Sermon -- 7th Sunday after Pentecost (July 7, 2024)

MARK 6:1-6

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM A PROPHET?

In the name + of Jesus.

     Jesus traveled throughout Galilee for the majority of his ministry.  From town to town, from synagogue to synagogue, Jesus preached and taught the people about the kingdom of God.  Although Jesus was from Nazareth, he did not use Nazareth as his home base.  That honor belonged to the village of Capernaum on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  Still, Jesus did not despise his hometown.  St. Mark records one visit Jesus made there.  As was his custom, he went to the synagogue with his disciples.  As was his custom, Jesus preached as a visiting rabbi. 

     The response from Jesus’ hometown family and friends might confuse us.  St. Mark summed it up by saying, “They took offense at him” (Mark 6:3).  I am not sure what had them so upset.  Was it because Jesus taught as one with authority?  He did not reference traditions or quote the teachings of rabbinic elders.  He spoke as his own authority.  Recall the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus would quote a Commandment and then follow up, saying, “But I say to you…”  He put his own word on par with the Commandments of God.  Did that offend them?

     Perhaps they were offended that Jesus showed up with his own band of disciples.  Normally, a disciple would seek out his own rabbi and learn from him.  Jesus did the opposite.  He sought out the disciples whom he would teach and train.  Yet, Jesus did not recruit any disciples from Nazareth.  Did that offend them?

     The people of Nazareth recognized Jesus’ words and deeds as powerful.  “Many who heard him were astonished, saying, ‘Where did this man get these things?  What is the wisdom given to him?  How are such mighty works done by his hands’” (Mark 6:2)?  Nevertheless, they took offense at him.  Did they expect better treatment because he was kin?  Did they expect greater miracles from their hometown boy?  It is hard to say.  What did they expect from a prophet?

     We also have expectations as children of God.  Some expectations are fair; others are not.  What should we expect?  We should expect what God has promised.  We are right to hold God to his promises.  The words and promises of God are scattered throughout the Bible, so we do ourselves a great favor by reading our Bibles to be more familiar with the promises of God and more firmly grounded in them.  When we pray, we uphold God’s promises to him and call upon him to keep them.  This is neither rude nor defiant.  Holding God to his promises shows our trust in him.  These promises provide consolation in times of sorrow and confidence on the day of death.

     Time does not allow us to consider all the promises of God, but the promise that is essential to the Christian faith is the resurrection of the body to life everlasting.  Death comes to all, and it comes because of sin.  We see the symptoms in every cut and bruise, every cold and allergy, and every bodily ailment that mankind endures.  You and I are accustomed to treating the symptoms with doctors’ visits and prescription medicines.  Even though no doctor can guarantee anything, we expect to be cured and restored to health.  The people of Galilee expected Jesus to provide cures for their ailments.  Their trust was not misplaced.  By his miraculous healings, Jesus gave a glimpse of the heavenly kingdom in which no injury or illness exists.  He treated the symptoms, but death still came for all. 

     To reverse the curse of death, you have to remove the infection of sin.  Jesus came to do just that.  St. Paul declared in his letter to the Galatians: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” (Galatians 3:13).  Taking our sins upon himself, and then taking our sins to the cross, Jesus died the cursed death.  And since Jesus took into himself every sin, he bore the curse for every sinner.  Jesus delivered the benefits of his sacrificial death in your baptism.  St. Peter wrote, “Baptism … now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21).  You can stand before God with a conscience at peace because of the words and promises of God. 

     God has brought full pardon to you through your baptism.  To prove this forgiveness to be a sure thing, God raised Jesus from the dead.  Jesus’ resurrection shows that the payment for your sins has been accepted and is sufficient.  If you ever have doubts about whether or not your sins are truly forgiven, then say, “I am baptized.  If I am baptized, then I have God’s promises upon me.  And if my sins are gone, then death has lost its grip on me, too.  As surely as Jesus is risen from the grave, so also I will rise with a glorified body.”  You can expect this, because God says so.  What can you expect from a prophet?  To declare God’s salvation, because that is what God has promised.

