The sermon for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, 2024.
Delivered by Rev. Tab Ottmers.
Immanuel LCMS Fairview Podcast
Sermon - Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost - September 22, 2024
God's grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father, from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The text for our sermon this morning is the gospel from Mark 9. Jesus, after questioning the disciples, asking them what they're arguing about, he ends the gospel reading with this. He took a child, put them in the midst of them, taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever receives one such child and my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives not me, but him who sent me." And also that last line of the hymn we just sang, down there the last part of the last stanza, with your love, our love renew. So today we learn repentance, we learn that Jesus invites us to confess our sins to repent so that he may truly make us great in the kingdom of God. And that then, as we examine our lives, Jesus says as you receive a child, as you view children, this is a picture of faith at work in your life. Today, as the gospel reading continues on, we pick up after the disciples failed to cast out that demon last week. They failed to cast him out and Jesus said, "Well, it's because this kind requires prayer." So the disciples today, as they're walking, they are fixated on greatness. I imagine they were probably arguing over why or who wasn't great enough to cast out that demon. Now first, let's recognize that greatness in and of itself is not bad. We should desire to be great. We should, as Christians, desire to let our light shine. Peter, in his epistle, he says, "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." In Matthew 5, Jesus says, "Let your light shine before others so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father." Greatness is something you should strive for, a greatness that is recognizable by people outside of you, by the world, but the way in which we are made great. This is first what Jesus is addressing in teaching the disciples. The disciples were arguing about who was great, and they're arguing because Jesus had just told them where greatness is to be found. The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and when he's killed after three days, he will rise. Jesus just described what greatness was, giving one self for others who cannot repay you. Being given greatness then is in the resurrection, being resurrected to a new life. Jesus is just telling us disciples, "Hey guys, greatness is found in me, receiving me by faith, receiving my mercy and grace. This is your greatness. This is greatness before God. It is me. It is hearing the gospel, receiving the forgiveness of sins, but Jesus says you also must then consider greatness before man. Greatness in how you live your life, and then Jesus takes the conversation and he says, "Look at this child. How you receive, how you look at children shows your faith." So Jesus asks them, he says, "So what were you arguing like a bunch of spoiled brats about?" Jesus is questioning them much like God's word questions us, even as God questioned Adam and Eve after they fell, "Where were you? Where are you?" Even as God questioned Job, "Job, where were you when I created the world?" Jesus is trying to pull out of the disciples a confession that they were indeed arguing. They wanted, they wanted greatness, but they didn't want the gospel. Jesus asked them for confession and they were silent, but they weren't silent among themselves, were they? Perhaps the discussion was like this, discussing what had just happened with the demon. James, if you had just said better prayers, we wouldn't have been embarrassed with that demon. Or John, if your kids weren't so disruptive, we could have cast those demons out. If you weren't so self-centered, if you had helped out a little bit more instead of just watching and standing by the side, if you acted more like a Christian, if you didn't lose your temper, if you were more patient, if you, if you, if you, you probably are pretty familiar, even though we don't have their exact conversation, it probably sounds pretty familiar. And so Jesus, to teach them what greatness is, placed greatness in front of the disciples for the second time. First, he placed greatness before them with a cross, and now he placed greatness in the midst of the disciples to see that greatness in the eyes of God is all gift, it's free, it's mercy. There's a doctor who's famous for saying we're not exactly sure what, who to attribute this saying to, but there's a doctor who's famous for saying children are not a distraction from the important things in life, children are the most important things in life. Jesus took a child, he put him in the midst of the disciples, taking him in his arms and he said to them, whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, whoever receives me receives not me but him who sent me. Now it isn't so much that Jesus is saying that children are perfect. Jesus isn't saying that we should worship children, but Jesus says the one who receives a child in Jesus' name, that is who is great. So what does it mean to receive a child in the name of Jesus? Well, this is saying that how you receive a child shows the world what you believe in your heart. Because in Jesus' day, children were not considered that great. People didn't have a very positive view about children, they were an annoyance, they were a bother. Children were seen as property, not as a gift. Children couldn't get you into any fancy political dinners. In fact, if you brought a child, you most likely would get a table on the patio where you're not going to disturb the other guests. Receiving a child in Jesus' name means taking care and answering a child's needs despite the fact they can't pay you back. You get no recognition for helping a child out. You don't get any awards, especially from the world. Receiving a child in Jesus' name is a picture of faith, that you aren't doing anything for a reward. Because we don't, as Christians, we don't do good works or love our neighbor because they're worthy of our love. We don't love our neighbors because we're looking to receive some sort of reward in getting faith and getting a place in heaven. Our Lord Jesus Christ doesn't consider greatness the way the world does. For what if God considered you the way the world looks at children? "Don't