St. Paul Lutheran Church
Sermon by Pastor Balogh

June 22, 2008 - listen to this sermon in mp3!

Matthew 10:34-42 (The text is the same as our gospel reading.)

 I'll wager that for many people the words of our Savior found in this
text are not necessarily the most well known of Jesus' words but that's
because I believe that these words not readily accepted by the majority
of people.  I say that just based on my own and anecdotal accounts from
other pastors concerning some of the issues found here.
 Yet, it is important that we remember that these are the words of our
Savior Jesus.  He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings.  He is the
one to whom God the Father has imparted all authority in heaven and on
earth.  In other words, in everything, from beginning to end, Jesus has
the last word.  We can, in this life, bebop along and ignore Jesus!  Yet,
when we finally get to heaven and Jesus is there to examine our lives,
what defense will you muster when Jesus says, "I asked this of you but
you in your heart determined that I was not worthy of being listened to!
Why didn't you believe?"   Yes, what will we say?  Well, Jesus, I just
didn't think you had any right!"  "Yes, sir, I know that's what you said
but you are so out of touch and to follow you would have brought me some
grief and so I felt it was best to ignore you."  I am going to guess that
each of us realizes the total folly of such answers.  Seriously, what
defense will we offer for ignoring the wonder of God's Word, yes, for
ignoring the Savior Jesus?
 Let's then look closer at these words and wrestle with what they say.
Our theme will be JESUS, PRICELESS TREASURE.  1st. Discipleship's cost.
2nd. Salvation's cost.
 Please remember that our words are the concluding paragraphs that Jesus
spoke to the Twelve disciples as he first sent them out to the world to
announce that the kingdom of heaven was near.  Jesus sent these men out,
fully prepared for what would be.  Yet his words were not only to prepare
them for the ministry that they would do, his words are also for us, who
still hold that ministry of the Lord in our lives.  Did you catch that?
I said, we still hold the ministry of the Lord in our lives.  What do I
mean?
 To help you understand that you have a ministry, let me share with you
the words of 1 Peter 2:9. But you are a chosen people, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may
declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his
wonderful light."  Those words are for all believers.  All believers are
chosen royalty of the house of God.  All believers are made holy and
adopted as the sons and daughters of the Lord.  Did you note that as
members of God's household we have a response to this wonder of God?  The
response is that we "declare the praises of him".  That's our ministry.
That's how we are to serve the Lord.  We are to be his witnesses, his
stewards, his children who in our lives are witnesses sharing the Light
of the Lord with a sin darkened world.
 Our ministry is to share the glory of the Lord with others.  It's true,
the Pastor is called to do this publicly in the name of the Lord for the
congregation, but that does not absolve the members of a congregation
from sharing the marvels of Jesus with the people around them.  Everyone
has the responsibility of sharing Jesus and his Word.  Everyone is called
to be a disciple and thus the words of Jesus before us are certainly to
be a part of our lives.
 So here is Jesus sharing with us some insights, some directions, some
facts about what we will encounter as we go to the world with the sweet
gospel of Jesus.  Again, look at the text.
 The first words are rather shocking.  Jesus says, Do not suppose that I
have come to bring peace to the earth.  I did not come to bring peace,
but a sword."  We want to jump up and say, "What, in Jesus there is no
peace?"  A careful study of these words in connection with all that Jesus
reveals helps us grasp the point.  Jesus is not talking about the
spiritual peace that is a believer's because of the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus is talking "peace" as the world wants it.  In this world, the name
of Jesus is not going to bring you peace in the earthly setting of life.
The message of Jesus is not going to stop wars, crime, disease, hatred
and the numerous other ills found in this world.  For that matter it is
rather clear in these words and others that the name of Jesus is going to
cause trouble in the world.  Since the world hated him and crucified him
to try and get rid of Him Jesus says that they will hate you who bear His
name.  So peace, peace as the world wants it, won't be if you are a child
of God and an heir of eternal life.  The world is going to respond to
your Savior and his name with the sword.
 This lack of peace is even going to affect households.  That's what
Jesus points out in his next words.  He says, "For I have come to turn,
'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a
daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-a man's enemies will be the
members of his own household."  Please note that because of Jesus the
sword will be found in our own houses.
 I have a feeling that many of you have experienced this truth.  You
speak to your children about being in church and they give you the old
"don't bug me about that stuff" look.  Some children might even be a bit
more in your face: "If you don't back off the church stuff, we just won't
come around any more and you won't see your grandkids anymore."  Our
children choose a lifestyle that we know is contrary to God's Word and we
just shut up about it, because we know if we say anything they will work
