Pastor T.C. Arnold
3rd Sunday in Lent
Ephesians 5:1-9
March 15th, 2009
The text for this morning’s sermon is the Epistle reading appointed by the church-ancient, Ephesians chapter five the first nine verses. But in order to grasp how this chapter in this letter from St. Paul starts – the chapter that starts: “Therefore, be imitators of God,” – one should go back to the last verse of the previous chapter and include those words. So this is what is written: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Two things come to us in these words: a proclamation that we are forgiven and loved by God and also that we should be working to do the same for our fellow neighbors. It sounds so nice. God loves you and you should love your neighbors. That’s nice.
But then Paul convicts us. He says, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immortality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place… No immoral, impure or greedy person – such a man is an idolater – has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” It seems as though Paul turns from telling us what we have in Christ and what we should be doing for our neighbor, to harsh words that convict us to the very core of our being.
And perhaps Paul said such things like this because our lives reflect the need to hear such harsh words. All of you hear them again today. Those words are an exhortation to be like Christ in love and forgiveness toward our neighbor. And then that word is conviction of how our lives stack up to what God demands by a righteous life. These harsh words look like your life.
God’s people are gathered here and everywhere for this Sunday morning time together in the presence of our Lord. But the other 167 hours out of our week are spent elsewhere. And what do our lives look like? I would suspect that your life out there is not like your life right here, right now. I know what your life looks like. Your life looks like the drudgery of worry and fear that consumes you all week long. Your life has scandal in it – maybe both public and private. Your life includes thoughts and deeds that are not after the Lord’s heart. I know your life – your life involves families that are misplaced and wrought with problems. You have problems with employment. You have problems with other family members who say harsh things – or ignore you – or chastise you unjustly. Your kids don’t appreciate you. Your parents don’t appreciate you. Parents don’t appreciate their kids and kids don’t appreciate their parents. You tell and live lies. You keep secrets and hope that no one finds out. You cry some night because you don’t know what you are going to do – the pain is too much – the hurt is too deep.
Did I describe you? Did I just strike a nerve in your life? I know I hit something you are dealing with in that litany of sin and suffering I just shared. How do I know? The reason: because I live this life too. I have an extended family and I have good friends. I have problems and so do the people I love. Divorce, separation, abandonment, fatigue, anxiety, depression, drugs and alcohol problems – I have dealt with it with the people that I love the most. And when Paul says things like he does in Ephesians chapter five – we begin to think – I’m not included in the Kingdom of God. How can I be – I am a part of that very list which says, “No immoral, impure or greedy person has any inheritance in the kingdom of heaven.” Where does that leave us?
God’s law is heavy and it convicts all of us. And because it is so heavy we can thank God we are not saved by the law. There’s much more for you and me in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians – our text for today. It says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as Children of light. How does one become “light?”
Well, do you remember Paul’s words that preceded the first verse of our Epistle text for this 3rd Sunday in Lent? It said, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as God has forgiven you.” And then we heard those words of instruction that go with that last verse of chapter four: “Be imitators of God.” But before we can be imitators we have to have something to imitate. There must be something – in this case “someone” to show us the way to live. Being “imitators” goes back to what Christ did for us first. He set the stage for our life on earth – how to treat our neighbor, showing us what’s good for us and how valuable that will be for us and for our loved ones. But He also set the stage for our life in the world to come. He not only set the stage, He accomplished what needed to be done for each and every one of us – even if that long litany of shortcomings I mentioned earlier describes us totally and completely.
You see, this is our Lenten season. It sets the stage for a very Holy Week. And this “setting of the stage” for the Sundays and Wednesdays during this time of the year helps us to focus and contemplate our Lord’s suffering and death. We contemplate this death because our sins led Him to suffer on that cross. He died for us because we would have surely died on our own without Jesus. Lent sets the stage for our Christian life by not only showing that Jesus is the one we imitate but also the one who lived for us. We are to imitate the one who loved us so much that He died a horrible death in our place – so that – we will never have to see eternal death. He took the punishment that we deserve upon Himself.
There’s another example set before us today as well – an example of imitation. It happens to be with little Addison who was baptized this morning. For Addison, she received and blessing from God that goes beyond our understanding. Our Lord can come to little children and bless them with the forgiveness of sins through a little water and His most precious Word. Be imitators of what God has given to a little child today. Remember your baptisms by keeping in mind how this child received what God gave to you – for many of you – when you were a small child as well. Christ did the work. He is the one who gave that gift to you and called you His own through it. Now take that Baptism that God has given to you and live in it. Live in the life you have received. Live because Christ lives in you and has given His life for your life. Live your life here in this place for Christ. Live your life outside this place – for your family, friends, co-workers and neighbors in that same God-given life. Be imitators. Our Savior sets the stage for a better life.
Beloved in the Lord, none of us could stand if our heavenly inheritance depended upon our “morally, pure and greedless” work. We are never perfect imitators of God. That’s why we seek Him out to show us the way. That’s why we rely on Him to do what we cannot do – give us life. We are in darkness, and when we are in darkness, we can see nothing. We can’t see the right way to walk and we can’t see that Jesus has already walked the walk of righteousness for us.
I get up in the morning before the sun does. It’s always dark when I leave the house. We have a nightlight at the bottom of our steps. Sometimes it’s on, and sometimes it’s not on. If it’s not on I run the risk of falling down the steps. I have to do everything by memory and just hope that Benjamin or Jacob didn’t leave their little scooters at the bottom of the steps. If they did, I know I’m going to stumble and fall. But with the light I can see what’s in my way. With the light I know which way to walk. I know we think we can walk in the darkness – I have the way memorized – I don’t need the light. But what if there is a well placed scooter in your way – and you didn’t know it? You will fall. Count on falling.
That’s why we need the light. We need it today and everyday. We need what God gives to a little child in the water and the Word. We need to be fed by God each and everyday of our lives. We need what we imitate – the life that Jesus lived for us – perfect and complete. We need Christ. Flee to Christ. Come to Christ our Lord. Receive His blessings and forgiveness. Use the light. It shows you the way. And soon it will show the cross. That’s where our life begins. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.