Time after Pentecost (Lectionary 33)
November 15, 2009
Once and for All
Heb 10:11-14, 19-25
No Time to Sit
Why are you sitting?
Why are you sitting? I know that I motioned you to sit down and you did. Thank you for being so cooperative. But, why? Why are you sitting?
Back in the days of Jesus you would have never thought of sitting in the temple. There were no chairs, no seats, no pews anywhere.
Not only was it a matter of respect (God was the king. And no one dared to sit in the presence of the king, or OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!). But there was work to be done. Especially by the priests. The priests were workers. They had no time to sit.
There was wood to carry every day. And fires to light. And animals to bleed, butcher, and burn. And incense to ignite to cover up the smells. And all of this had to be done EVERY day because never was that work done, final and complete.
“Every priest stands day after day at his service,” we just heard the book of Hebrews say. He stands. He stands in his service. “Offering again and again the same sacrifice that can never take any sins away.”
Chickens with their Heads Cut Off
And doesn’t that sound just like us? Doing frenetic tasks that are never finished. Running like chickens with our heads cut off. Maybe we don’t offer up animal sacrifices anymore. But we do make sacrifices of our time and our money, especially for the kids.
I once sat across from a local cop at a church dinner. And I was pumping him for information to use against my daughter. I asked him about driving habits and who it was that he pulled over the most often. I wanted him to say young giggly teenage girls driving green Honda Accords. That’s what I wanted him to say.
But, no. Instead he said “soccer moms in minivans.” They are the worst and fastest speeders. They are always rushing from one place to another. Their work is never done.
The Trademark of our Culture
And isn’t that the trademark of us culture? People on the go…with things to do…because they want to be the perfect mom or dad and make the “right sacrifices” for their sons and daughters.
And if people are not here on Sunday morning sitting in these pews (especially some of our younger families) it isn’t because they are at home being lazy. But rather they are off to another event trying to do what they think is best for their kids. And wouldn’t it feel great to just sit down sometime and rest. Wouldn’t that be heaven?
Jesus Sat
Jesus sat down and rested. When Jesus our great high priest sacrificed himself upon the altar of the cross, he made a single sacrifice—just one!—for all time. A perfect “one.”
And then he sat down at the right hand of God. Jesus sat. Not just to show his power and authority, although it shows that, too. But also to show that his work is done. It is complete. And perfect. And finished. “It is finished.” Didn’t Jesus say that from the cross.
Although Jesus died on earth, he lives. He lives above. His blood has dealt with the sins of all humanity—including yours. His blood has become a bath that purifies people. All people. Including you.
The “Work” of Our Salvation is Finished
And so, there is the full and final and complete forgiveness of all our sins. A total and complete write-off of all our debt. The demolition of all the walls and barriers that stand between us and our God.
“Where there is forgiveness of sin,” the book of Hebrews tells us, “there is no longer [any need for] any offering of sin.” For in Jesus Christ God says, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
We Can Relax
And therefore, we can relax. We can walk into this holy sanctuary on a Sunday morning and take a load off of our minds and backs. We can walk in here with the assurance that we don’t need to run around like chickens with our heads cut off to be right with God. The “work” of our salvation is already done. It is complete. It is finished.
In Jesus, God loves us with a perfect love. And there is nothing we can ever do to make God love us more. And there is nothing we can ever do to make God love us less. For in Jesus we have this bold and brazen confidence that our hearts have been made pure and our consciences washed clean.
Instead, We Provoke One Another to Love
We can relax
Instead of running around like chickens with our heads cut off, we do something that is very, very different, the book of Hebrews says. We “provoke one another to love and to good deeds.” That’s how the book of Hebrews puts it. We “provoke one another to love and to good deeds.” We encourage one another “not to neglect the habit of meeting together”—of gathering every Sunday—“as is the habit of some.”
And do you notice that? Do you notice that there are not some people here today, who are habitually gone? And if you called them up on the phone, I am sure they would give you some “good” excuse.
And still we persist in prodding one another to love and do good deeds. We don’t give up. We keep on bugging people to say that gathering together for weekly worship is important. It is absolutely essential for the good health—the good spiritual health–of you and your kids.
Poke the Person Next to You
I want you to take your finger out for just a moment and point it up to God. God is #1. Do you believe that? Of course you do. That’s why you are here today.
And now I want you to take that same finger and poke the person next to you. Don’t be shy. Give them a good Christian poke.
And as you do say: “Come to worship every Sunday.” “Get to Sunday School every week.” “Do not neglect to meet together as some do.” “Do deeds of love and good works.” “Be generous in your giving.” “Get involved.” “Be a part of some mission and some ministry.” “It’s God’s work. Our hands.”
This is what Christians do. And it’s a lot more fun than running like a chicken with its head cut off?
© 2009 Pastor Paul Jaster