Jeremiah 7:1-11/Romans 9:30-10:4/St Luke 19:41-48
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
Our Lord Jesus once drew near to a funeral procession and saw the tears of a widow weeping over the dead body of her only son. He had a Word for her: Do not weep (Lk 7:13). And then He raised him from the dead and gave him back to his mother. Jesus once drew near to a house of Jairus and saw his tears. His twelve year old daughter had died. He had a Word for the parents: Do not weep (Lk 8:52). He took the girl’s hand and raised her up. When Jesus was lead to the Cross, He was followed by a large group of women who were weeping and wailing over the brutality of His treatment and His impending death. Somehow He mustered the strength to utter a Word to them: Do not weep (Lk 23:28).
That is what He came to do. To draw near to hearts broken with grief and sorrow, mourning and sadness and heal them. To see the tears of man and wipe them away. To behold the unspeakable sorrow of life in this world and bring a Word of peace and comfort and joy to it.
So something is very odd in this morning’s Gospel. Jesus draws near to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, His not-so-triumphal entry, He beholds the city, and He weeps. God cries. His heart breaks for those within her walls. You know this very feeling if you have seen the horrific images these past weeks of the abortion videos from Planned Parenthood. Your heart breaks. You feel it in your gut, in your bones. You weep for those within her womb.
So our Lord Jesus. You would have thought that Jerusalem would know the things that make for peace. Jerusalem literally means, “City of Peace.” But they refused those things. Things like Jesus’ Word. Things like His shed blood. Things like the throne of His Cross and His crown of thorns. Things like the nails piercing His hands and feet. Those are the things that make for peace between God and man, the death of the true King. But they refuse to believe. And that is what makes God cry - unbelief; His love rejected.
If the city spurns the things of Jesus’ peace, all that’s left for them is the peace that the Romans bring. The Pax Romana. And they know how to bring it. Our Lord warns them: in about 40 years, in A+D 70, a Roman general named Titus would draw near and bring his own version of peace; the peace that only a pagan, godless government can bring.
And the things that brought Roman peace were things like the cutting off of Jerusalem’s food supply so that thousands of Jews would die or resort to eating rats, or worse. Things like forcing weak, hungry Jews to bury their own dead so that they would fall into the graves themselves, half alive. Things like the alleys of Jerusalem clogged with thousands of corpses. Things like gigantic piles of dirt ringing the walls, where those who tried to climb to escape were given their own cross upon which they were hung. All of this happened to Jerusalem in A+D 70 because they refused the peace that Jesus gave. The Last Day will be much worse. No wonder Jesus weeps. Kyrie Eleison!
So here we are in the year of our Lord 2015 and we are still all messed up. Still trying to find peace and rest outside of Jesus, outside His Word and the things of His peace.
There you are again, trying to justify that naughty thing you did. That’s not finding your peace in Jesus. There you are again, thinking you can handle that guilt of yours by yourself. That’s not finding your peace in Jesus. There you are again, frustrated and angry in a world that is unfair and you’re always venting. But that’s not finding your peace in Jesus. There you are again discontent, nursing your bitterness, stewing with resentment, and giving God the silent treatment. None of these things make for true peace. Rather, they are the things that destroy a person and make God weep.
Repent. Today is the Day of your Visitation. Today your Lord Jesus comes to you in the way of the prophet Jeremiah and declares to you the things that make for peace. Today you have a chance to do what Jerusalem never did. Today is not the day to say, “I was baptized, therefore it doesn’t matter that I lie, cheat, steal, hate and live any way I want.” Today is not the day to say, “Of course I’m in, I’m Lutheran.” Today is not the day to say, “This is the Church of the Lord, the Church of the Lord, the Church of the Lord.” And go on willfully sinning.
Rather, today is the day to confess your lack of faith in Christ Jesus and His Word; to confess your lack of proper fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
So repent, but do not weep. For Jesus draws near not only to warn you in love and compassion, but to bring you His Word of Peace to absolve you.
