1.
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from
God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. The
message from God’s Word today on this Pentecost Sunday is taken from 1 Kings
8:27-30 (READ TEXT). It’s entitled, “Dedicating
the Temple,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
2.
The text comes from a red-letter day
in the history of Israel. It forms a portion of Solomon’s prayer at the
dedication of the temple in Jerusalem. This was the temple that King David had
wanted to build, but the Lord had told him no. David had gathered materials and
made plans so everything would stand ready when the grand and lengthy building
project was undertaken by his son Solomon, whose very name suggests “peace.”
3.
At the temple’s dedication Solomon
spoke of the Lord’s gracious presence there according to his promise, and he
prayed for the Lord’s pardon & forgiveness. The Lord’s presence,
promise, and pardon were part and parcel of dedicating the temple in
Jerusalem. His presence, promise, and pardon lie at the heart of
rededicating the Church today.
4.
Pentecost stands out as a red-letter
day in the history of the Church. For years now, on the Sunday exactly fifty
days after celebrating Easter the Church has remembered that great occasion 50
days after Jesus rose from the dead. When we celebrate Pentecost, we pray: “Come,
Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of
your love.” In the New Testament, the Church is depicted as God’s temple.
The Church has the apostles and prophets for a foundation, with Christ himself
as its cornerstone. In Jesus Christ the whole structure is joined together and
grows into a holy temple. St. Paul wrote that in Christ, Christians are built
into this temple where God dwells. (See Ephesians 2:20–22.) Today, when we “dedicate
the temple,” we can only re-consecrate by God’s Word what he’s already made
his own: the Church, and each believer in Christ as a member of it.
5.
In the early 20th
century, the scientist Ernst Rutherford said, “Don’t let me catch anyone
talking about the Universe in my laboratory.” Does this statement surprise
you? We might think a lab would be the best place of all to talk about
the universe. But, Rutherford knew that scientific progress would be made as
his researchers went step by step through the experiments before them. Working
hours in the lab were to be neither the time nor the place for grand theorizing
about the universe. Similarly, in our temple rededication we might declare, “We
don’t want anyone talking about God in this church.” Surprising? Let me put
the matter in different words: this is not the place nor is it the time for
speculations and theorizing about God. We should never content ourselves to
talk about some generic God who appears as a great cosmic blur out
there. Nor should we talk about God in the kind of terms with which we’re
familiar in this world, as One who draws near to people not by promise but
rather with demand—that is, not by what he does but rather by what we do. Again,
we should not go on and on about the Holy Spirit when the Holy Spirit’s work is
to point to Christ. (See John 14:26; 15:26.) Let no one catch us talking or
even thinking about God in this church except in light of what Scripture says
about his presence, his promise, and his pardon.
6.
In the biblical account of the
temple dedication, Solomon was speaking of the Lord’s presence, promise, and
pardon. The king showed a keen awareness of God’s presence. Although no
mere building could enclose the Lord of heaven and earth, Solomon knew that the
Lord was present in the temple, and he was there for his people. As Martin
Luther very wisely pointed out, “there’s a big difference between God being
present and his being present for you. After all, the gap between God and
humanity is not a matter of distance, but rather a matter of sin. God is in the
lake, all right, but you don’t jump in and drown in order to find God. God is
in the rope, but you don’t hang yourself to find God. Sinners like you and me
need God to be there for us. He is there for us in his Word (2 See WA
19:442)” By his Word, the Lord was there at the temple too. The One whom heaven
itself could not contain was present for his people. Solomon asked that the Lord keep his eyes
toward the place of which he had said, “My name shall be there.” God had
made a promise. This is the kind of thing sinners need.
7.
The Lord had committed himself to
David’s family. He had given the assurance that he would bring the Messiah into
the world through David’s line. His promise was as sure as he himself is sure.
Solomon was counting on God’s promise.
