1.
Grace, mercy, and peace
to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. In the Gospel
lesson from Mark 6 today we see 2 very different astonishments standing side by
side: Jesus’ teachings amaze His hometown neighbors; but their close-minded
hard-heartedness leave Jesus amazed. We see similar contrasts today as people
experience so much goodness from God and yet remain unthankful and
unbelieving. Martin Luther once said
that people reject the good news of salvation in Jesus because of thanklessness
and ingratitude. But Jesus didn’t retaliate or write people off, even when they
scornfully dismissed Him. He took the world’s rejection and, through His
sacrificial death on the cross, reconciled all people to God. Lord, give us eyes to recognize You, ears to
receive Your Word, and hearts to believe its promises. By Your grace, bring us
to the fullness of Your glory in heaven. The message is entitled, “The Wisdom of Jesus,” dear brothers and
sisters in Christ.
2.
Sherlock
Holmes and Dr. Watson were camping in the forest. They had gone to bed and were
lying beneath, the night sky. Holmes said, “Watson, look up. What do you see?”
“I see a thousand stars.” “And what does that mean to you?” Holmes asked. “I
suppose it means that of all the planets in the universe, we are truly
fortunate to be here on earth. We are small in God’s eyes but should struggle
every day to be worthy of our blessings. In a meteorological sense, it means
we’ll have a sunny day tomorrow. What does it means to you, Holmes?” “To me, it
means someone has stolen our tent.”
3.
Centuries
before Jesus appeared at the Nazareth synagogue, God came to the prophet
Ezekiel. He instructed his prophet to deliver a call to repentance. Along with
his directions, God gave Ezekiel a warning against the major frustration that
would come delivering that message. God said, “I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation, that has
rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to
this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn”
(Ezek 2:3–4). Even then people wanted worldly wisdom, not God’s power.
4.
Having
spent hundreds of years ignoring scores of prophets and leaving a multitude of
messages unheard until God’s power struck, you might think God’s people would
have learned to listen. They didn’t. Immediately before Jesus’ birth, the
priest Zechariah found it hard to accept the Lord’s prediction that his son
would be the forerunner of Jesus (Lk 1:18). Then, King Herod believed that he
could thwart God’s plan of salvation (Mt 2:16–20). Both these fellows learned
that God was in control.
5.
Now,
years later, at the start of Jesus’ ministry, look what happens when he and his
disciples returned to his hometown of Nazareth. Jesus was a local boy making
good. Miracles were being performed, messages were being delivered, and
multitudes were being touched by the Savior. Word of Jesus’s great deeds came
back to Nazareth. And although the people were proud of his performances, no
doubt many of his friends paraphrased the disciple Nathanael by asking, “Can anything this good come out of Joseph
the carpenter’s family?”
6.
Nevertheless,
on the Sabbath, the leaders of the synagogue did what was proper. They asked
Jesus to come forward to read from and expound upon Scripture. Deliberately,
Jesus read Isaiah’s words of prophecy pertaining to the Messiah. During the time
allotted for applying the text, Jesus announced, Isaiah’s powerful prophecies
had been fulfilled, right now, right then, right there in their midst. But, the people of Nazareth rejected Jesus’s
message. They were guided by worldly wisdom that ignores Christ’s power to
save. So strong was their rejection of the Lord and what he wished to do among
them, so powerful was their desire to silence him, that they tried to murder
him then and there. Some might be surprised, but Jesus wasn’t. After all,
murdering prophets was almost a national tradition (Mt 23:31).
7.
Now,
some 2000 later, although physically murdering a resurrected Savior is out of
the question, many people in their “wisdom” look for salvation from their own
strength rather than the power of Christ. The desire to embrace worldly wisdom
has resulted in a nation here in America that has no beliefs or ethical
boundaries. Worldly wisdom says, “Cheat
on your taxes but don’t get caught. Cheat on your wife but don’t get an STD.” Worldly
wisdom says, “Vacate your values, cancel
your commitment, ignore your integrity.”
8.
The
craving for worldly wisdom has, all too often, made us into double-talkers,
where truth and virtue are only for losers and nerds. We’ve sugarcoated sin to
make it appear acceptable. Lying has become “stretching the truth.” Cheating is
“bending the rules.” Lusting is “healthy admiration.” Hatred becomes “dislike.”
