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"God Does a New Thing"
I read about a small-town church in upstate New York. They'd
had a pastor in that church for over 35 years. He was loved
by the church and the community. After he retired, he was
replaced by a young pastor fresh out of Seminary. He had
only been at the church several weeks when he began to
perceive that the people were upset with him. He was troubled.
Eventually, he called aside one of the leaders of the
church and said, "I don't know what it is, but I have a
feeling that there's something wrong." The man said:
"Well, Pastor, that's true. I hate to say it, but it's the
way you do the Communion service." "The way I do the
Communion service? What do you mean?"
"Well, it's not so much what you do as what you leave out,"
the leader replied. "I don't think I leave out anything from
the Communion service," answered the bewildered pastor.
"Oh yes, you do. Just before our previous pastor
administered the chalice and wine to the people, he'd
always go over and touch the radiator." "Touch the
radiator? I've never heard of that liturgical tradition."
So the young man called the former pastor. He said, "I
haven't even been here a month, and I'm in trouble."
"In trouble? Why?" "Well," the young pastor said, "it's
something to do with touching the radiator. Could that be
possible? Did you do that?"
"Oh yes, I did. Always, before I administered the chalice
to the people, I touched the radiator to discharge the static
electricity so I wouldn't shock them."
For over 35 years, the people of his congregation had thought
that was a part of the holy tradition. I have to tell you that
church has now gained the unofficial name, "The Church of the
Holy Radiator."
[source: www.preachingtoday.com, modified]
That’s how easy it is for us to get stuck on traditions
and rituals; so much so that we miss an actual encounter
with God. There’s a common thread through all three
readings today. Did you catch it? The Old Testament
lesson starts out with Isaiah describing what God has
done for His people in the past, delivering them out of
Egypt, certainly a very important event in the history
of God’s people. And then God speaks and says… look,
here comes another deliverance! And this one will be
better than the first! Don’t dwell on the past, forget
about it. I’m doing something new. Now, the past is
important – after all, those who don’t know history are
doomed to repeat it – until you begin to worship the past
and miss the reality of God in the present. That’s what
Paul confessed had happened to him when he wrote Philippians.
I’d like to read from you a few verses immediately before
the appointed Epistle for today. Verses 4 through 7: “If
anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh,
I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of
Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to
the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church;
as to righteousness, under the law blameless. But whatever
gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” All
these great works are absolutely nothing compared to the new
work God has done in Jesus Christ. In fact, at the end of
verse 8 Paul calls these good works of his “rubbish” – which
is a very polite translation indeed of the Greek word for
sewage! Worshiping the past, Paul had missed the present,
which brings us to Jesus in the Gospel.
Jesus speaks out against the traditions and actions of the
chief priests and teachers of the law, who had become obsessed
with their own piety to the point that they had lost sight of
God. He declares in a parable that they will be overthrown
and their leadership given to others who will honor God, and
they don’t like that one bit. Luke tells us that they begin
looking for a way to arrest Jesus immediately.
I wonder whether we sometimes can think like the chief priests
and teachers of the law? I wonder if we can get so set in our
ways that nothing God says will change our minds? Could it be
that we have rejected the servants God has sent to us? Could
it be that we have also rejected His Son, in favor of our own
glory, our own ideas, our own traditions? Have we fallen so
in love with our sin that we couldn’t imagine living without
it; that we refuse to give it up, perhaps even refusing to call
it sin, inventing excuses to justify our actions? Do we scoff
at others who don’t measure up to our high and holy standards?
Do we set our traditions above the Word of God?
The Law of God is good and right. It shows us our sin and
our need for a savior. In many ways, we are just like the
chief priests and the teachers of the law. The Law of God
shows us our need for a savior. We place other things ahead
of God. The Law of God shows us our need for a savior. We
do not love our neighbors with selfless, perfect love. The
Law of God shows us our need for a savior.
We need a savior!
The epistle to the Hebrews begins with the words, “Long ago,
at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by
the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by
his Son.” See, God is doing something new. Now it springs
up; do you see it? We rejected the word of the prophets,
so God sent one who would conquer by rejection. Just like
all the prophets before Him, we rejected God’s Son. But
unlike any of the prophets before Him, Jesus rejected sin
and chose instead to perfectly follow the will of the Father,
even allowing us to send Him to death on a cross.
But there was one rejection we didn’t see coming. Even now,
it’s hard for us to grasp. God the Father could have and by
all rights should have rejected us for our sin. But He didn’t.
Instead, He took all His wrath and fury, all His righteous rage
at our disobedience, all His punishment our sin deserved, and
focused it at a man hanging on a cross. The Father looked at
His Son, covered with the filth of all our sins, and rejected
Him. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Behold, God has done something new.
Last week, our Epistle lesson included verse 17 of Second
Corinthians chapter 5: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to
Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” By
enduring rejection, Christ accomplished reconciliation. We
now have a relationship with God, a personal, loving,
relationship as His own children.
God no longer dwells in a burning bush high on a mountain,
out of sight of the people. He no longer dwells in the Holy
of Holies, separated from His unworthy people by a thick
curtain. Now, because God has done something new in the
reconciliation He has accomplished through Christ, God
dwells in the midst of His people; He comes and meets us
face-to-face. He is truly present through the Water and
the Word, in the bread and the wine. Christ is risen from
the dead! Having accomplished all that was asked of Him,
Christ sits at the right hand of the Father, declaring our
righteousness. And He comes to us each and every day,
standing with us, announcing our reconciliation with our
Heavenly Father.
God has done a new thing. Forget your former sins; do not
dwell on the past. Forget what is behind and press on toward
the goal. The stone the builders rejected has become the
capstone! Jesus Christ is our salvation.
You see, many people focus on the past because it seems like
the future is unpredictable and uncertain. But in reality,
the future is certain and guaranteed. Let it grab you!
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus [Romans 8:1] – that’s God’s new work! He’s eliminated
rejection and condemnation. With our sins washed away, our
future is clear.
See, God has done a new thing!
Amen.
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