So do not weep. Your Jesus draws near in mercy and pity. He reminds and comforts you with the things He did to make for your peace. For He went to His Cross and Passion, taking the naughty things you’ve done into His nailed hands and feet. There He was, burdened with the guilt of sinners on His bloody back and handling it for you by shouldering it to the Cross, emptying it of its power to accuse. There He was, treated very unfairly, unjustly, but doesn’t retaliate.
Instead He takes your anger, your bitterness, your resentment right into His pierced side. And He buries it. Then He triumphs over it by His resurrection, putting an end to the Law for righteousness to all who believe. Stop hunting for a scapegoat for your troubles. You have something better. Yours is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Of course Jesus entered the Temple and drove out those who sold. He must have room for Himself. Your loving Savior came into the world not to sell, not to getting anything out of you, but to freely give. Of course He scattered the sacrificial animals. What are they compared to Him, God’s final and complete sacrifice for all your sins? Of course He overturned the table, for He came to overturn the devil’s kingdom and purchase you with His precious blood, reckoning to you a righteousness that comes by faith alone in Him.
Do not weep. There is no need. For there was once a funeral procession and you were the dead sons. But Jesus drew near and baptized you, raised you from the dead and saved you from eternal wailing, never to die again. You were once dead in your trespasses and sins, but Jesus drew near and raised you from the dead to be His Temple. You were once dead in your sins, but Jesus drew near, and baptized you, and made you alive with His Spirit to be His new Jerusalem, His new city of peace in this world, having mercy and pity on all. Do not weep, but be exceedingly glad.
Of course Jesus overturned the tables. For He had a better Table in view. One that He has set up in your midst and to which He calls you this morning. Upon this Table are the things that made and make for peace - the Bread which is His Body, the Cup filled with the Wine that is His Blood. This is our peace. The Body of Jesus is our Peace, our Rest, our Joy, our Hope, our Healer of Broken Hearts and Wiper-Away of all tears. Hang upon Him and His Word.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
Our Lord Jesus once drew near to a funeral procession and saw the tears of a widow weeping over the dead body of her only son. He had a Word for her: Do not weep (Lk 7:13). And then He raised him from the dead and gave him back to his mother. Jesus once drew near to a house of Jairus and saw his tears. His twelve year old daughter had died. He had a Word for the parents: Do not weep (Lk 8:52). He took the girl’s hand and raised her up. When Jesus was lead to the Cross, He was followed by a large group of women who were weeping and wailing over the brutality of His treatment and His impending death. Somehow He mustered the strength to utter a Word to them: Do not weep (Lk 23:28).
That is what He came to do. To draw near to hearts broken with grief and sorrow, mourning and sadness and heal them. To see the tears of man and wipe them away. To behold the unspeakable sorrow of life in this world and bring a Word of peace and comfort and joy to it.
So something is very odd in this morning’s Gospel. Jesus draws near to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, His not-so-triumphal entry, He beholds the city, and He weeps. God cries. His heart breaks for those within her walls. You know this very feeling if you have seen the horrific images these past weeks of the abortion videos from Planned Parenthood. Your heart breaks. You feel it in your gut, in your bones. You weep for those within her womb.
So our Lord Jesus. You would have thought that Jerusalem would know the things that make for peace. Jerusalem literally means, “City of Peace.” But they refused those things. Things like Jesus’ Word. Things like His shed blood. Things like the throne of His Cross and His crown of thorns. Things like the nails piercing His hands and feet. Those are the things that make for peace between God and man, the death of the true King. But they refuse to believe. And that is what makes God cry - unbelief; His love rejected.
If the city spurns the things of Jesus’ peace, all that’s left for them is the peace that the Romans bring. The Pax Romana. And they know how to bring it. Our Lord warns them: in about 40 years, in A+D 70, a Roman general named Titus would draw near and bring his own version of peace; the peace that only a pagan, godless government can bring.
