Easter 3 - Misericordias Domini April 15, 2018
1 Peter 2:21-25
Just Judgement?
v.23 When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly.
Alleluia! Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Dear friends in Christ, we have before us a beautiful text from St. Peter, wherein he exhorts us Christians to face suffering, even unjust suffering, with grace and fortitude, for so we follow in the exalted footsteps of our risen Saviour. Jesus, Peter reminds us, committed no sin, nor did He ever try to lie or deceive by trickery and falsehood. Even though He was greatly abused--highly insulted and slandered by His accusers and executioners--yet He did not reply in kind. Even though He suffered--unjustly, as One who had done no wrong--yet He never threatened those around Him, but rather gave Himself over to the perfect and righteous judge of all--the blessed heavenly Father. Trusting His life and limb to God no matter what. He bore the just judgement of the Father for our sins in His own body on the tree, so that we could die to sin and live to righteousness. So that you and I--sinners all--might receive healing and life and salvation--by His bloody wounds.
Yet beloved, it is hard, isn't it? Oh so hard, at times, to entrust ourselves to God's judgement. Especially when we perceive great injustice all around. Indeed, the nation and the world are still reeling from the tragic deaths of 16 people affiliated with a minor hockey team, just over one week ago today. In our anguish and shock, we cry out to God with one overarching question, "WHY? Why Lord why? Why did you allow such a tragedy to occur? Why do you allow such suffering to take place?"
The Humboldt Bronco's team chaplain noted how he had been asked the same question in the days following this tragedy, in the televised memorial service. And he gave the most unsatisfactory answer we can hope for--"I don't know." And it was the right answer to give--the only answer any of us can give when asked such a devastating question.
It is difficult to talk about these things--to wrestle and struggle with them--especially when our hearts are raw with emotion and pain. Particularly on this Sunday known as Misericordias Domini--the Merciful heart of God Sunday--we struggle to see the mercy of God in the face of such overwhelming anguish and sorrow. Where is the judgement in such an accident? Where is the justice for those people and their families?
And one need not look only to a bus accident involving a hockey team to see suffering. Indeed, we find it within our own families and communities. We see it in the sick and the dying--in the weakness of our own flesh--in the brokenness of our relationships--the downfall of governments and security--the outbreak of famine--the multitude of natural disasters around the globe--all symptoms of the deeper problem--that of sin, which leads only to suffering and death.
How can a just God--a loving God--a merciful God--allow such pain and suffering to go on? Again, the answer is often unsatisfactory, for we simply do not know. And really, that is beside the point when people confront us with this question. For as Christians, our response is not necessarily one of deep philosophical insight and contemplation when confronted with suffering--rather, our response is one of love and compassion and mercy--even as our Lord has for us. We walk with those who are wounded and grieving. We offer a shoulder to cry on--a listening ear--a helping hand. We offer our prayers and our dollars whenever we can. We seek to be "little Christs" to those in need--so that they may receive the love and compassion of Christ through us.
For though Satan will strike at Christians and non-Christians alike--bite and tear like a wolf going after sheep--seeking to scatter them to the four winds--drive them away from the protection of the sheepfold of the church--trying to deceive them into thinking that Christ is irrelevant--trying to threaten us with even more suffering if we follow Jesus (as occurs to so many Christians around the world today)--yet we have a Good Shepherd. We have One who loves us so much that He took all of our sin into Himself and suffered and died for it on the cross. We have Jesus, who though perfect and without sin, gave Himself up into death in order that by His blood we might be saved--forgiven--and healed.
