matters as we live out our Christian faith.  It matters, not as far as our salvation is concerned; rather, it matters because motivation separates the good that we do now from the “good” that we did before coming to faith.  The unbelieving, unconverted heart was prompted to do good out of obligation, slavery, or self-serving motives.  But now the new heart in each of us is characterized by a peace-filled cheerfulness that delights in doing good.  I give because Christ invites me to, not because he demands it.  I serve because I want to, not because I have to be coerced or strong-armed into it.  I put others before self, not because I hope they’ll return the favor sometime, but because Christ put me first.  God longs to see good deeds that spring from a gospel-motivated spirit, not a law-leaning attitude, so yes, motivation matters.

Except for when motivation doesn’t matter.  If you listen again to what Paul wrote to the Philippians, see if it doesn’t sound just a little bit like that is what he’s saying, that motivation doesn’t matter.  “The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice” (v.17,18a).  “But what does it matter” Paul writes, “the important thing is that…Christ is preached.”  So it doesn’t matter where a person’s heart is?  It doesn’t matter that his reasons for proclaiming Christ may not at all be gospel-motivated?  And, Paul doesn’t just say that he tolerates such misguided preaching, but that he rejoices in it! Paul says it doesn’t matter why a person preaches Christ, so long as Christ is preached.  When that happens, no matter why it happens, Paul rejoices.

Now let’s assume that Paul hasn’t lost it or that he isn’t speaking out of his mind for just a minute.  Let’s try to understand where he’s coming from when he’s writing these words.  Philippians is one of those letters we refer to as a “prison epistle.”  In other words, as Paul was writing this letter from Rome, he wasn’t writing it as a free man.  He knew that the members of the mission congregations he had started and served were concerned about him.  They had heard about his trial and wondered how things were progressing.  Based on the degree of optimism that is clearly evident throughout the entire book of Philippians, one would assume Paul’s trial was going quite well.  And while that was the case, it is very clear that Paul’s optimism had less to do with his personal situation in regard to the false charges brought against him, and much more to do with the joy that stemmed from gospel ministry.

Even as a prisoner, Paul gives reasons to rejoice.  He wrote, “Now I want you to know brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly” (v.12-24).  Prison didn’t depress Paul, because he was overwhelmingly convinced that his status as a prisoner was directly related to God’s greater goal of advancing the gospel, the good news about Jesus.  It wasn’t just Paul the prisoner who went to Rome, but the gospel that went to Rome.  That was how Paul saw it, and that joy overshadowed the otherwise gloomy reality of being a prisoner.  Paul saw reason to rejoice in his chains, because for him they were symbolic of the gospel spreading and advancing throughout the world.

Not only that, but Paul’s prison situation spurred on others to carry the baton of gospel ministry and speak even more boldly about the news of deliverance from death and forgiveness for life and salvation in Jesus.  The enemies of the cross have always underestimated how God uses persecution against his church to light a fire in the belly of his followers.  Imprisoning a highly respected and beloved pastor like Paul did not silence the church, but stirred it up and prompted it to passionately proclaim Christ all the more.  Timidity gave way to a new boldness.  Fear was replaced with lion-like courage.  Yes, the gospel was at work in the hearts of believers, and gospel motivation begat gospel proclamation.  There was reason to rejoice!

But now we return to that matter of motivation, because as much as the gospel was being proclaimed, it wasn’t always for the right reasons.  The motivation of some was disingenuous.  Sometimes, in some places, preachers and teachers had an agenda.  They had selfish motives and reasons for proclaiming the gospel.  Some had seen what effect it had on people when Paul preached it, and sought to take advantage of the persuasive power of the gospel in some way or another.  Others recognized that with Paul in chains, now was a chance to make a name for themselves.  Still others simply saw it as an opportunity to make money.  No matter what the reasons, at least in certain situations, they weren’t pure.

Should we think that everyone today who claims to speak authoritatively on the Word of God is driven by the proper motivation?  When we see preachers imprisoned and the reputations of certain televangelists tarnished by multiple accusations of impropriety of one sort or another, we wonder about the motives behind their ministry.  We see the face of the latest preaching personality plastered everywhere, and it doesn’t seem to fall in line with the humility to which Jesus calls us.  We may not be able to see into hearts to determine who’s in it for the “right reasons,” but the sad reality is that sometimes that isn’t even necessary because the misguided motivation is all too evident for many to see.

And even when we may not see it in others, we don’t have to look very far, for it’s also right there in each of us from time to time.  Parents help their children learn memory work for our school, not because God’s Word is living and active, and the single best thing we can share with our children, but because it’s another assignment that needs to get done for a good grade.  We find ourselves debating with another person about what God’s Word says, not because we’re concerned with upholding the truth and contending for that person’s soul, but because we want to show the other person how wrong he is.  Our motives can be every bit as crooked as those of the individuals Paul was writing about.  In some cases our hearts reflect a worldly motivation similar to that of the Jesus-peddling pretenders of Paul’s day.  We can be every bit as guilty of the exact same sin. 

