Scars that Save

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

John 10:27-28

There is a story about a hot summer day in Florida, and a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house.  In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran down the dock as fast as he could and flew into the water.  What he didn’t realize was that as he swam out into the water, there was an alligator swimming toward him.

His mother, in the house looking out the window - saw the two approaching each other.  In utter fear, she ran out the back door screaming at the top of her lungs for her son to turn around.  Hearing the alarm in his mother’s voice, he made a quick U-turn to swim back to shore.  But it was too late.  Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him.  From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs.  That began an incredible tug-of-war between the mother and the alligator.  The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was too passionate to let go.  A farmer drove by, and hearing the screams and seeing the incredible struggle, he stopped and got the gun from his truck and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived and the doctors and surgeons were able to save both legs.  His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack.  The local paper and television news team requested an interview of this heroic little survivor.  The reporters asked if they could see his scars.  Everyone expected to see him left his pant legs, but instead he rolled up his shirt sleeves.

On his arms were deep scratches.  The reporters said, “We want to see the scars the alligator’s teeth made on your legs.”  “I could show you those awful things, but I would rather show you these.  These are the scars from my mother’s fingernails.  These were made because my mother refused to let go of me.  These scars are why I’m alive today!”

You and I can identify with that little boy.  We have scars to point to as well - not from a mother but from a Good Shepherd.  Our Good Shepherd refused to let go of us, His sheep, therefore, He faced the vicious attack of the ravenous wolf by Himself.  Satan attacked the Shepherd in hopes to devour and scatter the sheep.  But no one can snatch us out of His scarred hands. 

We bear the mark of the cross on our forehead and heart - the mark of the love of God for us that He would rather send His Son to die on the cross than let go of any one of us.  The cross is a beautiful mark - for it reveals the love of our God who refuses to let go of us - despite the fact that we are sheep, and sheep love to wander, and sometimes we wander into dangerous situations.  St. Paul reminds us in Romans 8 that nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Death can’t, life can’t, principalities and their evil values can’t, nor things present like cancer, trials, nor height, the greatest times, nor depth, even the lowest of depression, nor anything in all creation, can snatch us away.

What greater safety can there be than to know that the Lord takes your hand, and in the power of His saving Name, promises to never let go - when we face cancer, a job loss, problems in relationships, no matter what struggle or in the midst of any great joy - our Good Shepherd firmly grasps us and assures us of our forgiveness, He restores us in His peace, He comforts us with His presence, and He gives us eternal life.  We are safe in the Name of our loving Shepherd, and we have the scars to prove it - and they are on His hands that hold us forever.

 

From Darkness to Light

Darkness makes us uneasy because it creates dangerous uncertainty.  When power outages occur and we have no flashlight, trying to find our way can be hazardous—heads can bump into a wall or door frame, feet stumble over a footstool or trip on a toy left on the floor.

One great truth runs through the pages of the Bible: God always come through in the darkest hour of uncertainty!  Whether He was rescuing the Israelites from Pharaoh’s armies or protecting the three men in the fiery furnace or ordering Abraham to hold back his knife from plunging it into Isaac, God shows Himself to be a trustworthy Savior from life’s uncertainties in our darkest moments.  The resurrection of Christ that we celebrated last Sunday reminds us that God’s Word brings light and certainty, for three times did Jesus predict He would be raised from death.  The Old Testament also offers its record of God’s promised Messiah, and now that promise is a light that breaks through our uncertainty.

Do you face uncertainty about your job?  Do you struggle with doubt about your children’s future?  Did the doctor notify you about a matter that casts doubt on your own health?  Don’t try to cheer yourself with thoughts that things will eventually get better. Let the light of Christ’s resurrected glory dispel the darkness of those things that cause you to stumble in uncertainty and doubt.

What a glorious difference Easter makes for us!  Christ has been delivered for our offenses and raised for our justification.  The darkness of our sin has been overcome by the light of His resurrection.  Death and the grave have been overcome by life in Christ for eternity and new life in Him every day.  Easter’s glorious light lifts us above our daily battles and puts a spring into our step.  Easter’s glorious light brightens our darkest day and keeps the smile of faith on our lips.  Easter’s glorious light shines down on our deathbeds and puts a light that cannot be extinguished into our graves.

As long as this world of darkness stands, Easter people like us will find their greatest joy in the risen Savior, who said, “I am the Light of the world.  Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  Turn to Christ in confidence that the light of His resurrection has triumphed over evil.  In your Baptism, you were transferred from the kingdom of darkness and made a child of the Light!  The light of Christ’s resurrection enlightens us with promise: “Because I live, you also will live.” Because you have been buried with Him by Baptism into a death like His, you will also be raised to a new life like His in resurrected glory.  Christ’s promises are just as sure and certain as the sunrise that scatters the darkness and brings the new day.  Easter allows us to see the Cross in the Light of the empty tomb: Because Jesus walked away from His tomb, we’ll walk away from ours.  That’s life-changing power, darkness-overcoming Light - and Easter makes it yours.  Thanks be to God!  Christ is risen!

 

It is Finished!

Do you know the two words alpha and omega?  Perhaps you recognize them as the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet just as A and Z are in ours.  Do you know that those two Greek letters are also one of Jesus’ names?  In Revelation chapter 22, the Savior applies this name to himself. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End,” he says (verse 13).  What does this name mean?

Consider how we use those two letters in our language.  When a store advertises, “We have everything from A to Z,” we know what it means.  It’s claiming, “We have it all. Everything you need you can find here.  We are all-sufficient.”  This claim may or may not be true.  But when Jesus says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” it’s true, wonderfully true.  He has it all. He is all-sufficient.  There is nothing missing.  He is all we need for salvation.

Scarcely had the sponge soaked with sour wine moistened Jesus’ parched lips when we hear Him speak.  “It is finished,” He says.  Although only one word of four syllables in the Greek language, yet these are words of great significance to the world. Nor are we exaggerating when we call them the most important words in the history of the world.  “It is finished,” Jesus said, not with the whisper of the dying that you have to bend low to hear.  No, He spoke, as the gospel writers tell us, with a loud voice so that all might hear.  “It is finished,” He wanted the whole world to know. 

With these words Jesus was telling all who would listen, “I have won.  My work of salvation is done.  I have opened wide the gates of heaven for mankind.  I have kept all of the law perfectly for every person.  I have paid for all sins. Not one sin is left, whether seemingly large or small.  I have suffered the agonies of hell that were reserved for sinners.  I have endured the full punishment and anger of my Father over sin.  I have shed my precious blood to redeem all mankind.  And now, it—My work of salvation—is completely finished.”  Not a single sin in the mountain load on His back was left unpaid.  From His cross the Savior could turn His gaze from the first sinner to the last and see no one whose guilt He had not covered.

Thank God we know our salvation is all done.  Thank God we know that whether we call Jesus Alpha and Omega or A and Z, he is the only Savior we’ll ever need.  When Jesus says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End,” we can take Him at His word.  He truly is all we need for salvation and all we need for heaven.  May the Lord in His mercy keep this confidence in our hearts this Good Friday and always!

 

Pleasure to Serve - a Maundy Thursday Reflection

A favorite restaurant of mine is Chik-Fil-A.  There is something about that restaurant that always seems to stand out to me – their customer service.  The thing that really set their customer service apart to me was how the person at the drive through window will always say, “It’s my pleasure to serve you!”  The first time I heard them say that it kind of caught me off guard.  I thought, “It’s really a pleasure for you to serve me a chicken sandwich and some fries?”  But it’s true…there really is pleasure in service.

Maundy Thursday is all about service.  We see that it truly is the Lord’s pleasure to serve as He washes the feet of His disciples – the job of a slave.   At Jesus' time, the common practice was to have the household slaves wash guests' feet as they entered the house.  Since most people wore sandals, and the roads were dirty, dusty and hot, the cool water and gentle washing would be a relieving and refreshing welcome to your guest.  A pitcher, basin and towel at the door were marks of hospitality.  Of course, it was also a menial task - even demeaning.  The feet of a traveler would be dirty, sweaty and smelly.  Foot washing was a sign of hospitality and love but it was not done among peers but done by children and slaves.  John is the only one who tells of this demonstration of love and servanthood but Matthew records a similar message to His disciples when Jesus said:  Whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

In fact, Jesus whole earthly mission was one of service as He says in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”  Paul echoes those words in Philippians 2:5-8, where he says, “Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Jesus served us with His very own body as He was our once and for all sacrifice for sin on the cross.  And on Maundy Thursday we see the Lord continuing to serve us with His body and blood through the Lord’s Supper.

I love Martin Luther’s quote about the Lord’s Supper.  He said, “If we were handing out gold coins at the altar, the balcony would collapse under the weight of those who would be waiting in line.”  He also goes on to say, “Blind people would swim across rivers to get such treasure!  But the Lord’s Supper is a far greater treasure that moth and rust cannot destroy and thieves cannot break in and steal. Here we have the body and blood of our ascended and glorified brother!  The body and blood hidden under the bread and wine serves no other purpose than to rescue us poor sinners from the guilt, punishment, and rule of sin.”

What an amazing treasure the Lord serves us with!  At the Lord’s Table, Jesus serves us what the Lutheran Confessions call a visible Gospel. The Lord attaches His words of promise to the eating and drinking of bread and wine.  God’s promise, “given and poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins,” fills our ears and moves our hearts to faith.  His grace touches our lips.  We, quite literally, “taste and see that the LORD is good.”  Even our sense of smell is permeated with His divine assurance.

Not only is Christ’s body and blood placed in our mouths, but so is our forgiveness.  After a week of struggling with sin, there is no more intimate way that God could assure us that what was done on Calvary is ours!   When our Lord Jesus, by the hand of His undershepherd, gives you His body and blood, there can be no mistake who Jesus is addressing with forgiveness.   Christ is, in effect, saying to you, “I mean YOU when I say ‘given and poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins.’ How can you tell?  I, Jesus Christ, place My body and blood into your mouth. You are a beloved child of the heavenly Father because of what I have done here.”

Forgiveness, grace, mercy, love – these are all blessings that we are indeed served in the Lord’s Supper and through the Divine Service.  From the beginning to the end of worship we are being served by God.  How amazing is that!?!?  That’s why we gather in worship – to be served by God with the blessings that He gives to us.

As the Lord serves us and blesses us with His gifts, we are then equipped to serve each other and everyone else we come in contact with.  It effects our entire lives and every role and responsibility we have.  What a pleasure it is to serve others…whether it be through our vocation, or through our roles as husbands and wives, mothers or fathers, children, friends, co-workers…with the gifts that God has equipped us with!

Do we fail in this service to one another?  Absolutely!  Our sinful nature says to serve only one person – ourselves!  We fail in our service to both God and one another.  But the Good News is that when we fail – Christ is still there to serve us with exactly what we need – His full and free forgiveness.

Chick-Fil-A has it right.  It is a pleasure to serve.  And the reason it is a pleasure to serve is because of the One who continues to serve us with all that we need for both body and soul for all eternity!