Archive for December, 2009

For Series C and the 3rd Sunday in Advent, the three readings are Zephaniah 3:14-20; Philippians 4:4-7 and Luke 7:18-35. The sermon text chosen for this week’s message is Luke 7:35, “But wisdom is justified by all her children.”

In most commentaries this sentence is interpreted as a continuation of Jesus’ words against the Pharisees. However, it makes better sense to understand it as the proverb it was in those days to refer back to Jesus in a derogatory sense. How so? It should not be translated, “but wisdom is justified by her children.” I don’t think that would be appropriate. I think it should be translated, “and wisdom is vindicated by her children” or “and wisdom is revealed by her children.” That is probably the best translation, if one wants to understand what this proverb is saying. You want to know if someone is wise. Take a look at the fruit of their wisdom. And the fruit of wisdom in Jesus case is terrible.

Number one, Jesus is sitting around eating with the wrong people. Number two, He’s even speaking with prostitutes. Remember the woman that came and washed his feet? Number three, He is not obeying the laws of Judaism. He heals people on the Sabbath and makes them pick up their bed, which is not allowed. That is too much work. He does other things on the Sabbath. For instance, His disciples go through the fields and they pluck and harvest food. That is also contrary to Judaism. Now I want to be clear on this, Judaism is a different religion than the Old Testament Israel. By the time Jesus came on the scene, they had over 600 laws just dealing with how to keep the Sabbath.

So what is wisdom according to Judaism? Wisdom is obedience to God’s laws. Obviously then from the Jews’ point of view, Jesus is not wise. Not only that, the Pharisees were not poor. They were wealthy. Jesus had no place to lay his head. Following Jesus is ridiculous. It’s like saying, “I just met a homeless man yesterday and he is one of the most wise men I have ever met; He had just wonderful advice for my life.” Who would ever say that? It would have to be a very unusual homeless man. Normally, if someone is homeless, you don’t want to follow his advice or you may end up being homeless also.

The theologian of glory looks at experience to decide not only his relationship to God, but how other people are to be regarded. In other words, they use outward signs, to find clear indications of inward realities; that is, if a person is wise, then his words and his actions will show it. Take at look at Jesus, He is the very opposite of wisdom.

What I’m trying to convince you is everything that Jesus did, went against the wisdom or the understanding of wisdom that Judaism taught. Their main idea was how do we get knowledge about God; how do we acquire knowledge? Well, guess what they thought? They thought they acquired knowledge by doing the law. They read the Torah and tried to put it into practice. That is why they thanked God that they were not like others. They were not tax collectors, they were not sinners; in fact, they fasted, they gave tithes, they went to worship regularly. Look how good they are!

But the wisdom from God is quite different. How does God say we come to know him? By obedience to His will? No! Because of original sin, which every person has inherited from Adam and Eve, it is impossible to get to know God by shaping up your life or by improving your behavior. It is just impossible. By works, no one will come to know Jesus Christ. For the only way to have a right relationship with God is through faith in the promises connected to His death and resurrection. And even that faith is a gift given to us by the power of the Holy Spirit as the Word is heard in its truth and purity.

The three assigned readings for Series C, 2nd Sunday of Advent are Malachi 3:1-7b; Philippians 1:2-11 and Luke 3:1-4 (15-20). Chosen to preach on is Malachi 3:3, “He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver, He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.”

Though the 2nd Sunday in Advent focuses on the work of John the Baptist, it is also a Sunday used by congregations to encourage proper stewardship. Verse 3 of Malachi 3 is suitable for both purposes as it speaks of making an offering to the Lord which He considers as pleasant. The key phrase to focus on in verse 3 is to make the offering “in righteousness.” The sermon could begin with the following questions, “Put your hand up if you are righteous enough to give an offering to the Lord?” Be prepared that rarely do any hands go up. Why?

Part of the reason for not thinking that we are righteous enough to give an offering to the Lord is because it sounds so self-righteous. Who really imagines that their works meet the demands of God to be credited as righteous? The problem with that reasoning is that once again we are thinking as human beings and not as God thinks. Part of the theme of www.lawgospel.com is that sermons are to be ways in which we help the listener to think like God. So let’s ask God the question as to whether or not we are righteous enough to give Him an offering.

The answer is found in Malachi 3 which speaks of the messenger who will be sent by God to prepare the way for the Messiah of the new convenant. The text goes on to reveal that the Messiah will be the One Who will purify the sons of Levi so that the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord. The sermon will need to point out how the listeners are considered by God to be part of the new Judah and Jerusalem and Israel from Romans 9. The other message is that the Messiah is going to save us without any contribution or cooperation on our part by suffering and dying on the accursed tree.

The ministry of John the Baptizer may also be included from Luke 3 with an explanation of how his ceremonial baptism can be contrasted with the Pentecost baptism. Reference can also be made to last week’s reading about the “LORD our righteousness” which robe of righteousness is given as a gift to us in the Pentecost baptism. One can also reference the epistle’s verse of Philippians 1:6 where it is revealed that “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Again, the lawgospel theme is carried throughout the sermon that according to the Law we are never righteous enough by our own works to offer anything to God. But the Gospel promises reveal that through faith in Jesus Christ, we are considered by righteous in God’s sight! Is there anything else worth more than that?