READINGS FROM HOLY SCRIPTURE:
Job 19:23-27
1 Corinthians 5:6-8
St. Mark 16:1-8
To you all, my true children in the common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Who speaks to you today, saying:
“But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you…”
Maybe you are not feeling as I am right now, and I ask you to indulge me for just a second. Normally I hate personal things in sermons, but well…
Last year, the heart of the church stopped beating. Rather, it had been stopped by an outside force. It was forcibly put into a coma, forcibly flat-lined, forcibly silenced. And the silence that ensued was deafening and heart breaking, for what followed was a devilish charge of demonic deployments.
As soon as the doors closed, satan licked his lips, rubbed his hands together, and sounded the trumpet to advance. For now that the sacraments had been locked up, there was no more fear. Since it appeared as if God’s sacramental connection to His Church was severed, what need was there for the devil’s armies to hold back?
And hold back he did not. The temptations were heard and believed far and wide: “Jesus shows up at your house, just as well as at church”, “You don’t need a mediator, you just need Jesus”, and “at least I still believe in my heart” are just some examples.
While, these are not new temptations, those who succumbed to them increased like false positive PCR numbers, and attendance, even a year later, has dropped. We did not need that push, that show of weakness, because we were already sliding that direction.
Yes, Jesus shows up at your house, but He shows up to say why aren’t you at my Church (Mt 22:8)?
Yes, you don’t need a mere mediator, but you forget that I AM is the Mediator between you and God (Heb 12:24) and God works through men (Lk 10:16).
Yes, you can believe with your heart, but how can you believe if you don’t hear and how can you hear if someone isn’t preaching (Rom 10:14) and remember, your heart is deceitful above all things (Jer 17:9), so why trust it now?
But thanks be to God that our glass and metal and wooden doors do not equate to the hidden Church’s doors. Though by faith we see them as the same when we come to church, our doors can be locked, and the gate of heaven remain unbarred. Our doors can be darkened, and the Light of the World shines on. Our doors can be shut or destroyed, and death continues to have no dominion over the Temple of God: Christ’s Body.
Thus this Easter for me holds even more joy and I am experiencing grace upon grace upon grace, even more so because you all are here with me, filling this place. But this is every Easter. Every Easter this placed is filled, regardless of what it looks like to the outside observer. Every day Service is offered, for that matter.
For every Sunday of the Church Year is a little Easter and every Easter is a reminder of the sin-filled, rebellious road we walked on to get to this day. And a reminder of our heavenly Father expectantly awaiting our return. For, God wants us removed from that shadow-filled, valley road, so He makes us walk it year after year, to remind us of our sin and to drive us to His true Church where we eat and drink forgiveness.
Because, guess what? You may not have been here last year, but the Lord was. You may not have held the risen Body and Blood of our Lord in your faithful hands then, but you get to today. And the same words and the same ceremony and the same hymns drive the point home as if you had never left. Thanks be to God.
This is the sting of sin and the comfort of the Gospel. First the sting: we are not needed. Others will hear and believe if we don’t want to. God’s Word will move on because it remains true, when we do not. Second the comfort: that the Word is true when we are not. He is faithful when we are not. He remains the same, so that when we return from our sin, we may find Him again.
The comfort and peace that the Divine Service gives us is that of having left home forever and returning to find it exactly as it was, full of grace and truth and my newly cleansed heart is full.
In fact, Psalm 45 expresses Job’s faith saying, “My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.” The ready scribe of Job’s pen which writes with lead and iron, the words: “I know that my redeemer lives and in my flesh I will see Him.”
The kingdom and will of God certainly come without our prayers. The Church of God comes and stays without our prayers, but we do our utmost to make sure those doors are open so that we can say it comes among us also. And it always does and it always will.
Of Easter, St. John Chrysostom from the 4th century, preaches:
If any man be devout and love God, let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast.
If any man be a wise servant, let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord.
If any have labored long in fasting, let him now receive his recompense.
If any have wrought from the first hour, let him today receive his just reward.
If any have come at the third hour, let him with thankfulness keep the feast.
If any have arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; because he shall in nowise be deprived therefore.
If any have delayed until the ninth hour, let him draw near, fearing nothing.
If any have tarried even until the eleventh hour, let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness; for the Lord, who is jealous of his honor, will accept the last even as the first; he gives rest unto him who comes at the eleventh hour, even as unto him who has wrought from the first hour.
And he shows mercy upon the last, and cares for the first; and to the one he gives, and upon the other he bestows gifts.
And he both accepts the deeds, and welcomes the intention, and honors the acts and praises the offering.
Wherefore, enter you all into the joy of your Lord; and receive your reward, both the first, and likewise the second.
You rich and poor together, hold high festival. You sober and you heedless, honor the day.
Rejoice today, both you who have fasted and you who have disregarded the fast.
The table is full-laden; feast ye all sumptuously. The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away.
Enjoy ye all the feast of faith: Receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness.
Let no one bewail his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one weep for his iniquities, for pardon has shown forth from the grave.
Let no one fear death, for the Savior's death has set us free.
He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it.
By descending into Hell, He made Hell captive.
He embittered it when it tasted of His flesh. And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry: Hell, said he, was embittered, when it encountered Thee in the lower regions.
It was embittered, for it was abolished.
It was embittered, for it was mocked.
It was embittered, for it was slain.
It was embittered, for it was overthrown.
It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains.
It took a body, and met God face to face.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen.
O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory?
Christ is risen, and you are overthrown.
Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen.
Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice.
Christ is risen, and life reigns.
Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave.
For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages.
Forever and ever.
Amen.
Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
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