Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we recognize God’s mercy to us. We prayed the in the opening line of the Collect prayer: O God, Your almighty power is made known chiefly in showing mercy. There is no greater love, no greater story than God’s mercy to us.
As we celebrated Independence day just a few days ago, we should keep in perspective that the only reason we can even have a national birthday is because of God’s mercy to us. God created us and has upheld the order of our society by which we can live and prosper.
We are a nation that has enjoyed prosperity over our history, with much land and resources. But it is not the resources that makes us unique, but instead the people. People who because of their faith founded our government on Christian principles of liberty, love and respect for citizens, and a recognition that God alone can save our nation by his mercy.
God’s mercy is not just to the U.S., but to the whole world. And just like every other nation on the earth, our nation from its start has in its nature the impulse to rebel against God. As Christians we see with our own eyes that this rebellion is growing in intensity in recent years. We should keep in mind the rebellion of sin has been going on since our nation’s founding. There was never a golden age of our nation obeying the Lord.
In the same way, even ancient Israel was always steeped in rebellion. We see it throughout the Old Testament, and it is referenced in our reading from Ezekiel this morning and seen again in how the people of Nazareth responded to the miraculous teachings and healings from the man who was from their own town- Jesus.
The LORD spoke to Ezekiel “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day.” In response to God’s mercy Israel rebelled over and over.
Only the church can make the transition from rebellious Israel to the New Jerusalem that worships the Lord day and night. And even in the church we must fight this rebellion to sin. We can easily be like the people of Nazareth, and reject the very Messiah who lives among us. As the church, we must face our rebellious nature, and understand that we can either respond to the Lord’s mercy with gratitude and joy or with rebellion.
The great tragedy of human behavior we are seeing in God’s Word this morning is that even with God right in our midst, sometimes we do not respond to God’s mercy with gratitude, but with rebellion. We need God’s Word to change us. The fullness of God’s grace leads us to the repentance that leads to life. Without this repentance we will choose rebellion. We have never fully arrived until the day our Lord returns, we always need to be repenting of our sins and depending on the Lord’s mercy.
A huge part of the Lord’s mercy toward us is that the LORD earnestly desires this repentance in us. Why else would He send Ezekiel to speak to the rebellious people the words of prophet, if not for love and mercy that Israel would return to the LORD.
In the next few verses beyond our reading: “And you son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. And you shall speak my words to them whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.”
Ezekiel was told to not be surprised at how harshly his word may be received, by a rebellious people, but to continue speaking the Word of God. Here in our time we should not be surprised at the tendency for people to rebel against God, and we should not let this departure from the truth discourage our own faith.
After all, we cannot be that amazed at unbelief when like Israel before us, we are a rebellious house- so often putting ourselves above God’s truth. We need God’s Word to correct us and get us back on track. Everyday we need to remember our baptism, remember what the Lord has done for us, so that we may turn and live in Christ.
Ezekiel was part of the house of Israel, but as he spoke to his own about the rebellion they all shared, he was looked at strangely as he delivered the word of repentance of God’s Word. Aren’t you just another on of us? Why should we listen to you?
Our Lord Jesus also received these same looks when he proclaimed God’s law and God’s mercy. “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not his sisters here with us? And they took offense at him?
But Jesus did not let such objections discourage him. Instead, he sent the 12 disciples out two by two to proclaim the good news of the kingdom. Jesus knew all along that what a rebellious people think of him is of no consequence as compared to what God’s Word says of Him.
Ezekiel was shown in the next chapter, chapter 3 that Gold’s Word brings a sweet taste to our mouths, even if we should be facing hardships or persecution.
Ezekiel 3:3 “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll I give to you and fill your stomach with it. “Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.”
We heard at the beginning of our worship service the words of Psalm 34 “O taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” When the world around us seems so bitter, we have before us the sweetness of God’s Word.
In our gospel lesson we hear how Jesus sent the disciples out two by two in order that they should preach the gospel and give a message of repentance. This message is not just that people turn away from sins, but that they turn to the sweetness of God’s Word, that they taste and see Christ their Savior.
Just as Jesus gave the disciples authority over unclean spirits, the truth of God’s Word gives us authority to speak, no matter how low the view of Christian truth becomes in our world. No matter how much we rebel, even if we are ashamed of the gospel, the Lord restores us and gives us a place in His kingdom.
A prophet is not without honor in his hometown, and even pastors face this same problem, not just about preaching in their hometown, but preaching as God’s representatives, but being seen by the people as just one of us, as part of American culture and not as one who is sent from God.
Often we want to pay attention to what a pastor is like in his personality, what image he gives in how he presents himself, what seminary he might have went to and many other factors of categorization: is he young, is he old? It is just in our nature to zero in on details that do not matter.
Yet what matters is that Jesus sends us shepherds, one after another who overlook our rebellious ways and care for us in love. In the LCMS a pastor may challenge a particular sin and call someone out of the need for repentance. Speaking the truth in love, instead of proclaiming what itching ears want to hear.
But that is not where a pastor ends his message toward us. Pastors predominate in their message to us the good news of God’s mercy.
In our Epistle reading St. Paul talks about how three times he asked to be delivered of the thorn in the flesh that invited harassment from Satan and his humbling. Paul would have liked to be free of those sins that cause hm to wrestle with his right priorities in his life and in his faith.
We are no different, we don’t want to be the rebellious people who have so much mercy to ask of the Lord. And the Lord’s answer is the same to us as it was to Paul, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’
Even as you find yourself in rebellion with God because of your sin, know that Jesus’ grace is sufficient for you, that you can know the full meaning of God’s mercy, that comes to you freely in spite of your sin.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, know that your pastor is the one who is sent from God for your benefit. The meaning of the pastoral office for us- God’s mercy to us, God’s amazing love to us. The Lord Jesus brings us this love and forgiveness, and he will never leave or forsake us. Amen.