And the things that brought Roman peace were things like the cutting off of Jerusalem’s food supply so that thousands of Jews would die or resort to eating rats, or worse. Things like forcing weak, hungry Jews to bury their own dead so that they would fall into the graves themselves, half alive. Things like the alleys of Jerusalem clogged with thousands of corpses. Things like gigantic piles of dirt ringing the walls, where those who tried to climb to escape were given their own cross upon which they were hung. All of this happened to Jerusalem in A+D 70 because they refused the peace that Jesus gave. The Last Day will be much worse. No wonder Jesus weeps. Kyrie Eleison!
So here we are in the year of our Lord 2015 and we are still all messed up. Still trying to find peace and rest outside of Jesus, outside His Word and the things of His peace.
There you are again, trying to justify that naughty thing you did. That’s not finding your peace in Jesus. There you are again, thinking you can handle that guilt of yours by yourself. That’s not finding your peace in Jesus. There you are again, frustrated and angry in a world that is unfair and you’re always venting. But that’s not finding your peace in Jesus. There you are again discontent, nursing your bitterness, stewing with resentment, and giving God the silent treatment. None of these things make for true peace. Rather, they are the things that destroy a person and make God weep.
Repent. Today is the Day of your Visitation. Today your Lord Jesus comes to you in the way of the prophet Jeremiah and declares to you the things that make for peace. Today you have a chance to do what Jerusalem never did. Today is not the day to say, “I was baptized, therefore it doesn’t matter that I lie, cheat, steal, hate and live any way I want.” Today is not the day to say, “Of course I’m in, I’m Lutheran.” Today is not the day to say, “This is the Church of the Lord, the Church of the Lord, the Church of the Lord.” And go on willfully sinning.
Rather, today is the day to confess your lack of faith in Christ Jesus and His Word; to confess your lack of proper fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
So repent, but do not weep. For Jesus draws near not only to warn you in love and compassion, but to bring you His Word of Peace to absolve you.
So do not weep. Your Jesus draws near in mercy and pity. He reminds and comforts you with the things He did to make for your peace. For He went to His Cross and Passion, taking the naughty things you’ve done into His nailed hands and feet. There He was, burdened with the guilt of sinners on His bloody back and handling it for you by shouldering it to the Cross, emptying it of its power to accuse. There He was, treated very unfairly, unjustly, but doesn’t retaliate.
Instead He takes your anger, your bitterness, your resentment right into His pierced side. And He buries it. Then He triumphs over it by His resurrection, putting an end to the Law for righteousness to all who believe. Stop hunting for a scapegoat for your troubles. You have something better. Yours is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Of course Jesus entered the Temple and drove out those who sold. He must have room for Himself. Your loving Savior came into the world not to sell, not to getting anything out of you, but to freely give. Of course He scattered the sacrificial animals. What are they compared to Him, God’s final and complete sacrifice for all your sins? Of course He overturned the table, for He came to overturn the devil’s kingdom and purchase you with His precious blood, reckoning to you a righteousness that comes by faith alone in Him.
Do not weep. There is no need. For there was once a funeral procession and you were the dead sons. But Jesus drew near and baptized you, raised you from the dead and saved you from eternal wailing, never to die again. You were once dead in your trespasses and sins, but Jesus drew near and raised you from the dead to be His Temple. You were once dead in your sins, but Jesus drew near, and baptized you, and made you alive with His Spirit to be His new Jerusalem, His new city of peace in this world, having mercy and pity on all. Do not weep, but be exceedingly glad.
Of course Jesus overturned the tables. For He had a better Table in view. One that He has set up in your midst and to which He calls you this morning. Upon this Table are the things that made and make for peace - the Bread which is His Body, the Cup filled with the Wine that is His Blood. This is our peace. The Body of Jesus is our Peace, our Rest, our Joy, our Hope, our Healer of Broken Hearts and Wiper-Away of all tears. Hang upon Him and His Word.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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