Matthew 21:23-32. What Authority?? 28/9/08

{23) Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?" {24} Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. {25} John's baptism--where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?" They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' {26} But if we say, 'From men'--we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet." {27} So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. {28} "What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' {29} "'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. {30} "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. {31} "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. {32} For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

This reading here has a lot to say to us as Christians as we go about our daily life and our spiritual life. Again it has a very telling word that is surely very uncomfortable for many of us. It is a message that many will find very challenging and hard if they take seriously what Jesus is saying. Yet, as we heed and live in light of what is told to us here, we find that which is not only freeing but also life-giving and powerful.

The question raised here has to do with; "By what authority was Jesus doing the miracles that he was doing; and saying what he was saying: As well as addressing then the authority that lay behind John the Baptist; the leaders of the church of the day; and thereby of us also as we live out our lives. By what authority do we do what we do?
Now it is all fine for us to talk about Jesus, John the Baptist and those people mentioned here in this reading: but us here today, that is another question, isn’t it? We don’t like living under anybodies authority. We are our own authority on almost anything. We do what we think is right in our own eyes! To a certain extent we will do what we have to in order to get on in our society and workplace: But, whenever we can, we want to live by our own authority. And it is destroying us!

So we are no different than those who were questioning Jesus. You see, they too, wanted to be free to do what they thought was right in their own eyes. They did not want to submit to Jesus and to do as they were told. They wanted to be in control of their own lives and to be able to justify their own stand; even when they came to stand before those who have come from God and who stand in his stead before them. They refused to listen and obey; preferring instead to put Jesus to death; whilst being very pious and self-righteous in doing so.

Do we want to do the same thing? Might I suggest that this attitude appears to be all too prevalent today. God’s authority seems to be questioned again and again in so many ways. We seem to think that we can ignore and change what God has told us in his Word. We don’t need to take his commandments seriously. We don’t need to attend church regularly. [Look at our attendance in recent weeks and months. Is it my word and authority that you are snubbing, or is it God’s? The answer to that question could have a bearing on my Call here. Does God and his Word mean so little? Are we able to twist God’s authority in such a way that we can live and do as we please and it doesn’t matter?]

Now I could give many other examples and questions along the same line, but you surely get the message. Now all too often in response to this we are like those who faced Jesus that day: "We don't know." We shrug our shoulders and try to squirm our way around the issue. If we honestly answer the questions we know that we will catch ourselves out. We don’t want to know! We don’t want to submit! We want to play ignorant. We want to do our own thing.

Well let us listen to Jesus’ little story and the question that goes with it.
"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' "'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered.

It is all very straight forward. Those who recognise authority do as they are told; even if they don’t want to. Those who do not, do as they please. Who of us do as we are told? Hard but true!

Here then listen to what Jesus Goes on and says. "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Here is the crunch point; and the Good News that is needed for those who are willing to listen. The people who knew and know that they are in trouble; who know that they have failed; find the way, the truth and the life, that enables us to be right with God, despite our failures. Those who listen and believe know where true authority lies.

In the message of John the Baptist we find our one and only hope. “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Turn away from your self-centredness and turn back to God, for God’s kingdom in and through Jesus Christ and his death on the cross, is near. So not only do we have before us a God who created this magnificent world and all that is in it. Even after we have rebelled against him and do what is evil in his sight, he comes right into our midst, as one of us, and does what is needed for us to be forgiven and assured of eternal life with him in heaven. So we have a God in our midst who is not only so great and holy, but is also so gracious and loving. Surely this then means that we will look to him as the only real authority for our lives. Surely!

Surely we will turn to him and seek to live and do as he would want us to. Surely we will look to what God had done to and for the tax-collectors and prostitutes, for they knew they were in trouble and looked to and trusted in Jesus and his death on the cross. They repented and believed in all that he had to offer. We hear this: we see what he does for us through the waters of baptism and the bread and wine of Holy Communion; will we not long for these things and ever seek to be where he wants us to be and do what he wants us to do. Surely we will ever seek to be close to this one who has done so much for us.

