Outer Rim Territories

Sermon for Trinity 4 - Luke 6:36-42

June 15th, 2008 | by Christopher Gillespie |  Print This Post

Vicar Christopher Gillespie
Immanuel Lutheran Church of Frankentrost 
Saginaw, Michigan
Trinity 4 (June 15, 2008)
Text: Luke 6:36-42, Genesis 50:15-21, Romans 8:18-23
“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”
2008-06-15 audio

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Gospel text just read drops us in the middle of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain. The sermon begins with blessings upon the poor, hungry, crying, for He promises laughter, satisfaction in the kingdom of God. Woe to the rich, the full, the laughing ones, for they comfort in them and not God. For their sake, we love our enemies, doing good to them. Jesus instructs us to demonstrate our love by showing them the same mercy our Father has shown us. 

Let us pray:

To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God till he has mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud. To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Have mercy upon us, O Lord. Amen. (Psalm 123)

 
I’m surprised that no one has asked me why I began my sermons with a special greeting. Usually people start their conversations or public speaking with a simpler “Hello” or perhaps “ladies and gentlemen.” Preaching is a unique form of speech. I greet you just as the Epistles greet the various churches and people.  Peter and James began their writings commending the congregations with grace and mercy, while Paul adds peace to this apostolic greeting. This greeting reminds us that the preached word here in this congregation carries the full weight of the Prophets, the evangelists, and the apostles. This greeting of “grace, mercy, and peace” reminds us that the word preached to our ears is the very Word of God.

When the Paul wrote to the churches of Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Philippi, and Ephesus, he wrote to convey the grace and the mercy of God. 

What is the grace of God? Grace is free and unmerited favor of God. The grace of God is most manifest in the Father sending his son Jesus, who died on the cross to atone for the sins of the whole world. Grace is, in short, forgiveness. Forgiveness of sins grants eternal life with the holy Trinity in heaven.

I will never forget that moment in the classroom at the seminary when one of my favorite professors said “grace and mercy aren’t the same thing.”  I have to admit that I never contemplated a distinction.   Grace and mercy are always together and so I falsely assumed that the two things were synonymous. But mercy is something different than grace.

If grace is our Lord Jesus Christ triumphing over sin, death, and hell, then what exactly is mercy? Our Lord gives us the answer in the Gospel text assigned for today. Mercy is - not judging, not condemning, forgiving, and giving to those in need. Mercy is holding back the wrath we deserve and instead showing compassion and forgiveness.

 The Old Testament reading provides an example of mercy. Joseph’s brothers come to him knowing full well that they deserve to be punished for selling their brother into slavery. They expect he will pay them back for their evil. But Joseph, expecting nothing in return, forgave them. He did not condemn them, nor judge them. Instead he gave to them and to their children of his surplus. This is showing mercy, giving without expecting return. Looking past their treacherous deeds and deceitful hearts. Forgiving without being asked or deserved. 

“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” God uses man as a conduit for his mercy. The second half of the Gospel text describes the kind of mercy God demands. 

First, the Christian heart does not judge the heart nor condemn the anyone to hell. Instead it builds up the weak of faith and speaks to all the saving words of Christ’s death and resurrection. The Christian heart judge the faith of their neighbor nor does it pursue only those who have the most potential for faith. The Christian heart sees past skin color, economic status, dialect, language, and family heritage to the desperate need that every sinner needs forgiveness. Though we criticize the splinter in our neighbor’s eyes, be it language, attire, or how they carry themselves, our own logjams of hypocrisy blocks our vision. We neglect our Lord and His commands as much as the next.

Second, we are to forgive just as God has forgiven us, as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer. We forgive not seven, seventy, but seventy times seven times. (Mt 18:22).

Third, our Father commends us to show mercy by giving to others. “If anyone has the world’s goods and sees a brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” (1 Jn 3:17) Stewardship is not concerned with whether the gift will show return. Investing in the poor is a junk bond. We throw to those in need, not because we expect results, but because our Lord has had the same sort of mercy upon us. Our Lord promises: “give, and it will be given to you. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Give and you will receive. 

As with any command, especially this command to mercy, we rightly shake in our boots. We have all failed to withhold judgment from the neighbor. We have all neglected to share the saving Gospel with the stranger in need, condemning them to doom. We have failed to forgive as we have been forgiven. We have neglected the needy. Sinful service seeks glory. False mercy seeks a tax break.

I recall teaching adult bible class, when not too long ago, the materials asked: “If you saw a beggar by the door of the church, what would you do?” We discussed whether we’d give money or food, calling the authorities, ignore him, among other things. I then asked the hard question: would you invite him into church? Would you bring him into the sanctuary where he is fed with the spiritual food of Christ? Or would we ignore the heed of the Gospel and judge him and condemn him by our inaction? This hypothetical situation shows how hard it truly is for us to show mercy. We may give alms but we judge and condemn.

So how can the believer ever expect to fulfill this command? Not by our own power but by the power of God which is within us. The Holy Spirit first grants faith to our hearts. Faith grants sanctified hearts that believe God is a gracious and merciful Father.  Without faith, we fail to see the Father’s mercy at work in us. From the faith, flows mercy for the neighbor.

“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” Our heavenly Father gives us all things, earthly and spiritual, temporal and eternal, superabundantly. We are captives to death and he gives us life. We are children of hell and he gives us heaven. We are poor, naked, hungry, and thirsty, and He satisfies us with all good things.

