Wait, See, and Depart Like Simeon

In 2007, Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson starred in a movie called “The Bucket List.” That “bucket list,” of course, is a list of things that a person wants to do before they “kick the bucket.” That story tapped into a powerful desire that we have to experience the fullness of life while we can.

One year prior to that film, sportswriter Bill Simmons released a book whose title says it all: “Now I Can Die in Peace.” It was about the Red Sox victory in the 2004 World Series, and how some Red Sox fans had waited so long for a World Series title that they felt they could now go in peace. Their dream had been fulfilled.

In today’s gospel lesson from Luke 2, we meet a man named Simeon. Simeon had a bucket list of his own, but it was very short. There was only one thing on it. And it was kind of a strange list, because Simeon had not written it. In verse 26 you heard that “it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” The Holy Spirit of God had communicated to Simeon that he would not kick the bucket until he had seen the Anointed One, the Christ, with his own eyes. In today’s gospel, we get to see that happen, and we get to view Simeon’s reaction, which is along the lines of “now I can die in peace.” But he actually says a lot more than that. So today, with the Holy Spirit’s help, let’s think about how we can wait like Simeon; see like Simeon; and depart like Simeon.

First, waiting like Simeon. Luke introduces us to him like this: “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” This is someone who clearly was right with God, but even so, this is someone who is being forced to wait. Luke tells us specifically that Simeon was waiting for was the consolation of Israel, and Israel definitely needed consolation. Their history as God’s people was not good. Their disobedience had meant punishment; it had meant being forcibly removed from their homeland; even now, having returned to Jerusalem, the Romans occupied their land and called the shots. They needed the comfort that prophets like Isaiah had said was coming. That comfort would come when the Messiah came. Simeon was waiting for it. That doesn’t mean it was easy.

Simeon can remind us that sometimes God’s answer to our prayers is: “You’re going to have to wait.” That’s usually not the answer that we want. One thing that technology has done for us is it has decreased the amount of time that we have to wait for anything. That can be awfully convenient, but it can also create expectations that are not very healthy. It’s developing an intolerance for waiting of any kind in us. Just observe what goes on at the grocery store checkout when somebody’s taking too long, or the dreaded “Your order’s not ready, you’ll have to pull forward” at the drive through. Now those are trivial examples, but they illustrate that we do hate to wait. You need to be wary of that, because at some point, you’re going to have to wait for something bigger than a mocha latte. And in faith, what we have to learn to accept is that when God makes us wait, there’s a good reason for it. There are times when waiting is the best thing we could possibly do, even if we’re forced to do it. It can be a time of growth. We may not be ready for what we think we want. There may be details that have to be worked out that are known only to God. Regardless of what it is you’re waiting for, you can wait confidently, because God always keeps His Word.

That’s what Simeon discovered. Remember, the Holy Spirit had let him know that he would not die before seeing the Lord’s Christ. So he knew his waiting would have an end point. One day, led by the Spirit, he went to the temple, and just like that, the wait was over. The baby Jesus was there with his parents, and filled with the Spirit, Simeon took Jesus in his arms and blessed God with these words: “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

We need to see like Simeon. What did he see? He said, “my eyes have seen your salvation…” In one bright moment of light, he saw what God was up to. Jesus was salvation. Jesus was the consolation he had been waiting for. This type of seeing does not happen just with the eyes, but with the mind and the heart. This type of seeing is caused by the Holy Spirit, and this seeing is focused on Jesus. Simeon holds this baby in his arms and proclaims for all to hear that this child, Jesus, is salvation for all people, Jew and Gentile. To have and to hold this Jesus is to have every promise of God fulfilled. To have Jesus is to have everything.

“Seeing like Simeon” means that you “see” that Jesus is salvation. He doesn’t give you a list of rules to follow to get salvation; he is salvation. He doesn’t give you advice for a better life; Jesus is life; life that never ends. The Bible teaches that you cannot produce salvation by what you do; no matter how nice you are to people; no matter how successful you are or how many people look up to you, you cannot redeem yourself. “Seeing like Simeon” means that you “see” there is only one key that unlocks heaven, and it is Jesus.  It means believing that Jesus paid for your sins at his cross. It means trusting that you will follow Jesus out of the grave, thanks to his Easter victory. It means that knowing, loving, and serving Jesus is the point of your life, and that he is your consolation. He is your reward. And as Simeon reminds us, Jesus is not just your consolation and reward, but the consolation and reward of the whole world. He is light and glory for all.

So we can wait like Simeon, we can see like Simeon, and we can depart like Simeon. Again, having this bucket list, Simeon waited to see the Christ, and when that moment arrived, the first thing he said was: “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word.” Now I can die in peace, Simeon says, because God kept his promise to me. I have seen salvation, and it is Jesus.”

Are you prepared to leave like Simeon? One of the great gifts of the gospel is that you don’t have to be terrified of death, because Jesus has reversed its effects. You don’t have to be afraid of being judged by God, because the judgment has already happened. Jesus was judged, sentenced, executed, and raised to new life. The only part that attaches to you is the new life. Jesus took all the consequences of our law-breaking and paid for our disobedience himself.

One of the most beautiful things you will ever hear a person say is that they are ready to go home into the arms of the Lord. Many people have said that to me, and you can see the peace in their eyes and the relief they feel in their bodies when they say that, because they are completely resting in what Jesus has done for them. Do you have that confidence? Simeon says you can. You can have it in Christ.

What Simeon said and did that day in the temple was so meaningful that is has passed into song. It’s a song that we still sing. We sing it, do you remember when? We sing it after coming into God’s House here; after we have been at His Table; after Jesus has given Himself to us in bread and wine; that’s when we sing: “Lord now lettest thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word, for my eyes have seen Thy salvation which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel.” We are just like Simeon. That’s why we sing his song. With our hearts we have seen Jesus in this eating and drinking. He has come into us and forgiven us. You can depart this Table in peace and face anything because Jesus is yours. You can depart this life in peace because Jesus has covered you with his perfection. You can wait, see, and depart like Simeon, and you can even sing his song, a song of ultimate love, in Jesus Christ.

The Message of the Cross

The subject for today is foolishness. A number of years ago, some firemen in Virginia wanted new helmets. The helmets they ordered were colorful, high-impact plastic. They would adjust to head size and resist scuffing. There was only one thing wrong. When you got them near heat, they melted.

The subject for today is foolishness. In California there was a 20 foot modern metal sculpture called, "Great Planes Study Number Seven." It was destroyed by workmen with bulldozers. The workmen thought it was junk. Worse, it was more than a year before somebody noticed the sculpture was missing. Worse still, city officials paid the artist to replace it.

A foolish moment is when you eat corndogs, deep fried bananas, and cotton candy and then get on the tilt-a-whirl at the fair. When I push on the door that says "pull," that's a foolish moment. We’ve all had them. When you start your car and it's already running, that noise tells everybody around, you've had a foolish moment.

The Bible tells us human beings have had a lot of foolish moments. When Adam and Eve said, ‘you know, maybe this being like God thing is a good idea,’ that was a tragically foolish moment. When Peter swore he didn’t know Jesus three times, that was an exceptionally foolish moment. Look at every Scriptural personality and you will see that not one of them escaped having a foolish moment. All did things they regretted; spoke words they wished they could have recalled; took paths they wished they could have retraced.

Now let's be clear. When you do something like lock yourself out of your own house, you feel silly. But when you reject the Lord Jesus and His will for you, the foolish moment takes on an infinitely darker meaning. Foolishly avoiding the power of His cross is not merely silly; it is self-destructive. And there is no foolishness more heartbreaking than when broken people reject the message of the cross. It is worse than a drowning man laughing at the life preserver thrown to him. It is worse than the hospital patient making fun of the nurse who approaches his bed with medicine. Paul is right when he said, "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing." But this is not an amusing foolishness. It is a pitiful, strange foolishness which leads unbelievers to sadness and despair and death of the soul.

Listen. God's powerful message of salvation is a simple one. Because of the ways we have gone against God and the people in our lives, we deserve to be punished. Justice demands it. No one can argue that it is unfair. There is no escape. There is no reprieve. There is no parole.

But rather than sentencing us for our crimes, God had His own Son nailed to the cross in our place. Supreme Court justices don’t do that. Federal Judges don’t do that. Judge Judy doesn’t fine her children for the crimes of others. But that’s what God, in His grace, did for you. God's Son has lived for you and fulfilled the law for you. God's Son suffered and died for you. He was executed for your crimes and mine. That’s what happened at the cross. What do you think of that?

I’ll tell you what the wisdom of the world thinks. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who perishing. You know why? Because there is nothing at the cross that worldly wisdom values. You don’t seem to find any power at the cross; you only see a man powerless to stop his own death. You don’t seem to find any glory at the cross; you only see shame and disgust. You don’t seem to find any economic advantage at the cross; for crying out loud, they are gambling for Jesus’ clothing while He’s dying. You don’t see any popularity at the cross; only a handful of people stay to the bitter end—the rest have deserted Jesus. Clearly the cross means Jesus is a loser, not a winner, not by worldly standards. Foolishness.

But to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. This is dynamite. Literally. The Greek word for “power” in that sentence is the same word from which we get our word “dynamite.” To us who are being saved, the message of the cross is the explosive power of God. What Jesus did at the cross released a shock wave that continues to circle the globe. It continues to detonate in human hearts and shake them to the core. What is that explosive power? It is the power of sacrifice.

As God, Jesus had all power, all glory, every privilege and advantage and he gave it all up. He laid it all aside. He was the one person in all of history without a single foolish moment, and was the only person who deserved to be rewarded by his Father. Yet he was the one who was crushed. He was the one sentenced and punished for our foolishness. And when a person realizes what Jesus’ sacrifice saves them from, and how huge it really was, that’s the dynamite that blows the doors off the prison.

Even if you feel like you’ve heard this a million times, think again about what God has done. Just see in your mind a person who means the world to you. Maybe it’s your spouse or a dear friend. If you’re a parent, maybe it’s your child. You love them dearly and completely. Now let me ask you, would you deliberately send that person to switch places with a death row prisoner? Could you voluntarily send your loved one to substitute for an inmate who is scheduled to die, and will die that other person’s death? It’s unimaginable! But do you see? You and I are the death row prisoner! You and I are the inmate scheduled to die, and God sent his dear Son to switch places with us. That’s how much God loves you. That’s how much He values you. That’s the explosive power of Jesus’ sacrifice for you.

What Jesus did at the cross released a shock wave that’s still being felt today. The power of His sacrifice still echoes through our world. You can hear it in so many great stories: The Great Lion Aslan lying down on the Stone Table; The Hobbit Frodo Baggins bearing the One Ring to Mount Doom; Colonel Robert Gould Shaw leading the 54^th Infantry into battle in the movie “Glory;” Harry Stamper’s staying behind to blow up the asteroid in “Armageddon;” I mean, I could do this all day, because at a deep level people understand there is nothing as powerful as sacrifice.

It’s also why we rightly honor those who are willing to stand in harm’s way for us; why we owe a debt of gratitude to those in our military and those who serve as police and firefighters and first responders. Their vocations are built on a willingness to sacrifice; their lives echo the dynamite blast of the cross.

And it’s also why our lives as followers of Jesus are incomplete if that echo is not heard in our words and actions. If it has dawned on you just how much God sacrificed to obtain you, will you not be inspired to sacrifice for others? Will you not be willing to appear foolish in the eyes of the world? Will you not follow Jesus in setting aside control and glory…setting aside economic or personal advantage…setting aside popularity and approval in order to give to someone else—to help them gain the goodness of God? Are you willing to light to fuse of sacrifice in your life?

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing; but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.

Portions adapted from a sermon by Rev. Ken Klaus

Come and See

 

Two years ago, I had never heard of the Barbershop Harmony Society. It wasn’t even on my radar. I can maybe recall seeing a sign for their show, but it didn’t really register with me. But that all changed with a simple invitation. A man named Paul Shannon took the time to ask me personally if my son and I would like to give barbershop singing a try with a special program that was coming up. We thought it over and accepted the invitation. We had a great time, so much so that we are in our second year of membership, and as clichéd as it sounds, it has changed our lives and created opportunities for us that we would’ve never had otherwise, were it not for the Y-City Barbershop Chorus! The point of me sharing this with you is this: a lot of fun and friendship has come into our lives as the result of an invitation. Someone had to invite us to come and see what this type of singing was all about, and I’m very grateful he did and we did.

That’s how we like to operate, isn’t it? We like to see for ourselves. Once in a while, we’ll take the word of other people at face value, but most of the time, we like to check things out for ourselves. We like to investigate something new and come to our own conclusions. Whether it’s a movie or a book or a sport or a singing group or even a church, we want to see for ourselves. That’s just the way we’re built.

A man named Philip understood this very well. Philip had come face to face with Jesus of Nazareth. This Jesus person had approached Philip with a life changing invitation. “Follow me,” he said. Something about this man led Philip to the conclusion that Jesus was the One that the prophets had preached about—the Messiah who was coming to put everything right. The long wait was over! God was going to act in the world in a powerful way.

What do you do with that kind of news? You’ve got to share it someone, don’t you? You feel like you’ll burst if you don’t. So Philip thought of Nathanael and goes to find him. He thought Nathanael would really be able to appreciate how awesome this news was. So Philip goes and he finds Nathanael and he says, “We found the person that the prophecies point to: it’s Jesus of Nazareth!”

Have you ever had someone just totally take the wind out of your sails with a less-than-enthusiastic reaction? You’re dying to share good news with them, and they just shut you down with a negative comment? I think Philip might have felt that way. Because here he comes, bursting at the seams, “We’ve located the Messiah…we know who he is,” and Nathanael’s reply is a classic bubble burster: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Around here that would be like saying, “Can anything good come out of that state Up North?” Same attitude. Philip, you’ve got to be kidding.

And right here Philip does something brilliant. There were a number of ways he could’ve reacted to Nathanael’s question. He could’ve gotten angry and walked away. He could’ve said, “forget it.” He could’ve engaged Nathanael in a theological debate. But he didn’t. This is what he did. He just said, “Come and see.” Come and see Jesus. Come and see for yourself what all the fuss is about, and make your own conclusions.

Philip was a fast learner. You see, his life was being changed by an invitation. Jesus had invited Philip to follow him. Follow him how, follow him where, follow him why, he didn’t know yet. But He had been invited, and it had changed him. And so Philip is doing the same thing. He’s not offended; he doesn’t give up; he doesn’t argue. He invites. “Come and see.”

And to his credit, Nathanel comes and sees, and when he does, Jesus says some things to him that stops all the eye-rolling right away. Jesus describes Nathanael’s character and behavior in ways that are so private and so personal that it provokes a strong emotional reaction! Nathanael goes right to saying that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. He’s done a complete 180. Jesus doesn’t disagree, but he goes on to say, “Nathanael, whatever you think being the Messiah means, I’ve come to do something much bigger and bolder. You will see the angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man. I have come to be the bridge between heaven and earth. I have come to be the ladder that extends from God to humanity. And another life is changed by a simple invitation.

So, I have an invitation for you. I invite you to come and see Jesus. What I mean by that is, come and see Jesus the person, the real God in human flesh. Lay down your preconceived notions about who he is or what his church is like. Stop your eye-rolling about the Bible or organized religion and come and see Jesus and listen to what He is saying.

When we come to see Jesus we come with all kinds of thoughts and feelings swirling around inside. We think maybe he’ll help me be a better person, maybe he’ll deal with my loneliness or some other problem. But we come to Jesus hedging our bets, staying guarded as to whether we’ll get our needs met. But when you actually meet Jesus, he will always be far more than you ever imagined him to be. That’s what he told Nathanael that day. Jesus is up to something much bigger and bolder than you could hope for.

See, you know when you’ve really met Jesus when He tells you things about yourself that are so private and personal that you can hardly believe it. What kind of things? Things like this. You need grace. You are trying to be your own savior and lord. You are trying to put God in your debt or at least trying to tilt the odds of the universe in your favor. Personal, I know. But here’s the deal: If Jesus is who He says He is, you owe him far more than a morally decent life. He deserves to be at the center of your life. Even if you are a good person but you’re not letting God be God to you, you’re being your own savior and Lord. Do you realize that?

And if you try other saviors, they won’t work either. If you build your life on your career, or your spouse, and your money, or your morality, you’re doomed! You know why? Because those things can’t save you. If your career fails, it won’t forgive you. It can only punish you with shame. Jesus is the only Savior who if you gain him, He will satisfy you, and you fail him, He will forgive you.

Come and see Jesus. Let Him give to you. Let Him give to you not only solutions to your problems; but forgiveness for the way you’ve contributed to those problems. Let Him give to you not only strength to keep going; but a power that carries you right into the presence of God. You and I are often afraid of disappointment, but Jesus wants to do things for you that go far beyond what you could expect. But you’ve got to come and see. And where do you come and see Him? Here in His Words. Here in Holy Baptism. Here in Holy Communion. Here in His People. Come and see Jesus in a group of imperfect people who have been given His perfect love.

And if you have come to know and love this Jesus; if He has blasted through your expectations to give you far more than you dreamed, my only question for you is, who are you now inviting to come and see?

Portions adapted from Timothy Keller's "Encounters with Jesus"

God Stands With You

           Christmas is over. Even the wise men have come and gone. The decorations are put away, and we risk putting the purpose of all that in storage as well. Jesus has come, but for what? In real time, some thirty years pass between the first Christmas and Jesus’ baptism, but it’s a good thing that the church year fast-forwards to the Jordan River, so we don’t lose sight of that purpose. John the Baptist baptized lots and lots of people, but this baptism is absolutely unique. And if you are a baptized Christian, you are connected to this baptism. This involves you completely. Whether you’re conscious of it or not, this baptism changed the course of your life forever. Let’s see how this works.

