“Spirituality Trumps Physicality”
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. [Amen.]
“O Christian, firmly hold this gift,
And give God thanks forever!
It gives the power to uplift
In all that you endeavor.
When nothing else revives your soul,
Your Baptism stands and makes you whole
And then in death completes you.”
(Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.
596:5)
Old Testament Reading........................................... 2
cORINTHIANS 5:16-21 (esp. 16)
16From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even
though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no
longer.
Prologue: New English vocabulary words are constantly being
formulated, created, and annotated and old ones that maybe fell victim to
the left behind syndrome are often resurrected and reinserted into at least
somewhat common use. “Physicality” is one of those old words that has
experienced a recent resurgence. Its first documented use was in 1660 and
its main definition is “intensely physical orientation: predominance of the
physical usually at the expense of the mental, spiritual, or social.”
(Merriam-Webster m-w.com. Copyright © 2013 Merriam-Webster Incorporated.)
It’s become popular on virtually all levels of contemporary sports that seem
to more-and-more dominate our society even to the point of various sports
tournaments now being held on Sunday mornings—a time that formerly was
reserved for especially Christians to gather together for worship and Bible
study. With this ever-increasing emphasis on the physical and
ever-decreasing emphasis on the spiritual it’s ever so easy to forget what
today’s text reminds us, namely, that …
“Spirituality Trumps Physicality.”
Here’s some more information about Lent taken from The Altar Guild
Manual by Lee A. Maxwell. “Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, whose precise
date depends on the date of Easter. The name ‘Ash Wednesday’ comes from a
practice originating in the Middle Ages of ashes being sprinkled over the
heads of those who came to church and went to confession. Today ashes are
applied to the forehead in the shape of a cross. Both this rite and the
traditional readings for the day call for an attitude of humility and
repentance.
“Technically Lent consists of 40 days of fasting. This excludes the
Sundays in between which are not Sundays of Lent but Sundays in Lent. With
the revised lectionary … the repentance theme is balanced more with
reflection and renewal in faith and life.
“During the more restrained or somber seasons of Advent and Lent …
flowers would not be suitable.
“Lent is a time of preparation for Easter. In the early church it was
a period of preparation for the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, which would take
place on the Vigil of Easter. This preparation included fasting and other
spiritual disciplines. Along with the emphasis on baptismal preparation,
but perhaps not associated with it, was the use of Lent as the final period
of penance in preparation for the rite of reconciliation on Maundy Thursday.
After both of these purposes fell away, Lent became a period of general
devotional preparation for Easter. Nevertheless, the earlier emphases
remained, and Lent was marked by rigorous penitence and austere spiritual
discipline. During the period of Lutheran Pietism these strict practices
were aided by an excessive fixation on the Passion of Jesus.” (Lee A.
Maxwell in The Altar Guild Manual. Copyright © 1996 Concordia Publishing
House, St. Louis, MO. Pages 20, 50, 79f.)
Well, the emphatic importance of spirituality over physicality is
readily apparent in that information about Lent. After all, spirituality is
concerned with both the temporal now and even more so the eternal hereafter;
whereas physicality is concerned only with the temporal now. So it is that
we are called to …
I. Recognize and Live the New “Creationality.” (17-19)
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has
passed away; behold, the new has come. 18All this is from God, who through
Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting
their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of
reconciliation.
Jesus, His ministry, and His self-sacrificial atoning work for us
are all about change. His first miracle changed water into wine. There are
many accounts of Him changing sick and diseased people into healthy and
whole people. Even more astonishing is that He changed dead people back to
live ones.
The greatest change of all, however, is when Jesus changed us from
“lost and condemned person[s]” to purchased persons who have been liberated
“from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil … with His
innocent suffering and death.” God tells us about that change in His Holy
Word. The Holy Spirit made that change real and personal in us through our
Baptism, in which He connected us with our Savior’s death and resurrection
and gave us faith in His work of atonement thereby making it our personal
possession. He reminds us of that change when He declares holy words of
absolution through the unholy-but-sanctified voice of pastors. And, He
makes that change certain to us when we properly partake of His real body
and blood in the Blessed Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Because of such,
we are now “His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in
everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.” (Luther’s Small
Catechism with Explanation. Copyright © 1986, 1991, 2005 Concordia
Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. Pages 16 & 119.)
In the Lutheran Hour Ministries Daily Devotion for September 20,
2008, the author wrote, “Death Valley is 200 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
“The U.S. Government says Death Valley is the hottest place in the
country, with a temperature once recorded at 134 degrees.
“Death Valley may also be one of the driest places. Streams that flow
into Death Valley evaporate and only two-and-one-half inches of rain fall on
the wasteland each year.
“A number of years ago, due to a freak weather pattern, rain fell into
the bone-dry earth for nineteen days in a row. Millions of seeds, which had
lain dormant for years, burst into bloom. The Valley of Death exploded into
beauty, color, and life.
“You don't have to be a great Theologian to see this as a wonderful
example of the kind of change Jesus brings to the hearts of forgiven
sinners.
“Like Death Valley, we all know the world is dry and barren. Hatred,
anger, prejudice, fear, and worry dry up feelings of care and compassion.
Our lives can seem like a desert, filled with emptiness.
“Yet, when Jesus, the living Water comes, He brings change. He brings
life where once there was death. He gives hope where there once was
despair. That which was ugly can be beautiful.
“By the power of Jesus and His love, we can be changed.” (LHM Daily
Devotions. Ref: LHM0010466A-0018222#. 1997-2008 Lutheran Hour Ministries.
