July 8, 2012 at Calvary
Evangelical Lutheran Church – Mechanicsburg, PA
“Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor, except in his
hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.’ And He could do no
mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and
healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief.”
What causes people not to listen
to the Lord? That is a question
that vexes and confounds those in the Church, laity and clergy alike. The Lord’s words are spoken to them, but
they will not hear. They hear instruction in the Lord’s Law, but they don’t heed it. The Lord’s promises are made to them, but
they don’t believe them.
Why will they not listen? That
question has been asked for millennia. It is the question that the prophets
pondered. They were chosen to speak to the Lord’s
people, those who had been brought into the Covenant. Their audience was not
unfamiliar with what the Lord had
done or said. And yet, what does the Lord
say to the prophets? You heard His statements to Ezekiel: “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels,
who have rebelled against Me. They and their fathers have transgressed against
Me to this very day. The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you
to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are
a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them.”
The instruction to Ezekiel tells
about the nature of his audience. What are the people like that Ezekiel is sent
to? They are rebellious. They are transgressors. They are impudent and
stubborn. That’s their character. That’s what they are by nature. Even though
they have the Lord’s Covenant
extended to them, even though their ancestors had benefited from the Lord’s actions on their behalf, they
refuse to abide in His ways. They have transgressed against the Lord not just in the past, but “to this very day.”
Similarly, Jesus encounters such
people in His hometown. That is what you heard in the Gospel Reading: “Jesus went away from there and came to His
hometown, and His disciples followed Him. And on the Sabbath He began to teach
in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished, saying, ‘Where did
this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to Him? How are such mighty
works done by His hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother
of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?’
And they took offense at Him.”
Jesus goes to His hometown. He does
what He had been doing in other places around Galilee. The Lord’s words are spoken in the people’s
hearing. But what is their reaction? They will not hear. They will not receive.
They will not have Jesus teach them. Why? Because they rebel against Him. They
take offense at the person speaking, and that leads to offense at the speech
itself. So Jesus speaks judgment against them: “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his
relatives and in his own household.” Nazareth’s sin is noted and recorded.
And the beneficial acts that Jesus could perform are not done for them.
But this is not just a problem
that Ezekiel and Jesus faced. No, this is the same problem that happens right
here in Mechanicsburg. Rebellion and refusal to listen are not foreign to
Central Pennsylvania. The same words that the Lord
speaks about the people to whom He sent Ezekiel are spoken about you as well: “They and their fathers have transgressed against
Me to this very day. The descendants also are impudent and stubborn.” But
this is not just Dutch hard-headedness. No, this is the rebellion that is
common among all people. It is one of the chief symptoms of original sin. No
one wants to be under any authority. No one wants to be told what he can or
cannot do.
Such hard-heartedness is not
only in reaction to the Divine Law. It is also naturally found in reaction to
the Divine Gospel of salvation. Recall how the Nazarenes reacted to Jesus: “Many who heard Him were astonished, saying,
‘Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to Him? How are
such mighty works done by His hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary
and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?” This is how they reacted
to the words of salvation that Jesus was delivering to them in the synagogue. Jesus’
identity as the Promised Messiah was thoroughly rejected.
But that negative reaction is
not unique to First Century Galilee. It is found here. It pops up whenever a
minister speaks about the identity of Jesus and that is rejected. The promise
of salvation is extended, put out for people to receive. Then the full range of
objections comes: “What do you mean that Jesus is truly God in human flesh? How
can you believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary? Resurrection from death—that’s
ludicrous! Salvation is limited to people who trust in Jesus’ words and works—that’s
the height of intolerance! How can you insist on forgiveness only being given
through preaching, baptism, absolution, and communion! I must submit to the
teachings that First Century men wrote down, what unenlightened oppression!”
The objections are nearly as numerous as stars in the sky. They are just
another expression of the impudence, stubbornness, and rebelliousness of people—even
of you.
And yet, what does the Lord do in the face of such rejections?
Remember what He tells Ezekiel: “I send
you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ And whether they hear or refuse to
hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been
among them.” Remember what Jesus does in Galilee: “And He went about among the villages teaching. And He called the
Twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the
unclean spirits.” The Lord
still sends people out in the face of such rejections. They still go out
carrying the same Divine Word for an audience to hear.
Why does the Lord do such a thing? Why doesn’t He
just stop sending them and close off all hope of salvation? Because it is His
will that people be saved. It is His will that people be turned. It is His will
that the Word that is spoken will call, enlighten, and gather some. Today’s
Collect summarized the Lord’s
character well: “O God, Your Almighty power is made known chiefly in showing
mercy.” There will be some among that rebellious, impudent, and stubborn
household who will turn to Him. So the Lord
continues to send out His speakers.
That is why you have had the Lord’s spokesmen sent here to Calvary
for 113+ years. That is why His Gospel continues to be offered in preaching,
baptism, absolution, and communion. There hasn’t been a Divine Interdict spoken
against you, despite the rebellion, impudence, and stubbornness that are
plentifully present. The Lord
speaks concerning you: “Whether they hear
or don’t hear, they will know that a prophet has been among them.” But for
those who do hear, there is forgiveness, life, and salvation. There is a giving
and restoring of the identity of being the Lord’s
people. Ears are turned to hearing. Hearts are turned to believing. Minds are
turned to obeying. A transforming takes place. For that is the power of the Lord’s Word, even in the midst of your rebellion,
impudence, and stubbornness.
None of this is a matter of
merit for you. No, it is a matter of mercy. The Lord
chooses to be merciful to you. There is no deserving of it. In fact, the Lord could simply do to you and all
creation what Jesus instructed His disciples to do: “And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you,
when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against
them.” Such witness of judgment would be right. Yet, the Lord has mercifully elected to send His
Gospel among this place. It is for you who will be turned and will hear, who
will repent and will believe, who will be called and gathered.
Today’s Collect prayed rightly
concerning you: “Grant us the fullness of Your grace that we may be called to
repentance and made partakers of Your heavenly treasures.” It is the petition
that comes from those who have been turned and have heard. Such prayer comes
from you who have received the Lord’s
disciples sent to your midst. Such prayer comes from you who have had the evil
spirit cast out, who have been anointed by the Lord,
who have been forgiven of sin. Such prayer is offered by those who do not take
offense at Jesus, but who trust in His words and works instead. That is what
the Lord desires to hear from the
people to whom He has mercifully sent His Gospel, for it is the reaction of
faith. May that be true here at Calvary, so that it is never said concerning
you: “[Jesus] marveled because of their
unbelief.” But instead may Jesus’ words always be said to you: “Your faith has saved you.”
+ In the Name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
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