As we do live under his authority and the authority of his Word and those who administer it rightly, there find that which is so freeing. As we submit to this authority we find that we are empowered to go forward the confidence and certainty. Instead of struggling to find, know and do that which is right and good for us, we find in his Word that which is truly helpful and good for us and the people around us. We know who to listen to and what to do. We don’t need to or try to justify ourselves; we simply receive what he has to give us and do what he wants us to do. We be a part of who he is and what he is about and know that blessings will result.

So as we are connected to him who has not only the authority to do great miracles, but also to forgive sins, we know that all will work out. As we live under his authority we know that we are a part of the kingdom of God. His authority is supreme; and to him ever knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. To him then be all glory and honour now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba

Matthew 20:1-16. God's (un)fairness!! 21/9/08

(1) "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. {2} He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. {3} "About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. {4} He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' {5} So they went. "He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. {6} About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' {7} "'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.' {8} "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' {9} "The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. {10} So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. {11} When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. {12} 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' {13} "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? {14} Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. {15} Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' {16} "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

‘Its not fair! - Its just not fair! Why should the last be first, and those who have suffered and sweated it out, get no more than those who have done little? Its not fair! - Its just not fair!’
Seriously though, I am sure a lot of us are not real happy about this statement of Jesus’, 'so those who are last will be first and those who are first will be last'. It doesn't seem right to us. It doesn't fit with our concept of fairness and rights: there is no justice in that statement.

Think of the illustration that Jesus uses here: a group of workers go out at 9am for an agreed day’s wages and work all day - through the heat of the afternoon and all. Then another lot is sent out at five o’clock and probably only did about an hours works. When it comes to pay up time - they all get same wages. That doesn't seem fair to us - does it? Then to make matters worse, he goes on to say, 'so those who are last will be first and those who are first will be last'. Now that really goes against the grain: that is rubbing salt into the wound.

Yet, when we really consider the issue that he is speaking about, that is just where the fairness of it all comes in. You see, if we want to operate by justice and rights and what we deserve, then we had best expect to be last. When it comes to God's kingdom, we had best be very careful in insisting on our rights and on what we deserve, because not only might we be last – we might well miss out all together. We are told elsewhere in the Scriptures, that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God": That none of us come anywhere near the perfection that God expects from us. Therefore we all deserve nothing but punishment and rejection. We deserve to be sent to Hell. That being the case we'd best be very careful about insisting on what we deserve.

So if our attitude toward God and his kingdom – and toward his Church; is what can I get out of it - what is in it for me, then there is a problem in our thinking. If we think that we are better than the next person in Church or even those outside, then we are heading for trouble. If we believe that just because we have been in church longer, or been more involved - that God will somehow reward us more or that we will somehow have a higher position – then look out. Old, young, more knowledgeable, harder worker or whatever; none of that entitles us to a greater reward in heaven.

Now that off course goes against the grain of our world’s way of thinking. Because we are so hell-bent on focussing on ourselves and what we do, that we have ingrained in our thinking that the job we have and the length of service is what it is all about. So we think and want to change what God says to fall into line with our thinking, rather than the other way around. We want to be rewarded for the goodness that we have and do; after all that is only fair. Even if it is only that we can be first or higher up in the scheme of things at the end.

However God does not give us what deserve, because that would mean disaster for all us. All of us let God down badly time and time again. All of us are orientated toward ourselves rather than God. All of us are far from perfect, and so all deserve to be totally rejected by God. But God has another and better way for us, if only we would listen: if only we could allow our sinful human pride to be pushed aside. But, if we insist on getting somewhere because of our works: because of how much we have done; then he says to us, our desire to be first, means we will be last. He will have to give us what deserve. And that is not nice.

But thankfully our reading reminds us that we are rewarded by God's generosity, not by what we deserve. His grace determines what we will end up with. The owner of the farm in Jesus’ illustration, out of his goodness determined that he would give those who worked only an hour, a days wages. He gave to those who worked all day what they had bargained on, but because of his love and concern for all he gave them all the same, because he wanted to give: he wanted them all to survive and have what they all needed. That is the way God seeks to deal with us his people: To give generously to all, out of his goodness; simply because he loves us.

God's justice determines we deserved to be punished in Hell, but because of his Son Jesus Christ, and his life, death and resurrection, he now can give out his grace, to each and every one of us. You see Jesus who was truly first: the only one who lived without sin: the only one who truly earned his way; allowed himself to become last. He allowed himself to be condemned, for what you and I have failed to be. He allowed himself to be punished in our place: to take what we deserved on himself; so that we could now be first: So that his Father might look on us and accept us as perfect people. He became absolute last, so that we might be first.

How unfair that is! He was punished and died, being totally forsaken by his Father, so that we who do not even come part way toward being acceptable, might be freely accepted by God. That is just not fair! That is ridiculous to our way of thinking. Yet that is the way God has chosen to work. That is the way he has dealt with us.

Because of Jesus death on the cross forgiveness is now there for each and every human being, young and old, rich and poor, good living people and absolute mongrels: all are now given free access to the Father, through Jesus Christ. All now have been declared first. Every single one of us: first workers or those who only come on the scene at the end of the day. All are given full pay. All are given eternal life in heaven. He can give me and you, the same he gives to Peter, Paul, Luther, and all the other great saints. His goodness deems that the youth; the baby; the new Christian; and even the person who comes to believe on his death bed, all get same reward in heaven as everybody else. He lifts the poor, lonely and forgotten up to the same level as the greatest. They all attain the most wonderful blessings God can give. And it is there that we have God's fairness showing out in such a wonderful way: there we have the greatness of our God. This is truly remarkable stuff - this grace of God is simply over the top.

Now of course, unfortunately, we know that most people turn their backs on it all. They reject this wonderful gift, and so lose what has been so generously made available.

But for those who simply believe: who simply trust that this is true, even if unfair to our way of thinking; they have that sure hope that it is now all there for us: That we are all first, because Jesus allowed himself to be last, for us. With that in mind: with the Lord Jesus Christ in the fore-front of our thinking we can now have a whole new understanding of what is right and fair: we can go forward with great confidence: not in ourselves but in the Lord Jesus.

And that is the real message in this reading. As we seek to live by and under the grace of God - recognising that he is the giver of all good things – and that he gives not because of how long we have been in Church; or how hard we have worked for him; or how righteous and spiritual we are; or anything else; but simply because of his love and generosity, then he will deal with us out of the abundance of his grace and blessing. But if we insist on justice and our deserts – insisting that God should do this or that for us; or that he should give us a good living or other good things because we have prayed for them; our that he should even accept us because we live good Christian lives; or anything like that: then it is justice we shall have. Those who are last will be first and those who wish to be first will be last'.
There is nothing that can be fairer than that. So let us not forget this important message. Let us thank God for his goodness – for his generosity. Thank God for his grace. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba

Romans 14:1-12. To whom do we belong??? 14/9/08

{1) Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. {2} One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. {3} The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. {4}Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. {5} One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. {6} He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. {7} For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. {8} If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. {9} For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. {10} You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. {11} It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'" {12} So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Today we are strongly influenced by the attitude, that we are all individuals and that we belong to no one. We are the product of an evolutionary process and are no different than the animals; and so we can think and do as we please. Is it any wonder then, that we are more and more hearing of people acting like animals? Is it any wonder that we can be so uncaring and critical toward those around us? Individualism and the attitude that we can all make truth what we want it to be, has become the predominant view of life and it is wreaking havoc in our society.

This individualism has also crept right into the heart of the church; fostered along by that sinful nature that is in each one of us. This too is causing immense problems in churches and in people’s lives. The animal philosophy of everyone doing there own thing and imposing themselves and their judgements and truths on everyone else, is in our midst as well. We are not immune: sadly!

To each one of here, we need to listen to this message and heed what God is saying to us. No person is an island unto themselves. All of us have our failings and our shortcomings. Not one of us can stand up against a fellow-Christian and say that we are any better than they.
One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? Listen and reflect on what God is saying here. The person who does not think this applies to them, listen especially carefully.

To each one of us, both they and you personally, remember that each of us To his own master he stands or falls. Each of us has a master; each of us belongs to another. To whom do you belong?? As I said earlier, many seem to think that they are answerable to nobody; to many they have no qualms about hurting another; to many they think nothing of sinning against another, after all God has forgiven them. To many, they are an island unto themselves.

However, at the end of the day, remember that we have one of two masters: either God or Satan. Either, God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit is your Lord, or you belong to him whose eternal destiny is Hell. Who is your master? To whom do you belong?