The king also prayed for God’s pardon. Of course, sinners need
his pardon. All who approach the throne of the most holy God need it. You need
it, too, don’t you? Repeatedly, Solomon asked for pardon for the Lord’s
people at the temple in all sorts of situations: when they prayed, when they
were defeated in battle, when they had no rain, when they suffered from famine
or plague, and of course when they sinned. At these times and all others, the
Lord’s forgiveness means more to God’s people than anything in this world. In
dedicating the temple, Solomon spoke of God’s presence, promise, and pardon.
8.
God’s presence, promise, and
pardon all apply to each of us as members of the Church. Don’t let anyone
catch you saying or thinking: “I’m just a blob on an insignificant speck of
a planet tucked away in a corner of space.” Think of God’s presence in
Christ. Sinners though you and I are, the One whom heaven and earth cannot
contain came to be our Brother. “Destroy this temple,” he said, “and in
three days I will raise it up.” He wasn’t talking about a building; he was
speaking of himself. (See John 2:19–22.)
9.
Don’t let anyone catch you thinking,
“There’s nothing much worth dying for in this world—or even living for.” Recall
God’s promise in Christ, a promise that took him to and through the jaws of
death. See what commitment he showed to you and your salvation. Let his promise
guide you along life’s way. And don’t
let anyone catch you thinking, “I’ve messed up too badly. I might as well
give up.” Rather, receive God’s pardon in the Christ who died for you. He
won forgiveness that covers all your sin. God’s presence, promise, and
pardon in Christ are central to rededicating the temple.
10.
Consider again how God’s presence,
promise, and pardon also apply to the Church as a gathering of saints
around God’s Word, not only as individual believers. So, let no one catch us
thinking that the church isn’t much because this building is rather modest and
the people who meet here may not seem extraordinary. Think of God’s presence in
Christ. We’re stones made alive by him in Baptism, built together on him, THE
living stone, to be a spiritual house, as Peter put it. Our spiritual
sacrifices are acceptable to God in Christ (1 Peter 2:4–5).
11.
Let no one catch us thinking that we
in the Church don’t seem to have much of a future because its members aren’t as
impressive or as “slick” as possible. Recall God’s promise to give his
people a future and a hope (see Jeremiah 29:11). That is what he has given us
in Christ. Let no one catch us thinking
that the Church is infested with sinners, and therefore it is an undesirable
place to be. Indeed, the Church brims full with sinners. It has no other sort
of members! But, it is precisely the place to be for us to receive God’s pardon
in Word and Sacrament. “In this Christian church he daily and richly
forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day he will
raise up me and all the dead and will give eternal life to me and to all
believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.”(Small Catechism, Third
Article explanation) God’s presence, promise, and pardon in Christ are
in the Church. To bring these gifts to others, we bring the others into the
Church too.
12.
Still the Church prays the ancient
antiphon: “Come, Holy Spirit”—that is, be present—“fill the hearts of
the faithful”—as you have promised—“and kindle in them the fire of your
love”—starting with your pardoning love in Christ. That is our Pentecost
prayer. It is a prayer for temple rededication, church rededication. The Lord’s
presence, promise, and pardon lie at the heart of such rededication
today.
13.
At the end of the temple dedication
ceremony in our text, the Israelites went back to their homes. As they went,
how overwhelming it must have been for them to consider that the Lord of heaven
and earth dwelled there in their midst at his temple! He was present according
to his promise to give pardon. If they had used the expression, “Pinch me,”
you can imagine one Israelite telling another to do just that. For theirs was
such a massive abundance of riches. But,
the same thing remains true of God’s Church, including this congregation. Here
God is present in his Word and promise. Here God pardons
poor sinners like you and me and those we invite. He gives all his riches here.
Here the Holy Spirit brings our Lord Jesus Christ in Word and Sacrament. In
this Christian Church he makes us and keeps us his own for time and eternity.
On Pentecost Sunday, and every day, we can well say: pinch me! Amen. Now
the peace of God that passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus until life everlasting.
Amen.
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