The Shepherd’s Voice

Readings for Sunday, October 4^th
Gen 2:18–24
Heb 1:1–4; 2:5–12
Mk 10:2–16

The Shepherd’s Voice – Sermon Audio

Last Sunday we talked about ministry and mission. We are not to be stumbling blocks, but we need to be salt. Our mission as salty Christians is to makes others thirsty for the gospel, to bring flavor to the church, and to keep us healthy in the faith.

This week we will focus on vision, on how God gives us a view of what this world should be like. If you’ve ever looked at a world map you have seen that Greenland looks about the same size as Australia. Is it? Topographers have to draw flat maps using perspective. Greenland is actually 3x smaller than Australia. Our view is distorted.

Our society at times likes to tell us that we need to have a certain perspective on our world that reflects society. Often this perspective is distorted.

The writer to the Hebrews wrote, “Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son” (Heb 1:1)

Many of those ancestral stories are depicted on the cut glass windows in our sanctuary. Look around; notice we have many images from the Bible. We have one of Moses and the burning bush. Remember Moses heard from God. God said listen Moses I have a mission for you. The Pharos had a distorted view of the world and God wanted to change that. They had enslaved the people of Israel and the people needed to be freed.

Of course Moses, like most of us said what if they don’t believe me? God produced a miracle to encourage him. Then Moses said well I’m not an eloquent speaker, “I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” God said, “Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.” God, through Moses saved his people.

There’s a dove with a branch in his mouth. Remember the story of Noah. The world had been distorted by sin. God told Noah to build an ark. People laughed and made fun of Noah, but through Noah God saved his people.

In many of these stories God’s glory was magnified, God’s power amplified, God’s majesty rarified for everyone to see.

God created this world, spoke to our ancestors with many voices, and God has come to us today with His Son the exact imprint of God’s very being. Again the writer to the Hebrews said, “but in these last days he (God) has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things.” This Son of course is Christ, the Son of the most high God.

The writer to the Hebrews goes on, “He (Jesus) is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word.” He did this through the prophets, he did this through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he did it through Moses and Noah, and today he does it through His Son “the exact imprint of God’s very being.”

Jesus, in our Gospel text today is confronted by the Pharisees with what they think is a ‘gotcha’ type question. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” They knew what the law said, they wrote it, they spoke about it, they challenged other people with it.

Jesus goes back to the law of Moses to answer them and points out the hardness of their own hearts in the matter. Jesus, “the reflection of God’s glory” answers by referring to the order of God’s very creation. Jesus tells the Pharisees people distorted God’s creation. They wanted their own way and Moses gave it to them, but it wasn’t right.

To add emphasis Jesus said ‘God made them male and female.‘ Here we are seeing Jesus, the exact imprint of God’s very being, talk about the God ordained order in our world. Society, had distorted the right way because of the hardness of their own hearts.

Jesus uses Moses and the law, plus the reference to God’s own creation to make a very significant point about life. There is an order to life, Jesus said “‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh.”

This past summer, as many of you know I had the privilege of marrying my daughter in the church at which I grew up in in Minnesota. It was very special for both Sharon and I.

In her wedding sermon I talked about law and gospel, the natural order to things. First I talked to Kyle, her husband about the law of the toilet seat and then I spoke to Wendy about the gospel regarding toilet seats.

Seriously, there is order in life and Jesus lays out God’s ordained order for all of us to follow. We celebrate marriage, but in our society we have often chosen to ignore God’s plan, God’s will, God’s order. Many marriages suffer from the ravages of sin.

Jesus knew it and spoke directly to it when he said, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” These are very hard words for many of us.

As a church I think sometimes we forget that God has given us laws, patterns to follow that when we break them we go astray, life becomes harder, distorted. Some here are perhaps divorced and I’m sad about that as I’m sure you are. For some, unfortunately it is unavoidable, but that doesn’t change what God has ordained or desires for us. Just like all law it shows us what we should be doing, but we don’t always keep the law because we are fallible, we are human, and sin in this world makes life difficult.

Fortunately, God has also shown us a new way to get through our troubles. Jesus the exact imprint of God’s very being, shows us what love and respect can do and the story continues with our children.

The disciples are annoyed, with the children bothering Jesus, but Jesus says, “let the little children come.” As we look at scripture we need to put this in its cultural context in order to understand the significance here.

Two thousand years ago, children, how were they regarded, what was their value in society? In much of society children were not appreciated, they were to not speak unless spoken to; they in some cases were considered collateral, like cattle, something one owned. Not a lot of respect for children. This was society’s order, not God’s order.

The disciples were annoyed that some people wanted their children blessed. Jesus on the other hand said, “let the little children come……Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.”

In the study of scripture when Jesus says something that is considered counter-cultural it is usually the beginning of an important idea about God’s order and usually over time develops as a Christian principle.

First, Jesus is saying here that children are important, even if they were not perceived that way by most of society in that era, Jesus’ emphasis changes that idea. People need to respect children according to Jesus.

Second, we hear from Jesus that children can receive the kingdom of God. Their important, their valued, they have souls and God says they can receive to kingdom.

Thirdly, Jesus is saying that we need to be more like children in terms of our faith. Children are trusting, children can have a deep faith. We need to be more like children.

These important truths point to the exact imprint of God’s very being. God’s order!

Jesus made the Pharisees aware of it, he made the disciples understand it, and God through the work of Christ wants us to accept it today. Life is ordered in this world. This order comes from God. When we break it, when we press against it, life is more difficult. This is the law speaking loud and clear.

The law is always what we are measured against. The makers of the Jewish law, the Pharisees didn’t like it, the disciples strained under the task of keeping the law, and we when compared to the law do NOT measure up. We fail.

Fortunately, Jesus showed us the example of children. The children came forward and Jesus took them up in his arms and blessed them. God wants to bless you today.

You know God’s order for this world. We have learned it through Noah and Moses, through the prophets, but most importantly God has shown us Christ, the exact imprint of God’s very being . Repent and believe the good news.

Jesus is calling us today into a closer relationship with the Father. Embrace it! Accept it! Rely on it! God’s promises will not fail us for when we are weak, God is strong.

Amen

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