But still Paul would rejoice.  How?  Why?  Because it’s not about the Motivation; it’s about the Means.  That is to say, the motivation of the one mouthing the Word of God does not make the Word of God effective or ineffective.  So whether it is a televangelist who is trying to preach his way into your pocketbook (and by thy way, not all televangelists are evil people!) or a simple-minded pastor who cares deeply about your soul, if both proclaim the death and Resurrection of Jesus as the only way of salvation, then the ears of those in either audience have just heard the life-changing message of the gospel!  The Holy Spirit can work through the message of the deceitful charlatan or the dedicated shepherd.  It’s not about the motivation; it’s about the means.

That’s the beauty of the means of grace in Word and Sacrament.  God gives us the tools to use, but he’s the one who accomplishes the work through them.  He simply calls his church to make sure the tools aren’t lying by idly on the workbench.  Whether those tools are in the hands of an apprentice or an expert, they can still get the job done, because the Holy Spirit is the One doing all the work.  Paul knew that about the gospel, and that’s why he was rejoicing.  Even in chains.  Even as others tried to imitate his work of preaching for completely selfish and impure reasons.  He rejoiced because the tools, the means, were being used.  And he knew the Lord would still work through them. 

We can rejoice in the gospel today for the same reason.  God’s grace to us in Christ Jesus isn’t rendered null and void just because the messenger didn’t have pure intentions when he spoke.  God’s assurance of forgiveness does not become invalid even if the person speaking that forgiveness doesn’t truly believe it.  The Word always works, regardless of why that Word is being passed along.  It’s not about the motivation; it’s about the means.  And God’s Means of Grace do not disappoint.  May we again be reminded of that as we have the blessed privilege of receiving his forgiveness in his body and blood this morning in the Lord’s Supper.  May we rejoice in that gospel, and may we confidently speak it to one another and to those whose ears have not yet heard it. Amen.

 

“For the freer confidence is from one’s own works, and the more exclusively it is directed toward Christ alone, so much better is the Christian it makes.” (Luther)

"Fortifying the Family" Series, Week Five: Family First

The eighteenth sunday after pentecost

Shepherd of the Hills Ev. Lutheran Church (WELS)

Mark 9:30-37

30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. 33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. 35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” 36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” (NIV)

We hear on the news that ongoing drought is going to mean less corn production, and with less corn being produced, then all the products that utilize corn in any way are going to go up in price, which means we’re going to be hit in the pocketbook.  Oh, and I suppose it also means that farmers stand to lose money on this year’s crop, and that with less corn being produced – a basic food source all over the world – more people are likely to die of starvation as a result in certain parts of the world.  But the farmers and those starving aren’t first on our minds; we are, and how this will inconvenience us.  A jumper on one of the overpasses on the highway has caused that section of the highway to be closed down.  Because that was going to be exactly where I needed to drive, now I have to take a longer way to get where I was going.  The thought that someone is considering taking his life – well, that isn’t as pressing a concern.  My car is going to be in the shop another day because the mechanic who was supposed to finish it up didn’t come in to work today.  I’m thinking about how that means another day of shifting my schedule and depending on others for rides, but I never stopped to consider think about whether or not all is OK for the mechanic who didn’t show up, because I didn’t know that his little girl had to have a life-saving procedure done at the hospital. We have a pretty egocentric view on life, don’t we?  We tend to put self first, and well, everyone else can just fall into line behind us.

It even happens within our families, doesn’t it?  Even there we can have a tendency to be very self-serving.  A child helps with chores, so long as there is some sort of reward in it for him; but when no reward is involved, such help is hard to come by.  There’s one more piece of pizza in the fridge, so we grab it before someone else gets it.  Siblings go to great lengths to make sure that everything is fair when it comes to food/snack portions, not because they care about brother or sister getting enough, but because they want to make sure that they don’t get short-changed.  Husbands and wives, we do it too, when we willingly give approval to an activity that the spouse wants to do, because we know that it means we’ll get to what we want to do another time.  Let’s face it: human nature cares about self first and foremost, and that reality is just as likely to show up in the home as it is anywhere else.

This morning Jesus seeks to address that issue of selfishness, an issue that really is at the core of so much of what’s wrong in each of us and in the world and in our families.  Our own selfishness can have just as negative an impact on the family as any number of external influences from the secular world.  As we wrap up our “Fortifying the Family” series, we see how essential it is to put family first.  If we are going to strengthen our families, then they need to become a bigger priority in our lives than even our own self.  By default then, putting family first means a willingness to put self second, or third, or fourth, and so on. May God guide us with his grace this morning as we seek to put Family First.

You aren’t the first to have issues with putting yourself first.  Jesus’ disciples were concerned with the very same thing.  We don’t know exactly what sparked the conversation, but at some point along the journey to Capernaum, there was some discussion about who among the Twelve was the greatest.  With the recent mountain top experience of the Transfiguration for the inner circle of three, some may have been inquiring about pecking order.

