Revelation 7:2-17; 1 John 3:1-3; St Matthew 5:1-12
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
When you hear the word meek, what do you think of? Probably a doormat or a dishrag. Someone who’s a weakling or a wimpy. Don’t. Think instead of a man with great power and authority and the resources behind him to unleash terrible revenge. But at the same time a man who is humble, gentle, patient, kind, self-controlled. He never lets his emotions get the best of him. Think of a person whose every instinct, every impulse and every passion are subject to God’s control.
When you hear the word meek, think Joseph. Ganged up on by his older brothers. Stripped of his beautiful robe. Thrown into a pit and sold into slavery. They did this evil to their own flesh and blood. But God saw to it that he would rise to the highest heights and be exalted in Egypt. The most powerful nation on earth at the time. Now, with all the strength of the Egyptian army behind him, these brothers, seeking some grain with which to simply stay alive, stand before him. What does meek Joseph do? He is not revengeful. He doesn’t demand an eye for an eye, evil for evil. Instead he pardons and embraces them. In other words, he is meek.
Or even better, when you hear meek, think Moses. He’s not only meek, but Holy Scripture actually describes him as very meek. Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth (Num 12:3). That was certainly good news for his sister Miriam who challenged Moses’ authority and spoke against him. But God had Moses’ back and struck her with leprosy. But there would be no “serves you right, sis.” No, “that’ll teach you,” from his meek lips. He doesn’t take pleasure in her misfortune. Instead he prays for her and God restores her rotting flesh.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. So where does that leave you? Based on your meekness it seems to leave you without a happy inheritance. Right? Time and gain God has allowed you to be treated poorly by others so that you might show yourself meek. That you might exercise that faith He has given you. But time and again, you’ve shown yourself to be no Joseph.
In fact, sometimes all it takes is one rude remark. One perceived slight. And the claws come out to choke your brother.
And you certainly don’t need your livelihood threatened by your sister to show that you’re no Moses, either. Sometimes one wrong look is all it takes for someone to get an earful of some very nasty language from your out-of-control tongue. All your “meekness” has inherited for you is a full does of God’s just anger, displeasure and punishment.
Today is a day for repentance, dear saints. For today, as it has always been, you are not treated as you deserve. Instead, you get an earful of some very good words from God the Father about His love. See what kind of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are (1 Jn 3:1).
That means that we can say, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called saints; and so we are.” And that means we can also say, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called meek; and so we are.”
For you have been given a Kingdom where what matters is not so much what one has done, but what God has done. What He calls a person. His creative, performative Word does what it says. He calls you children of God and that is what you are. Even though last week you again lied like the devil.
His Word speaks forgiveness. He calls you saint. And that is what you are, despite the ungodly and disgusting things you’ve thought.
He calls you meek. His favor looks at you that way. And so meek is what you are, what He considers you, despite that out-of-control lust to have things your way. And the earth is indeed your inheritance, despite the trail of sin you’ve left on it. For blessed are those God considers meek.
You are blessed because of what the Father calls you, how He looks upon you in favor, what His Word says of you. You, dear saints, are blessed because of what the Father has given you. And what is that? More than a meek example like Joseph. More than a very meek example like Moses. He’s given you more that anything a very meek Savior. He has given you our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
He is the One with all authority in heaven and on earth. Yet He came for you as the ultimate Meek One. Born on this earth as a humble Baby. To a poor Virgin Mother in a lowly manger. Great in strength, He set aside His power and came to His high-minded creation meek and lowly in heart. Does He not invite you, Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Mt 11:28-30).
The Great King, He came into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on a borrowed donkey, for He is a Meek King. A Meek Messiah.
He was treated worse than Joseph. He was challenged, spoken against and mocked more than Moses ever was. Yet His every instinct, every impulse and every passion was under perfect control to do His Father’s will. For He would go meekly to the Cross and spill His Blood on this earth for man. He would be buried on this earth for man. He would rise again from this earth on the Third Day for man, triumphant over the choke-hold of death. He would ascend from this earth, yet leave behind an inheritance on this earth for you.
