Trinity 14 2019

Proverbs 4:10-23

September 22, 2019

Zion Lutheran Church + Nampa, ID

There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between the two ways.[1] This is point that King Solomon is trying to make to his son as he writes the Proverb 4.  It is the same point that St. Paul makes in his letter to the Galatians. And it is the same example that the 10 lepers give us after they had been healed by Christ. So let’s take a moment here this morning to explore these two ways in light of our Scripture readings for this morning.

To begin, Proverbs 4 depicts a father as leading his son along the proper path of wisdom.  It is a path of uprightness, of righteousness. This path enables true freedom in life and leads to the resurrection of eternal life. Solomon, therefore, is teaching his son to value the Gospel in which he is declared righteous before God by grace alone. The Gospel sets people free from the bondage of sin and death to live a new and everlasting life by the power of Christ.

St. Paul makes this same point as he encourages us to walk in the Spirit, to be led by the Spirit of God, no longer under the curse and compulsion of the Law.  The question though becomes, how are we to know the way? In John 14, St. Thomas asks this very question after Jesus says that He has to go away and prepare a place for His disciples and that He would come again and take His people to Himself.  And Jesus responds with the straightforward and simple answer, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

You see this path of life is Christ Himself.  It is following in His footsteps, led by His Spirit according to His Word.  This is the path that the one healed leper took as he returned to give thanks to Jesus.  By the healing of his disease, Jesus had cleansed him of all unrighteousness and placed Him upon the path of faith in Him.  And so He does for you.  In Baptism, God plops you down on the path of righteousness.  There you are, dressed in the robe of Christ’s righteousness that covers all your sin. These are travelling clothes for the Christian and for the Christian life.  These divine blood washed robes are the only clothes that cover your sin, and the shame of the awareness of your nakedness before an almighty and holy God.

But there is another path available, one to avoid, to turn away from and pass on.  Not all roads go to heaven, in fact any other path besides that of Christ leads to hell. It is the way of death, for it is evil and full of curses: sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, jealously, fits of anger, rivalry, dissensions and divisions, envy, murder, and the list goes on as spelled out by St. Paul as the works of the flesh, which are opposed to Christ, which lead away from Him who is the life and the light of the world.

So here is the contrast.  The way of life is that of Christ. The way of death is anything other than Christ. The way of life is lit by Christ Himself, who says in John 8, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  And again in John 11, just before He raised Lazarus from the dead, Jesus says, “If anyone walks in the day, He does not stumble, because he sees the light of the world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”  The way of death is one of darkness, of the blind leading the blind, of stumbling over sinfulness and evil, and one that ends only in the pit of hell.

So it’s no wonder that Solomon and Paul plead for you to stay on the path of righteousness, the path of the Gospel, the path of Christ, for this is the path of life.  For one day on this path is better than a thousand elsewhere. Keep hold of the instruction of the Word and Wisdom of God, don’t let it go, guard it for it is your life. Keep your heart with all vigilance. This refers to spiritual, emotional, and intellectual life and the use of your will. The source of life comes from the heart, which is to say the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who dwells in the hearts of believers and flows forth with life giving power. The power of the Spirit is what will enable you to follow the way of Christ. Guard your heart, guard your soul, so you do not grieve or abandon the Holy Spirit, the source and sustainer of your life in Christ.

And be assured of your destination, the eternal kingdom of God. Jesus has gone ahead of you to prepare the way, to prepare a place for His people out of His grace and mercy and love for you.  It is a path that leads through death unto the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. The path that the Holy Spirit leads you on is like the light of dawn that shines brighter and brighter until full day, until the great and mighty day of the Lord.  Walk in Christ, guided by the light of Christ, the dawn of the new day grows brighter and nearer. Be ready, for you do not know when the Lord is coming again. Gather together, seeking what is necessary for your souls, for all your years of faith will count as nothing unless you are perfected on the last day. Keep your feet on His path, as assuredly as His feet were pierced upon the cross for you so that the path of righteousness may be paved with the blood of His forgiveness. When that Last Day finally dawns, all darkness shall be broken and we shall enter the new creation of everlasting day and light (Rev. 21:23; 22:5), you shall hear the words of Christ, “Rise and go your way, your faith has made you well.”