Gossiping is only “harmless talk.” Envying is “appreciating what others have.” Murder
is a “big mistake.” Drug abuse is “an unfortunate misdirection.” Gluttony is
“lack of will power.” A violent individual is “temperamental.” Child molesters
are “unstable or antisocial.” Homosexuals are “practicing a God-given alternate
lifestyle.” We’ve seen this approved by
our Nation’s Supreme Court within the last few days by approving of same-sex
marriage. But, Jesus our Lord reaffirmed
marriage between a man and a woman in Mark 10 as the only form of marriage that
God our Creator has made. And children
who are disobedient to parents, are “strong willed.” We want worldly wisdom,
not the Savior’s power that calls the lost from darkness to light.
9.
Can
no one see that without Jesus we are like the Titanic—steaming away oblivious to the dangers around us? The Titanic had received one warning after
another. The messages that told them they were sailing into an ice field were
ignored. In fact, when a nearby ship sent an urgent caution, the radioman on
the Titanic was talking to shore
about what time chauffeurs were to meet passengers at the dock. He was sharing
menus to be prepared for “welcome home dinners” that would never be served.
Preoccupied with trivia, the Titanic responded
to the radio warnings: “Shut up. You are jamming my signal.” 2000 ago that was
the response of Nazareth to the Savior. “Shut up, Jesus. You are upsetting our
plans.” It’s also the response of this modern age to the Son of God. “Don’t
bother us, Lord. We want worldly wisdom, not the Savior’s powerful blood to
rescue us from damnation.” If that’s what people want, that’s just what the
Lord might give them.
10.
When
God’s Old Testament people shut their ears to the prophets who spoke God’s
message of repentance, the Lord didn’t force them to hear. He allowed them to
follow their own path, worship their man-made gods, and commit their own
transgressions. Scripture records, in great detail, how worldly wisdom led them
to be defeated in war, carried off into captivity, and left without hope. And, when Jesus’ neighbors in Nazareth shut
their ears to his message of salvation, he didn’t demand that they hear him. He
didn’t call down legions of angels to strike down the doubters. He didn’t
perform one miracle after another until they were forced to admit he was God’s.
Son. Jesus allowed them to reject him. And that day, when he walked through the
Nazareth crowd that threatened to kill him, he did so with finality. Never
again would he come to that community or preach to that city. Never again would
he call them to God’s grace and forgiveness.
11.
What
will the Lord do with us and our country? With history’s record so clear, we
have to ask, how long will he continue to reach out and preach to people when
Bibles are forbidden in classrooms but placed in jail cells? We can’t know
whether the time will be long or short, but Christians should know it’s the
right time to get their priorities in order. It’s time for us to join together
and follow the Savior even as we reject the world’s wisdom.
12.
As
Christians in America we enjoy living in the land of plenty. We enjoy what the world offers. We like the
toys, gadgets, and gimmicks, the riches, power, and fame. But if these things
interfere with our love for God, if they displace God, we gladly leave them
behind without a second thought. That’s
what Jesus did for us. Saving us from sin, death, and Satan was the Savior’s
first priority. Saving us was more important than having his hometown love him.
Saving us was more important than having the crowds follow him. Saving us was
more important than saving himself from death on the cross. That’s why we do
not hesitate to say, “Our first priority is to honor and thank the Lord.
Everything else is in second place.” Keeping the Lord as first priority,
Christians can’t hold on to anything that separates them from God’s love and
power.
13.
Having
heard the Savior’s words of peace, having seen him fulfill every prophecy,
having watched his powerful sacrifice on Calvary’s cross, we gladly make his
mission our own. His desire to save lost souls becomes our desire. We may never
be called on to make a great witness, but we can give a steady one. Although we
may never preach great sermons before crowds, we can quietly whisper his name.
Although we may not die for Jesus, we can live for him. Although we may never
perform a miracle, we can, by faithful following, do that which shows true
Christian commitment. It’s your daily faithfulness to Jesus that God uses to
shape and influence this world. This we can do in Christ’s power but not in
worldly wisdom.
14.
Years
ago, in southern Egypt, revolutionaries attacked a governor’s home. The great
man’s daughter was carried by one of the guards from her bedroom to safety. He
risked his life to protect her. After the rescue, he said to her, “Will you
give me a big hug for what I have done?” With a shake of her head, she
answered, “No hugs for you. You took me from my toys.” That little girl didn’t
understand what the guard had done for her.
15.
Not
at the risk of but at the cost of his life, Jesus has saved you. It’s a
glorious miracle. Now he asks, “Will you not thank me for what I have done?”
How will we respond? Will we, like the little girl, say, “No thanks for you.
You make me give up too much. You keep me from my playground, my stuff, my own
way”? That would be the worst of worldly wisdom. No, instead, I invite you to
join with me in amazement and thanksgiving at the wisdom and power of God’s
Son, our Savior Jesus who calls us to follow Him and gives us eternal life. Amen.
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