He has done all this and has left His inheritance to you in your Holy Baptism, which He has bestowed upon you on this earth. This is how His messengers seal the servants of our God on their foreheads. You have received the sign of the Holy Cross both upon your forehead and upon your heart to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. How does St Peter put it? Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you (1 Pt 1:3-4)!
Through Holy Baptism, by faith in Jesus Christ, you are made a co-heir with Christ and all His saints. Your happy inheritance is secured!
Baptized into Christ you have washed your robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. That Blood is the Blood of the Lamb who has atoned for the bad you’ve been and the bad you’ve done. He poured out His Life Blood onto the earth so cursed with sin in order to give you here, on earth, an true inheritance of the Lamb in His Kingdom with has no end. The unfathomable joys seen by St John in his Revelation await you!
See what kind of love the Father has given to this sinful world. What He has given to you, one of His children planted right where He wants you to show gentleness, long-suffering and self-control to those you live with. See what kind of love the Father has given to your workplace. You! Who stand ready to point sinners to a Savior who gives people an inheritance much greater than grandma’s antiques.
See what kind of love the Father has given to your family. You! Whom He has given to be a blessing unto your spouse and your children, praying for them, serving them, sacrificing for them according to your vocation.
See what kind of love the Father has given this congregation. You! Whom He has planted here and sanctifies, set apart to serve one another. This is going to be especially apparent, dear saints, as those whom we love, with whom we are knit together in the mystical union of Christ’s Body, begin returning. Some after many long months away from the Lord’s House and the Lord’s Gifts. He will give and already gives you ample opportunity to speak to them in love. To bear their burdens. To invite them, His dear children, to return to Father’s House.
That you may sing with one another as the Lord opens your lips to declare His praise. As He opens your mouth to receive the Blood of the One who meekly went forth to the Cross that you might humbly come forth to this Altar now and receive forgiveness, life, salvation and a full measure of His meek Spirit. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
When you hear the word meek, what do you think of? Probably a doormat or a dishrag. Someone who’s a weakling or a wimpy. Don’t. Think instead of a man with great power and authority and the resources behind him to unleash terrible revenge. But at the same time a man who is humble, gentle, patient, kind, self-controlled. He never lets his emotions get the best of him. Think of a person whose every instinct, every impulse and every passion are subject to God’s control.
When you hear the word meek, think Joseph. Ganged up on by his older brothers. Stripped of his beautiful robe. Thrown into a pit and sold into slavery. They did this evil to their own flesh and blood. But God saw to it that he would rise to the highest heights and be exalted in Egypt. The most powerful nation on earth at the time. Now, with all the strength of the Egyptian army behind him, these brothers, seeking some grain with which to simply stay alive, stand before him. What does meek Joseph do? He is not revengeful. He doesn’t demand an eye for an eye, evil for evil. Instead he pardons and embraces them. In other words, he is meek.
Or even better, when you hear meek, think Moses. He’s not only meek, but Holy Scripture actually describes him as very meek. Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth (Num 12:3). That was certainly good news for his sister Miriam who challenged Moses’ authority and spoke against him. But God had Moses’ back and struck her with leprosy. But there would be no “serves you right, sis.” No, “that’ll teach you,” from his meek lips. He doesn’t take pleasure in her misfortune. Instead he prays for her and God restores her rotting flesh.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. So where does that leave you? Based on your meekness it seems to leave you without a happy inheritance. Right? Time and gain God has allowed you to be treated poorly by others so that you might show yourself meek. That you might exercise that faith He has given you. But time and again, you’ve shown yourself to be no Joseph.
In fact, sometimes all it takes is one rude remark. One perceived slight. And the claws come out to choke your brother.
And you certainly don’t need your livelihood threatened by your sister to show that you’re no Moses, either. Sometimes one wrong look is all it takes for someone to get an earful of some very nasty language from your out-of-control tongue. All your “meekness” has inherited for you is a full does of God’s just anger, displeasure and punishment.