So when we are confronted with what we consider to be grave injustice in the world, which leads us to question God's merciful heart toward us--we look to Christ who died and rose again for us--who calls to us as a shepherd to His sheep--to be gathered near to Him in steadfast love and faithfulness, according to His Word. He promises to feed us with His own life-giving body and blood in the blessed Sacrament of the altar. He reassures us no matter what occurs that we belong to Him as beloved children by virtue of our Baptism into His holy name. When questioning where was God when the semi truck demolished a hockey team's bus--or when a loved one received a terminal diagnosis--or any other type of suffering and misfortune in our lives--we need look no further than the cross. And when we question where God is for us now--as we suffer the effects of sin in this broken world and are confronted with our own sinfulness of thought, word, and deed, we need look no further than the Word and the Sacraments. There Christ Jesus is for you. There you receive the healing balm procured by His deadly wounds. There you partake of His mercy and goodness and love--freely, without charge. For as your Good Shepherd, He calls out to you to come and drink from the clean and pure waters of your Baptism--rejoice in the washing of regeneration and renewal that He was worked in your through His Holy Spirit. Come to His table and partake of the nourishing and bounteous feast of His crucified and risen body and blood in simple bread and wine. Come to His sheepfold--His blessed church--and hear the simple words of His undershepherds who proclaim to you forgiveness in His holy name--and know without a doubt--here Christ is for you.
For on the cross Jesus dealt with all the evil and sin and wickedness of this life and world--by suffering and dying for it all in His own innocent flesh. On the cross Jesus exhibited and forever proved the merciful heart of the Father by suffering in our place. On the cross Jesus took the just judgement of God for the sin of every human being for all time--and He nailed it to the wood--thereby ending its dread reign over us, and ending the power of the evil foe--that wicked wolf--Satan--once and for all.
Now beloved, what joy it is to look not only to the cross, but the empty tomb of Christ's resurrection for our comfort and peace in times of suffering. For we know that we belong to One who has conquered sin and death for us--so what have we to fear? The Lord Jesus has taken on the attacks of the devil and sent him reeling into hell, where he will be bound forever.
We are promised in Christ's resurrection that there is more to this life. That we have been restored to a right relationship with the Father through the shed blood of the Son. We look forward to the Day when Christ will return in perfect judgement and lead us to live forever with Him in perfect righteousness. Indeed, with a great and mighty shout He will call to us as He descends in power and glory and we, His beloved sheep, who know HIs voice so well through His Holy Word, will be returned to Him who is our Good Shepherd and the overseer of our souls. He will bring us to His side in everlasting glory where there will be no more weeping or sorrow, nor more pain or suffering, no death nor dying. For Alleluia! Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
1 Peter 2:21-25
Just Judgement?
v.23 When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly.
Alleluia! Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Dear friends in Christ, we have before us a beautiful text from St. Peter, wherein he exhorts us Christians to face suffering, even unjust suffering, with grace and fortitude, for so we follow in the exalted footsteps of our risen Saviour. Jesus, Peter reminds us, committed no sin, nor did He ever try to lie or deceive by trickery and falsehood. Even though He was greatly abused--highly insulted and slandered by His accusers and executioners--yet He did not reply in kind. Even though He suffered--unjustly, as One who had done no wrong--yet He never threatened those around Him, but rather gave Himself over to the perfect and righteous judge of all--the blessed heavenly Father. Trusting His life and limb to God no matter what. He bore the just judgement of the Father for our sins in His own body on the tree, so that we could die to sin and live to righteousness. So that you and I--sinners all--might receive healing and life and salvation--by His bloody wounds.
Yet beloved, it is hard, isn't it? Oh so hard, at times, to entrust ourselves to God's judgement. Especially when we perceive great injustice all around. Indeed, the nation and the world are still reeling from the tragic deaths of 16 people affiliated with a minor hockey team, just over one week ago today. In our anguish and shock, we cry out to God with one overarching question, "WHY? Why Lord why? Why did you allow such a tragedy to occur? Why do you allow such suffering to take place?"
The Humboldt Bronco's team chaplain noted how he had been asked the same question in the days following this tragedy, in the televised memorial service. And he gave the most unsatisfactory answer we can hope for--"I don't know." And it was the right answer to give--the only answer any of us can give when asked such a devastating question.
It is difficult to talk about these things--to wrestle and struggle with them--especially when our hearts are raw with emotion and pain. Particularly on this Sunday known as Misericordias Domini--the Merciful heart of God Sunday--we struggle to see the mercy of God in the face of such overwhelming anguish and sorrow. Where is the judgement in such an accident? Where is the justice for those people and their families?
