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“THE WORD IS NEAR YOU”

Romans 10:8



I’m currently reading a book written by a seventeenth century Lutheran theologian named Johann Gerhard. The book is entitled, “An Explanation of the History of the Suffering and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ.” It’s a fascinating and inspiring book that, as its name implies, focuses upon the sufferings and death of Christ, otherwise known as the Passion of the Christ; a theme which is at the forefront of our meditations during this season of Lent. And as I was reading it, I came across the following quotation: “Without a doubt, there is still much contained in the passion story which will yet be fulfilled within the spiritual Body of Christ before the end of the world.”

That is a remarkable statement. Basically, it means that was begun in Christ, and was perfectly completed in Jesus’ death on the cross for us, will nevertheless be carried on within the lives of those who are part of the body of Christ.

I touched on this a bit in last week’s sermon concerning the fact that your life here on earth, in many ways, will be a mirror of Christ’s own life. As Christians, we are called upon to live a life of patience, humility, love, and forgiveness. And that means that situations will arise that will test you in all of those areas. You will experience tribulations and hardships, temptations and persecutions, just because you are a child of God.

That kind of suffering can come from many different directions. It can come from the unbelieving world around us that seeks to taunt and ridicule us for our Christian faith. Or, as you heard in today’s Gospel reading, it can come from the temptations presented by Satan and His demons.

But, ultimately, the crosses that we bear, for having been united to Christ in Holy Baptism, all come from a source that we might never have imagined. They actually come from our heavenly Father. After all, it was God the Father—not Satan, not even the vicious Roman soldiers—Who was responsible for placing the cross upon Christ’s shoulders. And it was also God the Father Who allowed His Son to be put through the countless trials and temptations which led up to His crucifixion for us.

And because we are one with Christ, the Heavenly Father will allow us to bear our own crosses as well. Now, granted—the purpose between our personal crosses and the cross of Jesus Christ is much different. Jesus suffered because He was bearing the guilt of our sin upon Himself. And, in doing so, He redeemed us through His holy precious blood. That is how He accomplished our salvation. Which means, we don’t have to suffer in order to earn heaven; it’s not like our afflictions are going to merit God’s forgiveness. That forgiveness was already purchased and won for us in full through Christ’s passion.

But the benefits of that salvation are sometimes lost on self-secured sinners such as we are. Seriously, do we comprehend what it means to have been delivered from the tortures of eternal death which our sin had earned us? Or, do we even give a second thought to the devil’s existence and his bloodthirsty desire to destroy us? I shudder to think how many of us could go a day or more without prayer or without feeding our souls with God’s Word and not feel the slightest bit concerned about it.

And, therefore, for our own good and eternal outcome, the heavenly Father must purify the faith that His Spirit has granted us. God explained it this way through the Old Testament prophet Zechariah: “[I will] refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God,’” (Zech. 13:9).

All of the crosses which the heavenly Father lays upon the shoulders of His children are designed to turn us to His strength and grace.

And, so we heard in our first reading today how people of Israel suffered as slaves in the land of Egypt. “The Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor.” God allowed that enslavement to take place. Why? Because the children of Israel had forgotten what it meant to live by the promises of the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Therefore, the Israelites, “Cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders.”

So now ask yourself, “What is it that the Lord has done, or presently is doing in your life, to refine your faith?” And why is He allowing such hardships? Could it be because we have neglected so great a salvation as the one which has been bestowed upon us by our Lord? Have we gone our own way and done what pleases us to the extent that we have forgotten what it means to love the Lord God with all of our heart, soul, and mind? Has our disregard for the Word of God so clouded our minds that we no longer consider unholy those things which the Lord has clearly condemned?

If so, then we have made ourselves willing prey for the devil—who knows our weaknesses better than we know them. And all he needs do is to tempt us to think that a little attention to our own desires is well within our rights; that, for all the difficulties that we’ve been through in our lives, such gratification is well deserved.

Little does the devil realize that, ultimately, even he is the tool of God Himself to accomplish His holy purpose. For when Satan attacks the Christian, he often, unwittingly drives the troubled Christian back to our heavenly Father for help. For, when the devil accuses us of our guilt, there is only one refuge for the Christian to seek—the Sacrament of Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. And when we are overcome with sadness and despair, or when those around us are suffering the attacks of Satan, we are compelled to pour out our heart’s desires before the throne of God in prayer, knowing that we will be heard and answered for Jesus’ sake.

All of which shows us that our lives are not aimless and void of meaning. Dearly beloved, what God allows to happen to you is not senseless. As long as you remember that you are a part of the body of Christ—that your are united with Him through Holy Baptism—you will understand that your life is meant to be a reflection of Jesus’ life; that there is still much contained in the passion story which will yet be fulfilled within the spiritual Body of Christ throughout your time on earth; and that God is causing all things to work together for your good—for you who have been called according to His purpose.

If there is one thing that we need to see in a whole new way it is that our lives are not, at any moment, separated from the life of Jesus Christ. Even though we may sometimes fail to remember that or to recognize it, at no point do we exist independently from the Lord. As today’s text says: “The Word is near you.” And it’s not simply the written Word of God that you treasure in your hearts and share on your lips which the text is talking about. The Word is Jesus Christ. “In him we live and move and have our being’ (Acts 17:28).

And, so, as the devil tempted Christ, be alert to the fact that so he will tempt you. And never treat that temptation with the carefree, welcoming attitude that characterizes so many people’s approach to such enticements. This is the work of the devil, whom we must renounce; these are temptations to sin, from which Christ gave His life to deliver us. And as the world ridiculed and rejected Christ, so you will be ridiculed and rejected for your confession of faith in Him; but know this—whoever denies Jesus before the world will likewise be denied by the heavenly Father. Only if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, will you be saved. And, as Jesus learned obedience by what He suffered, so also the Heavenly Father will work His sanctifying will in your life by what He allows you to suffer. Those whom God loves, He disciplines. And most importantly, take comfort in the fact that, as Christ remained faithful, so He will strengthen and preserve you in the truth faith unto life everlasting.





Deuteronomy 26:1–11

1“When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance and have taken possession of it and live in it, 2you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there. 3And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, ‘I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come into the land that the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.’ 4Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the LORD your God. 5“And you shall make response before the LORD your God, ‘A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor. 7Then we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. 9And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O LORD, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the LORD your God and worship before the LORD your God. 11And you shall rejoice in all the good that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.”



Romans 10:8b–13

8b“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”



Luke 4:1–13

1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” 5And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” 9And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ 11and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 12And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.