Audio PlayerEaster 4 2019 Jubilate

1 Peter 2:11-20

Life on the Road

May 12, 2019

Zion Lutheran Church + Nampa, ID

This Sunday bears the name, “Jubilate” Rejoice!  This Easter season is one full of joy, joy in the midst of sorrow and suffering, of tragedy and evil, of the ordinary and mundane things of this life.  As Christians, our comfort is that this life is for just a little while, but afterward “you will see Me.” Seeing Christ, in His very presence, face to face on the day of resurrection is the certain hope of every Christian.  With Christ, life here and now is bearing the cross after Him, and unending joy of the resurrection awaits!

That is why St. Peter calls us in the Epistle “sojourners and exiles.” Pilgrims on the road to the heavenly Jerusalem rejoicing in the presence of the risen Christ among us in Word and Sacrament. Here, in this life, we live as resident aliens, in the world but not of the world.  We are citizens of two kingdoms: the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God.  But this one here is only temporary.  We are live a life of detachment from much of the worldly things and desires.  We are to be aware that we walk here on earth only a little while, that we are on this journey to the eternal joy of our homeland, that we seek the city that is to come (Hebrews 13:14).  There, with Christ, is our allegiance, our loyalty, our patriotism, and our joy.  And this may very well put us out of harmony with the world.

Many things are allowable here. Some things are indifferent.  But some things are not.  In particular we are to abstain from the passions of the flesh, for these wage war against our soul.  In Scripture, passion is a typically a negative thing, as it is here for St. Peter.  It is the desires and actions of the sinful flesh, to base desires, to what comes natural to one who is bound under to the law and enslaved to sin. In a sense, it is the opposite of self-control.

In today’s society, these seems very strange. Whereas self-control used to be considered a virtue in society, now it is practically a vice.  We hear all the time that a person should do what makes them feel good, to be true to themselves, to follow one’s heart.  That’s baloney.  That’s not freedom, that enslavement.  To live as one who is free, to live as one redeemed by Christ in the life shaped by the cross is not entertain the passions of the flesh but to maintain a good conduct that is in line with the will of God.

How do you keep your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, among the world?  What does this look like?  I’ve got to tell you, this is also one of the best things about having the ministry of our school. We have the opportunity to equip the children of our community and teach them what it means to love what is good, to defend what it true.  We do this in our youth catechesis. Parents do this with their children at home as they model the Christian faith.

Peter goes directly to the 4^th Commandment in light of this: to honor your father and your mother.  As Christians, we should fear and love God so that we not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them. You want to stand out in society, to not go along with the crowd, be a Christian. You want to be counter cultural, you use your freedom not to promote evil, to living as servants of God: you honor those in authority;  you defend the unborn, the widowed and the orphaned; you honor the marriage bed by keeping it pure; dress modestly; you refrain from vulgar language and deceit; you speak the truth with love and honor everyone; go to church on Sunday and treat the gathering of God’s people around His word and sacrament as the most important in life; love the brotherhood of believers; fear God.

But Christianity works not by rebellion against the culture, but by revelation.  Christ comes not to rebel against the nations of the world, but to reveal that He is the Son of God in the flesh.  That all of Scripture, and even creation itself, testifies concerning Christ. Likewise, the Church is not called to rebel against the world, but to be a light to reveal Christ to the nations and the glory of His people Israel, the Israel of faith in Christ. Your deeds that demonstrate faith in Christ provide a powerful witness to the world.  As Christians, it is your calling, it is your duty, to conduct yourselves honorably before the world.  You are to live here, foreigners as you are, in a way that the world shall see and glorify God on the day of His visitation. 

Fellow pilgrims, rejoice! Shout for joy to God, sing the glory of His name.  For He has redeemed you by the blood of Christ.  Your sins are forgiven.  In Holy Baptism, God the Father has made you a member of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and an heir of the heavenly Kingdom. Through the body and blood of Christ, the bread of pilgrims, our Lord He gives power to the faint, and increases strength to him who has no might. It is the sustenance on the way, through this world to our eternal home.  As God’s people ate the Passover meal in Egypt, ready to travel out of slavery and into the freedom of the Gospel as a member of the one holy Christian and apostolic Church, where together we might hear His word and receive His gifts and proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.  We too feast on the Word and Sacrament, ready to attend to our eternal home, remembering Christ’s promise to His people, “I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” For Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia.