21st Sunday after Pentecost 10/25/09 Mark 10:46-52
21st Sunday after Pentecost
10/25/2009
Text: Mark 10:46-52
Title: Throw off your robe of self-righteousness.
Last Sunday we started preparing for New Consecration Sunday which will take place next Sunday at the 10:30 service. There will be no 8am service. It is going to be a wonderful celebration with choirs and hand bells plus a dynamic guest pastor Rev. Gary Faith.
New Consecration Sunday is that time when each of you will asked to prayerfully consider your financial support of the congregation’s work for 2010 as we come together on November 22 to decide the proposed budget, the building of the parking lot, and the remodeling and repair of our building. It is a time of sacrificial giving in times of uncertainty and for some hardship.
Many people cringe at this time, for they know they are being asked for money; to maybe even consider tithing. It is, as many say, “the business side of the church”, for the congregation has salaries, utilities, upkeep, insurance, supplies, obligations to the Southern District, and other expenses. It is the cost of doing church.
But is our giving to the financial needs of the congregation “the business side of the church?” I would say no, for our giving to the congregation is really just one part of our total worship experience. You see, while we come together on Sunday morning to be in fellowship, as we worship God through song, prayer, listen to the Word and celebrate the Sacraments, worship is 24/7.
Worshiping God is what we do as we live our lives. We worship God when we trust in him to provide what we need in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in. We worship God when we are forgiving to those who have hurt us. We worship God when we help those who just plain hard to love. We worship God when we attend to the poor, those who are in jail, and those who are sick and or dying. We worship God when we give a hug, speak kind words, or send a card to those who are hurting. We worship God when we live our lives as people of God, people who others see as being different than the rest of society.
And, here it comes; you worship God with your donations to this congregation, so that we together can fulfill our congregation’s God given mission directive to teach his Word and celebrate his sacraments of Baptism and Holy Supper, not only for our own good, but for those who do not yet know of God’s plan of salvation and peace.
Now I could stand up here, as many preachers do, and tell you that you will be greatly rewarded, if you give a lot. You know give God a little and receive a little. Give God a lot and receive a lot. I could do that, but I am not, for that is not the way God works. He cannot be bribed by your giving what is already his. He just does not work that way.
I could stand here this morning and tell you that you need to give because of all that God has done for you concerning your salvation and blessings that you have received. I could tell you that, but I am not, for that would be saying we have to pay God back for all he has done.
I am not going to say any of those things, for the giving that God desires only comes from gratefulness for what he has done and continues to do in our lives. Giving comes from within. It is not I do this for you so that you do this for me or payback for what God has done for you. Proper giving for the Lord’s work though this congregation cannot be explained in any other way than that it comes from a change of the heart, a casting off of the old person.
It is, as I have been sharing with you from God’s Holy Word the last couple of weeks, our coming to God with empty hands. Empty hands not full of all those things we put our trust and hope in. You know those things, as God tells us in his Word that others will use and enjoy after we have died. Empty hands are the only way we can receive God’s full blessings, for without empty hands God cannot give us what we need.
Our Gospel lesson for this morning continues the same theme, except now it is expanded in that see that we need to not only come to God with empty hands, but we are also to throw off our garments of self-righteousness in order for Jesus to give us new eyes so that we may truly see him for who he really is, our Savior.
Jesus and his followers are in Jericho; this is not the old Jericho that was destroyed, but a new city built by King Herod. It is on the road to Jerusalem where Jesus is headed. It is a great spot for a blind beggar for thousands of people are passing by as they prepare for the Passover celebration which is just a week off.
When he heard that Jesus was passing by he cries out, “Jesus, Son of David have mercy on me!” He must have been making quite a scene, for we are told that the people around him told him to shut up. But he does not listen, for he knows that this man who he evidently knew had healed people of their blindness was his only chance. He was blind, completely dependent on others and doomed to a live of misery until he died. It was just the way it was back then. Life is hard for the blind today, but it was terrible back then. Jesus was his only hope.
So he calls out and Jesus answers. The blind man throws off his only garment, the outer garment that protected him from the weather and gave him shelter. He does not want to miss the blessing that he knows Jesus wants to give him. He cannot be slowed down or encumbered by this cloak, even though it is more than likely the only thing he owns.
And that is the lesson we are to learn from this story. We, like the blind man are to not only come to Jesus with empty hands, but we are also to throw off our robes of self-righteousness. We must rid ourselves of anything that hinders our coming to Jesus to receive his blessings.
Now when I am talking of coming to Jesus with empty hands and the getting rid of our self-righteousness I am talking about repentance, the self recognition of knowing that you have nothing to offer God. For we are all indeed poor miserable sinners even as we sit here today still deserving of God’s wrath. That is who we are, for there is no righteousness in any of us, no matter how good we believe we are. Our very best deeds are as Holy Scripture tells us nothing but the filthiest of rags in God’s sight.
My dearest brothers and sisters in Christ while we have nothing to offer God and our best deeds are nothing but the filthiest of rags before God we, as long as we have faith in what Jesus accomplished, that is trust in God’s promises, for that is what faith is, have nothing to fear in this lifetime or the next.
We are free of God’s condemnation. He can no longer punish us with the threat of eternal damnation, for Jesus took his wrath toward us on himself. When Jesus cried out on that bloody cross so long ago, “It is finished”, it was finished. The words that were proclaimed by the heavenly host at his birth, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those who whom he is pleased,” were fulfilled.
We now have peace with God. What joy that gives those who believe in Jesus. What changes of heart that news makes, for you are truly a new person even though you will still struggle with sin as I still do. And as a new person you can now cry out to God, “Lord have mercy” just like that blind beggar so long ago did, knowing that God has and will continue to have mercy on you. Amen.
