Love One Another: A Homily for Holy Thursday

John13:1-15, 34-35

Holy Thursday

28 March 2013

St. John's, Chicago, IL

In the Name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Pastor Matthew Harrison, our Synod President would say, "Show mercy."  It means, "Love one another."  Francis, the new bishop of Rome is known for encouraging works of charity; "Love one another."  Such love naturally flows from faith in Christ.  It is expected by Him; yet it is given by Him.

Think back to first-century Ephesus.  The congregation has their beloved pastor who had seemed to be there forever, coming out of retirement to preach -- THE Pastor of Ephesus -- "the Elder" as he had come to be known.  The door opened, and everyone turned to see him.  A little old man, frail, bald, with a long, white beard, was being carried in on a litter.  He was over 100 years old.  He summoned his strength, and  preached the Word of God: "Little children, love one another." And as quickly as it began, the sermon ended.  One little sentence.  St. John the Apostle and Evangelist did not seem to have the strength to say more, and yet, what more needed to be said?

"Little children, love one another." At first, that is Law.  "A new commandment I give you, that you love one another." When St. John heard Jesus speak those words, decades earlier, they stuck with him.  Profound.  With authority.  Jesus, who loved everyone perfectly, now commanded His disciples to do the same.  And He tells you to do it too!

"Love one another."  But you don't.  You are not constantly thinking about the actions to do and the words to say to serve your neighbor.  You really don't perfectly keep your spouse or parents or children above yourself, much less friends, acquaintances or even strangers.  You constantly fail this simple command from Christ.  Many times every hour, simply by what you omit or avoid, you do not "love one another."

And then there is the fact that you actively break this command.  You gossip and hurt reputations, defiling the eighth commandment.  You fool yourself into thinking that God does not detest your sins as much as those of your neighbor, and refuse to love him, because for whatever reason, you find his sin more repulsive.  You show a lack of love as you steal from others, whether time, or effort, attention, or things.  You refuse love to those who suffer or have no voice when you keep silent regarding the unborn, the downtrodden, the sick and the poor.  In these and many ways, you are selfish and put your own wants and needs first, loving yourself rather than others in your life.  Sadly, little children, you do not love one another.  And that is a damning situation for you.

But St. John also tells you, "God is love."  The Lord Jesus is Love incarnate.  He took on flesh to perfectly love you and every other human being.  Yes!  Your loving God became Man in order to be perfect love in life, in death, and in His resurrection.    He loved you perfectly as He kept God's Law in your place.  He loved you perfectly as He bore your sin of failing to love, as He suffered and died in your place.  He loved you perfectly as He rose to new life for you!  He loves you perfectly even now, as He lives and reigns to all eternity.

Perhaps the clearest and most direct way that He gives this love to you is the very gift He instituted on this night: the Holy Supper of our Lord!  In this gift of His very Body and Blood, Jesus is loving you completely.  Here He unites His Body and Blood with bread and wine, giving you the thrilling gift of seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and tasting the love of God!  The ultimate in loving others -- laying down one's life for them -- that is what Jesus did on that next day, Good Friday.  He blesses you with that gift of love!

So really, even though it was Law for those Ephesian Christians, they were also hearing Gospel.  Not Gospel in the command to love.  But when they heard the very word, "love," their thoughts were turned to Jesus Christ, who is the very embodiment of God's Love.  In hearing, "Love one another," the Lord led them to focus on Christ who is the One of whom we say, "God is love."  Yes, He is.  God is love.  He is the perfect Love who gives His life as the ransom for the many.  He is the Love that has redeemed and saved you.  He is the Love that has rescued you from sin, death, and the devil, gifting you with forgiveness, life, and salvation in this Blessed Sacrament of Love.

And having been given His love in such a pure and profound and holy way, He fills you with it.  He loves you and now loves through you, showing mercy and compassion and holy love to those around.  You are not loving on your own, but as His redeemed and baptized creatures, Jesus shares His love through works He has prepared in advance for you to do.

So you do love.  And when you fail, you have the calm and sweet assurance that Jesus Christ loves you perfectly, and mercifully forgives you, that you may forever abide in His love.  "Little children, love one another."  Amen.

Not a "Catholic" Issue; But a "catholic" Issue

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod owes its very existence to the religious freedoms in the United States. Many of the founding fathers of our church body emigrated from German states where their Lutheran faith was being infringed upon by other Protestant rulers. The state was imposing laws on the Church that were making it illegal to follow their Christian consciences. So they fled that oppression, and made America their home.

Recently the Department of Health and Human Services has issued a mandate requiring everyone, including religious employers, to offer insurance coverage that includes sterilization and contraceptives (including abortion-inducing drugs.) While many voices cry out “separation of church and state” when the church speaks, there is much silence in the public sector right now.

The Concordia Health Plans of our own Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod have been grandfathered, as officials in St. Louis have been monitoring this development. Sadly, many other church bodies have schools and organizations that will not be grandfathered, and are being told to transgress their biblically-informed consciences.

Dear friends in Christ, this is NOT a political issue. It is spiritual. The issue at hand is: what does the church do when told by earthly authorities to go against our understanding of God’s Word? Lutherans have always had a solid teaching of Romans 13, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. ² Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed…”

Yet, along with the apostles, when we are given the sad choice of obeying God, or submitting to humans, we must confess: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29 ESV.) The American bishops of the Roman Catholic Church have spoken bravely and clearly on this. So has our own LCMS President Matthew C. Harrison.

A church that gets caught up in earthly politics and picking favorite parties or endorsing candidates confuses itself. Remember, Jesus says, “You are not of the world” (John 15:19 ESV.) Do not speak on behalf of the Church in matters of opinion, political philosophy, or policy. However, when others are opposing the biblically-informed conscience of the Church, we have no choice but to confess the Word of Christ, and kindly and respectfully ask the world to remove itself from such imposition.

For this reason, the entire Church on earth should be standing “shoulder to shoulder” with our friends in the Roman Catholic Church. We respectfully, yet with resolve, tell the world that it cannot force Christians to sin against our Scripture-led consciences. Let the Church be Church, and let the State be State.

Pray for our friends in the Roman Church. Pray also, that such infringements do not multiply. Lord, have mercy! Amen.

Quote of the Day: "Catholicity" of Lutheranism

My friend, Pastor Wil Weedon, posted the following quote on his blog:

It is true that of all the church bodies which have left the papacy, it is precisely the Lutheran Church which is accused of retaining many papal abuses and of having been the least successful in cleansing itself. It is pointed out, for example, that in our church priestly clothing, church ornamentation, pictures, altar, crucifixes, candles, confession, the sign of the cross, and the like are still apparent. But, my friends, whoever regards these innocent things as vestiges of the papacy knows neither what the papacy is, nor what the Bible teaches. The very fact that the Lutheran Reformation was not aimed at indifferent adiaphora, but retained those things which were in harmony with God's Word, shows that it was not a disorderly revolution, but a Biblical reformation.

Rev. Dr. C. F. W. Walther
First Director (President) of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and the First President of the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States (The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod.)

Chance Meeting with Pope Benedict XVI

While doing some reading and studying, I tripped across this quip. Literally, I was laughing out loud! This is from a blog called "The American Papist."

Little did Timmy know, but his most memorable night of working

at the McDonald's drive-through window was about to begin!

[photo: REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo (Italy)]

To see it in its original context, follow the link:
http://www.americanpapist.com/2007/07/your-ppotd-thursday-july-11th.html#links