Can anything make you feel more at the end of your rope than the death of another? Can anything make you feel more at the end of your rope than having lost everything including your health? That everything would include friends, reputation, respect and community standing. What is left after everything is gone? The answer isn't, "nothing." At least not for Job.
Job knows there is something worth sharing for those who are rock bottom or even have an inkling of fear or doubt or despair. He can see his end being near and his voice fading into silent history. But he has a message for us about hope and the in whom hope is real. Now obviously someone heard his plea for a record of this ordeal. The Scriptures contain the Book of Job. And from it we have his words inscribed with pen and ink on a scroll and a codex and then a book and copied all those years so that the Church may confess that the Resurrection was expected at least by a few who left this Word of the Lord for us to read. It wasn't only important enough for Job to desire recording but also for God himself. For God has always revealed his plan to restore creation to it's pristine condition and to have his only begotten rule over it.
Easter is a message that must endure forever. Without the message of Easter man will continue to look elsewhere and even within himself for salvation. And Job knows for sure that there is none there. While he did not lean on his own understanding and admitted not grasping the understanding of the God of heaven and earth he trusts in the promise and proclaims the vision for us about what today is.
Job knows he has a redeemer and he knows he has no proof. Everything is lost and gone, children, servants, land, properties, animals and the respect of his wife. Yet hope remains for the redeemer. This word redeemer is the same one used for Boaz in the book of Ruth. This is one who will risk his own property and reputation to restore your fortunes. This can be seen in Jesus the Christ who being God didn't equate equality with God something to be grasped, but humbled himself taking the form of a servant and became obedient unto death on a cross.
While we have in Job an example of endurance and hope against all odds he trusts in another. He is not our example. But even his life points to the one who is our redeemer as well. The bold statement, "I know that my redeemer lives," is a hope even when there appears to be none and in spite of no release. Job clearly admits that the time is coming when death wins. But the redeemer lives. And because he lives so shall I. So shall you.
Demonstrated in the passion of Christ and in his crucifixion is one who has no hope. But Jesus who experienced death without the face of God shining on him mirrored Job's word's with his own, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
Trials and tribulations are part of life. One is that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. There are other people in the world who don't have the trouble I have, the bad luck that follows me around and they aren't subject to the temptations to which I so easily fall prey. Yes, I know that there are others less fortunate than myself, but either they don't know any different or are helped the generosity of others. I'm the one with the problems, frustrations and seeming insurmountable issues. Don't we all feel this way at times or maybe even all the time? Job did. But here in the near center of the book bearing his name comes his short but powerful confession of the one we call the Christ.
Job knew no rhyme or reason for being in the situation in which he found himself. His friends tried to convince him of his fault and their arguments fell short. Jobs complaints to God did not even bring him an answer to satisfy his soul. Being sinners in a sinful world is enough to make us subject to God's wrath. But God has mercy on us. He has promised a savior from the beginning. One who will buy us from our sin. One whose life will present us holy and blameless before God.
Jesus knew suffering, loss, temptation. He knew the eternal love of the Father at his side. He risked it all in doing his father's bidding and lost it all on the cross. For us he gained it all on the cross. In the victory of the resurrection he proclaimed his work to the Devil and all those allied with him.
When Job said the redeemer will stand upon the earth he was using the same word Jesus spoke to the little dead girl. "Arise". There's lots of meaning in that word. It proclaims the resurrection and the firm place Jesus takes as the victor over out sin and death. He has become the reason for endurance in the face of defeat, shame and our own guilt. One the one hand he affirms us to endure all things and on the other he assures us that as we fall he will call us up even it is our bed of death in the grave.
Jesus is not a one time resurrection. He is the firstborn of the dead. We will all on the last day rise as he has. Not as Lazarus, the boy from Nain, the little girl on the bed, the young man sleeping in the window, the widows son who all in time died and slept with their fathers. But we will rise with Jesus along with those who for a time served as signs to point to Christ. Job wasn't going to take the word of another that the redeemer is here doing his work, calling us from death. He and we will see it for ourselves. There will be no mistaking it. Our communion liturgy confesses it with the song of Simeon, "Lord let your servant depart in peace. For my eyes have seen the joy of your salvation. We today see Jesus in the bred and wine, we see the risen Lord and receive his very body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. That forgiveness is our resurrection. Not a spiritual one that plays out in happy emotions, but a real resurrection at his calling. The two can not be separated.
It is this faith in Christ Job carries that gives flesh and fullness to his remark, "My heart is complete." Christ is our completeness. Not the world, not the worries, not the flesh, not the temptations, not the devil, not the lies. Jesus is our truth, redeemer, resurrection and rest. Amen.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Tennebrae April 22, 2011
Matthew 21:9
And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
Do not think for yourselves that Peter, James and John were the only Galileans who fell asleep while Jesus was praying in the garden olives and presses. Hundreds, thousands of people were asleep and drifting off after a long evening of Passover celebrating. They ate their fill. They drank their fill and now these folks who were so excited on Sunday at the coming Jesus into the holy city were getting to sleep their fill. They wouldn't quite wake at the crack of dawn this time. Rather the next day would start slow enough and be in itself busy enough getting ready for tomorrow's sabbath that they would miss the trials of Jesus held in the night and at first light and after breakfast that they would even miss the sentencing. Jesus was likey nailed to the cross before most of them found out!
But let us go back a bit to examine Sunday and so better understand this Friday in the history of man. Jesus was recognized by many as the promised messiah. That much is clear from the shouts of that Sunday by the crowds lining the road. The palm branches and the cloaks that lined Jesus' path echoed the cries of the people. Jesus in his humility accepted their praises but kept his face like a flint toward Friday.