Today is a day for repentance, dear saints. For today, as it has always been, you are not treated as you deserve. Instead, you get an earful of some very good words from God the Father about His love. See what kind of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are (1 Jn 3:1).
That means that we can say, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called saints; and so we are.” And that means we can also say, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called meek; and so we are.”
For you have been given a Kingdom where what matters is not so much what one has done, but what God has done. What He calls a person. His creative, performative Word does what it says. He calls you children of God and that is what you are. Even though last week you again lied like the devil.
His Word speaks forgiveness. He calls you saint. And that is what you are, despite the ungodly and disgusting things you’ve thought.
He calls you meek. His favor looks at you that way. And so meek is what you are, what He considers you, despite that out-of-control lust to have things your way. And the earth is indeed your inheritance, despite the trail of sin you’ve left on it. For blessed are those God considers meek.
You are blessed because of what the Father calls you, how He looks upon you in favor, what His Word says of you. You, dear saints, are blessed because of what the Father has given you. And what is that? More than a meek example like Joseph. More than a very meek example like Moses. He’s given you more that anything a very meek Savior. He has given you our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
He is the One with all authority in heaven and on earth. Yet He came for you as the ultimate Meek One. Born on this earth as a humble Baby. To a poor Virgin Mother in a lowly manger. Great in strength, He set aside His power and came to His high-minded creation meek and lowly in heart. Does He not invite you, Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Mt 11:28-30).
The Great King, He came into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on a borrowed donkey, for He is a Meek King. A Meek Messiah.
He was treated worse than Joseph. He was challenged, spoken against and mocked more than Moses ever was. Yet His every instinct, every impulse and every passion was under perfect control to do His Father’s will. For He would go meekly to the Cross and spill His Blood on this earth for man. He would be buried on this earth for man. He would rise again from this earth on the Third Day for man, triumphant over the choke-hold of death. He would ascend from this earth, yet leave behind an inheritance on this earth for you.
He has done all this and has left His inheritance to you in your Holy Baptism, which He has bestowed upon you on this earth. This is how His messengers seal the servants of our God on their foreheads. You have received the sign of the Holy Cross both upon your forehead and upon your heart to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. How does St Peter put it? Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you (1 Pt 1:3-4)!
Through Holy Baptism, by faith in Jesus Christ, you are made a co-heir with Christ and all His saints. Your happy inheritance is secured!
Baptized into Christ you have washed your robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. That Blood is the Blood of the Lamb who has atoned for the bad you’ve been and the bad you’ve done. He poured out His Life Blood onto the earth so cursed with sin in order to give you here, on earth, an true inheritance of the Lamb in His Kingdom with has no end. The unfathomable joys seen by St John in his Revelation await you!
See what kind of love the Father has given to this sinful world. What He has given to you, one of His children planted right where He wants you to show gentleness, long-suffering and self-control to those you live with. See what kind of love the Father has given to your workplace. You! Who stand ready to point sinners to a Savior who gives people an inheritance much greater than grandma’s antiques.
See what kind of love the Father has given to your family. You! Whom He has given to be a blessing unto your spouse and your children, praying for them, serving them, sacrificing for them according to your vocation.
See what kind of love the Father has given this congregation. You! Whom He has planted here and sanctifies, set apart to serve one another. This is going to be especially apparent, dear saints, as those whom we love, with whom we are knit together in the mystical union of Christ’s Body, begin returning. Some after many long months away from the Lord’s House and the Lord’s Gifts. He will give and already gives you ample opportunity to speak to them in love. To bear their burdens. To invite them, His dear children, to return to Father’s House.
That you may sing with one another as the Lord opens your lips to declare His praise. As He opens your mouth to receive the Blood of the One who meekly went forth to the Cross that you might humbly come forth to this Altar now and receive forgiveness, life, salvation and a full measure of His meek Spirit. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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