They Remained Silent
Luke 14:1-11
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord
Jesus Christ. Amen.
On one Saturday, Jesus was invited to the home of a ruler of the Pharisees
for a meal. He had been invited for a purpose, “they were watching Him
carefully.”
They were watching Him carefully because many people were following
Jesus, listening to what He had to say, hanging on Jesus’ words. On the
other hand, the Pharisees seemed to have be losing some of their following.
Jesus was invited to dine at the home of this Pharisees on this particular
Sabbath in order that they might catch Jesus in a slip-up. They set up the
conditions so that He would break the Sabbath – they believed that is what He
would do. Why did they believe He would break the Sabbath? Because the Pharisees
believed Jesus did not follow God’s Torah. They had a different view of the
Sabbath than Jesus – their Creator and Torah-giver by the way – than they did.
This healing is the third which Jesus performs on a Sabbath. When He first
healed on the Sabbath, they were enraged at Him. On His second Sabbath healing,
the Pharisees were humiliated by His teaching.
Jesus knows what they are up to, so He asks them, “Is it lawful to heal
on the Sabbath?” If they said yes, they would have contradicted their previous positions.
If they said that it was not lawful, Jesus had on a number of occasions shamed
them in that answer. Not wanting to contradict themselves, or look foolish
again, they remain silent.
God’s Law is irrefutable. Even Jesus is not allowed to change it,
neither to add to it nor subtract from it. That is true of all the commandments
He gave. But there were those who had taken God's laws, especially the one
about keeping the Sabbath holy, and tried to answer questions like, “OK, what am
I not supposed to do on the Sabbath or I am sinning?” In trying to define it,
they made lots of rules to follow in order to keep the Sabbath – 39 categories
with a total of 613 commandments.
What they had basically done was added to the 3rd commandment
as God had given it on two stone tablets through Moses. They did so, in order
to make that commandment attainable. Of course, they claim what they did was simply
further clarification, but it was more than that.
It is easy to be lazy on the Sabbath and do absolutely nothing – giving
the appearance of keeping the commandment to take a Sabbath rest. But simply
lying around the house is not the same as keeping the Sabbath holy. It is equally
easy to lust in the heart and explain that away as not committing adultery. Yet
Jesus specifically states that lust in the heart IS adultery.
Jesus is trying to open the eyes of them all to understand God’s true intention
is in regard to Sabbath rest. Jesus’ compassion for them all leads Him to asks
them if it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not? They remained silent!
What does it mean to keep the Sabbath holy? Is it about the things that
we do? In part, yes! Sabbath means rest, so to keep the Sabbath holy, is to
keep rest holy. What is God’s meaning to Sabbath, or to rest? To rest, is to
find your refreshment in God. You rest in His Word! You rest in His peace! You rest
in those gifts which He gives you to make you holy.
Like the Pharisees, many today see their relationship with God as all
about their actions in obedience to God’s rules which make themselves holy. They
believe it is all about how individuals fulfil God’s Law – including laws
regarding the 3rd Commandment, or regarding the Sabbath.
Most outsiders see Christianity ONLY as about what
we do – or what we fail to do – to appease God’s wrath. Christianity is all
about the do’s and don’ts to get oneself right with God.
In fact, most Christians would probably agree with that sentimentality,
they see the Bible as nothing more than a guidebook. This type of Christianity is
like the Pharisees, all about rules either to be kept or broken.
That is why when a popular TV style preacher fell into a particular
sin, those who like to poke fun at Christians said, “See what a hypocrite he
was, even he could not practice what he preached.”
A fire and brimstone preacher is the one one who preaches the Law well,
“You gave it to them good today, preacher.” Note that he is good only because he
was aiming the law at someone else. People call someone ‘preachy’ when that
person is pointing out sin, or focusing on the law. Those who take (what some
would call) a moral stand on the commandments are said to be “preaching,” especially
if it hits a little too close to home.
What did Jesus ask in our text? He said, “It is lawful to heal on the
Sabbath, or not?” And they remained silent.
The pastor who committed adultery against God and against his wife is
indeed a sinner. Of course, we all are! He is no worse than we, for even our
righteous deeds are as filthy rags in God’s eyes. In his tears of repentance to
his wife and God, as he struggles to keep his marriage alive, is when this preacher
needs a pastor sent by Christ, one who proclaims the healing words of the
Gospel in the forgiveness of sins.
“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”
Christianity is the life and salvation given in and through Christ
Jesus. It is about the forgiveness of sins Christ purchased with His innocent
suffering and death and delivers to us in Word and Sacrament.
Christ rested in the tomb on the Sabbath, His work of creating, or
maybe we could call it recreating. Before He breathed His last, he declared, “It
is finished!” With His last breath He gave Himself up unto death, accomplishing
all that He had come in our flesh to accomplish.
His rest on the Sabbath, His work accomplished, brings healing and
life.
Compare that to what most people believe about Christianity – keeping
the rules and pointing to the Law. If it is all about getting yourself right
with God by your works, it is easy to understand why so many hate Christians
and Christianity. Some hate Christianity because they know they can never
accomplish what the Law requires.
You know what – they are right. Usually they also want continue to do
what they want to do. And what they want to do is forbidden in
the Law.
Some claiming to be Christian want it be all about the Law because they
think they are better than others. These contemporary Pharisees like to boast
of self and look down their noses at ‘those sinners.’ They are hypocrites.
People love to point at the law – Christians and non-Christians alike. And
yes, be sure this is understood – we are commanded to keep God's Law.
True Christianity however remains completely and totally focused upon
the root word in Christianity – Christ. Christianity is all about Christ! It is
still all about Jesus.
God gave His Law to point us to Christ.
God gave His Son, as the Christ – the crucified One.
Christ came to give His life as the ransom for sins.
Christ rose on the third day, the stamp of approval that the ransom
price of Christ's innocent suffering and death was received and accepted by
God.
Christ calls men to deliver what Christ purchased to sinners in the
forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness purchased by Christ and delivered by Christ.
Christ's ministers fulfill Christ's command declaring, “Your sins are
forgiven.”
Baptized believers are united to Christ's death and resurrection by water and
the Word, sins forgiven and eternal salvation sealed.
Christ gathers believers together at the table He sets before them, so they
might eat of His body and drink of His precious blood shed for their
forgiveness and to grant them life.
Most people hear this and remain silent!
I ask you, it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?
I pray that you do not remain silent. I pray that you come each week
and receive your Sabbath healing of sins forgiven and faith strengthened. I
pray that you raise your cries of ‘Amen’ when you hear your sins forgiven.That
you boldly sing your thanks and praise as you receive from Christ those gifts
which heal you today and every Sabbath, freeing you from all that assails you –
sin, guilt, and death.
Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? Yes! It is why we gather together,
that we might receive healing in Christ – today and every Sabbath. Praise be to
Christ!!! Amen.
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