Thursday after Holy Trinity - Devotion in Exile

Lection for Thursday after Holy Trinity
Proverbs 9:1-18      John 13:21-38

When I started doing these devotions, I thought I would confine myself to simply writing them on the New Testament readings appointed for each day. Well, today I thought I’d like to focus on a portion of the reading from Proverbs.  Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom , and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. 

That is some of the best advice ever given.  But even greater than the advice is the fact that this is Gospel, it is good news. Of course, many will deny it is so because it speaks of fear.

When was the last time you read through the 10 Commandments in Luther’s Small Catechism, paying special attention to his explanations of them? Did you notice the word fear in every explanation?

His explanation of the First Commandment sets the tone for all that follows. 1^st Commandment is: You shall have no other God before Me. Luther explained that means, “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.”

Luther’s explanation for every commandment after that begins, We should fear and love God…each continues with, so that we do not…  Each commandment then lists things we are not to do.  We are not to do those things because we fear the Lord.  There is some confusion about what “fear of the Lord” is – at least in the church

How is that? If you were not in Christian setting and you heard the word “fear”, what do you think? Some people fear snakes, some fear spiders, some have a fear of heights, and other things. What does that word fear mean? It means to be afraid, scared. In some people their fear is paralyzing, they cannot function in the presence of whatever they fear.

What is commonly taught in many churches regarding the word fear is respect and reverence. I cannot find an English dictionary which teaches these things mean fear.

As God begins giving the commandments in Exodus twenty, God said, “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me.” Do those words evoke respect or reverence?

When mom said, “Wait till your father gets home,” she was threatening the wrath of dad upon my disobedience, and I was afraid of what was coming. There was no reverence or respect.  

Luther’s explains this passage of Scripture when he writes: God threatens to punish all who break these commandments. Therefore, we should fear His wrath and not do anything against them.

We should fear God’s wrath? We should fear the eternal wrath and punishment God will meet out upon those who break these commandments. We should fear God’s wrath for doing the things He proclaims we should not do. Does that sound like respect or reverence?

When driving down the highway and you see a police car sitting there checking radar, if you have the cruise on and it is set for the speed limit, you don’t give him a second glance. You have respect for his presence, but there is no fear.  On the other hand, if your cruise is set for even seven miles over the speed limit and you suddenly see a police car parked in the median, obviously radar checking traffic in your lane, what happens? Yeah, you quickly tap your brake, your throat tightens, you palms get sweaty, and you immediately watch your rearview mirror to see if he’s following. When you are sure he is not, you can feel yourself noticeably relax.  That dear friends is fear.

Fear is a gut-wrenching, visceral feeling of being terrified. The cop would have given you a ticket, fined you, and you would have lost three points on your license. Those are minor issues in the eternal scheme of things, and yet that’s how you felt.

Fear of the Lord is respect and reverence? Seriously? If you transgress His Laws. He has promised eternal wrath and punishment. Is that something that evokes fear? Does it terrify you?

Maybe that’s the problem today, there is no “FEAR” of the Lord. ‘Sin’ is too harsh a word. Someone made a bad choice or a poor decision, but it was not sin. Nothing is deserving of God’s eternal wrath and punishment. We have respect and reverence, but there is no fear. I doubt there is respect or reverence, for many make their own rules and throw God’s out as too intolerant and unloving.

There should be FEAR. Until we understand fear of the Lord, we are not wise. It is fear of the Lord, being absolutely terrified of God’s wrath and eternal punishment, where wisdom begins. People need to be like the shepherds on the Judean hillside when confronted by the angel, they need to sore afraid, so scared it hurts, terrified.  When we are terrified of God’s wrath, scared spitless, afraid that God’s divine boom is about to be lowered, then we are wise.

It is in fear that we cry out, “Lord, have mercy!’ When we know fully the fear of what is going to happen to us eternally for our disobedience, then we fall to our knees and beg God’s forgiveness.

Fall to your knees, repent, beg God’s mercy. That is where God wants you to be, for there is where the wisdom of God breaks into your life. That is where the truth of God finally reigns supreme. Upon repentant knees we give up ourselves and rely upon someone else to help.

I have only two words for those who are repentant – Jesus Christ! It is in the fear of the Lord that God’s Christ is put into proper perspective. It was the work of God’s Christ to pay the price demanded by our sins. He endured the cross and shame to purchase forgiveness. He endured the depths of hell to free us from the eternal consequences of that terrifying place.

Paul declared that he was determined to know nothing among us except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. Christ crucified, the power of God and the wisdom of God. Jesus is more than just a good teacher, He is God who died to remove that which brings fear into your hearts and minds, namely sin and its attendant guilt.  Nothing remains of your sin, your disobedience was taken into Christ’s flesh and His perfect obedience becomes your robe of righteousness.

As you are in Christ, as knowledge of your sin atoned for is grasped by faith, then comes respect and reverence for God. In Christ Jesus we know the love of God for us. That God would give His only begotten Son to die for us, to make satisfaction to His Father for our sin, is wisdom that we cannot even begin to fathom with our human understanding.

It is the Holy Spirit who works faith in us to know and believe the love that God has for us. It is the perfect love of God which drives out all fear and replaces fear with joy and peace.

Wisdom brings you to God’s house. You are wise enough to fear God’s wrath and know that in His house He comes with mercy and grace. Wisdom compels you to hear the Word of forgiveness Christ purchased and authorized to be spoken into your ears. In faith you cling to that Word and fear is driven out, replaced with the joy of the Lord.

Wisdom drives you to the Table Christ sets. You eat of the body of the Lord pierced to atone for your sin. You drink of the blood Christ shed to blot out your sin.  You are fed Christ, the wisdom of God. No fear remains, for that is the perfect love of God which fills you with all joy.

True wisdom has come to you today. You are His saints, His holy ones, those blessed by the Lord unto life everlasting.

Let us pray:     Heavenly Father, grant us wisdom to fear Your wrath that we might flee for refuge, begging Your mercy. In Your mercy, by Your grace You cleanse us by the blood of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. In Christ, fear is removed and we are freed to You and to our neighbor. Amen.