Surely we here are the Lord’s people: we surely belong to God. God has made his claim on us: In the waters of baptism he joined us into his family: we are His. There we were joined to Jesus and his death on the cross and forgiveness of sins, life and salvation that he has won for us. He is our Lord and our master.

In this regard remember that we are not the Lord’s people because of our creation. We yes were created as his people, but because of our rebellion [ here I am talking about you and I]; because of our rebellion we had become alienated from our Lord: enemies of God. As a result we have no claim on God; we cannot stand before him in our own account.

It is only because we have been bought with a price that we are members of his family. Jesus paid the price in his death on the cross for our forgiveness. There in his awful death on the cross Jesus redeemed us from being enemies to now being his people. Because of him alone we are now able to be joined to him in our baptism and are assured that we are right with him. So each one of us is able to stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand: For no other reason than that. That equally applies to those who are weak in the faith as well as those who are strong.

Now that being the case none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Because he died and rose again for us, he is Lord of us all. Those of us who are Christians will now look to him as our master. We belong to him, so now we will live for him; and for him alone.

That then means that what he says, will be important to us. How he tells us we need to live, is how we will seek to live. How he wants us to act toward our fellow Christian is what we will now seek to do. Not first and foremost, for us to tell others what to believe and do; but what will be important for us. And surely after what he has done for us and for our salvation we will seek diligently to be with him and listen to him so that we can more and more know what is pleasing to him.

Everything we do will be done by us as our way of giving thanks to God; both what we do do and what we abstain from, will be done to the Lord and gives thanks to God. He will be the focus of all that we do and how we do it, and not ourselves. He will be the one who determines what is truth for us, because we know that he is the way and the truth and the life. He will be the one that glory is to go to and not ourselves.

At the same time we will always seek to recognise that , each of us will give an account of himself to God. We might think we can get away with doing all kinds of things, and it doesn’t matter; however here again we are reminded that one day we will have to give account for our attitudes and actions. We surely will not think that we are forgiven, therefore it doesn’t matter what I do, or don’t do; or how I might offend a fellow believer. Let us remember that our Lord sees into our hearts and he knows what is motivating us, and who we see as our master. We can fool the people around us, but we will not be able to fool our Lord. At the same time we can leave the judgement of the other person to him also, for he knows that motivations of their hearts as well..

But why would we want to ignore God and his ways? Again, surely he has done so much for us that we cannot help but want to do what our Lord would want us to be doing. Surely our knee bows in humble adoration, thanks and obedience for his abundant grace that he has extended to us. Surely with our tongues and our lives we want to confess to God and others how great he truly is. Surely we belong to him and will live with and for him. He will be our life.

Out of gratitude then for all that our gracious God is and has done for us let us then heed what he has to say to us here.
You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you look down on them? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'" Let us then live for him.
He is our Lord and our saviour; to him alone then, be all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba

Psalm 119:33-40. Christian conduct?? 5/9/08

(33) Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. {34} Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. {35} Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. {36} Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. {37} Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. {38} Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. {39} Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good. {40} How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness.

Today’s readings, all have much to say about how we are to conduct ourselves as God’s people. These reading have nothing to say to the people out there: for these instructions do not fit into the way our world and sinful human nature seeks to live, think and act. Here, however, for us as Christians the challenge is laid down for us to live as is fitting for one who belongs in God’s family.

Here make no mistake much of what is said does not fit comfortably with how we as humans want to live. As much as we might like to think that we are reasonably good Christians and we are not doing too badly; these instruction are a real challenge to us if we seek to carry them out in accord with the intent that they were given. They are often a sticking point for us because our sinful, selfish nature will not want to go down the path that we are called to follow. Here I am talking about you and me.

We don’t want to think that the call to Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die; applies to us. We’re not that bad! We’re not as corrupt as Israel was at the time of Ezekiel! I’m not so sure. The Israelites regularly worshipped in the temple and synagogues; but then they thought that they could live and do as they pleased. They like so many today, did not want to hear the call for a change in their thinking and actions. There was the recognition that their problems were a result of sin; but they did not want to repent. They just wanted God to make things right without any change on their part. Are we any different?
Also, how comfortable are we with Jesus’ call for the way we are to deal with the situations were someone sins against us or we have against someone else? Do we want it sorted out, or do we just want our ‘pound of flesh,’ or just be able to continue to be the victim, or simply cover it over and suggest it is no big deal? Do we want to recognise that in those situations, were two or three are gathered together, Christ is right there also? He wants us to live and work together as his own people.

