Quinquagesima - 2-22-09

The Church Season of Epiphany,
Quinquagesima,
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (February 22, 2009)
One Year Series

“SEE YOUR SALVATION”

Readings:
Psalm 89:18-29
1 Sam. 16:1-13
1 Cor. 13:1-13
Luke 18:31-43

Sermon Form: Deductive

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Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 18th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verses.

Luke 18:31-43 (NIV)

31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. 33 On the third day he will rise again.” 34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about. 35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. 42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Jesus had spent much time teaching His apostles about the Kingdom of Heaven, trying to make them see that He was the Kingdom of heaven. Several chapters earlier in this book St. Luke notes the great turning point is Jesus’ ministry. This was the time when Jesus turned from His earthly ministry and “set His face”(Luke 9:51) literally toward Jerusalem. Today our reading of St. Luke tells of how Jesus is getting ever near to Jerusalem. And on this day Jesus passes by the town of Jericho. And as Jesus approaches there is a blind man who calls out his plea of mercy to Jesus saying,

“Lord I want to see”

The blind man was in good company. Because in the verses just prior to this plea for mercy, Jesus had spoken prophetically about what the apostles would see happen to Him in Jerusalem. He had told them of what would happen when He came into Jerusalem. How He would be mocked, insulted, spit upon, how He would be flogged and ultimately that men would kill Him, that He would die, and that He would rise again on the third day. But the very next line of scripture tells us what the apostles, heard and what they saw for the scriptures tell us that they, “Didn’t understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.”(v. 34) The apostles were physically able to see with their eyes, and they were physically able to hear with their ears. Yet they were still spiritually blinded and the were spiritually deaf to what Christ was telling them.

It would have been easy for Jesus to be frustrated as He led this band of apostles who sometimes heard but did not hear, saw but did not understand. At other times they were blinded by their own thoughts, but Jesus just kept on teaching an he kept on moving towards Jerusalem.

So as Jesus came close by, a blind man cried out to the Son of David for mercy. And notice that this cry continued, even after the crowds tried to shut him up. The blind man cried out because He knew that God would give Him mercy. He knew that God loved Him with an everlasting love.

Lord, have mercy. What does it mean? It means first of all, that the blind man recognized that Jesus is Lord. That is to say, Jesus is God and has power over life and death. Because of this, the blind man could cry out to Him this plea Lord for mercy. He is asking that God won’t give Him what He deserves, for he knows that he deserves the blindness and I don’t mean of his eyes it is the blindness which our sin brings to all of us. But, the blind man prays that God would open his eyes in sight just as He opens our eyes to see His mercy. For Jesus know that no one deserves to be blind physically, yet we are all spiritually blinded because of our sin. Yet, rather than giving us what we really deserve, Christ gives us His mercy.

The blind man in Jericho didn’t try to make sense of all these things. He didn’t complain to God that his life was so miserable or that so-and-so had it so much better than him. The words the blind man used to speak to Jesus was, “I want to see,” but you know a better translation might be, “I want to look up again.” So, really in a sense he had said Lord Have mercy, I want to look up again, I want to look up and see my salvation.

This week, on Ash Wednesday, we begin our Lenten journey to the cross. It is a time of deep reflection for the Christian. This is the time when we look at our sin with the eyes of the Law and realize the depth of our sinfulness and depravity. Our eyes turn downcast with the knowledge of all that we have done, all the failures of life, all the failures of our world, and where the world has failed us. But this is also the time when we look to Jesus Christ, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising its shame. We cry out with the Church of all ages, Lord, have mercy, I want to look up to see my salvation. I want to journey to the cross, but realize Christ is already there, for me.

I can think of no better way see God’s mercy than by hearing the words of King David, who said, “I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. 3 Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. 4 His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; In that very day his thoughts perish. 5 How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, 6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever; 7 Who executes justice for the oppressed; Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free. 8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord raises up those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous.”

A blind man sat on the side of the road on the way to Jerusalem and cried out, “Lord I want to see, I want to look up and see my salvation.” We sit here in this world and we feel joy and sorrow, we feel pain and pleasure. Put that aside. Look up at the cross and see, cast your gaze upon Christ hanging up there, and then be comforted and rejoice. Because of the faith, because of the mercy, because of His death and resurrection, Christ will give you more than a vision of a better place.

For one day all our worldly sins and blindness, all our errors and transgressions, will vanish and not even be a dim memory. For when Christ said, “Your faith has made you well” He points to the faith which He freely gives all the baptized children of God. And in that faith given to you He tells you to receive your sight. See that the Lord is good, look up and see your salvation, look up at the cross and see your salvation. For when that day comes when we leave this world and our eyes close, and then we will immediately receive sight to see He who has done all that needs to be done. For there will Jesus who has already followed His Fathers will. For there in heaven you, Christ’s people, will see Him, you will look up and see your salvation and then you will bow down as you eternally praise God. AMEN

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