Fourth Sunday after Trinity - July 5, 2009

The Church Season of Pentecost
The Fourth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (July 5, 2009)

“A Good Measure”

Readings:
Psalm 138
Genesis 50:15:21
Romans 12:14-21
Luke 6:36-42

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 6th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verse:

Luke 6:36-42 (NIV)

36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” 39 He also told them this parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

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

Be merciful, do not judge, do not condemn, forgive others and give generously to them. A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. Measure enough good out and it will be measure back. Isn’t scripture great? A to do list. A wonderful list of things to do and all will be okay. So if indeed that is a list, we quickly want to check off each item. How soon can we get our good measure? A quick check in the mirror will show that there is neither plank nor speck in our eyes, so let’s move on to bigger and better things. Why not let the world share in our reflection upon what Christ has said. In fact, dish it out in good measure. Be merciful. Point out all your neighbors faults, foils, and indiscretions. Come, take it upon yourself to lead those around you safely away from that which they are, or that which they will become. Lead everyone before your eyes to the to higher ground upon which you now stand. That is our desire, it is our nature. For by nature we want to check it off and dish it out. We have learned from what we have seen, and from what we have heard. And since no speck blocks our vision of right and wrong, we have obviously been given marching orders to give out all that we have taken in. Now, we are free to offer and share our own life’s worth of rebuke, correction, and time earned experience. Of course it is to help those who are not like us. And we tell ourselves that our motives are pure. We’re only doing this only because it is good for everyone else to see and to know what we have learned. And you know, if they would only listen, soon they would measure up and be just like us. We say, follow me, I am the leader, I know, listen to me and I will show you the right way. Unfortunately, that saying soon becomes, follow me, I am the leader, um, which way did they go?

Blinded by the cares of the world, it seems that people do not want to hear about Christ. So we shake down our heads, and we become angry. It’s so simple, why won’t they listen? We followed that list Christ’s made exactly, to a T. We say we did everything God has told us to do. Yet, we are still baffled that it seems we have gained nothing by living our exemplary Christian lives or by telling others about Christ. And quite frankly, truth be told, there’s not much response for us, for proclaiming kindness and mercy. We’ve done all that giving and the forgiving, people don’t listen to us and by the way what’s in it for us anyway. What was it again that we we’re supposed to receive? It seems that the world has pressed us down and shaken us to the bone, taken away our health and happiness, and dumped in our laps lives overflowing with immeasurable worries and insecurity. Maybe that wonderful “to do” list isn’t living up to it’s promise. And at the end of the day how is our anger and frustration measured out anyhow?

Recall that in the Old Testament Jonah was called upon by God to go to Nineveh and preach before the wickedness of that city. But Jonah turned from that order by God, and went instead to Tarshish. And you all know how that turned out, he was swallowed by a great fish. And from inside of that fish Jonah prayed the psalms, which he knew by heart. Jonah was spat out onto the beach and that is probably all that we remember about Jonah. But that is not all there is to know for he was again called upon by God to go and preach to the wicked in Nineveh. And by God Jonah proclaimed their death and destruction. Surprisingly they turned from they ways and were not destroyed. And Jonah? Well, at the end of the day, he was still angry because God didn’t smote those Ninevites like Jonah wanted. They didn’t get their full measure of Jonah’s wrath and so he was mad at God for having mercy. Jonah was so mad that the very last words we hear from him, were, “I am angry enough to die.”(Jonah 4:9) Neither the Ninevites nor God had not measured up to Jonah’s expectations.

Repent, for with planks lodged in our eyes we will always fail to see that we cannot by our own reason or strength measure up to God’s expectations. Neither will we see that the people around us will live up to our expectations. And God, well He will never live up to our expectations either, for in fact He does just the opposite He dies to exceed to exceed our expectations beyond measure to overflowing . Jesus said, “I've not come to condemn the world but in order to save the world. The person who rejects Me and does not receive My utterances has that which judges him; the Word which I have spoken that will judge him on the last day." (John 12:47-48) On the last day God’s love for you in Christ Jesus is not blind. For Christ leads us from the pit of death to eternal salvation.

Jesus speaks to you saying, "Deal generously with people and God will reward you." Go ahead and go out and lead the blind, and give to the poor, and don't be judgmental but speak words of grace to those who need it. Christian living flows from God’s grace, but this is not the way of salvation. These generous deeds don't save us,

Jesus Christ did save us by allowing Himself to be emptied upon the cross so that we may be forgiven our sins and filled to overflowing by His grace. God through His Son Jesus Christ freely gives you salvation in more than a full measure, and no list need be completed. God’s full measure of grace is given to you as a promise in water combined with the Word in Holy Baptism. In the Sacrament of Holy Communion, Jesus Christ offers you His true body, which is grace beyond measure. He pours out His blood so that your cup runs over.

In Christ, sawdust and planks are removed, your sins are forgiven and you see Him clearly. You are judged by a merciful God, who is not blinded by your sins, but rather looks to Christ to see that you are not to be condemned. And because of what Christ has suffered for you, you will not be given death but rather eternal life, just for His good measure. Amen.

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