Door to the Year

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon is entitled Door to the Year. My focus is our Gospel (Lk 2:40-52). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

January, from ianua, Latin for door, since January is the door to the year, and from Janus, Roman god of beginnings and transitions, depicted with two faces, looking to the future and past. January is a time to reflect and treasure all things in your heart.

January’s first Gospel offers an opportunity to look to the past and future, an opportunity to treasure things in our hearts and a reminder to seize the moment. Hence, we look at the past – Luke and our Lutheran tradition, the future – our legacy, and the present – our lives today.

First, Luke and our Lutheran tradition. Luke included the only boyhood story of Jesus to complete his infancy narrative. This was the second of three trips Jesus made to Jerusalem’s Temple.

In the first trip, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to fulfill the Law. Two Old Testament saints, Simeon and Anna, greeted them. Simeon caused confusion and anxiety with his somber words to Mary, “This child is why many people in Israel will be condemned and others will be saved. He will be a sign that will expose the thoughts of those who reject him. And a sword will pierce your heart.” The other feature of that first story is that wisdom came from the parents observing the Law.

In the second story we heard today, Jesus again accompanied his family to Jerusalem’s Temple. This time Jesus himself caused confusion and anxiety when he was lost. His somber words to Mary compounded the situation when he said, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” … Talk about a sword piercing your heart! This time wisdom came from Jesus as a teacher of the Law. He could not remain with his family because it was necessary to be with his Father.

The third journey to Jerusalem was with Jesus’ new family, his disciples. Again, he went there to celebrate the Passover. His journey began in chapter 9 where we read, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face towards Jerusalem.” During this journey, Jesus celebrated the Passover, was lost – that is, dead and buried – and was found after three days. This loss also caused confusion and anxiety. And again, wisdom came from Jesus who explained to his new family members who were searching for and found him that it was necessary to be with his Father.

Our Lutheran tradition cited our Gospel in The Formula of Concord regarding the Person of Christ. It focused on the majesty Christ possessed, and yet dispensed with, in the state of his humiliation. I quote, “’For this reason he grew in stature, wisdom, and grace before God and other people.’ Therefore, he did not reveal his majesty at all times but only when it pleased him, until he completely laid aside the form of a servant – but not his human nature – after his resurrection.”

Centuries later, Francis Pieper wrote that Scripture clearly taught that Christ is God and Man, knew himself to be God and Man, and had a divine consciousness. I quote: “The very first recorded utterance of Jesus when He was twelve years old, clearly reveals Him as being conscious of His divine estate: ‘Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ And his subjection to His earthly parents shows that He was conscious at the same time of His human estate.”

From Luke and our Lutheran tradition to our future, our legacy. … A lesson I learned in fundraising was to show people how to leave a legacy that outlives them. Whether you love art, education, medicine or religion, you can leave a legacy. You need not be a Carnegie, Ford, Mellon or Rockefeller. You can leave as much or as little as your estate can afford.

People leave legacies based on what they love, and people remember them for what they love. Who will remember you? Guaranteed your parents, spouse and children will remember you. Periodically, your siblings, grandchildren, nieces and nephews will think of you. Realistically, no one else will remember you fondly unless you leave a legacy of love.

Jesus’ disciples remembered him because his love led him to the cross and grave. The loving Father raised him from the dead and they imparted the Holy Spirit on the first Christians. That Holy Spirit is with us today as we remember Jesus and how he loved. Our legacy will be remembered in how we love. Whether or not our love leads to martyrdom or old age is not our choosing, but we should pray – as I do each time I open a sermon – that we love deeply as Jesus loved.

We love deeply as Jesus loved because we believe what he taught. We believe in his wisdom and that led us to baptism and the Lord’s Supper. If we love deeply as Jesus loved, people will know our legacy. More importantly, the Trinity will know.

If you want to leave a legacy of love, know this: Satan will do his best to foil you. Satan exploits your weakness. … Now, let us move from our legacy to our lives today. From the future to the present.

With sympathy to football widows, we are in the playoff season, and January 5^th is the birthday of the only NFL coach ever to win four Superbowls and not lose one. Here is how Steeler Running Back Rocky Bleier remembered Chuck Noll, who passed away in 2014.

Bleier said, “I remember in 1974 … we went out to Kansas City to play the Chiefs. They had the main players from their recent Super Bowl team, including Lenny Dawson. We ran the ball well, we sacked Dawson three times, and we beat them. On Monday we’re going over the game film, and I was expecting Chuck to congratulate us on a great game. But not Chuck. Chuck said the reason we won this game was because of the lack of good habits formed by one person.

Chuck had a theory that we all eventually subscribed to: Habits are created every day in practice, and they carry over to the game—whether it’s 102 degrees on the field or 30, whether it’s raining or snowing, whether you have a 300-pound defensive tackle in front of you … or no one at all. In the third and fourth quarter, you don’t think; you react.

Chuck said, “The reason we won this game, gentlemen, is because of the lack of habits formed by Kansas City’s left guard. The reason why we had the sacks and forced passes and why they had no running game was because of the habits formed by the left guard.”

I was dumbfounded. For a man to lead a team, the players have to accept and buy into what he’s teaching. I thought, this man has that whole game broken down to one player. He must know everything. I bought in.”

I bought in. Are you buying in? Did you buy in to Jesus and his teaching? I believe you did. I also believe Satan exploits your weaknesses and poor habits. Folks, if a coach can detect and exploit the poor habits a player forms, think how easily Satan exploits your weaknesses and poor habits.

Friends, you are sinners saved by Christ, but Satan can exploit saved sinners. That is why you must form good habits. We are no better Christians than those Paul addressed in Corinth when he wrote of the need to forgive so “that we may not be exploited by Satan for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” They formed good habits.

We are no better Christians than those Peter addressed when he wrote, “Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. Resist him, and be strong in your faith.” They formed good habits.

We are no better Christians than those James addressed when he wrote, “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. … Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.” They formed good habits.

Beginning today, buy in to what Jesus taught. Treasure in your heart what he taught and how he lived and died for you. His death was not peaceful, but a tortuous, violent, bloody, ignominious death for our benefit – for our salvation, eternal life and life here and now.

As we begin 2022, form good habits. Pray daily. Read scripture. Meditate. Read the Small Catechism. Listen to the Lutheran Hour and Daily Devotions podcasts. Attend Sunday School. Ask friends to point out your weaknesses so Satan cannot exploit you easily. Leave a legacy. Love.

Your legacy will not be that you read Scripture and prayed daily. But the grace of God leads you to the Word and to prayer. The grace of God changes you, and because you know God loves you – and you love God – you form good habits that make it difficult for Satan to exploit you.

When you allow God’s grace to enter your heart; when you treasure in your heart Jesus’ teaching; when you open yourself to God’s Word and Sacrament, you do not win Superbowls, you win the crown of life.

It is January, a time to reflect on the past to see how God’s grace has been poured forth into your heart and has washed away your sins through the blood of Christ on the Cross. It is time to look to the future – eternal life with Christ. It is time to start living for Christ and his Kingdom today. Beginning today, resolve to treasure deeply God’s love in your heart, and when you do may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Amen.