Malachi 3; Luke 23
November 24, 2019
Last Sunday C
Dear Saints of Our Savior~
Today is the final Sunday of the Church Year. Next Sunday the Advent wreath and the blue paraments will trumpet the start of a new liturgical year. You probably didn’t realize it was the Last Sunday of the Church Year when you arrived this morning. The church calendar is always out of sync with the world’s calendar. While most Americans this week are focused on eating and traveling and shopping, today’s Scripture readings present a much more sobering subject matter.
It’s fitting that the Last Sunday of the Church Year should feature a reading from the Old Testament’s last book—Malachi. Unfortunately, if you’re looking for a grand finale or a real show-stopper, Malachi isn’t it. For all the glory and grandeur of the Old Testament—for all the promises and passion—Malachi’s main features are malaise and complacency and spiritual decay. With Malachi, the Old Testament ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper.
And here is Malachi’s main complaint: Faith appears to be a waste of time and energy. It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers?—they not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.
The prophet has a point. In this world and in this life, faith should count for something, shouldn’t it? Faith ought to make at least a small difference in the here and now. Believers ought to catch a break now and then, don’t you think? Those who trust in the God—they’re the ones whose lives should be “blessed” and prosperous. And those arrogant evildoers—they’re the ones who should be taking it on the chin. But in this upside-down world, faith appears to make very little difference.
The difference between the faithful and the unfaithful—between believers and unbelievers—that difference should be as plain as day. But it’s not. Of course, we believers shoulder some of the blame for that. We don’t always live as the “light of the world.” We don’t always shine the way we should. We’re not always witnessing about the wonders of our salvation in Jesus Christ. Nor do we always practice what we preach.
Things were especially bleak among the believers in Malachi’s day. A spirit of malaise and despair showed up in the stewardship of God’s people. Instead of offering the Lord their very best, the animals brought for sacrifice were sometimes blind or crippled or diseased. Those animals weren’t good enough for the marketplace, but they were good enough for the Lord. There was also malaise when it came to marriage. Immorality and divorce were on the rise. Oh, and as for the priests—the professional clergy—those who should have been calling God’s people to repentance and proclaiming God’s promises, those religious leaders were for the most part just a bunch of empty suits—faithless shepherds who were full of pride. The spirit of the times in Malachi’s day could be nicely summed up with the words, “Who cares?”
Sadly, shamefully, that could be our creed too. Laziness and complacency have come calling among us. Malaise and futility have infected us. And that sin of ours—even on our very best days—leaves us nearly indistinguishable from the unbelievers next door. Where’s faith when you need it? Your faith should make a difference in you! Why can’t we always see it? Is it vain to serve God?
On the Last Day it will all become clear. Faith in Christ will be vindicated. On that day you will see with your own two eyes the eternal difference faith makes. Malachi also says as much: Then . . . you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not serve him. On that day—but not one day sooner—it will be patently obvious that through faith in Jesus Christ you have become the Lord’s treasured possession. That’s what you are right now; you just can’t see that right now.
If you want to see the difference that faith makes, then come with me to Calvary. That’s where today’s Holy Gospel takes us. There in the afternoon darkness is the crucified Christ. And please note the two criminals on either side of Jesus. To stand there and view the gruesome scene, both of those criminals appear the same. There’s no visible, tangible difference between them. Both were convicted of
Is there any difference? One of the criminals calls out to Jesus, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” That almost sounds like faith. He calls Jesus the “Christ” and wants Jesus to save him as He saves Himself. But that’s precisely NOT how Jesus saves. Jesus saves others by NOT saving Himself. Jesus saves sinners by dying for them. He justifies the ungodly, not the godly. Jesus redeems the irredeemable.
The other criminal may look no different; but he sounds different. And the difference is faith. He confesses his sinfulness—that he’s getting what he deserves. But concerning Jesus, he says, “This man has done nothing wrong.” The crucifixion of this innocent man ignites a spark of faith and hope: Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. He doesn’t ask to be spared his death sentence or to be saved from his suffering. All he wants is to be remembered by the crucified King who is dying next to him. And from the lips of that King comes this promise: Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.
Two criminals were executed that day with Jesus; but one died with the promise of life. One died with faith in a crucified King. And later on, that very same day, he was with Jesus in Paradise. That’s the same promise our Lord makes to you—to you who trust Him not only when times are good, but also in terrible times. Your faith makes an eternal difference. Your faith will be vindicated.
Through Malachi the Lord declared concerning His people: “I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.” God will spare His people as a father spares his son. But of course, we who are privileged to read beyond the book of Malachi know that God—our God—did NOT spare His one and only Son, but gave Him up for us all. We who breathe the grace-filled air of the New Testament, we know that God sent His Son to deliver us from the domain of darkness. And in that beloved Son we have everything, including redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Behold the difference Jesus makes. Our sin means that we deserve nothing more than to be hanging next to Jesus with nails in our hands and feet. That’s what we deserve, but that’s not what we get. What you get instead is the grand and glorious promise of Jesus Christ that on the day you die—on that day, I tell you the truth—you will be with Jesus in Paradise. Jesus takes the nails. Jesus takes the sins. Jesus takes the shame that’s rightfully yours, but you—you get Paradise.
There no way to understand this or make sense of this good news. All you can do it believe it. All you do is trust it. That’s what we mean by faith. Faith doesn’t mean a life of success and victory; but it does mean a life of love for God and service to your neighbor. It means that you are free to love as you are loved by God—free to serve as you are served by Jesus. Your faith will be vindicated on the Last Day. For when that show-stopping grand finale finally comes, you will be with Jesus in Paradise.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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