at making us miserable.  Even in the church, members get divided and the
church then compromises the name of Jesus to keep the peace.  The church
stops calling sin sin and eventually the church takes the "God is love,"
everything is fine stance.  We do know the battle that is pointed to in
this text.  Who will be first?  Jesus?  Or the family?
 To highlight all the more this truth and its implications Jesus then
goes on.  He says, "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is
not worthy of me; anyone who love his son or daughter more than me is not
worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not
worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his
life for my sake will find it."
 These words remind us that when the sword arises in our families we need
to take a stand.  Is it Jesus who is more important or the family?  Jesus
lays out the attitude of the child of God.  Jesus is to be number one.
That doesn't mean that we have to reject our family if they chose not to
be Christian.  What that means is that we still let the light of Jesus
shine in our lives.  If their hatred of Jesus is so strong that they no
longer want us in their lives, then what shall we do?  Here is the point
of Jesus.  When our family rejects us because of Jesus we need to be
careful not to reject Jesus for the sake of family.  These are powerful
words.
 Again, these are difficult words.  I know the many struggles we have as
members of families and as God's precious children.  But don't let those
struggles tear you away from Jesus.  Don't let those who hate Jesus cause
you to be embarrassed because of your faith.  Don't compromise your
Savior for peace.
 By the way, those last words are so today.  People run around talking
about "I need to find myself, to find out who I am."  I have never really
understood such lines but the world uses these things all the time.
Jesus words address the issue.  "Whoever finds his life will lose it" is
a statement that alludes to this idea of "finding myself."  Why is it
that usually when we are trying to "find" ourselves we have to crawl into
the world of sin?  I have never heard of a situation where someone went
out and worked at absolute good to find the true them.  Jesus' point
again I think is rather clear.  When we understand that He is our life,
he is Alpha and Omega, our heart and core, our narrow path, this world is
much easier to endure.  When Jesus is our guide and life we don't have to
worry about addictions, std's, unwanted babies, prison time for theft and
the like.  We just live our lives knowing that God will take care of us
no matter what.  That's what it means to lose our life (give up on the
things of this world) and be found in Jesus.
 How interesting that the last paragraph goes from "physical family" to
"church family."  He is speaking to us strictly as his children and
believers.  "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me
receives the one who sent me."  The rest of the words that follow simple
help us to see that these words apply to all believers: pastors or lay
people.  When we receive our fellow believers for Christ sake we receive
Jesus.  When we receive Jesus we receive the Father.  It just how faith
works.  It's a reminder to take care of each other especially in the
perilous journey of faith.
 That, Dear people, is the cost of discipleship.  It is what can be when
we are the children of God.  What is most important for us to grasp first
though, is that for God to offer this discipleship there was a cost.
That cost was Jesus.
 Here is why our theme is Jesus, priceless treasure.  We go through life
bumbling and stumbling, sometimes leaving Jesus behind, sometimes we are
even so crass as to grab the hammer and pound the nails into Jesus.  Yet
please remember what Jesus has done for you.  Yes, he was hung on the
cross and yes, our sins pounded those nails in.  Buy that's why He went.
He went to the cross to pay for our sins.  He went to be our Savior and
to offer us the greatest treasure this would could know: he offers us
eternal life and salvation.  He offers this gift not because we are
worthy but rather because of his great love and his mercy upon us.
 In Jesus is found the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.  I know we
wrestle with that truth.  We look at our lives and wonder how Jesus could
love such a sinner.  But He does.  It is not the fact that you have sin
that throws off Jesus, it is rather when we chose sin, revel in sin, love
sin more than we love Jesus that becomes a problem.  As I've said before,
it is one thing to fall into sin and it is quite another to willingly and
gleefully jump into sin.  As God's children we have sin and as God's
children we have the forgiveness of sins in Jesus and what He
accomplished.  The only thing that hinders this marvel of Jesus is
unbelief.  When we no longer hear the wonder of Jesus, that's a problem.
When we no longer care about what Jesus says and reveals, or when we
determine that it's okay for Jesus to be second fiddle to our desires,
that's a problem.  Jesus did this awesome thing for us: He died and rose
to declare us His children and heirs of eternal life.  This is ours by
the gift of faith.  This is ours because Jesus is such a treasure!
 There is nothing in all the world that could pay for our sins but Jesus.
 There is nothing we could do or accomplish to earn eternal life in this
world but know that Jesus won the gift for us.  No silver or gold could
buy God's kingdom and yet the precious blood of the Lamb of God grants
and gives that kingdom out of love.  Jesus.  Priceless treasure!
 Lord, help us to hear and believe.  Help us to keep Jesus in our hearts
and to let his love, grace and mercy guide our lives.  Amen.