Reminiscere. Hebrews 11,8-10

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The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

Hebrews 11,8-10   1814

Reminiscere  025. „Remember“  

Heribert, Archbishop of Cologne, † 1022 

16. März 2014

1. Almighty God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul (The Book of Common Prayer 88).  Amen.

2. »By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.« 

3. Jesus quoted the Psalmist in His parable recorded by St. Mark in his Gospel: »The Stone that the builders rejected after testing has become the Cornerstone; this was Yahweh’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes« (Psalm 118,22-23; Mark 12,10-11). This was born out in the parable that Jesus told as it summarized Israel’s history with Yahweh’s prophets: some they beat and others they killed. When the Son of God finally arrived, they killed Him too. The ministry of Jesus bore this out. Jesus attracted a number of disciples, and they numbered at least 500 by the time of His ascension. Unfortunately, most of the elders, rabbis, scribes and Pharisees listened to Jesus, tested His words and summarily rejected Him as their Messiah and Christ. In punishment, God the Father exiled them from the land, destroyed the Temple and gave His inheritance to others. Those inheritors are Christians, both Jew and Gentile, who hear the gospel and believe in Jesus. The Church is the rightful and legal heir of Christ’s vineyard, but this vineyard is not a physical location like Palestine, and there is no theocratic state anymore. Wherever Christians gather is land made holy unto Christ Jesus because our Lord dwells in our midst. 

4. Thus the Psalmist refers to the Christ as the Cornerstone that is the essential stone for the foundation of God’s chosen and holy people. True Israel are those who believe like Abraham, and thus the Church is the legitimate heir of the promises for she is the daughter of Abraham because she shares Abraham’s faith in the Christ. Jesus’ Lenten journey heightened the conflict between Him and those who opposed Him. Jesus spoke this parable during Holy Week, and He had entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and had already cleared out the temple. Jesus was teaching in the temple courtyard when He told this parable. His audience was probably diverse, including, His disciples, some from the crowds who had heard Him teach before, Jewish religious leaders, including Pharisees, scribes, Sadducees and any number of extra-national Jews who lived outside Judea but were in the courtyard to celebrate the Feast of Passover. The Jewish religious leaders rightly understood that Jesus told this parable against them. They became indignant that Yahweh would disown them and drive them from the City of God. They wanted to arrest Jesus, put Him on trial and convict Him of blasphemy, but they could not at this time because the Jewish crowds held Jesus in high esteem. 

5. The old testament was conditioned upon Israel’s faithfulness to the covenant. If they were unfaithful, then Yahweh could enact the expulsion-from-the-land clause. He had done it once before (587 BC), and He was about to do so again (AD 70). This second expulsion would be final and complete, as Jesus was instituting a new testament to replace the old. Jesus is the Son whom the Jewish leadership killed, and in being killed Jesus fulfilled the old testament and stipulated the new testament that was not conditional upon mankind’s obedience. The vineyard, the City of God and the heavenly reign cannot be taken away and given to someone else now, for Jesus is the heir of this will and testament, and He has kept the conditions for its implementation. Jesus has now given this inheritance to all those who believe in Him.  

6. The Church is the unconditional heir of Christ, and He has given her the promises and inheritance once conditioned to Israel. The Church cannot lose this inheritance to others, and there will never be a third testament, for the Church is built upon Christ Jesus the Cornerstone. The Church will always exist, and she will be here on earth when the last day arrives with Jesus’ return. This does not mean that individual Christians or congregations will cease to be Christian, for individuals and congregations can choose to walk away from the gospel, Christ and faith in Him. This will not derail the Holy Spirit, for He will just bring in new people to fill the deserted ranks of Christians and congregations. 

7. This good news is proclaimed by the Psalmist: »Remember Your mercy, O Yahweh, and Your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to Your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of Your goodness, O Yahweh!« (Psalm 25,6-7). God the Father does remember us on account of Christ. 

8. But many will stumble over Jesus the Cornerstone, because He is not a tame Christ. Despite His gentle and loving nature, He is powerful and can be dangerous (CS Lewis). Jesus is not tamed by His creatures, but He surprises us with His endless grace (CS Lewis). And so we remember His mercy shown in today’s parable, mercy that is extended to all who receive Him in faith. Some will reject this mercy and miss out on their inheritance, but others will receive this mercy and be granted their inheritance of salvation, righteousness and everlasting life in His glorious presence.  Amen. 

9. Let us pray. O Heavenly Father, You show His love for us in that Jesus Christ died for us while we were still sinners, may we never stumble over this proclamation nor reject this great gift of grace so that we may remain in the Christian faith unto eternal life.  Amen. 

To God alone be the Glory 

Soli Deo Gloria

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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.  

Book of Common Prayer, The. Copyright © 1990 Oxford University Press.

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2013 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern.

Gibbs, Jeffrey A. Matthew 11:2 – 20:34. Copyright © 2010 Concordia Publishing House.

Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand. 

Nagel, Norman. Selected Sermons of Norman Nagel: From Valparaiso to St. Louis. Frederick W. Baue, Ed. Copyright © 2004 Concordia Publishing House. 

VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2013 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands.