Tuesday after Trinity XI - Devotion in semi-Exile
Lection for Tuesday after Trinity XI
1 Kings 7:51-8:21 2 Corinthians 3:1-18
Two things are contrasted in the Corinthian text, the letter and the Spirit. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Paul is talking about the fact that he, and all pastors, are ministers of a new covenant, one not of the letter but the Spirit.
Moses was given the covenant that was carved in letters on stone. It was a glorious thing, it was most holy, for it was given by God Himself. There was no evil in it, no sin whatsoever. It spoke of the perfect will of God for all people. It was a covenant given that said, “Do this all and you shall live.”
It was, however, a ministry of death. Why? For it brought to light the sinfulness that flowed forth from mankind. It functioned as a holy mirror to show people their sin and as such, although there was glory in the Law, it was a righteous glory that people could not attain. There are none who can fulfill that righteous and holy covenant, no matter how glorious it is.
All mankind has a serious problem. We are born in sin. From the moment of conception, the sinfulness that has been passed on from Adam, through the generations, corrupts our being. Although we may know that the letter of the law is holy, we are still unable to fulfill it. God’s Law looks outward, seeking to do that which is best for our neighbor and is designed to give all glory to God.
From our very hearts we are selfish, that is the heart of sinfulness. We want to bring glory to ourselves and keep ourselves happy. Even in doing things for others, often, those very actions are motivated by what we expect to gain in return.
In the text we have before us, the word translated as a covenant is a bit different. A covenant is the declaration of one person’s will. The covenants which God has made with His people are one-sided, God alone set the conditions. The terms of the covenant are established by God.
Even at Mount Sinai, God’s covenant was one sided - I will be your God, and you will be my people. God knew they would not follow the letter of the Law that He had laid out for them. He knew they would follow other gods and their love for their neighbor would be fleeting at best. Even knowing that they would not keep the laws that He had outlined for them, He promised to keep the covenant to them. The Hebrew carries more the meaning of, “I will be your God, I will make you my people.”
It is appealing to think that we have the ability to keep God’s law. In fact, that is one of the main weapons against Christians, “They preach a great game, but look at how they live? They aren’t perfect.” Let one pastor or famous Christian succumb to temptations of the flesh and those who are looking for excuses not to believe in Christ tear Christianity apart, “Too bad he couldn’t practice what he preached.”
It was a problem in Jesus’ day too. The Pharisees talked about and preached the letter of the Law, like the one last week who thought that he was doing all that God required. But he had no love in his heart for his neighbor.
Each week, we also bring up God’s law exposing it’s glory to the light of day. And many are those who think that the preaching of the church is to lead the people to do a better job of keeping that law, as if they were able to do so. And, as God’s Law is proclaimed, it is easy for Christians to believe that the goal of Christianity is striving to do better, to live better, to come closer to living in accordance with the letter of the Law (and indeed we should).
Some people then, wanting to be good Christians, begin to overlook their faults and the sins of their heart. They begin to have a Pharisaical attitude, that they have accomplished the impossible, and are following God’s Law as He requires. But the letter kills. They are deluded. In using God’s law as the measuring stick, their sinfulness is complete - for it begins in their sinful flesh and corrupts them completely.
Others, hearing the law, turn to despair. The conclude that even their best efforts are doomed to failure, so they give up completely. They determine that God must be displeased with them and there is no hope.
Dear friends, you and I are to strive to live in accordance with God’s law - and that is good. But we are to do so out of love for God and love for His holy Law. Realizing that the letter is good, we strive to live according to it. This is indeed good, right and salutary
But, once understanding our sinful condition, we see that we cannot live in that covenant.
In Jesus comes the “New” Covenant. Here is the man made without sin or human hands who came to keep the letter of the law. That first covenant pointed not only to what man should strive to attain – even though he fail, but it points to what God in human flesh would obtain for us in the person of Jesus Christ.
Taking on human flesh, the very Son of God took our place under the letter of the Law. What Adam, the first perfect man, failed to accomplish Jesus fulfills - not one jot or iota of the Law did He fail to fulfill.
The Pharisees found His perfection, which shamed their mockery of it, threatening. So they brought surly mob to threaten Pilate’s security so that he agreed to crucify Him. In Jesus, sinlessness became sin for all mankind - and the letter, stained and tarnished with the sinfulness of mankind, is now cleansed and made clean by the precious blood of Christ.
Jesus fulfills God’s first covenant - He is our God - and He makes us His people.
It is the Spirit which gives life. By the Spirit, you are united to Christ’s death - your sinfulness is buried with Him - and you are raised to His everlasting life.
The Spirit gives to you the life of Christ, proclaiming that in Christ you have the forgiveness of sins. His perfection is granted unto you as new life.
You don’t need to fake it any more, you don’t need to act as if you are better than others, more perfect or holy by your better life. You are holy, God’s beloved saints - not by your own works, so don’t boast - but as a gift of God through the new covenant which is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Dearly beloved saints, neither should you despair, your sinfulness is atoned for, paid in full. The Spirit comes to give you life, the life of Christ, placed upon your tongue and poured into your mouth - the very perfect body of Christ and His holy, innocent blood is given to you to eat and to drink.
