Introit: Psalm 91:1-2, 9-10, 13; antiphon: Psalm 91:15a, 15c, 16
Readings: 1 Samuel 17:40-51; 2 Corinthians 6:1-10; Matthew 4:1-11
In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Too many of our modern translations of the Psalms want to comfort us by making them about us. But that misses the point. It misses the interconnections of God’s Word when we filter everything through the lense of “me”. Because it’s not about you. It is always about Jesus. What did He say about all of the Old Testament Scriptures? They are entirely about Him (John 5:39; Luke 24:37). Luther summarized Jesus’ saying that all of Scripture is a cradle for Jesus. Sometimes Lutherans are accused of shoving Jesus in every nook and cranny of the Bible, whether He belongs there or not. But I assure you, He belongs there!
Readings: 1 Samuel 17:40-51; 2 Corinthians 6:1-10; Matthew 4:1-11
In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Too many of our modern translations of the Psalms want to comfort us by making them about us. But that misses the point. It misses the interconnections of God’s Word when we filter everything through the lense of “me”. Because it’s not about you. It is always about Jesus. What did He say about all of the Old Testament Scriptures? They are entirely about Him (John 5:39; Luke 24:37). Luther summarized Jesus’ saying that all of Scripture is a cradle for Jesus. Sometimes Lutherans are accused of shoving Jesus in every nook and cranny of the Bible, whether He belongs there or not. But I assure you, He belongs there!
A case in point is today’s Introit based on Psalm 91. Psalm 91:1 says, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” In our egocentric thinking many of us put ourselves into that “he”. But the “He” here is Jesus! Jesus is the one who dwells in the shelter, who is shaded, shadowed, protected by God Almighty. It is Jesus who calls His Father His refuge and fortress. Jesus is the only one who trusts Him perfectly even in the midst of death. As always, so much gets lost in translation. But translation is not the only problem here. We are. Your self-seeking, sinful ears want to make everything about you. We are so fixated on the Bible as “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth,” or “What Would Jesus Do?,” Jesus as example rather than as saviour, that we turn the Bible into cute rules for living—what we Lutherans (and St. Paul) call “Law” (Galatians 3-4; Romans 10:4-5)—that we make everything about us and what we do. But it’s really about Jesus and what He has done. For not only is the Father Jesus’ refuge, but in fact, in the original languages there is all sorts of cool word play about the Most High God appointing Jesus to be the place of His refuge. That’s why evil won’t befall Him. He is the refuge of Most High. The Most High God doesn’t need refuge. You do. Who is your refuge? Jesus is. How can evil befall the refuge that the Most High supplies? It can’t because that refuge ceases to be a refuge if evil can befall it. That’s why plague can’t come near to Jesus’ tent, because God has tented among us in Jesus’ flesh (John 1:14). The tent of His body—which is your refuge—is utterly free from sin, disease, sickness, or pestilence that stalks you by night or day or anytime throughout life.
This place of refuge is so safe, it is such a sanctuary from evil, that the Most High commands His angels concerning it so that the tent of Our Lord’s body will never even stub His toe, for He will be lifted up by the holy angels whom the Most High has commanded to guard this refuge for all the world day and night.
This refuge carries you in safety throughout your pilgrimage here below. He can tread upon poisonous snakes and lions and tigers and bears and any vicious dragon confronting you and crushes them under foot (Psalm 91:13). He is not be harmed one bit. That is the wonder working power of this sanctuary. However, while it is valid to make the application that because He is our sanctuary, and He is safe from threat of lion or adder, so we are safe from such threats (ala Luke 10:19; Mark 16:17-18) such an application misses what its actually saying. This treading down serpents is not what we who take refuge in the Lord do. It is something already done by Him who is your refuge.
This place of refuge is so safe, it is such a sanctuary from evil, that the Most High commands His angels concerning it so that the tent of Our Lord’s body will never even stub His toe, for He will be lifted up by the holy angels whom the Most High has commanded to guard this refuge for all the world day and night.
This refuge carries you in safety throughout your pilgrimage here below. He can tread upon poisonous snakes and lions and tigers and bears and any vicious dragon confronting you and crushes them under foot (Psalm 91:13). He is not be harmed one bit. That is the wonder working power of this sanctuary. However, while it is valid to make the application that because He is our sanctuary, and He is safe from threat of lion or adder, so we are safe from such threats (ala Luke 10:19; Mark 16:17-18) such an application misses what its actually saying. This treading down serpents is not what we who take refuge in the Lord do. It is something already done by Him who is your refuge.
He is the seed of the woman who treaded down the serpent, crushed Him under foot, destroying sin, death and the devil (Genesis 3:15), giving mankind back paradise with the Lord! For through His drawing near to you you have refuge from sin, death and devil. He takes you in.
So it is not we who call on the Lord. It is Our Lord Jesus who calls on His Father, who invokes His name and the Father hearkens unto Him. He listens to His voice. He rushes to obey His Son. The way any loving father rushes to the aid of his child as soon as they cry out. In fact, this Father rushes before His children even cry (Luke 15:20). For “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) While you are still a long way off He rushes out to greet you (Luke 15:11-24, especially v.20), throwing off all restraint, not caring what the neighbours think, or the world says about Him. You are His Son. His only Son. You who were lost are found in Christ Jesus. He loves you and is eager to save you.
