“Lord, to Whom Shall We Go?” based on John 6:51-69
The Eleventh Sunday after
Pentecost –
Pastor Troy Slater - Our
The more things change, the more
things stay the same. I imagine we’ve
all heard that saying. And of course basically
what it means is that there’s nothing new under the sun. What’s happening today, it has probably
happened before. The more things change,
the more things stay the same. What’s
true today was probably true in Jesus’ day.
And today we know that the world likes to take offense at Jesus; the
world has no use for many of his less politically correct words – words such as
where He says, “I am the way, the truth
in the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me.” The world hates
that – it takes offense at any claims that only in Jesus is there eternal life
– that without Him – without faith in Him – your
damned in your sin for all eternity. The
world today doesn’t like to hear that.
And the more things change, the more things stay the same.
For the
truth is that even in Jesus day – even amongst those who were around Him –
walked with Him – talked with Him - were healed by Him – even in His own day
there were many – most in fact - who were offended by Him and His words. In fact it's what got Him nailed to a
cross. Of course we see this in today’s
Gospel reading from John, chapter six.
Jesus has just finished saying that “unless
you eat the
flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
At
this, our reading tells us, many began grumbling about Jesus and so Jesus says,
“Does this offend you?” "Are you scandalized by my words?"
And notice that Jesus doesn’t try to apologize for causing this offense – He
doesn’t try kissing up in order to somehow win the favor of men. Rather He
basically tells them, “Take it or leave
it. But whether you believe it or not,
my words are truth – they are of the spirit, they are life. And no one can come to me unless it is
granted him by the Father."
Take it or leave it – but the truth remains the truth.….
Of
course many at this point choose to leave it, that is, leave Jesus. Our reading says, “after this many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.”
Jesus offended their ears with His words
and so they left Him, apparently off to find someone who was a little less
offensive to their ears. Yes the more
things change, the more things stay the same.
For after all,
people today continue to be “offended” by the exclusive claims of the Christian
faith. God’s Word – the Holy Bible –
makes no apologies that salvation is found only in Jesus the crucified and
risen One, and that does offend many in this politically correct world. People continue to be offended at the
teaching that we are all but “poor, sinful beings” who need a Savior without
whom we are justly and eternally damned in our sin. Heck, there’s a part of me that finds that
offensive. I mean, who likes to admit
their sin? Who likes to admit that we
deserve God’s “temporal and eternal punishment”? After all, I’m not that bad, am I? I mean I’m a pretty good guy – good citizen,
good father, I’ve managed to stay out of any real serious trouble. I imagine
there’s a part of all of us that is offended at the statement that “I’m a poor,
miserable sinner”; it’s why we’re so good at justifying ourselves - making
excuses for our behavior - excuses that we wouldn’t let anyone else make, but
we’ll sure use them to excuse ourselves. …
But yet despite
our offense, God’s Word still stands, doesn’t it? God’s Word continues to convict our hearts and
open our eyes to our need for a Savior.
God’s Word asks, “Have you always loved me with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind?
Have you always loved your neighbor as yourself?” If not then you are one who has sinned and
sinners have no place with God. Jesus
asks, “Have you looked lustfully at a man or a woman who is not your spouse? Have you ever held anger in your heart? Ever
broken a promise or failed to pray for an enemy?” If so then you are one who
has sinned and again, sinners have no place with God. And that, it brings
offense, doesn’t it? God's Word brings
offense - offense to our pride as it convicts us of our sin. …
But that same
Word that convicts us of our sin – it also gives us our Savior from that sin –
doesn’t excuse it – but it saves us from it.
Or, maybe we should say, God saves us through that Word. That Word that declares to us that the Son of
God became flesh; was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin
named Mary; was born into this world that He might become like us in every way,
except without sin. That Word of God
declares to us how this Jesus became a man and because the world found him so
offensive, they nailed him to a cross – an instrument of pain and shame –
killing him like a despised criminal.
But that same Word also declares that He was there for us – He was there
for you, He was there for me; bearing the full offense of our sin. And so on the third day, God’s Word
proclaims, this Jesus rose again, victorious over death and the grave. This Jesus of Nazareth won our forgiveness
before the God of heaven; He won our eternal life. And now He says to you through His Word,
believe in me and here’s even my Holy Spirit to enable you to believe in me. Trust in me, cling to me, believe in me. Believe my words and you have eternal life. …
And so we
believe. Given that Holy Spirit through
those waters of Holy Baptism, enabled by the Father to come to Jesus, we
believe. We cling to Jesus and His word
no matter what. For Jesus’ words are the
words of eternal life – there are no others.
Even though it may offend us, even though it may offend others, we cling
to Jesus – the Word of God made flesh. And
so where that Word calls us to repent, we must repent. Where that Word calls us to speak, we must
speak. Where it calls us to act, we must
act. Where that Word of God calls us to
believe, we must believe. …
This weekend
most of the churches in Herington are coming together for a joint communion and
worship service over in the park. And of
course some in our community wonder why this congregation doesn’t participate
in that service – in fact some are even “offended” by our non-participation, thinking
we are trying to be better than everyone else.
Well, of course to start with, we are no better than anyone else,
for we are each but “poor, miserable sinners” just like everyone else.
But, by God’s
grace, we do realize the importance of God’s Word and the importance of
clinging to that word – not compromising that Word. And that does cause offense to some. And so they say, it doesn’t matter that we
don’t agree on every part of God’s Word, we just need to agree on the important
parts – we just need to agree that Jesus is our Lord and Savior.
Ok. But tell me, what part of God’s Word does not
matter? What portion of Holy Scripture
is inconsequential? Some would say that
what you believe about baptism, for example, doesn’t really matter – you can
believe it’s just a public witness you make to your conversion or you can
believe it’s a work of God through which He converts you. Well, if that’s true that we can believe
whatever about baptism, then why did God in His Word tell us that “baptism
saves”. Why did the Lord in His Word
speak of baptism as a “being buried into Christ” and a “washing of rebirth and
renewal in the Holy Spirit”? God’s Word
matters even with baptism and some want us to join in public worship with those
who reject that plain word of God? …
Or take Jesus’
words in our Gospel reading today. Jesus
is rather plain in speaking of eating his flesh and drinking his blood. In His Words of Institution of His Holy Supper
He is again rather plain in explaining what He means here – “take eat, this is my body given for you … take drink,
this is the blood of my covenant shed
for the forgiveness of all your sins.”
Of course many take offense at those words and refuse to take them
literally even though Jesus invites us to take them literally. And yet some want us to join them around our
Lord’s table even though they reject those plain words of our Lord? I don’t think so.
Some would say
that it doesn’t matter if you teach that one may “choose” or “decide” in
themselves to believe or to follow Jesus.
But in our Gospel reading doesn’t Jesus say that no one can come to him “unless it is granted him by the
Father." Sounds to me like
conversion is not a “choice” I may make but rather it is a work of God in me.
And of course we
could go on and on. Many reject and try
to twist God’s Word when it comes to creation, our Lord’s return on the Last
Day, the murder of the unborn, homosexual relationships, the ordination of
women. But didn’t Jesus say to His
church, “Go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them … and teaching them to observe EVERYTHING I have
commanded you”? What is Jesus
pointing to here as inconsequetial or able to be compromised? … Nothing. … “teach them everything”. …
You see all of
God’s Word matters – none of it is something to be written off as
inconsequential or to be compromised. But
that’s what events such as today’s service in the park does. It rejects much of God’s plain and
life-giving Word. It compromises the
truth for a few non-offensive statements – “just believe that Jesus is Lord and
Savior” – that’s all that really matters.
Now I’m not saying that anyone who belongs to a church who participates
in such a service is not a genuine Christian and not an heir of heaven through
faith in Christ, but what I am saying is that God’s Word matters – it all
matters.
And to
compromise the truth in any way is always dangerous – it gives a false witness
to the world and it can lead to a faith not in Christ but in oneself or in the
teachings of this fallen world. All
error is serious for all error can lead down that slippery slope – make us like
that frog in boiling water. It starts with just a little error – a little
compromise - but that’s all Satan needs to get it started. I mean, look at the ELCA, they didn’t start
out with letting practicing gay and lesbian clergy serve in their denomination
but yet this next week, that’s the big question before their church-wide
assembly – and those in favor of such an abominiation will get at least half of
the vote. Through little compromises
here and there over the last several decades it’s all added up to an absolute
rejection of the Word of God. And some
want us to compromise what we firmly believe, teach, and confess and share the pulpit
or the altar with an ELCA pastor? … No.
For God’s Word matters. It’s
nothing to be compromised. …
I know these
words may cause offense to some, especially beings they will be broadcast into
the community next weekend via channel four.
But God’s Word does that, doesn’t it?
It brings offense. But we’ll let
God worry about that, won’t we? We’ll
let God worry about that while we humbly cling to the Word of God made flesh
and as we pray that all the church may someday be truly united in God’s Word. For Jesus' words and Jesus’ words alone are
the words of eternal life - there are no other. …
This morning
Jesus presents Himself before you in Word and Sacrament. He has said to you, “I forgive you all your
sins, O redeemed one.” He’s about to
give Himself to you as He says, “Take
eat, this is my body given for you.
Drink of it all of you, this is my blood of the covenant, shed for the
forgiveness of all your sins.” And
though some may be offended by these words, some may call us to compromise for
the sake of political correctness or for the favor of men, God’s Word still
stands. Jesus’ words still stand. And so by God’s grace, we cling to Him – we humbly
believe in His words. In fact by the
Holy Spirit we answer as Simon Peter once answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we
have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Amen.