Sermon Archive - January 4th, 2009

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=3 height=130 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="12ba6e903.jpg"> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="11fcbc320.jpg" border=0 width="700" height="50" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>OFC:  713-526-5731      5315 MAIN STREET, HOUSTON TEXAS 77004      FAX: 713-524-1709</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="St. Matthew Lutheran Church Houston, Te"><U><B>HOME</B></U></A><B>  ~   </B><A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Worship Schedule"><U><B>WORSHIP</B></U></A><B>  ~  </B><A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Map Directions"><U><B>LOCATION</B></U></A><B>  ~  </B><A HREF="id362.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="URL Calendar Home Link"><U><B>CALENDAR</B></U></A><B>  ~  </B><A HREF="mailto:info@stmatthewhouston.org?subject=Website Inquiry" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:info@stmatthewhouston.org?subject"><U><B>EMAIL US</B></U></A><B>  ~  </B><A HREF="id452.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Site Map"><U><B>SITE MAP</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=155 BGCOLOR="#660000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="123030970.jpg" border=0 width="48" height="151" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <A HREF="id464.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Welcome"><U>Welcome</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id465.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lutheran Beliefs"><U>Lutheran Beliefs</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id466.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="How to Join"><U>How to Join</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id467.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Local Missions"><U>Local Missions</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id468.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Global Missions"><U>Global Missions</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id508.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Parish Education"><U>Parish Education</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=280 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> Sermon Archive - January 4th, 2009</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="568" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#990000" BORDERCOLORDARK="#FFCC99" FRAME="VOID" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#FFCC99 HEIGHT= 18 WIDTH="134"><div> <A HREF="id563.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="St. Matthew Sermon Archives"><U><IMG SRC="157a270e0.png" border=0 width="39" height="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#990000 WIDTH="421"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="18" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="421" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>“Favor with God and Man”</B></div> <div> Luke 2:40-52</div> <div>  Second Sunday after Christmas: January 4, 2009</div> <div> Pastor Mark Wiesenborn</div> <div> St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Houston, Texas</div> <div>       </div> <div>      <I>Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.</I>  Our text for this morning's message is taken from the Gospel reading, where we find a rare description of Jesus at the age of twelve:</div> <div> “<I><B>Jesus increased in </B></I><I><B><U>wisdom</U></B></I><I><B> and in </B></I><I><B><U>stature</U></B></I><I><B> and in </B></I><I><B><U>favor</U></B></I><I><B> with God and man</B></I>.”</div> <bR> <div>      Dear friends in Christ, this verse and the few lines that precede it are all that we know about the life of Jesus from the time of his infancy, until he was baptized by John in the Jordan when he was around thirty years old. What experiences did Jesus have while he was growing up? Sooner or later, most of us are curious about that.</div> <bR> <div>      Some of the early Christians were just as curious, and they fashioned some pretty “fanciful” stories about him to fill the gap.  Here are a few examples of these:</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800008000.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The boy Jesus made twelve sparrows out of clay, and when he clapped his hands they flew off.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800008000.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Visiting a dyer, he dipped several sheets of cloth into a vat of black dye; when the dyer complained to Mary, Jesus took them out one by one, each dyed a different color as the dyer requested.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800008000.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Jesus humiliated his old teacher by giving deeper explanations of the meaning of Hebrew letters than the teacher could come up with.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800008000.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">When his father Joseph the carpenter had trouble fitting pieces of wood together, Jesus just blessed them and they fell into place.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800008000.