That’s what this psalm (Psalm 91) is about. Christ calls on the Father. The Father saves the Son because He perfectly delights in and places His trust in the Father. The Father saves Him from the power of death which He carried for you (2 Corinthians 5:21) killing it at the cross. For like the Prodigal Son, Jesus sallied forth from His Father’s house. He wasted His Father’s riches recklessly on sinners and reprobates, and fair weather friends like you and me. For while Our Lord Jesus was without sin, nonetheless, He was accused by the self-righteous of being a drunkard and a glutton who hangs out with prostitutes and their ilk (Matthew 11:18-20). He hangs out with you. Reckless living. Seeking out likes of you. Going where you have been, where you go, where you have taken yourself. Taking your burdens, your cares, your sins on Himself. Letting it bankrupt and kill Him. Invoking His Father’s name from the cross He forgives you saying, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) Completing His work He breathed His last saying, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)
So it is not we who call on the Lord. It is Our Lord Jesus who calls on His Father, who invokes His name and the Father hearkens unto Him. He listens to His voice. He rushes to obey His Son. The way any loving father rushes to the aid of his child as soon as they cry out. In fact, this Father rushes before His children even cry (Luke 15:20). For “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) While you are still a long way off He rushes out to greet you (Luke 15:11-24, especially v.20), throwing off all restraint, not caring what the neighbours think, or the world says about Him. You are His Son. His only Son. You who were lost are found in Christ Jesus. He loves you and is eager to save you.
That’s what this psalm (Psalm 91) is about. Christ calls on the Father. The Father saves the Son because He perfectly delights in and places His trust in the Father. The Father saves Him from the power of death which He carried for you (2 Corinthians 5:21) killing it at the cross. For like the Prodigal Son, Jesus sallied forth from His Father’s house. He wasted His Father’s riches recklessly on sinners and reprobates, and fair weather friends like you and me. For while Our Lord Jesus was without sin, nonetheless, He was accused by the self-righteous of being a drunkard and a glutton who hangs out with prostitutes and their ilk (Matthew 11:18-20). He hangs out with you. Reckless living. Seeking out likes of you. Going where you have been, where you go, where you have taken yourself. Taking your burdens, your cares, your sins on Himself. Letting it bankrupt and kill Him. Invoking His Father’s name from the cross He forgives you saying, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) Completing His work He breathed His last saying, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)
The Father listened. He brought our Lord to His paradise of refuge. He made our Lord the eternal rest, the eternal Sabbath for all sinners who are weary and heavy laden. He rested in the perfect paradise of the Father’s presence that Friday evening, and all throughout Holy Saturday. And on Sunday He was filled to the full with days, satisfied beyond measure with the extreme length of His days being raised unto never ending life. He now knows salvation in the same way Adam and Eve sought to know of evil. By doing it. He went through death and resurrection for you so that He would know it fully for you.
He is your refuge. Even in this life. Even in the daily temptations and pressures. Call on the name of Jesus. Invoke the name in which you were baptized. Cry out to Him in temptations to sin and especially in temptations to despair once Satan has scratched that itch of yours raw and again you surrendered. For the little temptation to do some fleshly thing is nothing compared to the true temptation that Satan wants to place in front of you of denying your Lord who is your salvation, who is your refuge from guilt and shame. Satan wants you to have another god. A god of guilt, who says, “The Father can’t possibly forgive you.”
He is your refuge. Even in this life. Even in the daily temptations and pressures. Call on the name of Jesus. Invoke the name in which you were baptized. Cry out to Him in temptations to sin and especially in temptations to despair once Satan has scratched that itch of yours raw and again you surrendered. For the little temptation to do some fleshly thing is nothing compared to the true temptation that Satan wants to place in front of you of denying your Lord who is your salvation, who is your refuge from guilt and shame. Satan wants you to have another god. A god of guilt, who says, “The Father can’t possibly forgive you.”
Well, think again. For Jesus has withstood the temptations you can’t. He has suffered the death you deserve. He has died in your place and treaded down the deadly viper of sin, by taking its venom into His own flesh. But upon death, God who was pleased with Him, accepted Him into His eternal halls of refuge. He is now your refuge, your hope, your future. For He has faced down Satan for you. He has crushed him for you.
The Father has answered Jesus’ cries for you. You are saved. Don’t you doubt it. The Triune Name was invoked over you with water. The Word of God which feeds your eternal life is fed into your mouth. For Man can not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God. Especially, the Word made flesh. He who is in you is your rest. With the refuge of the Most High placed on your tongue and swallowed into you what can separate you from the love of Christ? The Father’s love and refuge are yours.
In +Jesus’ name, Amen.
—Pastor David Haberstock
Epiphany Lutheran Church
Thunder Bay, ON
The Father has answered Jesus’ cries for you. You are saved. Don’t you doubt it. The Triune Name was invoked over you with water. The Word of God which feeds your eternal life is fed into your mouth. For Man can not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God. Especially, the Word made flesh. He who is in you is your rest. With the refuge of the Most High placed on your tongue and swallowed into you what can separate you from the love of Christ? The Father’s love and refuge are yours.
In +Jesus’ name, Amen.
—Pastor David Haberstock
Epiphany Lutheran Church
Thunder Bay, ON
RSS Feed