Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Sermon for 8/29/11 - "How Long" - Revelation 6, The Martyrdom of John the Baptist

Sermon “How Long?”

Lord of life, Lord of all patience, grant us eyes to see your glory and to look to the sure and certain hope of resurrection, through Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Those standing before the throne of God in Revelation cry out to God. How long? How long will the Lord show patience with this world? How long will he tolerate sin? Will the Lord of all not bring judgment and retribution against those who kill the prophets? Why does God delay in his judgment? Why do we endure hardship, persecution, famine, and death on this earth? Is the Lord slack in his promises? Has he forgotten to be diligent? Maybe he doesn’t love us that much after all?

Truth be told, though most of us won’t say it in quite those terms, we wonder the same things that those martyrs from Revelation wonder. When we are in the midst of suffering, when we see parts of our lives falling apart, when we are in conflict within our families, when we wonder if we will still have a job tomorrow, when we think we’re done for when the teacher gives us that test, we wonder about God’s wisdom. Maybe his desire is for our good, but it seems sometimes that he has a warped idea of what would be good for us.

What is God’s answer for us? God the Father wraps his martyrs in heaven up in white robes. He clothes them with his righteousness. He tells them that they have not died in vain but that he is not finished dealing with the world. In the meantime, he shows them he is faithful, that they are comforted, and that they have received their inheritance.

And for those of us who are here in this earthly life? What do we see of God’s faithfulness? As we read in Romans, we who have been put to death in Christ, who are partakers of his death and burial, we are also partakers of his resurrection .We have put on Christ. He has washed us. He has put his name upon us. We no longer live or die to ourselves. We are all wrapped up in Christ.

Does the world find this offensive? It sure does. Just as John the Baptizer, whose death we remember today, proved offensive to Herod, we also prove offensive to our world. When we consider the mysteries of God in Christ as the precious treasure we reject the treasure our society would give us. When we look to the resurrection from the dead we reject the idea that our life in the here and now is of primary importance. When we take a stand, as John did, that marriage matters and that a husband and wife are to be faithful to one another, that the sexual relationship is reserved for husband and wife and nobody else, our world finds us not only irrelevant but even offensive. Yet these are stands which the Scripture takes. This is what God has said he values. Far be it from us to redefine what God has said.

What is the worst that can happen to us? We hold fast to our Lord. We are clothed in Christ who has overcome death. We have been wrapped in his righteousness. We will be gathered lovingly before God the Father in heavenly glory when this life is over. We fear no evil, for God is our shepherd, watching over us. And he will never leave us or forsake us, any more than he left or forsook John. They may kill our bodies. God’s truth remains. And we who have been crucified with Christ no longer live, but Christ lives in us.

Our Lord has not forsaken us. Let us pray.

God of all, Lord Jesus Christ, remind us your people that you have clothed us with your pure white garments of righteousness. Gather us into your kingdom, giving us a living hope in you, for you are truly the resurrection and the life. Amen.

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