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">A local bully broke Jesus' sand castles with a stick, and Jesus spoke a word that withered him on the spot. The other kids wouldn't play with Jesus, so he turned them into goats.</div> <bR> <div>      These are only a sample of the antics attributed to the miracle-working “<B>Super-Boy</B>” that you will find in the so-called “<I><B>Infancy Gospels</B></I>,” and apocryphal books like the Gospel of James or the Gospel of Thomas. If we're tempted to think some of the stories we read about Jesus in the Bible sound <U>too miraculous to be true</U>, we should compare them with the stuff that didn't make it - really far-out, goofy, and even not very nice stories that aren't worthy of our Lord.</div> <bR> <div>      But there's nothing far-fetched or miraculous about the incident that we read this morning from the second chapter of Luke's Gospel. In some ways it's a pretty down-to-earth story, something that could happen to us - perhaps a parent's worst nightmare. It reminds us of the movie <I><B>Home Alone</B></I>. In that film the family takes a plane trip, and when they reach their destination they discover they have forgotten one of their boys! Everyone thought he was with somebody else - just as, in our passage from Luke, Jesus' parents went a day's journey toward Nazareth before they ever realized Jesus was still back in Jerusalem.</div> <bR> <div>      <B>Were they careless parents</B>, to go that far without knowing for certain where he was? We have to put this story into its cultural setting. Whole villages would travel together up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover, and many villagers would be related to one another. It was a logical assumption that Jesus was somewhere else in the party, perhaps with neighbors or cousins. Families in ancient Jewish culture were extended families, not the nuclear family we have today. Besides, Jesus was twelve years old. In that culture, that's <U>when a boy became a man</U>. They didn't have a special world of teen-age life back then. When a boy reached the age for his bar mitzvah, he was ready to start moving into the world of adult male responsibilities. And a girl might be married at thirteen or fourteen. You had to grow up fast, because life was too short to prolong your childhood any longer than necessary. At age twelve, Jesus could very well be expected to be responsible for himself.</div> <bR> <div>      So what's remarkable about this story isn't that Jesus' parents didn't miss him for a whole day. <B>What's remarkable is where they finally found him</B> when they went back to the city. He wasn't where we, today, might expect to find a teenage boy that stayed behind after a trip to the city. We might look for him at a Best Buy or an Academy sporting goods store; perhaps at a pizza parlor, or the movie theater, or someplace where he could be trying the latest computer games.  Whatever ancient Jerusalem had for amusement or entertainment, that might have been <U>where Joseph and Mary first looked for Jesus</U>, because Luke tells us it took three days before they finally found him - in the Temple, discussing theology with the experts! It seems they didn't quite understand why Jesus wanted to be there. “How could you do this to us?” Mary asked. “Your Dad and I have been looking all over for you!” And they didn't understand Jesus' answer: “<I><B>Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?</B></I>” Luke tells us that Mary really had to think about these things, turning them over in her mind - “treasuring them in her heart” - as the days and years wore on.</div> <bR> <div>      No, Jesus wasn't the “<B>Super-Boy</B>” of those apocryphal stories. He's “the Word made flesh,” <U>a human being with all the attributes of humanity</U>. He was, as the writer of Hebrews says, “<I><B>one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was </B></I><I><B><U>without sin</U></B></I>.” [<I>Hebrews 4:15</I>] So when we read about how he grew up, we can understand that his growth is something of a <B>pattern</B> for our own progress and <I><B>maturing as the Lord's people</B></I>. Beholding the glory of the Lord, Paul says: “we are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory”. [<I>2</I><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" ><I>nd</I></FONT><I> Corinthians 3:18</I>] Can we do miracles, as Jesus did? Jesus promised we would do even greater things than he did, because he has gone to the Father [<I>John 14:12</I>]. We might be able to do far more than we think we can, through the power of the Holy Spirit, just as Peter and the apostles did. But even if we aren't able to imitate the miracles of our Lord, we can still follow him on the path to maturity as servants of God.</div> <bR> <div>      Luke outlines that path in the one verse of Scripture that covers everything we really know about Jesus from the time he was twelve until he began to preach the message of the kingdom of God. The redeeming work of Christ was a reality in the plan of God “before the foundation of the world” [<I>Revelation 13:8</I>], but at the human level it had to manifest itself in a “normal” process of growing up. Jesus had to be prepared for his ministry, and Luke gives us a window into how he was prepared: “<I><B>Jesus increased in </B></I><I><B><U>wisdom</U></B></I><I><B> and in </B></I><I><B><U>stature</U></B></I><I><B> and in </B></I><I><B><U>favor</U></B></I><I><B> with God and man</B></I>.” In this incident at Jerusalem, we see another <B>Epiphany</B>, a revelation of God the Father at work in the Son - a Son who told his earthly parents, “<U>Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house</U>?”</div> <bR> <div>      What can we learn from this Epiphany? First, Jesus progressed in <B>wisdom</B>. That doesn't mean having a lot of book learning, or technical skills, or arcane knowledge about some complicated subject. <I><B>Wisdom, in Scripture, is always practical</B></I>. It's the ability to cope with the situations of life; the ability to handle relationships and deal with moral issues. All the knowledge in the world won't help a person whose life is falling apart because of bad decisions he or she has made. Wisdom helps us to make good decisions, and <U>good decisions are those that take the Lord into account</U>. The wisdom books of the Bible steer us in that direction; Proverbs says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” [<I>Proverbs 9:10</I>] Ecclesiastes urges us: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” [<I>Ecclesiastes 12:13</I>]</div> <bR> <div>      Obviously, making good and wise decisions must mean making decisions according to God's pattern for human life. And that means <B>knowledge of the Word of God is essential to growing in wisdom</B>. We can't “write our own ticket,” as far as our priorities and standards and values are concerned, and expect to live in wisdom. And we can't depend on the advice of friends or acquaintances - or columnists or filmmakers or commentators - who don't understand God's purpose for his human family. Someone once said: “You don't get wisdom by pooling ignorance.” Wisdom begins in one place, and that's in the study and application of Scripture - especially those principles for <B>life in the kingdom of God</B> that Jesus lays down in the Gospels. The boy Jesus sets the pattern for us here, even at the age of twelve. It wasn't in the amusement parks or computer arcades where Jesus lingered (or whatever was their equivalent in old Jerusalem) when his parents left him behind. They found him in the Temple, <U>asking deep and perceptive questions</U> of the teachers of the Law. And “<I><B>all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers</B></I>”. [<I>Luke 2:47</I>]</div> <bR> <div>      When wisdom from the Lord replaces the so-called wisdom of the world, it makes a big difference in your life. Maybe you know what it's like to be a prisoner of your emotions; to become hurt and angry over slights, real or imagined; and to feel as though your life has been torn apart. We have to reach the point where we realize our ignorance of true wisdom, and <U>submit to the wisdom of God</U>. After that, things will begin to change!</div> <bR> <div>      There are lots of ways to grow in this wisdom that comes from the Lord. Join a Sunday school class that studies the Scripture. Start a Bible study group in your home and invite mature Christians to be part of it. Listen to the Bible on cassette tapes or CDs while driving through rush hour traffic. Pick up good teaching on Christian radio and television. Do some personal study with a good book for a guide. “<I><B>Grow in wisdom</B></I>” as you apply the Word to the issues you face in community, family and personal life.</div> <bR> <div>      Second, Jesus progressed in <B>stature</B>. This can mean either physical stature or coming to an appropriate stage of life. Both are important. As to physical growth, let's consider the question of healthy living. I don't know what all your health issues are, though I'm aware that many of you are dealing with serious conditions, some of them long-term. I have to say I admire you for your faithfulness in serving the Lord despite those limitations. Whether or not you're in reasonably good health, <U>what can you do now to preserve your health</U> through diet, exercise, rest, or giving up harmful habits such as the use of alcohol or tobacco? Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and the Lord intends for us to use and enjoy it <I><B>for His glory</B></I>. Jesus “grew in stature,” Luke tells us. That must mean he took care of himself physically, even as he progressed through the stages of youth and young manhood and attained the stature of a “prophet from Nazareth” [<I>Matthew 21:11</I>] - a preacher bringing the word of the kingdom and healing in the power of God, so that the report of his ministry went out through that entire district. [<I>Matthew 9:26</I>]</div> <bR> <div>      Third, Luke tells us that Jesus progressed “<B>in favor with God and men</B>.” The English translation here might be a bit misleading. We know that Jesus certainly enjoyed the favor of God, but after he started preaching he wasn't always favored by people. His message of the kingdom wasn't what some folks wanted to hear, because it turned their comfortable world upside down. Jesus was surely not one of the Pharisees' favorite people. But the Greek word for <B>favor</B> here suggests another nuance: “<B>grace</B>” or “<B>gifting</B>.” It wasn't that everyone liked Jesus, but that he was gifted with people - he had the ability to understand and help them. As Peter puts it, “<I><B>God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him</B></I>.” [<I>Acts 10:38</I>] Jesus was able to help others because he understood what was in their hearts. The Gospels are filled with stories of how he healed their diseases, forgave their sins, cast out those demons that oppressed them, enlightened them about the ways of the Lord, and gave them a vision for what life could be in the presence of the living God.