Then what about that reading from Romans: Do we want to see that the only debt that we have toward those around us is the debt to love one another? We want to legislate all kinds of behaviour so that we can use it to our benefit; that we can control what happens around us. We want to be ‘me focussed,’ rather than thinking of the other person first and foremost. Control and doing is more important to us than having a right attitude toward the people around us.

Far too often we want to claim that we are Christians; that Jesus is our Lord and Saviour; yet we still want to ignore some of these very basic things that our Lord has to say to us. Even when we are reminded of these things, nothing changes: we think we can presume on God’s grace and it doesn’t matter. At other times we know what we should be doing, but we struggle to do so. That too is not acceptable.

So we need to join with the psalmist: (33) Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. {34} Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. {35} Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. {36} Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. {37} Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. {38} Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. {39} Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good. {40} How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness.

Notice how the psalmist looks to God to teach, direct and turn and do what was necessary in his life for it to be what God wants it to be. We too need to have the same attitude.

Because of all that our Lord Jesus has done for us; his life; his death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins; his resurrection so that we can know that eternal life has been won for us; surely we will now seek his help so that our conduct will be in accord with what we profess as Christians. Because he is our Lord and his ways are good and right; and because we fail and fall short; we will long for and seek his help and guidance all along the way. Instead of presuming that we can handle things on our own; or get away with being less than perfect, we will allow him to take control. We will want him to.

We then will be led to daily; Turn from our evil ways! It means I will need to warn you to turn away from that which is harmful for you so that not only am I not held accountable for those among you who choose not to; but more importantly so that you will not destroy yourselves and those near and dear to you. We will be taught God’s Law so that we know that we constantly fall short of what God expects of us and which is good for our relationships with him and the people around us. Then, recognizing that; we will repent and seek after his forgiveness and help for our lives.

That then will lead us to do all we can to be reconciled to those around about us. We won’t want to hold grudges against one another; put others down; and that kind of thing. We will remember that where we are together with fellow Christians that there Christ himself is present. So surely we will then temper how we speak to one another and even think of one another. We will be directed to build one another up, instead of tear them down. Yes it means that we will gently point out one another’s faults, in order that Christ body may be built up and strengthened. If there is no change of attitude then we will be led to treat them as people who need to hear God’s Law and Gospel loudly and clearly.

But all the while God’s love for us in Christ Jesus will direct us to love one another. We will not want to harm the people around us; particularly those within the church. Instead this love means we will constantly be seeking to do what is for their good; all the time. The commandments then will be seen and used by us so that we can do the very best we can for the people around about us; instead of selfishly. We will treat them as we ourselves would want to be treated.

We will constantly recognise that we have been clothed with the Lord Jesus Christ. What a wonderful picture that is; clothed with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now that is designer wear of the best quality indeed. We hear the saying ‘clothes maketh a man’. In this case Jesus makes us people who have a whole different outlook on life; a different hope; a different direction in focus; a different way of living and acting. In fact we will be going forward, knowing that at our baptism Jesus Christ has taken over our lives; and so our lives are to be lived as Jesus would live. Where we go Jesus Christ is right there; not just with us; but surrounding us and covering us. When people see that we are different and somehow special; they will see not us, but Jesus Christ himself. Then they may well be drawn to him, wanting the same for themselves.

So then let us take on board the whole attitude of the Psalmist here in this reading: Wanting; desiring earnestly that the Lord would teach us to follow his teachings and his way of living. Wanting a genuine understanding of what God would want us to be doing. Seeking his direction for the way we should be thinking, living and acting. Want him to turn our attention away from that which is worthless and harmful to that which is good and right.

Let us daily long for our Lord to fulfil his promises that he has made to us and all people, so that others too may recognize that our great God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit is to be feared. May we yearn for him to bless us and keep us now and forever more. To him be all glory and honour now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba