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In the name of Jesus. Amen.
This Tuesday is Independence Day. The Fourth of July is a federal holiday commemorating the birth of our nation. The Declaration of Independence, the principle author of which was Thomas Jefferson, was presented on June 28, 1776, to the representatives of the original 13 colonies. It was adopted on July 4, 1776 but it seems that only 34 of the 56 original delegates to the Second Continental Congress signed the document on that day. The remaining delegates signed almost a month later on August 2. It has been argued that, until recently, this new republic became one of the greatest nations on earth.
It seems, however, that some forget that national freedom comes at a great price. Sacrifice has been and always will be necessary to preserve our nation’s independence and peace. In today’s Gospel Jesus reminds his disciples, and us, that worldly peace and freedom does not cost nearly as much as spiritual peace and freedom.
Would it take much arm twisting to convince you that our United States of America is not so united right now? We see division and conflict at every turn. When once it was said to avoid the topics of religion and politics in polite conversation, now it seems that no matter what we speak about someone will object and take offence … no longer just church and state, but gender, sexuality, morality, education, the raising & discipline of children, literature, the sanctity of life, immigration, climate, international relations, war, etc.
And then, this morning we hear Jesus say, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword” (V 34). Now that doesn’t sound very encouraging. But hold on just a bit. Before we dismiss His words let us make sure we understand them. In fact, this morning I would suggest the theme: “Christ Brings Earthly Division for the Sake of Heavenly Peace.”
As Jeremiah speaks of false prophets who preach what their hearers want to hear, promising peace even when the Lord has spoken of “war, famine, and pestilence” (Jer. 28:8), so I also cannot sugar coat this text. God’s Word must not be bound by our emotions, wishes and desires. It is necessary to preach God's Law, even if difficult, because it confronts sin. The divinely-inspired St. Paul says in today’s Epistle that it makes it worse, “sinful beyond measure,” thereby “producing death” in the sinner (Rom. 7:13).
And Jesus warns:“35For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.” And Jesus admonishes: “37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it… And then, don’t miss it … Jesus promises: “and whoever loses his life for my sake will find i.” (V 39b). This is why I say “Christ Brings Earthly Division for the Sake of Heavenly Peace” with God.
I am fully aware that we prefer peace to conflict … like you, I do not want to go to work, or come home to a house, or go to a church, where the environment is constantly contentious. It’s exhausting and unhealthy to always be on edge. But sometimes the peace we pursue is a false peace because we ignore issues that should be confronted.
Consider the relationship that is clearly dysfunctional but you fear the process of changing it. What about the family member with whom you just agree to disagree to keep the “peace?” But that kind of peace is fake and deadly because it’s a lie. Is “just getting along” more important that a frank and honest discussion? If not, our relationships are a sham. Real peace can never conceal our sins from God, from others or from ourselves. So then, what is real peace? I’m glad you asked …
Peace in Holy Scripture is a Hebrew concept and a translation of the word “shalom.” Shalom is NOT the absence of conflict. The word cannot be translated with one equal word – it communicates wholeness … wholeness of mind, of body, in relationships with others and with God. In order to have real peace, shalom, we first face our brokenness with ourselves, with one another and with God. So when Jesus says “Don’t think I’ve come to bring peace, but a sword” we are alerted that the imagery of the sword is to cut through all the lies … the fake peace. Christ must bring Division here on Earth so that we might have real Shalom with God in Heaven.
Being truth bearers is wielding a sword. When you declare absolute biblical truth you will come face to face with conflict in the world. If you don’t think so, watch the sparks ignite when; You speak of the sanctity of all life from conception to natural death…or that there are ONLY two genders … or that human sexuality as God’s gift that is to be enjoyed by a man and a woman ONLY in the context of their marriage to each other … or that homosexuality, heterosexual fornication, and trans-humanism is outside of God’s will … Our world so very comfortable with lies. But in order to have true shalom, all these lies must be challenged and contradicted. Belonging to Christ puts us at odds with the world and divides us from all earthly ties, not only from our human family, but also from our own hearts and lives.
Remember that Scripture declares that we are all, by nature, dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). Our spiritual deadness creates division and prohibits us from experiencing true peace. It is impossible for us to this and come into a right relationship with God. Because of our sinful nature and our actual sins, we deserve temporal death and eternal torment in hell.
God does not want to condemn us. He desires us to be in a truly wholesome relationship with Him, experiencing the blessing of the Prince of Peace. So, He calls and enables us to repent and denounce our sin. The Holy Spirit leads us to have sorrow for our rebellion against this Holy God … and to believe “that sin has been forgiven and grace has been obtained through Christ” (AC XII.3-6) … and with that faith we desire to do better than to keep on sinning. When we repent then God forgives us of our sinful nature and all our actual sins. He forgives us all of our sins no matter what they may be. He forgives us for the sake of Christ Jesus.
Christ carried all of your sin and the sin of all humankind in His body at the cross. The divinely-inspired St. Peter writes: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). And again, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God…” (1 Peter 3:18). He is your substitute … the innocent One for the guilty one(s). He suffered and died in your place to satisfy God’s wrath for your sins. And He rose again from the dead victorious over death and the grave. The sacrificial death of Christ and His resurrection from the dead not only ensure victory over sin, Satan and death, but forgiveness, life and salvation are now available through faith in Him.
We are called to live in the shalom that faith alone produces, created and sustained by the Word of God in all its forms. The Triune God gives us shalom in His Word in the Holy Scriptures… read, spoken, and expounded here among us. He gives us shalom in His Word connected to water in Holy Baptism which brings us into the kingdom of God and creates faith. He gives us shalom in His Word of Holy Absolution which comforts us and releases us from despair. He gives us shalom in His Word which make the elements of bread and wine the Sacrament of the Holy Supper which nourishes us with His true body given for us and His true blood shed for us. Through the Word and the Sacraments, the lies are dismissed and replaced by the truth that we belong “to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God” (Rom. 7:4) as the divinely-inspired St. Paul writes in today’s Epistle. And again in Ephesians: “[Christ] himself is our peace, who has … broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility…” (2:14).
Today and everyday we celebrate true independence from sin and its curse and the freedom of true peace in Christ. No matter how we treasure our national independence, there is a greater freedom. In Christ Jesus we Christians are freed from the power of sin, Satan, death, and hell. Regardless of what our elected representatives do or do not do to preserve our nation, we can be confident that Christ our Savior gives and preserves our spiritual freedoms because He paid the ultimate price for our divisions and gives us true peace. Empowered by the Spirit we take up our cross, “lose [our] life” for His sake, and are given new life (Matt. 10:38-39) … new life now and life in His presence for all eternity.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.`
The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.