It seemed like the people's perception of messiah was on target. Jesus drove out those selling and buying in the Temple grounds declaring, "My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers." The blind and lame came to him there and he healed them. The scribes and the pharisees were thwarted in their attempt dishevel him. Both were silenced by his answers to their questions. He even silences the rest of us in his revelatory teaching of the end of time and judgement from that holy week as we try to present our works before the One seated in Glory. The crowds were right in believing here was a messiah who would get things done!
While we use these words recorded by Matthew in our communion liturgy, we do so from a privileged viewpoint. These words are found in the Sanctus in settings one, two, three and four of the Lutheran Service Book and in the page 15 Divine Service Liturgy of TLH. There we rightly recognize what is said in the context of Christ's completed work and his ascension on High.
They were right in calling upon this Son of David to save them. But they were wrong in what they thought they meant. Abraham, Moses, Isaiah and all the prophets not only had a clue but also the right answer. This bunch, including the disciples who seemed to be either not paying attention or very slow learners had a clue but no idea what Jesus was really in town for.
When we sing these words about Jesus we must remember to what lengths and depths he went to in order for them to have true meaning. In the context of that holy week the crowds of Galileans should have shouted something else. "Hosanna, hosanna, cursed is he that comes in the name of the LORD. Hosanna in the lowest." Moses recorded God's words that one hung on a tree was cursed. St. Paul declared to the Galatian Church that Jesus' crucifixion showed that he traded his blessed state for our cursed one, we who did not, could not keep the law as required.
Jesus' incarnation had one goal in mind. From the throne in heaven to the womb of the virgin Mary, Jesus a living man headed for Golgatha proclaiming the Work of God in him. It was on this day that God's promise to the Man and his Wife would come true for them and all their children. The serpent's head would be crushed as he tried to deliver death to the Blessed One now cursed. Cursed not by Satan, not by a misdeed, omission or rebellion as is the case with the rest of mankind, but cursed by the heavenly Father and by taking our sins and guilt onto his flesh. Here on the cross, Jesus would go to the lowest point. He became separated from the love, grace and mercy of God the Father. His humiliation was not just visible to man in the horror of crucifixion, but also to the holiness of God so that he turned away. Christ the LORD has saved us.
For this reason the Father is turned toward us in love, grace, mercy, favor and in his eyes all is very good.
And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
Do not think for yourselves that Peter, James and John were the only Galileans who fell asleep while Jesus was praying in the garden olives and presses. Hundreds, thousands of people were asleep and drifting off after a long evening of Passover celebrating. They ate their fill. They drank their fill and now these folks who were so excited on Sunday at the coming Jesus into the holy city were getting to sleep their fill. They wouldn't quite wake at the crack of dawn this time. Rather the next day would start slow enough and be in itself busy enough getting ready for tomorrow's sabbath that they would miss the trials of Jesus held in the night and at first light and after breakfast that they would even miss the sentencing. Jesus was likey nailed to the cross before most of them found out!
But let us go back a bit to examine Sunday and so better understand this Friday in the history of man. Jesus was recognized by many as the promised messiah. That much is clear from the shouts of that Sunday by the crowds lining the road. The palm branches and the cloaks that lined Jesus' path echoed the cries of the people. Jesus in his humility accepted their praises but kept his face like a flint toward Friday.
It seemed like the people's perception of messiah was on target. Jesus drove out those selling and buying in the Temple grounds declaring, "My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers." The blind and lame came to him there and he healed them. The scribes and the pharisees were thwarted in their attempt dishevel him. Both were silenced by his answers to their questions. He even silences the rest of us in his revelatory teaching of the end of time and judgement from that holy week as we try to present our works before the One seated in Glory. The crowds were right in believing here was a messiah who would get things done!
While we use these words recorded by Matthew in our communion liturgy, we do so from a privileged viewpoint. These words are found in the Sanctus in settings one, two, three and four of the Lutheran Service Book and in the page 15 Divine Service Liturgy of TLH. There we rightly recognize what is said in the context of Christ's completed work and his ascension on High.
They were right in calling upon this Son of David to save them. But they were wrong in what they thought they meant. Abraham, Moses, Isaiah and all the prophets not only had a clue but also the right answer. This bunch, including the disciples who seemed to be either not paying attention or very slow learners had a clue but no idea what Jesus was really in town for.
When we sing these words about Jesus we must remember to what lengths and depths he went to in order for them to have true meaning. In the context of that holy week the crowds of Galileans should have shouted something else. "Hosanna, hosanna, cursed is he that comes in the name of the LORD. Hosanna in the lowest." Moses recorded God's words that one hung on a tree was cursed. St. Paul declared to the Galatian Church that Jesus' crucifixion showed that he traded his blessed state for our cursed one, we who did not, could not keep the law as required.
Jesus' incarnation had one goal in mind. From the throne in heaven to the womb of the virgin Mary, Jesus a living man headed for Golgatha proclaiming the Work of God in him. It was on this day that God's promise to the Man and his Wife would come true for them and all their children. The serpent's head would be crushed as he tried to deliver death to the Blessed One now cursed. Cursed not by Satan, not by a misdeed, omission or rebellion as is the case with the rest of mankind, but cursed by the heavenly Father and by taking our sins and guilt onto his flesh. Here on the cross, Jesus would go to the lowest point. He became separated from the love, grace and mercy of God the Father. His humiliation was not just visible to man in the horror of crucifixion, but also to the holiness of God so that he turned away. Christ the LORD has saved us.
For this reason the Father is turned toward us in love, grace, mercy, favor and in his eyes all is very good.
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