|
<< Back to Sermon Archive
"The Divine Do-Over!"
It is one of the most common themes in movie making. In
fact, it is used so often you would think that we might
get tired of it. But somehow we never do. We love to
watch again and again as George Bailey, battered and bruised,
huddles in the snow and yells for Clarence to help him. If
only he had seen what a Wonderful Life he had.
We feel the deep emotion of Marty McFly as he leans over
the supposedly dead body of his good friend Doc Brown. If
only the Doc had read that letter. If only he had gotten
Back to the Future a few moments sooner.
We are nearly moved to tears as Michael Newman realizes
that he has “Clicked” his life away. His marriage
is over. His kids are making the same mistakes he did. His
father’s life is at an end. If only he had paid attention
to what was really important.
We love to watch films like these over and over again. And
why do we like them? Well, the answer is because all of
the characters get a second chance. It turns out that it
was only a dream, a test, or that Doc Brown had read that
letter after all. There are few things that we like more
that a good second chance.
We love it because it is part of our very nature. From
the very first time in our childhood games that we asked
for a “do-over” to the last time that you clicked “Redo”
on your game of computer Solitaire, we just love the chance
to do it over again, to fix what we have messed up.
But then it isn’t really a game is it? Think about your
life just this past week. Aren’t there a few things that
you would like to do over? Would you slow down? Would
you get up earlier? Would you have listened more closely,
paid a bit more attention, counted to ten before speaking?
Wouldn’t it have been nice to be able to say “I’m sorry” a
little bit less and “you’re welcome” a little bit more?
It really is true of our whole lives. Our lives are full
of times that we would like to do again. We say: if I had
it to do all over again, I would… you fill in the blank.
Would you change something that still haunts you? Would
you pay a little more attention to your finances, your
health, your family?
If you had it all to do over would you take the time to
pick up the phone or piece of stationary? If you had it
to do all over again who you have made a different decision
or two, would you make sure not to be in the wrong place
at the wrong time, would you take advantage of an opportunity
that really did come around only once?
What if we really could do it all over again? Well
honestly, the result probably wouldn’t be all that different.
If we did it all again, we might be able to fix a mistake
or two, but we probably couldn’t fix them all. We might
even discover that for every mistake that we corrected, two
or three more have popped up in their place.
We love a good second chance because we know how badly we
need it. We just don’t live up to what God expects us. In
fact, it sometimes seems that the harder we try the worse
we make things, the more we hurt, the more we hurt others.
I am afraid that if God were to give us a second chance,
He would have to do so over and over again. And well,
that is exactly what He does.
Our New Testament reading from Revelation 21 today tells
us of God’s great second chance. This second chance is no
movie or game. It is something that the Apostle John sees
that his so incredible, so wonderful that it is all that
he can do to describe it to us.
He tells us of a new heaven and a new earth. He tells us
of the dwelling place of God’s people that is as beautiful
as bride on her wedding day. John tells us most incredibly
of a place where there is no more death, no more crying, no
more mourning, and no more pain, a place where the old order
of sin and suffering and pain and death are removed forever.
It is a place where God is able to dwell with us, not hidden
as He is now in word and sacrament, but in the fullness of
His glory.
John sees heaven, but more than that he sees what will be
when Jesus has come again and all things are brought to
their completion. What is seems is incredible, but is
also costly.
There is nothing of Hollywood’s cleverness in this
do-over. God did not merely decide to look the other
way or to pull off some clever slight-of-hand. In
order to give us this amazing second chance, things
would have to made right, whole, complete. To give
us this second chance a debt would have to be settled.
One of the most amazing things about the Christian faith
is what Jesus did for you and me. He endured scorning,
mockery, scourging and finally the pain of the cross.
When I really think about it, I simply cannot fully
grasp all that Jesus went through for you and me.
But to me what is sometimes even more amazing is that
if he had it all to do over again…he would. Jesus would
not have changed a thing, for to do so would leave our
salvation at risk. So to the cross and into the tomb
he went.
Then the do-over came, you might say. God the Father raised
Jesus from the dead. He lives again and so shall we.
Through Jesus saving work, God promises us a Divine Do-Over.
First, he promises us that our sins are forgiven. Not
just today, but every day. Truthfully, even as a pastor,
I sometimes have a hard time with this one. I do something
that I know I shouldn’t, I look back on my day or my week
and admit to myself to myself that I have made a mess of
things again. I ask God for his forgiveness…and I have
it. Surely there has to be more to it than that. Surely
I have to do something, but I don’t. Jesus has given us a
very real, a very powerful do-over each and every day we
live on this earth.
Think about this do-over as you see the sign of the cross,
as you observe a baptism, as you hear the words of absolution,
as you receive the Lord’s Supper. In all of these things
Jesus gives us a real second chance as we dwell here on
this earth.
But he also has another second chance in mind for us. It
is the second chance of a new heaven and a new earth. It
is the promise that one day we will dwell where there is
no more tears, death, mourning, crying or pain. He
promises us if you will that we will live in a restored
Eden, in paradise, forever.
We love a good second chance, and that is exactly we have,
even after the house lights come up!
It is the greatest celebration in the history of the universe.
Jesus has won the victory and that celebration and one day he
will say to us: “I did it for you, and this celebration is
for you too!”
May Jesus Christ be praised! Amen.
Top of Page
<< Back to Sermon Archive
|