     The people of Nazareth seemed to have expected more.  We are tempted to do the same.  If you have been a Christian your whole life, you might expect to receive better treatment.  After all, if you have invested your whole life as a Christian, shouldn’t there be dividends?  Maybe you expect God to make your life easier, but God has not promised that.  Some Christians get upset that a man who lived in debauchery for decades and repents receives the same salvation as the one who lived a chaste and moral life.  We think we deserve to be treated better.  We are like the laborers in the vineyard who complained, “You have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat” (Matthew 20:12).  And the reply is, “Yes.  You are equal to them.  You have been saved by grace.  They are saved by grace.  If you expect better or think you deserve more, those are terms of merit.  If you want what you deserve, you no longer want grace.”  But there is no salvation apart from grace.  You are not entitled to more than God has promised.  Repent.

     We can also develop expectations if we have been a member of a congregation for a long time.  Being a long-time member can lead a man to think that God’s word is applied differently to him.  If a pastor needs to admonish the child of a member, he may assume that his years of service and attending services should grant some immunity to his family.  What should you expect from a prophet?  That he would uphold God’s word regardless of one’s membership, status, pride, or feelings.

     The people of Nazareth “took offense at (Jesus).  And Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household’” (Mark 6:3-4).  It is hard to determine what expectations the people of Nazareth had of Jesus.  Perhaps they were insulted at Jesus telling them that they needed to repent.  But family ties do not produce salvation.  We are not saved because our relative is a pastor, because we are long-standing members, because we took a confirmation vow, or because of church attendance.  Salvation is God’s gift which is apprehended only by faith in Jesus Christ.  Repent of all other hope because there is none. 

     What can you expect from a prophet?  Whoever speaks for the Lord must point people to the word and sacrament where the Lord delivers his gifts of forgiveness of sins, new life, and salvation.  God could deliver his gifts however he wants to.  God could deliver them through sporting events, through our pillow, or through a bag of Doritos.  He is God; he can do as he pleases.  But what he has told us is that we will find him only in his word and in the sacraments.  That is how God comes to us.  This is how faith is sustained.  So, you should expect a prophet to point you there and nowhere else.

     What can you expect of a prophet?  You can, and should, expect a prophet to fulfill his role—to say what the Lord has said.  If he is faithful, he will say, “This is what the Lord says,” and then it had better be what the Lord says, regardless of the results.  There is always a temptation for preachers to tweak their message to get more pleasing results—greater praise or a greater following.  Greater attendance sounds wonderful, but if the message has to be altered, it is no longer God’s word.  An altered message may attract a crowd, but it won’t save.  The fact is, some people will reject God’s word.  God wants to give eternal life for free, but some won’t care.  They either prefer their own righteousness or their own sins. 

     Some might think, “Well, if my pastor were a more effective preacher, we would see better results.”  But listen to what happened when Jesus preached: “He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And he marveled because of their unbelief” (Mark 6:5-6).  Even Jesus saw people turn away.  “If only he were a more effective preacher,” right?  It is not the prophet who makes the word effective; the word is effective on its own.  But some will reject it anyway.  Due to their unbelief, the Nazarenes did not even bother to bring their sick to Jesus for healing.  It was not that Jesus was unwilling to heal or that he was incapable of healing.  But if someone despises Jesus, he will not bother to come to him, and he will forfeit any blessing that Jesus was eager to give.

     What can you expect of a prophet?  You can expect him to urge you to come to God’s house for the Divine Service every week and for any special services that are conducted.  This is not for the pastor’s ego (although he will have to fight that).  It is so that you continue to receive the benefits Jesus wants to give you.  Forgiveness is applied in the absolution.  Admonition and encouragement are proclaimed in the sermon.  Comfort and peace are obtained through God’s repeated promises.  Heavenly food is given to you in the Lord’s Supper to strengthen faith so that you can continue to fight the good fight against the devil, the world, and your own sinful flesh. 

     The people of Nazareth seemed to want special treatment because they knew Jesus since childhood.  Being family and friends with Jesus, so it seemed, should bestow special privileges.  But they rejected him as Savior and forfeited any real privilege.  But now you do have special privileges because Jesus has made you children of the heavenly Father.  Your brother, Jesus, has secured your place in the kingdom of God and assured you of the resurrection of your body to life everlasting.  What greater privilege could he give you?  How much better can he treat you?  Therefore, we honor Jesus by hearing his word and trusting in him alone for all good things.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.