“First Comes Love…”
19th
S. after Pentecost
7
October 2012
St.
John’s,
Chicago, IL
In
the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
"Is it
lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" What a loaded
question. I am reminded of a placard I
once saw in a photo of a priest at a march for life. It said: “What is legal is not always moral.”
The
Pharisees are trying to catch Jesus – to get Him to “slip up”
and say something against the Scriptures.
They know that the Scriptures included permission in the Old Testament
for divorce, even though it is not part of God’s perfect plan. They
also know that Jesus is teaching love and mercy and might accidentally
contradict the Scriptures. No such luck.
He answered them,
"What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses allowed a man to
write a certificate of divorce and to send her away." Jesus goes on to
explain that it is because of the hardness of fallen human hearts that God made
this allowance. But He is quick to
remind them of God’s
grand design at creation: one man, one woman, for life.
Funny,
preaching this passage in some countries—even in Canada, by insisting that marriage is only for one
man and one woman, can be considered “hate speech.” But the Lord plainly
lays out His design for marriage and family here, and He speaks the truth in
love.
But from the
beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and
mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' So they
are no longer two but one flesh. What
therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."
So
where does that leave us? We live in a
nation where for some time there has been a “success rate” for marriages hovering around 50% -- even in Christian homes. Statistically speaking, every single one of
us either has had a divorce, or knows someone who has been through divorce.
And what about those cases where the spouse has been unfaithful and
there actually is a biblical permission for divorce?
The
devil, the world, and our sinful selves are hard at work, trying to convince
people that they have “fallen
out of love,”
or encouraging constant fighting that leads to shattering marriages. Some give in to violent urges. Others yell.
Still others plot financial revenge.
Does
this describe your relationship? Then
God says to you: “Repent! And get help!” Or is this being
done to you? Then God offers His love
and compassion, picking up the pieces of your life and offering His healing.
Far
too quickly, though, we are wont to believe the devil’s lies and
slide down that slippery slope of fear, mistrust, and brokenness. If we stop and admit it, we often enjoy
television shows and movies that present situations that encourage breaking
marriages. So our minds and
sub-consciences get filled with seduction, excitement, and the so-called “growing apart” that becomes
acceptable in society. After failing to
defend the Lord’s
order of marriage and family for so long, we end up agreeing with immorality by
virtue of our silence.
Dear
friends in Christ, the perfect family that God designed in Eden is under
attack. What hope can we have?
Our
hope comes from a perfect marriage. No,
not one that you could ever have as a couple.
I mean the perfect marriage of Christ and His Bride, the Church. "Therefore
a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two
shall become one flesh." This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it
refers to Christ and the church.
Yes! Our Lord Jesus is the perfect
Bridegroom. And the Church is His
Bride. At the cross, Jesus takes leave
of His mother and is joined to His Bride.
As He gives His Body up for her, He is acting out of His perfect, holy,
self-sacrificing love. The Church
receives that love in humble thanks and joy.
At the cross, as He takes His bride, Jesus removes any spot or wrinkle
or blemish. He cleanses her from any
trespass or sin, and claims her as His own.
Now,
even in the midst of our broken relationships and failed families, we have
hope. Jesus has come and removes the
pain and guilt. He hears our confession
and absolves us for breaking our promises, for breaking others’ hearts, and
for failing to be the saints we are called to be. Jesus tells you today that yes, even divorce
can be repented of, and He renews us to continue in this life. The loving forgiveness of the Perfect
Bridegroom restores our relationship with Him, and breathes new life into our
relationships with one another.
The
children’s
playground chant says: “First
comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in a baby carriage.”
A
holy marriage is always open to God’s gift of life and procreation. Here again, our culture bombards us with
ideas contrary to God’s
Word. Television, films and printed
media degrade the value of family and children.
Emphasis is on the individual and his or her career. Much is made over friends and activities
outside the home and away from spouse and children. In our culture and media, you only hear about
large families in a context of “what
a burden!”
or “How
environmentally irresponsible!” And even then, it seems that more than two
children qualifies a family as “large” in the 21st
century.
And
here we are, hearing the Scriptures, where every mention of children is always
in the context of blessing, and never as burden. We hear God tell Adam and Eve to be fruitful
and multiply. We hear God repeat that
blessing after the Flood. King Solomon
writes in Psalm 127, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of
the womb a reward. Like arrows in the
hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is
the man who fills his quiver with them!” And today we hear Jesus treat children with
great love and respect.
Society
says: “Limit
your families on purpose.” Jesus says: “Be fruitful and multiply.” The world says: “Don’t have too
many children or we will use up all the resources.” Scripture says: “The Lord will provide.” The world would
have the Church worry about statistics and how we are shrinking. Our Lord would encourage more of the Church
growing the old fashioned way, by having more children.
Today
we hear Jesus welcoming and blessing little children – a text which
has been closely connected to Holy Baptism since ancient times.
So
does this mean you are a terrible Christian if you don’t have
children, or have only one? No. For some, God has not allowed our bodies or
health to create more children. For
others, serious stewardship concerns led them to refrain from a larger
family. Still others may be serving God
in other varied ways.
On
the other hand, some limit their families with purely selfish motives. If it is “all about me,” then this is a sin to face and confess. Then it is akin to the sin of the disciples
in today’s
Gospel, thinking Jesus is too important to be bothered with children. But we know that our Lord reaches out to
everyone, regardless of age. He wants
the little children to come to Him.
As
His Church, we bring the little children to Him. We bring them to Holy Baptism, where He gifts
them with forgiveness and faith. We
bring them to the Divine Service so they can hear Him and be nourished by Him – even before
they understand what is going on. His
Word is living and active, and works even before they are cognizant of its
meaning. That means even while still in the womb!
Like St. John the Baptizer, our babies hear His Word preached and are
brought into God’s
presence, where faith is given and strengthened.
First comes love
–
the eternal, almighty love of God from the foundation of the world, showered on
His Bride, the Church.
Then comes marriage
–
Christ, united with His Bride as He suffers and dies on the cross. The Savior-Bridegroom now constantly gives
Himself to His Bride as He speaks His constant “I love you”
through His Word, and shares His sacred Body in the Supper.
Then comes the baby in the baby carriage –
OK, so there is no carriage. But there
is a tub! A large and wondrous font for
the saving Baptism that gives new birth to the millions of children born to
this union. Here the Lord is constantly
growing His Church, as He bestows new life on the countless children who are
brought to Baptism every year!
So
here we are, the family of God. Christ
and His Bride are united, and children are brought forth in the womb of the
Baptismal Font. Thanks be to God, who
calls us as His family! Amen.
