Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: Matthew 10,34-39. 21. Trinity

Saturday, October 30, 2021

Matthew 10,34-39. 21. Trinity

Matthew 10,34-39 5421

21. Trinitatis 066

Raphael, Archangel

24. Oktober 2021

1. O Mighty and Everlasting God, who by Your Son has promised us the forgiveness of sins, righteousness and everlasting life: We beseech You, do by Your Holy Spirit so quicken our hearts so that we in daily prayer may seek our help in Christ against all temptations, and, constantly believing His promise, obtain that for which we pray, and at last be saved. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)

2. »Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.«

3. In his renowned book, Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: „Self-denial is never just a series of isolated acts of mortification or asceticism.… To deny oneself is to be aware only of Christ and no more of self, to see only Him who goes before and no more the road which is too hard for us“ (Bonhoeffer 129).

4. Jesus is also talking about self-denial in Matthew 10. He brings a sword, conflict and division. The Christian faith is not an easy life. It may divide you from friends and family; it may set you at odds with politicians and the contemporary philosophy of the culture.

5. Furthermore, Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow Him. He calls for us to lose our life. Jesus’ call to discipleship is not easy nor is it comfortable, for as C.S. Lewis once said: If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, then I certainly don’t recommend Christianity (Lewis, God in the Dock).

6. But how can we faithfully be disciples of Jesus? What He asks of us is difficult. What He asked is more than what the Pharisees asked of their disciples. It may seem like Christianity is a life of constantly failing to live up to Jesus’ standards. Well, in one respect, it is; we are fallen people who can never live up to God’s standards and expectations. We will fail – a lot. Even godly men and women in the pages of Holy Scripture failed at times – save Jesus. Just a cursory reading of the Four Gospels reveals that those closest to Jesus – the apostles – fail to understand and do the teachings of Jesus again and again and again.

7. Jesus says take up your cross and follow Me. The apostles literally had the opportunity to do this when Jesus was arrested. He told them hours before this happened that they will all fall away because of Him this night (Matthew 26,31). They replied: Even if we must die with You, we will not deny You (Matthew 26,35). Yet just hours later, Jesus was arrested and all the disciples left Him and fled (Matthew 27,50.56). Truly, the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26,41).

8. Ponder for a moment what if the apostles had remained faithful and stood beside Jesus at His trial. One possible outcome would have been Pilate ordering 13 men crucified that Friday instead of 3. But who would proclaim the gospel if all the apostles have been killed? Another possible outcome would have been: after Jesus rose on Sunday, He would have been resurrected all the apostles. In fact, just such an event occurred and Matthew recorded it. When Jesus died, the earth shock, the tombs also were open and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; coming out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection they went into Jerusalem and appeared to many (Matthew 27,51-53).

9. The gospel tells us the Jesus identifies Himself with his disciples, yes, even, and especially, with those who falter and fail in their discipleship. On the one hand, this identification leads to division in cross-bearing, but on the other hand it leads to discipleship and comfort. Jesus Himself will cause division between people and will also cause fellowship between believers. Jesus does not forsake His Church and He will not forsake you. He is in our midst at all times (Matthew 28,20). Jesus promised us: Peace I leave with you; peace I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14,27). Jesus will not leave us or for sake us (Deuteronomy 31,6; Hebrews 13,5). Thus we can confidently say: Yahweh is my Helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me? (Psalm 118,6; 13,7.6).

10. Κυριος Ίησοΰς Χπιστός, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” This is the original confession of the church (Sasse 9). „So the original confession of Christians that Jesus is Lord is the foundational confession of the church. [She] confesses the living God, not the abstract God-concept produced by some system of philosophy, but the real God as He has revealed Himself. Whoever confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord confesses also the Father, who sent His Son into the world, gave Him into death for us, raised Him from the dead, and gave Him “the name which is above every name” [Phil. 2:9], the name kyrios (“Lord”). Such a person also confesses the Holy Spirit, in whom Jesus Christ is with us “always, to the close of the age” [Matt. 28:20]“ (Sasse 34). This is most certainly true.

11. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippines 4,7). Amen.

12. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, the Righteous One; pour out Your strength upon us to be Your disciples, so that we may sing of Your steadfast love and justice. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

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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 28. Revised Edition © 2012 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Saturday, October 30, 2021

Matthew 10,34-39. 21. Trinity

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