All rights reserved.)
As changed children of the heavenly Father, let’s strive by the
Holy Spirit’s power to …
II. Recognize and Live the Christ-Like “Ambassadorality.” (20-21)
20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through
us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our
sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become
the righteousness of God.
A study of the word “ambassadors” in the original Greek text as it’s
found in this verse reveals that it’s used only one other time in the New
Testament … by the same author, Saint Paul. In his letter to the Ephesians
he wrote, “To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication
for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in
opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I
am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to
speak.” (Eph 6:18-20 ESV)
Ambassadors represent, stand in for, and speak in behalf of other
persons. Ambassadors are in countries all around the world who represent,
stand in for, and speak in behalf of the President of the United States of
America. He appointed them. He sent them. And, he instructs them either
directly or indirectly what to say in his behalf.
As baptized Believers in Jesus who are reconciled to God by Him,
we are “little Christs.” As such, we Christians represent, stand in for,
and speak in behalf of Immanuel. The message that we speak is the gracious
Gospel message of having been reconciled to God by His only begotten Son.
Jesus accomplished that reconciliation for us by doing three
vitally-necessary things. He lived for us the holy life God demanded of us
but we miserably fail at doing. He endured for us the humiliating, painful,
and inhumane suffering and death that we deserve because of our sinfulness
and the sins of omission and commission that we commit but desire to avoid.
And, He rose from the dead for us thereby nailing shut the coffin which
holds Satan captive along with sin and death itself.
The author of the Lutheran Hour Ministries daily devotion for
October 9, 2007, stated, “This devotion is about Madonna.
“No, not Madonna, the mother of our Lord. It is about Madonna, the
singer and would-be movie star. It is about Madonna, the lady who writes
children’s books and who has published some semi-pornographic volumes that
can’t be found in any of our Concordia libraries. This devotion is about
Madonna, the music star whose act has been condemned by the Vatican—Madonna,
who has become an advocate for Kabbalah.
“For those of you who don’t know, Kabbalah is a teaching held by some
folks, mostly Jewish people. According to them, an intimate understanding
and mastery of the Kabbalah can bring a person closer to God and that
individual will be given great insight into the inner-workings of God’s
creation.
“This devotion is not about Kabbalah. It is about Madonna. It seems
Madonna and other folks from Hollywood recently went to Israel to help
celebrate the Jewish New Year. During that visit, Madonna had the privilege
of visiting with Israeli President Shimon Peres. During the course of their
time together, Madonna said she was an ‘ambassador for Judaism.’
“There is no information on how President Peres reacted to her
announcement.”
The writer completed his devotion by saying, “When I heard Madonna’s
statement, I remembered what Paul wrote in his first letter to the church at
Corinth. The Apostle said, ‘We are ambassadors for Christ.’ He wanted that
church, and all believers in every century and on every continent to realize
they were the Savior’s ambassadors. He wanted them to know that the Lord
appeals to lost sinners through us: His representatives.” (LHM Daily
Devotions. Ref: LHM0008493A-0018222#. 1997-2007 Lutheran Hour Ministries,
St. Louis, MO. All rights reserved.)
In conclusion, therefore, “Paul no longer looked at people ‘from a
worldly point of view.’ When Paul looked at people, he no longer simply saw
what was right before his eyes, things like outward appearance, age, sex,
educational level, income, abilities, and the like. Nor did he view people
as objects to be maneuvered and exploited for personal gain. That’s looking
at people ‘according to the flesh,’ … .
“Rather Paul viewed people from the perspective of the finished work of
Jesus. Jesus’ death was their death; Jesus’ resurrection was their
resurrection. Seeing people in this light, his concern was not for what he
could get out of them but for what he could give them. The best thing he
could give them was the message about the Jesus who had died and risen on
their behalf.” (David J. Valleskey in People’s Bible Commentary: 2
Corinthians. Copyright © 1992 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.
Page 89.)
That all boils down to the simple statement that …
“Spirituality Trumps Physicality.”
The One who never changes has changed us even as the grateful
father declared about his younger son in today’s Gospel Reading, “For this
my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” And later
he told his jealous older son, “It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for
this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.” (St
Luke 15:24, 32 ESV) As formerly-dead-and-now-alive people, let’s …
I. Recognize and Live the New “Creationality.” (17-19) Let’s do so in
the light of what we confessed in today’s Collect, “Your mercies are new
every morning; and though we deserve only punishment, You receive us as Your
children and provide for all our needs of body and soul.” That “new
‘creationality’” is the result of what we prayed in today’s Introit, “Have
mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your
abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my
iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” (Ps 51:1-2 ESV) As we live the new
“creationality,” let’s also …
II. Recognize and Live the Christ-Like “Ambassadorality.” (20-21) That
so very important activity is described in another part of today’s Collect,
“Grant that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks
for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience.” In fact, it’s
also described in today’s Old Testament Reading, on which the Old Testament
Canticle in the “Service of Prayer and Preaching” is based, “I will give
thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned
away, that you might comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust,
and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he
has become my salvation.” (Is 12:1b-2 ESV)
In order to recognize and live the new “creationality”
and the Christ-like “ambassadorality,” let’s pay close attention to the
Lenten Gradual that reminds and instructs us, “[O come, let us fix our eyes
on] Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was
set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the
right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:2 ESV)
God grant it all for the sake of Jesus Christ, His humble Son, our
holy Savior. [Amen.]
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
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