10/25/2009
Text: Mark 10:46-52
Title: Throw off your robe of self-righteousness.
Last Sunday we started preparing for New Consecration Sunday which will take place next Sunday at the 10:30 service. There will be no 8am service. It is going to be a wonderful celebration with choirs and hand bells plus a dynamic guest pastor Rev. Gary Faith.
New Consecration Sunday is that time when each of you will asked to prayerfully consider your financial support of the congregation’s work for 2010 as we come together on November 22 to decide the proposed budget, the building of the parking lot, and the remodeling and repair of our building. It is a time of sacrificial giving in times of uncertainty and for some hardship.
Many people cringe at this time, for they know they are being asked for money; to maybe even consider tithing. It is, as many say, “the business side of the church”, for the congregation has salaries, utilities, upkeep, insurance, supplies, obligations to the Southern District, and other expenses. It is the cost of doing church.
But is our giving to the financial needs of the congregation “the business side of the church?” I would say no, for our giving to the congregation is really just one part of our total worship experience. You see, while we come together on Sunday morning to be in fellowship, as we worship God through song, prayer, listen to the Word and celebrate the Sacraments, worship is 24/7.
Worshiping God is what we do as we live our lives. We worship God when we trust in him to provide what we need in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in. We worship God when we are forgiving to those who have hurt us. We worship God when we help those who just plain hard to love. We worship God when we attend to the poor, those who are in jail, and those who are sick and or dying. We worship God when we give a hug, speak kind words, or send a card to those who are hurting. We worship God when we live our lives as people of God, people who others see as being different than the rest of society.
And, here it comes; you worship God with your donations to this congregation, so that we together can fulfill our congregation’s God given mission directive to teach his Word and celebrate his sacraments of Baptism and Holy Supper, not only for our own good, but for those who do not yet know of God’s plan of salvation and peace.
Now I could stand up here, as many preachers do, and tell you that you will be greatly rewarded, if you give a lot. You know give God a little and receive a little. Give God a lot and receive a lot. I could do that, but I am not, for that is not the way God works. He cannot be bribed by your giving what is already his. He just does not work that way.
I could stand here this morning and tell you that you need to give because of all that God has done for you concerning your salvation and blessings that you have received. I could tell you that, but I am not, for that would be saying we have to pay God back for all he has done.
I am not going to say any of those things, for the giving that God desires only comes from gratefulness for what he has done and continues to do in our lives. Giving comes from within. It is not I do this for you so that you do this for me or payback for what God has done for you. Proper giving for the Lord’s work though this congregation cannot be explained in any other way than that it comes from a change of the heart, a casting off of the old person.
It is, as I have been sharing with you from God’s Holy Word the last couple of weeks, our coming to God with empty hands. Empty hands not full of all those things we put our trust and hope in. You know those things, as God tells us in his Word that others will use and enjoy after we have died. Empty hands are the only way we can receive God’s full blessings, for without empty hands God cannot give us what we need.
Our Gospel lesson for this morning continues the same theme, except now it is expanded in that see that we need to not only come to God with empty hands, but we are also to throw off our garments of self-righteousness in order for Jesus to give us new eyes so that we may truly see him for who he really is, our Savior.
Jesus and his followers are in Jericho; this is not the old Jericho that was destroyed, but a new city built by King Herod. It is on the road to Jerusalem where Jesus is headed. It is a great spot for a blind beggar for thousands of people are passing by as they prepare for the Passover celebration which is just a week off.
When he heard that Jesus was passing by he cries out, “Jesus, Son of David have mercy on me!” He must have been making quite a scene, for we are told that the people around him told him to shut up. But he does not listen, for he knows that this man who he evidently knew had healed people of their blindness was his only chance. He was blind, completely dependent on others and doomed to a live of misery until he died. It was just the way it was back then. Life is hard for the blind today, but it was terrible back then. Jesus was his only hope.
So he calls out and Jesus answers. The blind man throws off his only garment, the outer garment that protected him from the weather and gave him shelter. He does not want to miss the blessing that he knows Jesus wants to give him. He cannot be slowed down or encumbered by this cloak, even though it is more than likely the only thing he owns.
And that is the lesson we are to learn from this story. We, like the blind man are to not only come to Jesus with empty hands, but we are also to throw off our robes of self-righteousness. We must rid ourselves of anything that hinders our coming to Jesus to receive his blessings.
Now when I am talking of coming to Jesus with empty hands and the getting rid of our self-righteousness I am talking about repentance, the self recognition of knowing that you have nothing to offer God. For we are all indeed poor miserable sinners even as we sit here today still deserving of God’s wrath. That is who we are, for there is no righteousness in any of us, no matter how good we believe we are. Our very best deeds are as Holy Scripture tells us nothing but the filthiest of rags in God’s sight.
My dearest brothers and sisters in Christ while we have nothing to offer God and our best deeds are nothing but the filthiest of rags before God we, as long as we have faith in what Jesus accomplished, that is trust in God’s promises, for that is what faith is, have nothing to fear in this lifetime or the next.
We are free of God’s condemnation. He can no longer punish us with the threat of eternal damnation, for Jesus took his wrath toward us on himself. When Jesus cried out on that bloody cross so long ago, “It is finished”, it was finished. The words that were proclaimed by the heavenly host at his birth, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those who whom he is pleased,” were fulfilled.
We now have peace with God. What joy that gives those who believe in Jesus. What changes of heart that news makes, for you are truly a new person even though you will still struggle with sin as I still do. And as a new person you can now cry out to God, “Lord have mercy” just like that blind beggar so long ago did, knowing that God has and will continue to have mercy on you. Amen.
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 6:51 PM
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