Trinity 5

Good Shepherd

2004 Pass Rd, Biloxi, MS 39531

Draft 1 K 19:11–21; 1 Pt 3:8–15; Lk 5:1–11; Ps 16; antiphon: v. 11   –     7/5/26

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

St. Peter says, all of you, having unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind, not repaying evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, blessing, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. You may note that what I just quoted is slightly different from the text printed in the bulletin and read earlier. As much as I would like to, I won’t bore you with a grammar lesson. Suffice it to say the actual Greek St. Peter uses here is what I have just quoted, the format of commands in your bulletin is the opinion of the translator, and is not without merit. St. Peter describes the expected life and mindset of the Christian Church.

He says that all of us are to strive constantly to be of one mind, that is, both know what Christ has done for us and commanded for us, and that we work together to keep His Word and commands. That is, that we agree on doctrine and practice. St. Peter also says that we are to practice sympathy daily. Much like I told you last week, this means knowing your own sins, repenting of them, and showing love and compassion for your unbelieving neighbor or misguided Christian neighbor because you once were unbelieving and know the suffering of the unbeliever. Then St. Peter tells us to love our fellow Christians as brothers, which seems simple enough. But, you who have had siblings know that loving your brother or sister is quite difficult at times, especially when you are yourself being a little foolish. Nevertheless, when your brother in Christ sins against you, or you are in the wrong, the Christian thing to do is seek him out and be reconciled to him.

Next St. Peter says that you are to have a tender heart. He uses a variant of the same word we see in the Gospel whenever Jesus has compassion on the poor, the sick, the blind, the lame, and the widow. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Mt 9:36). It means that His insides were twisted up for them, a visceral feeling of compassion for the lost sinners. That is also how you are to be. When you see your neighbor in need, compassion should rise up inside you for him so that you would help him. When you see the foolish sinner wallowing in his sin, compassion should rise up inside for him so that you help him. And now St. Peter says you are to have a humble mind, you are not to be proud, you are not to be haughty. Yes, you know the truth of the Gospel. Yes, you are not under the thumb of the pope. Yes, you have not been deluded by Joseph Smith or some other false prophet. Yes, you are right. But it is not because of you that you are right, but because God has compassion for you and rescued you. So do not boast in yourself but boast in what Jesus has done for you and share that with your neighbor. Jesus said, So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’ (Lk 17:10)

Now St. Peter says that the Christian does not repay evil for evil, insult for insult, but rather blesses those who curse him. So Jesus said in Luke 6: bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you (28). And St. Paul in Romans 12: Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them (12). What good does it do you to trade insults with an unbeliever? What good does it do the unbeliever for you to curse him? How can you say you live as a Christian if you speak just as evilly as a pagan? How can you say you follow Jesus if you damn your neighbor with your tongue? St. James would tell you this: If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. What has St. Peter been telling us about the true religion? About how you as a Christian are to live? Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world (1:26–27). You are rather to bless your neighbor and pray for him. You are rather to bless your enemy and pray for him, that he would hear the Word of God as you did, and believe as you did, and so through the waters of Holy Baptism be made a child of God and your brother. It is for that reason that God called you and made you a Christian, so that you would be a blessing to all, that all people might see Christ in you.

Then St. Peter quotes psalm 34:12–16, which we chanted three Sundays ago, Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. That was the call we once heard. But we were not able to keep our tongues from evil or our lips from deceit; we could not turn away from evil and do good; we did not seek peace or pursue it, but violence and sin were all we as sinners could comprehend? How can I say this? Hear the word of Isaiah the prophet, Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities (64:5–7). What does he mean? He speaks of our inheritance from Adam. All who are descended from Adam inherit Adam’s sin and Adam’s nature, which means we all inherit the state of being God’s enemies. Before the eyes of God no sinner can be good. Before the eyes of God all that a sinner may do, whether we would think it a good deed or a bad, before God it is all an insult to Him, a stench in His nostrils. But in Christ you have been reconciled to God. In Christ Adam’s sin is undone, and Adam’s nature changed. In Christ you were made a new creation, were given a new heart, and equipped now to do good works pleasing to God, as Ephesians 2:10 tells us: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Those good works prepared for us are the very ones St. Peter has been showing. Where you have failed in any of these, where I have failed in any of these, we ought to repent of that sin of omission immediately, go to the brother in Christ, to our neighbor, to our enemy, and to God Whom we have wronged and confess, for St. John promises us, If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1.1:9). How can He do this? He does it not for you sake or for mine, but as I told you for the sake of Christ who became sin for you and me, your neighbor and your enemy, so that we might become the righteousness of God. God the Father forgives all our sins because Christ paid the debt of all our sins when He died on the cross in our place. God is so adamant in His intent to reconcile sinners to Himself that He sacrificed the life of His only-begotten for us, wiping away the debt of every one of our sins.

So St. Peter continues, For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. You who have been made righteous in Christ through the waters of Holy Baptism are held precious in the eyes of God. You who have been made righteous in Christ through the waters of Holy Baptism are heard by God when you pray, so pray for the foolish sinner that he would hear and be saved, so pray for your neighbor, for your brother, for your sister. God hears you. God loves you.

Now St. Peter asks, who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? Of course we may answer that the devil, all the demons, and even the world are out there to harm us. But what does St. Peter really mean? Is legal harm anything next to the glory of God? Is financial harm anything next to the glory of being in Christ? Is the destruction of our own bodies anything next to the glory of the Holy Spirit Who is in you? No, St. Paul says, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (8:37–39). As zeal for God consumed Jesus so that no thing of this world could oppose Him, no word shame Him, so our zeal for the works that God has prepared for us ought not be dimmed by the irrelevant devil, demons, or world. Even in death they have no power over us because we are in Christ.

Even if the world or your family or even your country turns against you because you confess Christ crucified and risen, nevertheless, St. Peter says, even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. And in being prepared, by studying your Bible, listening intently to these sermons, engaging in Bible Study, you are being equipped to live as St. Peter has been describing the Christian life to us, having unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Not repaying evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, blessing, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. And in blessing those who curse us, we please God. In loving one another we show the world that we are Christ’s disciples (John 13:35).

Now the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen