Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Gospel Lesson just read, from Matthew 10. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- When we’re young and growing up we take our life for granted. It is just life and living. Soon enough we have to begin thinking about other aspects of our “life” – what we enjoy doing, what we might like to be able to do, how we are going to make a living, who we might marry, how many children we will have, what possessions we will have, and what our “life” is going to be about.
- We also begin to become more acquainted with the problems of “life” in this world – conflicts, troubles, difficulties, limitations, challenges. It seems more than enough of a challenge just to be dealing with these things – and this ultimately becomes an aspect of “life” that we despise, all of the troubles we have to deal with.
- I can remember first hearing and thinking deeply about the words of Jesus in our text. They seemed so contrary to expectations, so disappointing, and in many respects impossible to accept. It seemed to me that it was hard enough to do what was right, to conform to “godly” values and behaviors. I assumed that if you were doing what was right that your “life” would be easier, more blessed, and less challenging!
- It seemed especially strange that Jesus should indicate that we have to “find life,” and that only by “losing one’s life” can one find life. And that attempting to find one’s life will only end in losing your life. What a puzzle and conundrum!
- Of course, what is being contrasted is demanding that one’s life be within our own control, being “god” of our own life, as opposed to “yielding” one’s life to God, and leaving it within His control, and having Him as God and Lord of our life.
- Still, I thought that if one could get over this hurdle, then life would be “blessed” and easier. But Jesus’ words indicate just the opposite. It is having “life” rather than merely experiencing a “living death,” but still Jesus makes it clear that:
I. Finding Life Is Not Personally Pleasant Or Peaceful
A. We Must Come To Grips With Our Own Sin, And Repent
As Paul did in the Epistle Lesson: “But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. . . . when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. Sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.”
B. If We Take Up With Jesus And Live In His Gracious Love And Merciful Forgiveness, This Will Create Conflict And Animosity In Our Relationships With Others, Including Those Dearest To Us
Text: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter in law against her mother in law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.”
C. And If We Take Up God’s Side, And Hold To His Word, We Will Experience Animosity And War Against God’s Word
Jer. 20:1,2 “Now Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. Then Pashhur beat Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper Benjamin Gate of the house of the LORD.”
Jer. 37:15,16 “And the officials were enraged at Jeremiah, and they beat him and imprisoned him in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for it had been made a prison. When Jeremiah had come to the dungeon cells he remained there many days.”
Statement: This is the terrible side of “losing one’s life for Jesus sake.” Jeremiah didn’t like it, and complained to God about it. Jesus’ disciples didn’t like it – and opposed Jesus’ submitting to the cross. None of us likes this aspect of “FINDING LIFE,” and surprisingly, God doesn’t like it either. In the book of Isaiah we read: “In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.” [Is. 63:9]
Application: What is frustrating as well is that we can see that none of this conflict and misery is absolutely necessary. We can envision life being easier. We see that people do not have to oppose God and take their hatred of God out on His people and His servants. But God has chosen patience with His enemies, and compassionate mercy upon all human beings – in that all have sinned. We lament and loath our own sin! And how grateful we are for God’s gracious mercy and forgiveness and patience with us!
Transition: So, just as it is the “sin” within us that causes death – and our need to be “FINDING LIFE,” so it is sin that creates our conflict, suffering, and misery in this life. It is this reality alone that creates the difficult choice that all human beings have to make: either we are at peace with the world and with evil, and enemies of God; or we are at peace with God but enemies with the world and with its evil. And so:
II. Each Of Us Must Choose The Circumstances Of Our Life In This World – And By Choosing We Will Also Determine Our Fate In The Life To Come
Jesus clearly stated the options in His parable of the rich man and Lazarus. When both had died, the rich man went to hell while poor Lazarus went to heaven. Abraham explained the principle dynamic to the rich man:
“Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.” [Luke 16:25]
A. So We Are Called To Embrace God’s Word
Text: “The one who receives you receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him Who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.”
B. So We Are Called To Turn From Selfish Pursuits To Serve Jesus
Text: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
C. So We Are Called To Embrace God’s People In Love
Text: “The one who receives a righteous person [a believer] because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
D. And We Are Also Called To Suffer The Animosity Of The World
Text: “I have not come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. . . . Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.”
Statement: It is ugly – that a cross must be borne by those who are “FINDING LIFE,” but it is also beautiful. The one who finds his life in Jesus is aligned with God and His Word, and has peace with God and eternal life. He serves not himself – not his sin or his selfishness, but rather God. He embraces God’s people – and all that is good – with gracious and generous love. And there is sure and certain reward, which no one can take from us.
Application: Yes, there is the suffering of animosity – likely not as rude and brutal as that suffered by Jeremiah and other servants of God’s Word. But the rejection we suffer from others, especially those dearest to us, is at times excruciating. But even as we are experiencing our “bad things” in this earthly lifetime, we shall surely receive our “good things,” our reward, in the life which is to come. And it is better by far to have “life” rather than to be merely existing in a “living death.”
Conclusion: Is this easy? No! Is this personally comfortable? No! We also remain afflicted with sin, which we must daily confess. But as Paul writes in the Epistle Lesson, this is far better. We have “died to the law through the body of Christ, so that we may belong to another, to Him Who has been raised from the dead.” So it is that we also are able to “bear fruit for God.”
In the end such fruit remains – we will by no means lose our reward! So let us hear the words of our Savior, and let us make it our resolve to “FIND LIFE” in Him – and bear up under the indignities of siding with God. God grant it to us all, Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.