Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9; St John 18-19
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
When God created Adam He gave him a little opening on his face called a mouth. It was an opening designed to be a doorway to enjoy God’s good gifts of creation. Into that opening would go mouth watering food that would be his daily delight. Into that little opening was to go refreshing drink to slake his thirst and cheer his heart. Into that opening he would take in God’s life-giving oxygen to give him health and breath. And then with that breath, from that little opening, he was to forever praise his Creator for all His goodness.
But where God saw a doorway to receive His gifts, Satan saw a doorway to eternal death. And so he plotted to bring big damage to that little opening. We don’t know what kind of fruit it was that Adam brought to his mouthful on that fateful day in the Garden. Some say it was an apple. Some say a fig. Some say a pomegranate. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that our father Adam was taking a bite into death for all of us. Such big damage from such a little opening.
Our Lord’s utterances from the Cross are divided up into seven last words. The fifth word directs us to a different mouth. A mouth that is in pain. A mouth that is so dry that it’s tongue sticks to the roof of His jaw. A mouth that can barely squeeze out a word as He offers up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears. It is the mouth of the Second Adam, our Lord Jesus Christ. St John the Evangelist is directing us to the thirsty mouth of God.
And from that little mouth comes a little word. A little word that brings us great comfort. Its the shortest of the seven words from the Cross. It’s only two words in English, I thirst. In Greek it’s only one short word, Dipso. A “dipsomaniac” is an alcoholic, someone who has a mania, a strong desire to drink alcohol. Jesus says, Dipso, not only because He badly needs liquid. Not only because it fulfills Psalm 69:21, but because He has a mania. Jesus has a strong desire to do His Father’s will and save Adam and all his fallen sons and daughters.
Let that thirsty mouth of your Savior bring you great comfort and consolation this Good Friday. He suffers pain in His mouth to atone for the sins of your mouth. Don’t think those hurtful and spiteful remarks from your mouth are harmless, look at their severity as they hurt Jesus. He opened not His mouth as He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. His lips go blue with asphyxiation on account of our badmouthing. Don’t think that God overlooks your lying mouth, for because of them Jesus in our reading has a dry and dying mouth.
Whether you have opened your mouth and gulped food as though it is a bigger joy in your life than God Himself, or you have closed your mouth and refused to eat from the bounty He provides, it is a sin of idolatry that today has made Jesus gasp for breath.
And what about the panting you’ve done for wealth and more stuff? Its the sin that grabs Jesus around the throat and suffocates Him.
No wonder the Scriptures call man’s throat an open grave (Ps 5:9), our tongues a deadly poison (James 3:8), and our mouths gush evil (Prov 15:28). What comes out of our mouths defiles us. Oh the damage that Satan has wrought through out mouths.
But consider today that it was Jesus, our Second Adam, who will take on human flesh and blood, a mouth, so that He speak peace to His people. That He could fulfill the Proverb: The soothing tongue is a tree of life (15:4). That He could open His mouth and give us life-breathing doctrine, as St Matthew says (5:1). He also took on a human mouth so that He could suffer pain in it to atone for the damage your mouth has done.
And He accomplished it. He thirsted, not only for water, but also rescue you from the dryness of hell you had earned. And He accomplished it. He thirsted not only for water, but was manic to kick in Satan’s lying mouth and grind it to dust in the resurrection so that he can no longer deceive you and mislead you with his lying tongue and deceitful words. He accomplished it.
He thirsted for fresh water, but we all we gave Him was sour wine. Yet He drank it and died that He might rise again to press against your lips the sweet chalice of His blood and transform your mouth into what they once were - a doorway to receive His gifts.
In His resurrection He not only speaks peace to you, but through His Ascension, He now stands as your High Priest, opening His mouth in prayer and intercession for you through all trials and temptations. He has borne your iniquities and here desires to divine the spoil of His victory with you.
For you draw near in confidence to His throne grace where that little doorway is where He is pleased to place His very Body and very Blood and the forgiving and sanctifying and renewing grace that comes with it.
That little doorway has been healed in your Baptism. He opens your lips and your mouth declares His praise all your days. You are given to confess Jesus Christ before the world and for the sake of your neighbor. That little doorway through which you now desire to speak kindly, gently, truthfully and charitably has been sanctified by His Body and Blood.