The Father’s mercy is unreasonable.  Reasonable would be loving those who are beautiful, giving to those who can repay, redeeming those who can best serve Him. But true compassion does not judge. The Father gives to those who do not deserve it. He gives to the ugly, the wasteful, the greedy, and the gluttonous. His eyes judge not friend or foe, worthy and unworthy. He gives mercy without distinction. The love of Father does not seek the lovable, the likable or the one who will love him back. Instead He embraces and kisses His disobedient children, heal their wounds, feeds them, clothes their nakedness, and opens his pierces hands to lift them to his bosom.  

 The Father’s mercy is Gospel. It is a free gift, to everyone without expectation of return. Our Father has shown great mercy to each and everyone of us. He did not judge our potential for faith but showered us richly with saving waters. He does not condemn us to hellfire but continually rescues from the snares of Satan. He does not hold our terrible sins against us, but forgives them, forgetting them to eternity. He gives to us good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, spilling into our lap… every need of body and soul.

The heart of faith bears the same mercy of God forth for the neighbor. Works are the spontaneous fruits and proofs of the indwelling of our Lord. Mercy is manifest in the Christian due to the Father’s mercy on him. He is thankful for being spared and grants the Father’s mercy himself to those in need. 

The Father makes known to us his presence when his faith blossoms forth in service to others. 

“If you love those who love you, what a benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:32-36)

God’s grace transforms the sinner from a creature of wrath to a creature of mercy and love. Witness the example of Zacchaeus, who after hearing the saving message of the Gospel uttered by Jesus himself, went and gave half of all that he owned to the poor. Witness Saul, the violent persecutor of Christians. After hearing the word of God on the Damascus Road, he was given not just in simple faith but transformed into the apostle Paul with faith lived out in mercy, in grace and love.

The gift of faith does not leave the believer to his old ways of greed and lust and self interest. The faith granted, the forgiveness proclaimed, transforms the hearts of the hearers to faithful service to God and his  neighbor.  

God does transforms every Christian heart. On this Father’s Day, we consider the transformation that faith brings to the Christian father. God the Father is the prototypical father; he is our example. From Him we learn not just how to live is faithful believers but also how to live as faithful fathers. Some stations in life demand judgment, accusation, and reprimand. The  preacher most point out this is of his flock. The civil law authority must threaten, punish, a condemned the law breaker. The father must use the rod to drain a child the way it should to go. Our Gospel does not say such reprimand is incorrect. 

Just as our heavenly father must speak to us both words of Law and the Gospel, so to our earthly fathers use both Law and Gospel. If the heart of the child will not acknowledge the error of its ways, the father speaks Law and threatens punishment. But when he has does good, he does not judge the goodness of the little ones. He is not afraid to train the child through discipline, hard words, and tough love, all exercises of Law. But he shows compassion, mercy, and affection even more greatly. He may withhold his gifts at times for the child’s good, but his self-sacrificial generosity, borne in him by the Gospel, always provides for the children in their time of need.. Grace and mercy win the day for the Christian father.

So too, the Gospel instructs the spiritual father, the father who instructs their children in the way of the Lord, to not ignore the sins of their children. He is to point out their error, punish the wicked, but always forgive where there is repentance. Just as with our heavenly Father, the Gospel always wins the day. He must not judge the repentant heart, for his own heart suffers from the same original corruption. He must not condemn his child to hell by sparing the rod of the Law. Nothing could be more unloving than neglecting the faithfulness of the children. The Gospel is not license for neglect but for mercy.

“What we want to do with our children, is not merely to control them and keep them in order-but to implant true principles deep in their hearts which shall rule their whole lives; to shape their character from within into Christ-like beauty, and to make of them noble men and women, strong for battle of life. They are to be trained rather than governed. Growth of character, not merely good behavior-is the object of all home governing and teaching. Therefore the home influence is far more important than the home laws; and the parents’ lives are of more significance than their teachings. Whatever may be done in the way of governing, teaching or training-theories are not half as important as the parents’ lives. They may teach the most beautiful things-but if the child does not see these things modeled in the life of the parent, he will not consider them important enough to be adopted in his own life.” (J. R. Miller, “Home-Making” 1882 http://home-making.jr-miller.com/)

The Gospel commends not just fathers but all Christians to be like Joseph. Forgive those who do you wrong. Care for the spiritual welfare of those outside or weak in faith. Do not judge the heart. This is a testament of the faith given to you.

When we teach others, do we teach ourselves? (Romans 2:17-23) Lord, teach us to recognize our own error. Remove the plank in our eyes that we may guide others in your truth. Without You, we are the blind leading the blind. Teach us to forgive so that others to may learn to forgive. Teach us to judge not the hearts of men. Teach us to give of the great bounty you have provided us.

The Father’s mercy is not merely for selfish pleasure. The Father’s mercy is not to comfort for comfort sake. He intends His goodness to flow through us towards those in need. As we gather today around His table to commune as one body with many members, let us not forget to show mercy especially to those in our own fellowship of believers. “But God composes the body… that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together. If one member is honored, all rejoice together.” (1 Cor. 12:25-26)

Many are currently suffering from floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, here and abroad. May the Lord teach us to “be merciful, even as our Father is merciful.” Many are in need of the Father’s mercy. Let us not hesitate to show mercy upon all in need, not not judging nor condemning, but forgiving and giving. May his grace which saved us from our trespasses and rescued us from death be proclaimed and may he have mercy upon us so that we may have mercy on others. Amen.

Now the grace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Tags: alms, condemn, Father, forgive, judge, mercy