Dust to Dust

Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 

                                                          (Gen 3:18-19 KJV)

To the dust you shall return was the sentence for eating of the tree of knowledge which God had forbidden, Adam's sentence was death. His sentence (and ultimately ours) was that he would return to the dust from which he was formed.

There in the middle of the garden was also the tree of life. Adam and Eve had neglected to partake of the food that was good for them; that God had given them and desired for them to eat. They rejected the fruit which gives life. Instead they chose that which they were told they could not have.

How often it is that we, too, neglect the free gift of life given to us through the sacrifice of His Son, our Savior, Jesus the Christ! He has given himself to us and for us that we might have life. Jesus, himself has told us that he is the bread of life.

"This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." (John 6:50-51)

How often we neglect to come to the table that He has prepared for us! He says come and eat. "This is my body given for you for the forgiveness of sins." (Luke 22:19) Do not neglect this life-giving gift!

In the Small Catechism, Martin Luther wrote that the benefit of receiving the Lord's Sacrament of Holy Communion "...is shown us in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins; namely, that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation." That is the Good News.

But, today is a grievous day. It Ash Wednesday and we are reminded that we all have turned our backs on God. We all have done what we ought not to have done. Today we remember the sentence: "for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."

Even so, the tears of repentance are also tears of thanksgiving that Jesus has lifted this sentence for us by his own death and his resurrection.  

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jesus, Remember Me!

   

   Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 

   One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

   But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
   Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

   Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” 

                                                                                                (Luke 23:32-33, 39-43 NIV)

Whenever I hear or read this promise of paradise to the criminal, I cannot help but smile. It is such good news! The criminal hanging on a cross next to Jesus asked Jesus to remember him when Jesus comes into His Kingdom. The criminal knows that Jesus is about to die. They are both being executed. The criminal knows and acknowledges that he is a sinful man and deserves the punishment that he is receiving in this world. He will die to this world for his sins. Yet, his request of Jesus to remember him when he comes into his kingdom testifies to his faith in the Kingdom of God where Jesus will reign is met with good news. Jesus comforts the criminal by assuring him that he will enter into paradise. What good news! He is forgiven his sins. Although; he is about to die, the criminal will live in the paradise of God for all eternity.

Thanks be to God! All who believe, who trust in him, will enter into paradise; into His Kingdom. It does not matter what you have done or what you have left undone. By faith, your sins are forgiven. The promised paradise is received and entered into by faith that we are forgiven our sins and welcomed in the home of our Father, through the sacrifice of Jesus for us, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Eph 2:8)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Ashes to Ashes and Life!

"By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread
until you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
you are dust,
and to dust you shall return."

Gen 3:19

To the dust you shall return was the sentence. For eating of the tree of knowledge which God had forbidden, Adam's sentence was death. His sentence (and ultimately ours) was that he would return to the dust from which he was formed.

There in the middle of the garden was also the tree of life. Had he eaten of the free gift of the fruit from the tree of life, he would have lived. But, he did not. Adam and Eve neglected the food that was good for them; that God had desired for them to eat, and chose the thing that they were not to have. How often it is that we, too, neglect the free gift of life given to us through the sacrifice of His Son, our Savior, Jesus the Christ! How often we neglect to come to the table that He has prepared for us! There Jesus is! "Come and eat." He says. "This is my body given for you for the forgiveness of sins." Do not neglect this life-giving gift!

In the Small Catechism, Martin Luther wrote that the benefit of receiving the Lord's Sacrament of Holy Communion "...is shown us in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins; namely, that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation."

That is the Good News. Today is Ash Wednesday. This evening we will remember with the imposition of ashes that from dust we have come and to dust our bodies shall return. But, we will also eat at the Lord's Table and remember that in Him there is life and salvation.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Humility

Three of my favorite children (they are all my favorites) at the celebration of their

first Communion as they remember the night in which our Lord was betrayed; the night in which he humbled himself and bowed down to wash the disciples feet; when he broke bread with those who would betray and desert him;

the night before he humbled himself and was executed on the cross in our place.

Micah 6:8 NIV
"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.    
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God."

I am preparing for tomorrow's sermon... We will consider humility. What is it? How does it come to us?

It comes to us when we recognize that we are sinners. We have turned our backs on God and on one another and we continue to do it. Daily, we continue to seek our own wills rather than the will of God to love mercy and act justly toward others. We deserve the death sentence.

Humility comes to us when we understand that God loves us so much; that His only begotten Son loves us so much; that he was willing to pay the penalty for our sin; for our crimes, by being executed on the cross in our place. The penalty for our sin has been paid in full by another. What can be more humbling than that.

It would be very good indeed for this world, if we all just did the good that the LORD has shown us. Can you imagine what the world would be like if every professing Christian actually made it a priority to act justly and love mercy as we walk humbly with our God?

One of my favorite descriptions of humility was written by Washington Allston. He wrote: "Humility is also a healing virtue; it will cicatrize a thousand wounds, which pride would keep for ever open."

Jesus was willing to humble himself and die for us that we might be healed; that we might be made whole.

But He was wounded for our transgressions,He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:5-6 (see also 1 Peter 2:24-25)

Let us then set aside our pride as we walk humbly with our God, so that justice and mercy might prevail.

God's Peace - Pr. J