The Most Treasured Treasure of All

Transcription

1 The Seventh Sunday After Pentecost, Proper 12 Series A Rev. Darrell Debowey Immanuel Lutheran Church, Springfield, IL July 27, 2014 Matthew 13:44-46: 44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. The Most Treasured Treasure of All THE TEXT: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. The text for today s message is the Gospel reading from Matthew focusing on the first two parables the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price: The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. INTRODUCTION Things aren t going so well for Christians in the Middle East. In Syria, eight men were crucified by Muslim rebels for leaving the Muslin religion and becoming Christians. The media in our country aren t reporting this, but the Arab news service Aljazeera reports that in Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq, Muslim extremists have gone house to house and marked the homes of Christians with large, red Ns for Nazarene. Aljazeera file this report: The last remaining Christians now have fled Mosul after Islamic State militants issued an ultimatum giving them until noon on July 19, the option to convert to Islam, pay a tax [known in Shariah Page 1

2 law as the dhimmi tax, aimed at impoverishing non-believers ] leave [leaving their possessions behind], or be killed if they stayed. There used to be 32,000 Christians in Mosul, now there are virtually none. In our own country, last week President Obama signed an executive order that further curtails the religions freedom of Christian businessmen and women who oppose same-sex marriage and homosexual behavior. Earlier this month, the Portland Oregonian reported that Hundreds of Portland-area residents are organizing to stop a network of Christian clubs from proselytizing to children on public school campuses. We think if people have enough information, they ll choose not to do it, said Robert Aughenbaugh, a co-founder of Protect Portland Children [he s also a member of the Wisconsin based Freedom from Religion Foundation]. He said the group purchased a fullpage advertisement in Wednesday s Willamette Week. The Good News Club s curriculum includes teaching children that every person is a sinner. In the eyes of many Christians, sin is any failure to meet God s standards. The Bible states, for example, that all have sinned We believe that these doctrines are harmful to 5-year-old children, Aughenbaugh said. They teach fear. They teach shame. They teach about Jesus. 3. Christians are no strangers to suffering. You love people by telling them the truth, especially about God s Word and their need for Jesus Christ. Even Penn Jillette, of Penn and Teller fame, who is also an avowed atheist, realizes this: In a YouTube video that went viral five years ago, Jillette criticized atheists who argue that Christians shouldn t share their faith with others. I don t respect people who don t proselytize, Jillette said, I don t respect that at all. If you believe that there is a Heaven and a Hell, and Page 2

3 people could be going to Hell and you think it s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? I mean, if I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you and you didn t believe it, there s a certain point where I tackle you and [everlasting life] is more important than that. But when you tell people the truth, you are bound to meet opposition in our day and age. Simply being a Christian now marks you now as some kind of hate-filled bigot. In fact, I just read an article that said chastity is now the new deviancy. When you love people by telling them that Jesus is true God and the world s only Savior, you are bound to meet opposition. When you tell them that Islam is a false religion, you are bound to meet opposition. When you speak the truth in love about human sexuality that God s Word and not the word of human beings defines moral and immoral living you re bound to meet opposition. As you try to teach the truth to save your loved ones from the darkness of sin, you ll be hated you ll be called names you ll be written off as a bigot. Thank God, though, we don t live in Iraq or Syria where the hatred and opposition mean exile or death. The Christian faith used to be treasured in this nation. Our Founding Fathers based our system of government upon the principles of Biblical Christianity. John Adams, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and the second president of the United States wrote in 1776: [I]t is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue. And Benjamin Franklin, appealing for daily prayers to open the Constitutional Convention of 1787, said, I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this Page 3

4 truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing governments by human wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest. I therefore beg leave to move that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service. Christianity used to be treasured Christians used to be treasured in our country but not so much anymore. We re only valued if we go along with the world. But being friends with the world isn t being friends with God. 2. Jesus suffered for doing the righteous thing. Jesus met resistance, opposition and hatred from a world He not only loved, but created. He came as God s greatest treasure and blessing to this sinful world. He came to teach the truth in love. He came to restore God s creation. He came to heal the sick and the lame, give sight to the blind, give life to the dead. He came to spread the message of God s grace and forgiveness for sinners. He came to save people from their sins. But He encountered opposition from the devil and from those men controlled by the devil from the very moment He began His public ministry. Page 4

5 Such is proof that the prince of this world is Satan. And the world in its sinful rebellion against God rejected Jesus and crucified Him as a common criminal. So Jesus knows what it s like to be rejected and humiliated because you love people enough to tell them the truth about sin and grace, Law and Gospel, damnation and salvation. 1. The cross is the sign that God treasures you. We have eyes that see the truth and what we see is the world in free-fall around us its only hope is the Word of God, its only hope is Jesus. He s our only hope, too. Jesus knew His disciples would face resistance, that they would be hated and persecuted for speaking the truth about sin and salvation. Sounding much like He was speaking of contemporary America, Jesus told His disciples in Matthew s Gospel, A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It s enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household (Matt. 10:24-25) In any nation where Christians reside, they are a benefit, a blessing to that nation. They work quietly and diligently, they pray for their leaders, they care for the sick and the orphaned, they uphold biblical morality and they teach people about Jesus. They ought to be treasured but they are not and like Jesus, believers suffer on account of the Word of God. But the temptation for Christians is to take one of two courses: The first is to go with the flow and not suffer for your faith for the Christians in Mosul, Iraq, that would mean converting to Islam rather than living in poverty or leaving all their possessions behind or dying for their Savior. The second course is to despair of God to question God s love for His people. If God loves His people, why do we suffer? Maybe God doesn t treasure His people. Maybe He doesn t care. Or maybe He s too weak to do anything about the enemies of His Church. Page 5

6 While there is much opposition against the followers of Christ, the parables in today s Gospel reading teach that God does treasures His people. The parable of the Hidden Treasure and the parable of the Pearl of Great Price are most often interpreted as Jesus teaching the value of the kingdom of heaven the worthiness of giving up all to have Jesus. Indeed Paul writes in Philippians (3:8): Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. Certainly those eight men in Syria and the Christians of Mosul demonstrated that they would rather give up their lives and property rather than give up Christ. They know they have a treasure of vastly greater value than reputation or possessions or security or life itself. And their willingness to suffer for their Savior shows their deep conviction and faith in Jesus and love for their neighbor for such testimony speaks volumes to those who persecute them. Yet, there is another way of looking at these parables that fits the context of Matthew better. Throughout the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is under attack the Pharisees have already demonstrated their hatred for Him, and soon His own people will try to kill Him in Nazareth. Very shortly John the Baptist will die in prison for speaking the truth about King Herod s immoral living. The disciples won t be immune to such suffering. But through these parables, Jesus shows them that though the world considers them to be useless refuse, their heavenly Father values them. The parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price remind you that Jesus is the One who came to seek and to save the lost Jesus came to seek and save you. Jesus is the One who sells all for you on the cross whose innocent blood and bitter suffering and death buy Page 6

7 you from God s wrath and damnation. Jesus has given all for you you are the Hidden Treasure you are Pearl of Great Price.. AS GOD S PEOPLE YOU ARE HIS MOST TREASURED TREASURE THE PROOF IS THAT HE GAVE HIS SON INTO DEATH ON THE CROSS TO SAVE YOU. CONCLUSION This cross is a reminder that God didn t insulate His own Son from a sinful and rebellious world. It s through this cross of suffering that God has worked salvation and demonstrated His love for sinners. When Satan and his allies in this world oppose you and persecute you, you may be tempted to give up on the Faith or despair of God. But may this cross stand as a reminder that this world is dying and one day will pass away but you are God s treasured people. And for God s treasured people, there is an eternal, glorious gift waiting for you in heaven a treasure greater than anything you may have to give up for Jesus while you live on this earth. And while Christians are no longer treasured by this nation, know that your life lived in faith and love for God s Word is still a great blessing to this country by speaking God s Word of truth to a culture succumbing to Satan s lies and deceit, you are God s gift and treasure to this nation. In Jesus Name. Amen. Page 7