There is sufficient evidence that the disciples were aware that they shouldn’t have been arguing about such a thing as who was the greatest among them.  Feigning ignorance, Jesus asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” (v.33).  Mark tells us that they kept quiet (v.34).  They didn’t answer Jesus.  Why not?  Couldn’t Jesus have settled the debate right then and there about who among them was the greatest?   So why wouldn’t they just tell him what they had been discussing?  More than likely, it’s because they knew deep down inside that they shouldn’t have been discussing it.  They may very well have been ashamed that they were talking about such a childish thing.  Or, it may be that they had some sort of an inkling that Jesus’ idea of greatness didn’t match their own perception of what greatness truly was.

Supporting this might be their reaction to Jesus’ recently repeated revelation about what was going to happen to him.  Jesus said, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise” (v.31).  Pretty heavy stuff.  Yet note their response: “But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it” (v.32).  Why the fear?  Why not ask Jesus to explain things further?  Maybe they didn’t want to look foolish, thinking Jesus would expect them to get it by this point.  Or maybe they were afraid they wouldn’t like Jesus’ answer if they asked him to further explain the details about what was going to happen, including the part about one of them betraying Jesus.  Or, maybe the topic of betrayal, suffering, and death didn’t really fit their paradigm of greatness.  If that was the case, it might also explain their silence when Jesus asked them what they were debating on the road.

Finally, their reasons for discussing such a topic and then avoiding it when Jesus brought it up again are not as important as how Jesus responded next.  What was his response?  He said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all” (v.35).  Realize how backwards Jesus’ words must have sounded.  In about a month we’ll have a presidential election, but we don’t expect the man with the fewest votes to get elected.  We don’t crown that last-place team as champion.  We don’t assume that the janitor cleaning the rest room is the CEO of the company.  No, last isn’t first, and the servant isn’t the greatest – not by our way of thinking, at least. 

However, if we set our way of thinking aside for just a moment and consider Jesus’ life in connection with the words he spoke here, the true picture of greatness starts to take shape.  Jesus is first in every sense of the word.  He was here first, before any of us, before anything was brought into existence at Creation.  As far as might, rule, authority, honor, glory, wisdom, understanding, and on and on and on, Jesus is first.  In fact he is both the first and the last, the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega.

But for a time he set it all aside and willingly became last.  The Master became the Servant.  The Greatest became the Least.  And here is what sets Christianity apart from every religion devised by men: no man-made religion could conceive of a God who became least of all.  Why?  Because no religion of men could ever conceive of grace.  For grace compelled God to make himself the very last for you in Christ, so that you could be first.  All that he is and was he set aside for a time, to become last and servant of all, that he might suffer in your place; that he might bear your sin of selfishness; that he might bear your guilt, and that he might finally die in your place to clear your record of sin and pay for it completely.  And by his Resurrection we have the assurance that the Father fully accepted the Son’s sacrifice, and that his determination to become last so that we might become first was not in vain.

The First became the Last.  The Master became the Servant.  Look to Jesus and there you see what you will not see anywhere else you look; there you will see Godly greatness.  It is indeed a rarity that anyone would be willing to be last or to become a servant for others, but even more so that God himself would do it.  Our Sovereign Lord, who deserves only to be served, became the servant.  The Ruler of the heavens and the earth, before whom no one else has a right to stand, humbly placed himself lower than all others, becoming last so that we might benefit first from his sacrifice.

Do we want to fortify our families?  Then look to Christ, who has made them strong by putting them first and making himself last.  And see in his sacrifice not only reason to give thanks, but reason to show thanks, by imitating that greatness and becoming last and servant to your family.  Look at your spouse, your children, your parents, not only as blessings that God has given to take care of you and to work together with as a family, but as individuals whom God has placed into your life for you to serve.  Appreciate the varied ways God allows you to demonstrate your love to him and to them by putting them first and joyfully serving.  Dads, serve them first and foremost with the Word of God, for nothing is more important, but serve them with your hands as well, and with your time.  Mothers, you deserve the greatest of praise, since you are more naturally inclined toward serving your family in so many ways.  Find joy in that privilege that God has given you in helping to manage the household and daily activities.  Children, serve your parents without having to be asked.  Do so in love and obedience, and live in harmony with your siblings, for God has given them specially to you as your brother, as your sister.  Love them and serve them as God’s gift to you.

And if you want to strengthen your family at home, do the same thing for your family at church.  Aren’t the two related?  Aren’t they connected – your family that dwells under the same roof and your family that gathers in God’s house?  One is bound by flesh and blood; the other finds its family ties in faith and in spirit.  Both are opportunities to place ourselves last by serving others first.  Respect and honor your church leaders.  Serve them by speaking well of them, but also by assisting them when needed and by praying for them and encouraging them and supporting them.  Show thanks to those who serve on Boards, not just verbally, but by asking how you might help.  Thank an usher.  Send a card to our organists.  Surprise a teacher with a gift.  Sign up to serve refreshments or clean the church.  Remember that we are not here just to Seek the Lost, but also to Serve the Found, and that means serving your church family.

See those that share the same roof at home with you and those that gather in the same sanctuary with you as the blessed family God has brought into your life.  Then, just as Jesus graciously did for each of us, become last by serving them first.  May God bless our efforts at Fortifying our Families as we put them first. Amen.

                                                             

“For the freer confidence is from one’s own works, and the more exclusively it is directed toward Christ alone, so much better is the Christian it makes.” (Luther)