Dipso. I thirst. Its a little word from a little opening, but it means major comfort for you.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
When God created Adam He gave him a little opening on his face called a mouth. It was an opening designed to be a doorway to enjoy God’s good gifts of creation. Into that opening would go mouth watering food that would be his daily delight. Into that little opening was to go refreshing drink to slake his thirst and cheer his heart. Into that opening he would take in God’s life-giving oxygen to give him health and breath. And then with that breath, from that little opening, he was to forever praise his Creator for all His goodness.
But where God saw a doorway to receive His gifts, Satan saw a doorway to eternal death. And so he plotted to bring big damage to that little opening. We don’t know what kind of fruit it was that Adam brought to his mouthful on that fateful day in the Garden. Some say it was an apple. Some say a fig. Some say a pomegranate. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that our father Adam was taking a bite into death for all of us. Such big damage from such a little opening.
Our Lord’s utterances from the Cross are divided up into seven last words. The fifth word directs us to a different mouth. A mouth that is in pain. A mouth that is so dry that it’s tongue sticks to the roof of His jaw. A mouth that can barely squeeze out a word as He offers up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears. It is the mouth of the Second Adam, our Lord Jesus Christ. St John the Evangelist is directing us to the thirsty mouth of God.
And from that little mouth comes a little word. A little word that brings us great comfort. Its the shortest of the seven words from the Cross. It’s only two words in English, I thirst. In Greek it’s only one short word, Dipso. A “dipsomaniac” is an alcoholic, someone who has a mania, a strong desire to drink alcohol. Jesus says, Dipso, not only because He badly needs liquid. Not only because it fulfills Psalm 69:21, but because He has a mania. Jesus has a strong desire to do His Father’s will and save Adam and all his fallen sons and daughters.
Let that thirsty mouth of your Savior bring you great comfort and consolation this Good Friday. He suffers pain in His mouth to atone for the sins of your mouth. Don’t think those hurtful and spiteful remarks from your mouth are harmless, look at their severity as they hurt Jesus. He opened not His mouth as He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. His lips go blue with asphyxiation on account of our badmouthing. Don’t think that God overlooks your lying mouth, for because of them Jesus in our reading has a dry and dying mouth.
Whether you have opened your mouth and gulped food as though it is a bigger joy in your life than God Himself, or you have closed your mouth and refused to eat from the bounty He provides, it is a sin of idolatry that today has made Jesus gasp for breath.
And what about the panting you’ve done for wealth and more stuff? Its the sin that grabs Jesus around the throat and suffocates Him.
No wonder the Scriptures call man’s throat an open grave (Ps 5:9), our tongues a deadly poison (James 3:8), and our mouths gush evil (Prov 15:28). What comes out of our mouths defiles us. Oh the damage that Satan has wrought through out mouths.
But consider today that it was Jesus, our Second Adam, who will take on human flesh and blood, a mouth, so that He speak peace to His people. That He could fulfill the Proverb: The soothing tongue is a tree of life (15:4). That He could open His mouth and give us life-breathing doctrine, as St Matthew says (5:1). He also took on a human mouth so that He could suffer pain in it to atone for the damage your mouth has done.
And He accomplished it. He thirsted, not only for water, but also rescue you from the dryness of hell you had earned. And He accomplished it. He thirsted not only for water, but was manic to kick in Satan’s lying mouth and grind it to dust in the resurrection so that he can no longer deceive you and mislead you with his lying tongue and deceitful words. He accomplished it.
He thirsted for fresh water, but we all we gave Him was sour wine. Yet He drank it and died that He might rise again to press against your lips the sweet chalice of His blood and transform your mouth into what they once were - a doorway to receive His gifts.
In His resurrection He not only speaks peace to you, but through His Ascension, He now stands as your High Priest, opening His mouth in prayer and intercession for you through all trials and temptations. He has borne your iniquities and here desires to divine the spoil of His victory with you.
For you draw near in confidence to His throne grace where that little doorway is where He is pleased to place His very Body and very Blood and the forgiving and sanctifying and renewing grace that comes with it.
That little doorway has been healed in your Baptism. He opens your lips and your mouth declares His praise all your days. You are given to confess Jesus Christ before the world and for the sake of your neighbor. That little doorway through which you now desire to speak kindly, gently, truthfully and charitably has been sanctified by His Body and Blood.
Dipso. I thirst. Its a little word from a little opening, but it means major comfort for you.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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