</div> <bR> <div>      We can't control whether people favor us or like us, but we can grow in our sensitivity to the needs of others, and we can cultivate our ability to help them. One way to help others is simply to be a good listener. All the pious advice in the world may not help those hurting people we know. But just spend time with them and listen to their story, and then pray with them - and they may well sense that <B>the Lord and his people really do care</B>, and take courage amidst all their difficulties. </div> <div> Follow the example of Christ. Do what you can to “go about doing good,” and you will begin to grow “in favor with God and men.” As Paul says, “<I><B>God is at work in you, both to will and to act according his good purpose</B></I>”. [<I>Philippians 2:13</I>]</div> <bR> <div>      Our progress toward the Christ-like life isn't going to take place if we just sit around waiting for it to happen. The Lord has maturity there for each of us, but we may have to “find our way” through a wilderness of distractions in order to cultivate these qualities. Jesus sets the pattern for maturity, and each of us can follow that pattern, with his help, whether we're eighteen or eighty. Our story of the boy Jesus is another <I><B>Epiphany</B></I> for us; we see God at work not in the miracle-working “<B>Super-Boy</B>” of those fanciful old stories, but in the Christ who had emptied himself of his heavenly glory and lived under conditions much harsher than you and I typically face.  In this <U>New Year</U>, perhaps Jesus has some <U>new beginning</U> in store for you!</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>     May He who began this good work in you carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Amen.</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>GOSPEL READING</B> - Luke 2:40-52 [ESV]</div> <bR> <div>      <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >40</FONT> <B>The child (</B><I><B>Jesus</B></I><B>) grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him</B>. <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >41</FONT> Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >42</FONT> And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >43</FONT> And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >44</FONT> but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >45</FONT> and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.</div> <bR> <div>      <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >46</FONT> After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >47</FONT> And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >48</FONT> And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >49</FONT> And he said to them, “<I><B>Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?</B></I>”  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >50</FONT> And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >51</FONT> And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and <U>was submissive to them</U>. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >52</FONT> <B>And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man</B>.</div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=155 BGCOLOR="#660000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="122e30960.jpg" border=0 width="48" height="150" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <A HREF="id499.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Meet Our Leaders"><U>Meet Our Leaders</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id114.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tour Our Church"><U>Tour Our Church</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id493.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Read Our History"><U>Read Our History</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id626.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Arts and Music"><U>Arts and Music</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Special Events"><U>Special Events</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id515.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photo Gallery"><U>Photo Gallery</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=70 BGCOLOR="#660000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <A HREF="id423.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bible Search"><U><B>BIBLE SEARCH</B></U></A><B>  </B><B>~  </B><A HREF="id99.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LCMS Links"><U><B>LUTHERAN</B></U></A><A HREF="id99.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LCMS Links"><U><B> LINKS</B></U></A><B>  </B><B>~  </B><A HREF="id100.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Online Devotionals"><U><B>DEVOTIONALS</B></U></A><B>  ~  </B><A HREF="id563.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="St. Matthew Sermon Archives"><U><B>SERMON ARCHIVES</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> © 2008  St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Houston, TX - All Rights Reserved</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>