Memorial Moment: He Wants To Be Gracious

1 Corinthians 10:1-15

I want you to know, brothers,that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play." We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christto the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. (ESV)

He Wants To Be Gracious

Tuesday of Pentecost 25

20 November 2012

We often despise our heavenly Father's gracious care of us in all the gracious gifts He showers down upon us. We get complacent about His blessings to us. We begin to presume on our blessings. Sometimes we feel that we deserve the gifts we have. What could be stranger than deserving gifts? Yet we often feel that way. "Oh, I have such great talents. I have earned my way to the top. I deserve my family, home, and the great country I live in. I am worthy of my religious liberty, my wonderful church, and the comfortable life I enjoy." When we actually say this aloud it sounds ridiculous. Yet such delusions are snugly settled in the dark corners of our hearts and minds.

Those who presume upon God's gracious gifts can test God to the edge of His patience. The nation of Israel certainly did. God had graciously condescended to dwell in the temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem, so that the people could approach Him with their sacrifices and petitions and receive from Him atonement for their sin. God dwelt in a house made with hands. However, God did not have to live there in the midst of a sinful people (Is 6:5). He chose to live there entirely and purely out of grace. He chose this rag tag people for His own and made them a great people by dwelling among them enthroned between the cherubim. The kings and queens of far off lands came there to inquire of the Lord and to bring tribute (Ps 72:10; 2Chron 9:3). God had favored His people beyond all expectation by giving Himself to them; tying Himself down to this place and this place alone (Lev 26:30).

Yes, God could be found outside the temple, but He could not be found in grace. The temple was the place where God condescended to His people in the gospel. Outside the temple God was only found in law, destruction, death, and judgment. The people were right, then, in flocking to the temple, venerating the temple, and adorning the temple. They had the right idea in their confidence in the temple as the sign of God's gracious presence. However they easily made the transfer from the gracious condescension of God to His people to presuming that God was a captive in the box of the temple, rather than a gracious inhabitant of it. They foolishly thought they had made God their captive. Therefore, nothing evil could befall the place where the temple housed the living God. God only dwelt there for the sake of His compassionate mercy toward His people and when the people no longer approached Him at the temple for His mercy and presumed on His presence rather than believing the One who was present, He withdrew Himself from them. The temple was destroyed and the presumption of the people with it.

If we presume in this way, acting as though we are worthy of our blessings and that God is bound to give them to us, then we too are liable to destruction. It does not need to be this way, for the wrath of God that broke out against Jerusalem, was finally and fully extinguished in the person of the last temple of God on earth, Jesus Christ. This is the great pity of the people who undergo God's final judgment. It is unnecessary. God wants to be gracious to us in Christ. But His blessings to us could easily be given to others.

Martin Luther

"The nation of Israel was God's possession, and the holy city of Jerusalem was God's dwelling place. But when the people had given up their fear of God and, relying on their own gifts, were becoming proud, the nation was destroyed, and their city was laid waste by the heathen. This is the universal bane of our nature. We are not satisfied with God's gifts but abuse them and mock their giver and creator.

"God bestows empires and kingdoms, peace and othergifts in order that kings and princes might acknowledge Him, worship Him, and give thanks to Him. But kings and princes abuse these gifts as though He had given them in order that they might despise their creator and generous giver.

"The same thing happens in the family. The purpose for which God gives us good health, wife, children, and property is not that we might offend Him by means of these gifts, but that we might recognize His mercy and give thanks to Him. For this reason He has granted us the enjoyment and, as it were, the rule of almost all the creatures. But how few there are who do this! Do not almost all of us live in the most shocking abuse of the gifts of God? Therefore God is compelled to employ the same remedy that the Roman Emperor Vespasian employed. Vespasian calmly allowed his citizens and courtiers to become rich; for he used to say that rich men are like a sponge which, after being filled with water, gives it off in abundance when vigorously squeezed. In the same way God again reduces those whom He has enriched with His gifts when they are unthankful and misuse His kindness. As the blessed Virgin says: 'The rich he has sent empty away'" (Lk 1:53).

Martin Luther, Lectures on Genesis, 4.2

Prayer

Almighty God, You bless the earth to make it fruitful, bringing forth in abundance whatever is needed for the support of our lives. Prosper the work of farmers and all those who labor to bring food to our table. Grant them seasonable weather that they may gather in the fruits of the earth in abundance and proclaim Your goodness with thanksgiving; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

For Michelle Kleb who will be undergoing heart surgery next week, that the Lord would graciously grant her the healing that she needs

For President Matthew Harrison of the LCMS and Bishop Walter Obare of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya, as they work together to support the Lutheran Malaria Initiative, that the Lord Jesus would bless their efforts

For the people of this land, that they would be led to be truly thankful for God's gracious care

Art: DÜRER, Albrecht The Adoration of the Trinity (1511)