1 Kings 7:51-8:21 2 Corinthians 3:1-18
Two things are contrasted in the Corinthian text, the letter and the Spirit. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Paul is talking about the fact that he, and all pastors, are ministers of a new covenant, one not of the letter but the Spirit.
Moses was given the covenant that was carved in letters on stone. It was a glorious thing, it was most holy, for it was given by God Himself. There was no evil in it, no sin whatsoever. It spoke of the perfect will of God for all people. It was a covenant given that said, “Do this all and you shall live.”
It was, however, a ministry of death. Why? For it brought to light the sinfulness that flowed forth from mankind. It functioned as a holy mirror to show people their sin and as such, although there was glory in the Law, it was a righteous glory that people could not attain. There are none who can fulfill that righteous and holy covenant, no matter how glorious it is.
All mankind has a serious problem. We are born in sin. From the moment of conception, the sinfulness that has been passed on from Adam, through the generations, corrupts our being. Although we may know that the letter of the law is holy, we are still unable to fulfill it. God’s Law looks outward, seeking to do that which is best for our neighbor and is designed to give all glory to God.
From our very hearts we are selfish, that is the heart of sinfulness. We want to bring glory to ourselves and keep ourselves happy. Even in doing things for others, often, those very actions are motivated by what we expect to gain in return.
In the text we have before us, the word translated as a covenant is a bit different. A covenant is the declaration of one person’s will. The covenants which God has made with His people are one-sided, God alone set the conditions. The terms of the covenant are established by God.
Even at Mount Sinai, God’s covenant was one sided - I will be your God, and you will be my people. God knew they would not follow the letter of the Law that He had laid out for them. He knew they would follow other gods and their love for their neighbor would be fleeting at best. Even knowing that they would not keep the laws that He had outlined for them, He promised to keep the covenant to them. The Hebrew carries more the meaning of, “I will be your God, I will make you my people.”
It is appealing to think that we have the ability to keep God’s law. In fact, that is one of the main weapons against Christians, “They preach a great game, but look at how they live? They aren’t perfect.” Let one pastor or famous Christian succumb to temptations of the flesh and those who are looking for excuses not to believe in Christ tear Christianity apart, “Too bad he couldn’t practice what he preached.”
It was a problem in Jesus’ day too. The Pharisees talked about and preached the letter of the Law, like the one last week who thought that he was doing all that God required. But he had no love in his heart for his neighbor.
Each week, we also bring up God’s law exposing it’s glory to the light of day. And many are those who think that the preaching of the church is to lead the people to do a better job of keeping that law, as if they were able to do so. And, as God’s Law is proclaimed, it is easy for Christians to believe that the goal of Christianity is striving to do better, to live better, to come closer to living in accordance with the letter of the Law (and indeed we should).
Some people then, wanting to be good Christians, begin to overlook their faults and the sins of their heart. They begin to have a Pharisaical attitude, that they have accomplished the impossible, and are following God’s Law as He requires. But the letter kills. They are deluded. In using God’s law as the measuring stick, their sinfulness is complete - for it begins in their sinful flesh and corrupts them completely.
Others, hearing the law, turn to despair. The conclude that even their best efforts are doomed to failure, so they give up completely. They determine that God must be displeased with them and there is no hope.
Dear friends, you and I are to strive to live in accordance with God’s law - and that is good. But we are to do so out of love for God and love for His holy Law. Realizing that the letter is good, we strive to live according to it. This is indeed good, right and salutary
But, once understanding our sinful condition, we see that we cannot live in that covenant.
In Jesus comes the “New” Covenant. Here is the man made without sin or human hands who came to keep the letter of the law. That first covenant pointed not only to what man should strive to attain – even though he fail, but it points to what God in human flesh would obtain for us in the person of Jesus Christ.
Taking on human flesh, the very Son of God took our place under the letter of the Law. What Adam, the first perfect man, failed to accomplish Jesus fulfills - not one jot or iota of the Law did He fail to fulfill.
The Pharisees found His perfection, which shamed their mockery of it, threatening. So they brought surly mob to threaten Pilate’s security so that he agreed to crucify Him. In Jesus, sinlessness became sin for all mankind - and the letter, stained and tarnished with the sinfulness of mankind, is now cleansed and made clean by the precious blood of Christ.
Jesus fulfills God’s first covenant - He is our God - and He makes us His people.
It is the Spirit which gives life. By the Spirit, you are united to Christ’s death - your sinfulness is buried with Him - and you are raised to His everlasting life.
The Spirit gives to you the life of Christ, proclaiming that in Christ you have the forgiveness of sins. His perfection is granted unto you as new life.
You don’t need to fake it any more, you don’t need to act as if you are better than others, more perfect or holy by your better life. You are holy, God’s beloved saints - not by your own works, so don’t boast - but as a gift of God through the new covenant which is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Dearly beloved saints, neither should you despair, your sinfulness is atoned for, paid in full. The Spirit comes to give you life, the life of Christ, placed upon your tongue and poured into your mouth - the very perfect body of Christ and His holy, innocent blood is given to you to eat and to drink.
Yes, love the law of
God, see it as holy and righteous. Know also that it is fulfilled in you, for
you are in Christ - and in Christ, the Spirit gives life.
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