be too loud," God says. No, his word says, "Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you." God never considers your prayers nor you're calling out to him to be it's too late. God never considers your prayers too loud or annoying at the wrong time. James in our reading today, he says, "You can pray for the wrong things but even then God doesn't ignore you." He still answers your prayers. He just gives you what you need many times instead of what you think you need. What if God considered you as the world looks at children? Hey, don't make a mess. But God promises to clean up every one of your messes that you've made by sin. God promises to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. God doesn't say, "Oh, go and clean yourself up." No, God Himself in His mercy and forgiveness in the gospel cleans you, makes you righteous by faith. God does all the work even when we've made a mess of ourselves. When our sin and pride like the disciples gets the better of us, we dirty ourselves. Jesus promises to clean you up. And He does. He cleans you up, sets you down and says, "Okay, now go on and go on and have fun." Because how often have we actually acted as children in regards to the faith and walked in humility? How often is it that we are walking in grace? Is it not more often the case that we're like the disciples? We're throwing a fit. We're arguing. We're like children in need of rebuke and repentance. Is it not the case that we make a mess of ourselves with sin? Jesus always hears your prayers. He promises to give you what you need to stay faithful. Maybe the perspective on Jesus' stay, it's good to think through that because it's in some ways a contrast with our culture nowadays. Our culture that tends to worship children. A culture where parents and teachers will not discipline children. Parents don't teach the faith as a priority. I've coached quite a few sports as an athlete and I love coaching. I've coached teams in secular leagues. I've coached teams in Christian leagues for sports. And I can tell you, believe me, it's much easier to get parents and kids dedicated and excited about sports than it is the faith. The faith usually takes second string at best if it's on the bench at all. Perhaps our kid-focused culture is an overreaction to how children were seen in Jesus' day. How we teach the faith and pass it on to our children tells the world where our priorities are at because they can't see our heart. How you receive Christ. But it's not just children. Jesus is kind of using children as a diagnostic to say, what are the false gods you chase after? You know God is the only the only person we should never say no to. What do you not say no to? What is that spoiled child in your heart? Do you say no to laziness? Do you say no to anger and impatience? Do you say no to adulterous thoughts in your heart? Or do you just say yes and yes to sin? Do you treat your sinful flesh like that spoiled child and whenever it throws a fit you capitulate to it. Whatever you never say no to is your God or say it said another way. Whatever you say yes to at all times that is your God. So Jesus today says uses a child as a diagnostic for us to ask ourselves that question in repentance. What is it we never say no to? What is it we never say yes to? And so Jesus, he uses this, he uses this child as a picture because there is one child who stands on the side who is silent, who never argues and always obeys his father. Even if it appears as if the father says no the child still rejoices to be a child, one who is silent like a sheep before the shearers. Our brother Jesus Christ is standing there with us. When the world throws a fit, rages and pounds its fist on the floor as it crucifies the Son of God. Is it not God that takes his Son, places him in the midst of all mankind and there on the cross draws all mankind to himself. Is Jesus Christ the one who's lifted up and shown to be the greatness here on the cross? Indeed this is what Jesus is doing. He is showing us where greatness is found and as we heard from Philippians Jesus existing in the form of God does not consider equality with God something to be grasped but emptied himself taking the form of a servant. He humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross. In putting this child in their midst in speaking of receiving such in his name this is a picture of what Jesus does for you and me. Jesus didn't check your greatness before baptizing you. Jesus doesn't consider the greatness of the human race before he's crucified. No in spite of our sin God shows his love for us while we were still sinners while we were still spoiled brats arguing Christ died for us because you see God gives greatness for the sake of Jesus. God's cleaned you up all the messes you've made all the times you should have been quiet all the times you broke that expensive vase all the times you broke the window the anger the fits that you've thrown because you didn't get your way the times you've sinned. When you've deserved God's punishment the most Jesus endured the cross. The punishment for your sins is gone. Sure the world then if you think about this the world views the ways in which God gives mercy as they look at children not that great baptism the Lord's Supper the word Bible study the world doesn't see much benefit to that because you don't get rewarded in worldly ways but that's because the world doesn't know true greatness nor do they look with eyes of faith for it is here that greatness is given out to the least deserving. It is a gift for the faithful. So now if you remember back these last three Sundays Mark has involved children in all of the readings how you treat and speak about children is a witness to the world of how you view God it's how you think God looks at people. Do you only help those who deserve to be helped? Do you only do you only like people who can repay you? Do you see a person only as great according to how much they help or entertain you? You have greatness backwards. Greatness is given in mercy. God in his mercy poured out his forgiveness of the Holy Spirit on you in baptism you are made great already so great that God calls you his child. He put his name on you and now he calls you to his dinner table to receive greatness in Jesus over and over again so that as we as you hear in the post communion call it call it strengthen our faith towards you and our fervent love toward one another. So may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.