St John 15:26-16:4/1 Peter 4:7-14/Ezekiel 36:22-28
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
There are plenty of things that hurt us more than sticks and stones. Betrayal by a friend, rejection by a spouse, poor choices of children, the death of a loved one, all hurt far more than any wound to the flesh. So also jealousy, envy, and regret are more painful than broken bones and bruises. Those heal and leave scars. But all the things that hurt our hearts tend never to fully heal, but leave a manageable, yet tender wound.
And all those things are some form of, or are touched by, loneliness.
Man was not meant to be alone. We cannot survive without companions, to live in community, fellowship with both God and man, a life-together. And to be cut-off – whether it is name calling on the playground, prejudice in the workplace, adultery, violence, hatred without cause, or even our own deplorable, isolating sin – to be cut off, to be shunned, imprisoned, forgotten, or of no use to anyone, these are the most painful of our painful possibilities. Thus we pray, O King of glory, leave us not without consolation, but send us the Spirit of truth.
Our Lord endured them all. He knows better than us the worst of being human.
So beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you, but rejoice, for Christ also endured and suffered. He knows what it is to be let down, disappointed, and heartbroken. He was betrayed by a friend. He was mocked and called names and beaten. He was hated without cause. His name was profaned among the nations. He was tortured until death. He had no helpers at the Cross, no friends, and certainly no substitutes. He did it alone.
But this was not some vain stung meant to impress us or to gain our pity. He did this so that you would be spared, in order that you would not be left alone. Thus He says to His disciples, I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. I will send the Helper from My Father, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, and He will bear witness of Me. If the world hates you, know that it hated Me first.
“I will not leave you as orphans,” your Jesus says, “You will not be alone. But no longer are you servants, or even children, anymore. I call you friends. And the Spirit, whom I send to you, He will bear witness of Me. And by Him and in Him you will be My witnesses. You will be to one another My helpers, My comforters, those whom I send.”
This, beloved, is what St Peter heard that evening in the upper room; the night of the scandalous betrayal. And this is what he writes to you, on the other side of the Ascension: Be self-controlled and sober-minded; above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another. The ground and strength and promise for all our community is in Jesus Christ. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
And that is the cure for loneliness, for regret, for broken hearts, for weary souls afraid to love or trust again. The cure is not the general benevolence of God, that God is basically nice and kindly disposed toward us. Nor is it even that we help and are of service to our neighbor. Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake that I act, but for the sake of My Holy Name.
The cure, dear ones, is the actual, historical loneliness and despair of Jesus Christ on the Cross, as the fiery trial of the Father’s wrath was visited upon Him. He endured the jealousy, envy, and hatred of all men. He was cut off, subjected to the wicked whims and cruelty of the ruler of this world. And the Father hid His face from Him. All this He endured on your behalf.
Our hope it not that God is nice. It is that by becoming Man, by fasting and temptation, by bloody sweat and agony, by being beating and killed and buried, by rising and ascending and finally by sending the Holy Spirit to bear witness of Himself to us through the Apostles, He has made Himself our dearest friend. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not known what his Master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
He has kept us from being orphans. He has set us into families – even closer, the intimate community of His Church! He has declared us His beloved and we are clean.
He hears you when you cry. He sanctifies His Name in us by sprinkling us clean with water, by putting His Spirit within you, removing your stony heart and giving you a compassionate, fleshly heart. He declares you to be perfect keepers of His Law. The Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you, thus you are holy as He is holy, thus you suffer, as He suffered; and thus you love, even as He loves – selflessly, sacrificially – embracing the brother and the stranger alike for the sake of Christ for them and for you.
You are His people and He is our God and His love covers the multitude of our sins. You are caused to dwell within His land, even the gates of heaven, here within His life-together as His beloved Bride.
You are not alone. The Lord Jesus has ascended to the Father to send His Spirit to you. The Spirit speaks in His Word, in Holy Baptism, in the Holy Absolution, even in the Holy Communion, and He delivers the Lord Jesus to His people. You have been removed from the synagogue of this world and placed in the house of the Lord. You are not orphans. You are not alone. The Father Himself loves you. Jesus loves you. The Spirit loves you.
