LENT 4, B – March 22, 2009

SCRIPTURES – Numbers 21:4-9; Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:14-21 

Have you ever heard of, or perhaps even seen, McGuffey’s Readers? They were reading instruction books that were first published in 1836. Some 120 million sets were sold over the next 75 years, and 80% of all American school children were taught to read with them. No other books ever had so much influence over so many children over such a long period. 

Except perhaps for one, the book that has long outsold all other books: the Bible. The Bible is, of course, far more than just an instruction book. It is words given to us by God to lead us to know Jesus and give us eternal life in His name. It is a book of faith. But, being a book of faith does not mean that the Bible is not also a book of instruction. It is a book of instruction, and today’s readings are a primer, an instruction book, in works: in how we should believe and live. “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them,” says Ephesians 2:10. We learn two things about works from today’s readings. God teaches us: 

I.              THE GREATEST WORK IS FAITH. 

Faith in God is believing that He is at work for us. Today’s readings show God constantly at work, and especially for the good of His people. He rescued Israel from a harsh slavery in Egypt. He then faithfully provided for His people, giving them food every day – Manna, flakes of bread that miraculously appeared on the ground each morning and by which God sustained His people in a harsh and fairly barren land for years. God is good to His people! 

And they respond by grumbling and complaining: “we loathe this worthless food.” How terrible to grumble against God and doubt His goodness and love! How fitting for Him to respond with anger, sending fiery snakes to punish them. Some died; but, the people repented and turned back to God for help. How merciful was God to save them and give them an antidote, a snake on a pole! Whoever believed God and so looked upon it did not die.  

This was all preparation for God’s greatest work for us. He sent His Son, sent Him to be lifted up on a cross and be the antidote for our sins, our grumbling against Him which would condemn us to hell forever. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God is still at work saving sinners through Jesus. Every day look upon Christ lifted up on the cross. Mark yourself with the sign of His cross and thank Him for rescuing you from the eternal punishment you deserve for your sins by dying as a sinner in your place. The forgiveness Jesus won for you by His death and gives to you in His Word and Sacraments is the greatest blessing of all. Christ’s forgiveness is what God wants you to seek and embrace above everything else. And then, living in Christ’s forgiveness, He also wants you to live for Him. He wants to direct your daily life. 

II.            THE WORKS OF OUR DAILY LIVES ARE ALSO GREAT WORKS. 

“We are God’s workmanship,” Scripture says. God has given us life in Christ, and also “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which [He] prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” What are these works? Learn first of all from the people of Israel of old. They were happy to see the mighty miracles by which God rescued them from Egypt. But, His daily provision of manna, that simple bread? This they became bored with and so viewed, not as a daily sign of God’s love and care, but as “miserable food.” God simply wanted them to receive their daily bread with thanksgiving. But they grumbled and complained and no longer saw in it the hand of their good God. They forgot that God’s provision of manna every day was just as miraculous a provision and just as great a sign of His love as was the parting of the waters of the Red Sea. For this He punished them greatly. 

Learn also from the apostle Paul, who wrote that “We are God’s workman-ship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Does he give us any inkling as to what these works may be? Yes, he does. He doesn’t say, “Pursue the path you want to follow, and if it is God’s path, you will feel it in your heart.” Nor does he say that God will give you some sign that will reveal what He wants you to do. The works God has prepared for you to do are not so mysterious.  No, in the following verses of Ephesians Paul says that we are to do things like speak truthfully to one another, and not hold onto our anger but forgive each other. He tells wives to respect their husbands, and husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the Church. He tells children to respect and obey their parents, and slaves their masters. He focuses on God’s plain and simple Ten Commandments. They make clear the works God has prepared for us to do. 

Too often Christian people wait for God and look for Him to reveal what He expects of them in a dream or some other mysterious sign. Too often we are impressed by some seemingly great thing someone does.

q   Every year in the Philippines there are people who remember Christ’s crucifixion by literally being nailed to a cross and hanging there for hours.

Instead of being impressed by works that we come up with, instead ask: what has God told me to do? What does He command in His Word? 

God was clear to the people who were being bitten by poisonous snakes. If they wanted to be saved, they simply needed to look upon the snake on the pole. He is clear regarding His eternal rescue. If you want to be saved from your sins, look upon Christ on the cross. He is the antidote for sin. 

He is just as clear when it comes to living your life. If you want to do the works God has prepared for you to do, then learn His commandments. They tell you clearly what He wants.  

The problem for us is that they do not appear to be such great things. Martin Luther wisely tells us in the Large Catechism:

“What God commands must be much nobler than anything we ourselves may devise. And because there is no greater or better teacher to be found than God, there can also be no better teaching than his. Now, he amply teaches [in His commandments] what we should do if we wish to perform truly good works, and by commanding them he shows that he is well pleased with them. So, if this is God’s command, and it embodies his highest wisdom, then I shall never improve upon it.”

And so, you parents, if you want to do the works God has given you to do, then change diapers, kiss boo-boo’s, teach your kids to love God and bring them to church to worship Him. Children, if you want to please God, honor and obey your parents. Husbands and wives, love and respect each other. Let all of us speak about each other kindly, and put the best construction on everything we hear. When you are at work, don’t cheat your employer by wasting your time or complaining about what you have to do. Work gladly and well! 

Jesus didn’t found any monasteries, or send people off to live in the desert as hermits. He didn’t tell His apostles to abandon their wives and give up marriage for Him. No, they took their wives with them as they traveled! Jesus did do His first miracle and reveal His glory at a wedding, thereby blessing marriage. He did bless parents and children. He told people to honor their God and their government. He kept God’s Commandments and taught the people to do so, also. When you do God’s Commandments, then, you are doing great works. You are doing what God has prepared in advance for you to do. God has commanded all of these things, and this means that He is also very pleased with us when we do them. He is so pleased that on Judgment Day He will speak proudly about these simple works of yours before the mighty angels themselves! 

“We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” May He do His work in our lives mightily, to the honor of His holy Name!