            When Ed Koch was mayor of New York City, he was famous for hitting the sidewalk and asking his constituents, “How am I doing?” He took his cues and set his course based on their replies. He was pleased when people were pleased. In a sense, Jesus comes to the Jordan River asking, “How am I doing?” Jesus is going to find out who is pleased with Him. And Jesus is going to very carefully choose where he stands.

            Out there on the banks of the river, all sorts of people came to John for a life changing experience, a baptism of repentance. Other people came to John in order to criticize him, to question the need for such a baptism. They stood on heritage, and they put their weight on performance. Then, Jesus comes to the riverbank and look where he stands. It’s not with the self-righteous religious people. Jesus stands with the sinners. Jesus wanted baptism like all the others who had come under the threat of God’s wrath. At first, John wanted no part of this, and he had a point: in and of himself, Jesus had no need for this. But Jesus makes a point too: I will be baptized, because I have come to stand with sinners. I have come to be sin and shoulder the burden for everyone. This conversation ends with Jesus literally standing with sinners in the water of the Jordan.

            Now some will say that Jesus has blown it, mixing with this crowd. They’ll continue to tell him that along his three-year path. If Jesus asked them “How am I doing?” they’d be happy to offer their critique. But that’s not the approval He’s looking for. As soon as Jesus is baptized, as soon as He comes up out of the water, His Father stands with Him. The heavenly voice rings out, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Not just anyone, but my Son. Not just pleased, but well pleased.

            You can understand if the folks on the riverbank were stunned and confused. After all, there were all kinds of hopes and dreams for the Messiah, many of them quite extraordinary. Jesus, on the other hand, was ordinary. Whatever people thought about him that day, do you see what is happening here at the river? God the Father takes his stand with Jesus, the Jesus who takes His stand with sinners. Are you following that line of connection? Do you see how you are completely involved in this long-ago baptism?

            It’s simple, really. That day, when Jesus was baptized, God the Father took his stand with Jesus, the Jesus who takes his stand with sinners, which means Jesus takes his stand with you and me. You have hard evidence that God loves you and is well pleased with you. It’s your baptism. This is the ongoing blessing of baptism in the life of a Christian believer.

            It’s like this: We are always looking for proof that God loves us, aren’t we? We’re always checking. But what are we looking at, and what are we checking on? Don’t we normally look at our life circumstances? Don’t we usually say, well, work seems steady, and my health is pretty good, and my family is doing well, therefore, God must love me? Don’t we do that, even if it is sort of subconscious? But do you know the danger in doing that? The danger is, what if work becomes a problem, or what if I don’t have any? What if my health takes a nose dive, or my relationship falls apart? If you interpret your circumstances as the only signs of God’s love for you, do you see what that will do to you? You’ll be all over the place! You’ll be on a roller coaster ride, and worse than that, when the circumstances don’t fall in your favor, you’ll begin to question, does God really love me? What’s the use of following Him, if bad things can still happen to me? Have you ever wondered that? It’s OK to say yes. I think we’ve all been there.

            But this is the point: circumstances are the wrong place to look if you are looking for proof that God loves you. There is a better place to look. It’s your baptism. Because you were baptized; because you were born again by water and the spirit; because you were adopted into God’s family; because you were buried and raised with Christ in this water, this is what you can say. Do you know this? You can say, “Yes, I am going through a difficult time, but I am baptized. God is still standing at my side with his strength to hold me.” “Yes, I am struggling with doubts and fears, but I am baptized, and if I’m baptized, I belong to God, and if I belong to God I know He’s not going to abandon me.” Do you know how to do this? Can you apply the gospel to yourself in this way? Can you say “Yes, I am facing a crisis; Yes, I am in a fight for my life; but I am baptized. Jesus stands with me. Because of Jesus, I know God loves me and is well pleased with me.” The blessing of baptism is fully released in you only when you remember it and learn to rely on it. And you can. It’s not impossible. You can learn to look past circumstances and to put all your weight on what God did for you in baptism. And when you do, look at the confidence that you gain. Look at the poise and the balance that become yours. Nothing can take this away from you! Nothing can change the fact that Jesus came to stand in the water with you, and God the Father looks at both of you and says, “You are my child, whom I love. I am well pleased with you.” There’s nothing for you to prove, nothing you have to perform. Jesus proved it. His performance was the only one that counts. And it was perfect. Never-ending love, strength to persevere and courage in the face of death are all poured into you. God stands with you.


          Portions adapted from a sermon by Rev. Robert Rosin