And one need not look only to a bus accident involving a hockey team to see suffering. Indeed, we find it within our own families and communities. We see it in the sick and the dying--in the weakness of our own flesh--in the brokenness of our relationships--the downfall of governments and security--the outbreak of famine--the multitude of natural disasters around the globe--all symptoms of the deeper problem--that of sin, which leads only to suffering and death.
How can a just God--a loving God--a merciful God--allow such pain and suffering to go on? Again, the answer is often unsatisfactory, for we simply do not know. And really, that is beside the point when people confront us with this question. For as Christians, our response is not necessarily one of deep philosophical insight and contemplation when confronted with suffering--rather, our response is one of love and compassion and mercy--even as our Lord has for us. We walk with those who are wounded and grieving. We offer a shoulder to cry on--a listening ear--a helping hand. We offer our prayers and our dollars whenever we can. We seek to be "little Christs" to those in need--so that they may receive the love and compassion of Christ through us.
For though Satan will strike at Christians and non-Christians alike--bite and tear like a wolf going after sheep--seeking to scatter them to the four winds--drive them away from the protection of the sheepfold of the church--trying to deceive them into thinking that Christ is irrelevant--trying to threaten us with even more suffering if we follow Jesus (as occurs to so many Christians around the world today)--yet we have a Good Shepherd. We have One who loves us so much that He took all of our sin into Himself and suffered and died for it on the cross. We have Jesus, who though perfect and without sin, gave Himself up into death in order that by His blood we might be saved--forgiven--and healed.
So when we are confronted with what we consider to be grave injustice in the world, which leads us to question God's merciful heart toward us--we look to Christ who died and rose again for us--who calls to us as a shepherd to His sheep--to be gathered near to Him in steadfast love and faithfulness, according to His Word. He promises to feed us with His own life-giving body and blood in the blessed Sacrament of the altar. He reassures us no matter what occurs that we belong to Him as beloved children by virtue of our Baptism into His holy name. When questioning where was God when the semi truck demolished a hockey team's bus--or when a loved one received a terminal diagnosis--or any other type of suffering and misfortune in our lives--we need look no further than the cross. And when we question where God is for us now--as we suffer the effects of sin in this broken world and are confronted with our own sinfulness of thought, word, and deed, we need look no further than the Word and the Sacraments. There Christ Jesus is for you. There you receive the healing balm procured by His deadly wounds. There you partake of His mercy and goodness and love--freely, without charge. For as your Good Shepherd, He calls out to you to come and drink from the clean and pure waters of your Baptism--rejoice in the washing of regeneration and renewal that He was worked in your through His Holy Spirit. Come to His table and partake of the nourishing and bounteous feast of His crucified and risen body and blood in simple bread and wine. Come to His sheepfold--His blessed church--and hear the simple words of His undershepherds who proclaim to you forgiveness in His holy name--and know without a doubt--here Christ is for you.
For on the cross Jesus dealt with all the evil and sin and wickedness of this life and world--by suffering and dying for it all in His own innocent flesh. On the cross Jesus exhibited and forever proved the merciful heart of the Father by suffering in our place. On the cross Jesus took the just judgement of God for the sin of every human being for all time--and He nailed it to the wood--thereby ending its dread reign over us, and ending the power of the evil foe--that wicked wolf--Satan--once and for all.
Now beloved, what joy it is to look not only to the cross, but the empty tomb of Christ's resurrection for our comfort and peace in times of suffering. For we know that we belong to One who has conquered sin and death for us--so what have we to fear? The Lord Jesus has taken on the attacks of the devil and sent him reeling into hell, where he will be bound forever.
We are promised in Christ's resurrection that there is more to this life. That we have been restored to a right relationship with the Father through the shed blood of the Son. We look forward to the Day when Christ will return in perfect judgement and lead us to live forever with Him in perfect righteousness. Indeed, with a great and mighty shout He will call to us as He descends in power and glory and we, His beloved sheep, who know HIs voice so well through His Holy Word, will be returned to Him who is our Good Shepherd and the overseer of our souls. He will bring us to His side in everlasting glory where there will be no more weeping or sorrow, nor more pain or suffering, no death nor dying. For Alleluia! Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.