The end of all things is at hand. Rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. Until then, dear friends and brothers, “boldly strive for heavenly treasure, be steadfast in the Savior’s might, trust the Lord who stands beside you, for Jesus from all harm will hide you. By faith you conquer in the fight. Take courage, weary soul! Look forward to the goal! Joy awaits you. The race well run, your long war won, your crown shines splendid as the sun.” (LSB 668:2) Amen.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
There are plenty of things that hurt us more than sticks and stones. Betrayal by a friend, rejection by a spouse, poor choices of children, the death of a loved one, all hurt far more than any wound to the flesh. So also jealousy, envy, and regret are more painful than broken bones and bruises. Those heal and leave scars. But all the things that hurt our hearts tend never to fully heal, but leave a manageable, yet tender wound.
And all those things are some form of, or are touched by, loneliness.
Man was not meant to be alone. We cannot survive without companions, to live in community, fellowship with both God and man, a life-together. And to be cut-off – whether it is name calling on the playground, prejudice in the workplace, adultery, violence, hatred without cause, or even our own deplorable, isolating sin – to be cut off, to be shunned, imprisoned, forgotten, or of no use to anyone, these are the most painful of our painful possibilities. Thus we pray, O King of glory, leave us not without consolation, but send us the Spirit of truth.
Our Lord endured them all. He knows better than us the worst of being human.
So beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you, but rejoice, for Christ also endured and suffered. He knows what it is to be let down, disappointed, and heartbroken. He was betrayed by a friend. He was mocked and called names and beaten. He was hated without cause. His name was profaned among the nations. He was tortured until death. He had no helpers at the Cross, no friends, and certainly no substitutes. He did it alone.
But this was not some vain stung meant to impress us or to gain our pity. He did this so that you would be spared, in order that you would not be left alone. Thus He says to His disciples, I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. I will send the Helper from My Father, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, and He will bear witness of Me. If the world hates you, know that it hated Me first.
“I will not leave you as orphans,” your Jesus says, “You will not be alone. But no longer are you servants, or even children, anymore. I call you friends. And the Spirit, whom I send to you, He will bear witness of Me. And by Him and in Him you will be My witnesses. You will be to one another My helpers, My comforters, those whom I send.”
This, beloved, is what St Peter heard that evening in the upper room; the night of the scandalous betrayal. And this is what he writes to you, on the other side of the Ascension: Be self-controlled and sober-minded; above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another. The ground and strength and promise for all our community is in Jesus Christ. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
And that is the cure for loneliness, for regret, for broken hearts, for weary souls afraid to love or trust again. The cure is not the general benevolence of God, that God is basically nice and kindly disposed toward us. Nor is it even that we help and are of service to our neighbor. Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake that I act, but for the sake of My Holy Name.
The cure, dear ones, is the actual, historical loneliness and despair of Jesus Christ on the Cross, as the fiery trial of the Father’s wrath was visited upon Him. He endured the jealousy, envy, and hatred of all men. He was cut off, subjected to the wicked whims and cruelty of the ruler of this world. And the Father hid His face from Him. All this He endured on your behalf.
Our hope it not that God is nice. It is that by becoming Man, by fasting and temptation, by bloody sweat and agony, by being beating and killed and buried, by rising and ascending and finally by sending the Holy Spirit to bear witness of Himself to us through the Apostles, He has made Himself our dearest friend. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not known what his Master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
He has kept us from being orphans. He has set us into families – even closer, the intimate community of His Church! He has declared us His beloved and we are clean.
He hears you when you cry. He sanctifies His Name in us by sprinkling us clean with water, by putting His Spirit within you, removing your stony heart and giving you a compassionate, fleshly heart. He declares you to be perfect keepers of His Law. The Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you, thus you are holy as He is holy, thus you suffer, as He suffered; and thus you love, even as He loves – selflessly, sacrificially – embracing the brother and the stranger alike for the sake of Christ for them and for you.
You are His people and He is our God and His love covers the multitude of our sins. You are caused to dwell within His land, even the gates of heaven, here within His life-together as His beloved Bride.
You are not alone. The Lord Jesus has ascended to the Father to send His Spirit to you. The Spirit speaks in His Word, in Holy Baptism, in the Holy Absolution, even in the Holy Communion, and He delivers the Lord Jesus to His people. You have been removed from the synagogue of this world and placed in the house of the Lord. You are not orphans. You are not alone. The Father Himself loves you. Jesus loves you. The Spirit loves you.
The end of all things is at hand. Rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. Until then, dear friends and brothers, “boldly strive for heavenly treasure, be steadfast in the Savior’s might, trust the Lord who stands beside you, for Jesus from all harm will hide you. By faith you conquer in the fight. Take courage, weary soul! Look forward to the goal! Joy awaits you. The race well run, your long war won, your crown shines splendid as the sun.” (LSB 668:2) Amen.
RSS Feed