July 5, 2020 Text: Romans 7:15-25a
Dear Friends in Christ,
You may remember this story from a few years back. A young stockbroker worked for a firm that made a lot of shady deals. He warned them of this. At the same time he quietly sent out resumes looking for another job. He soon joined another company at a lower salary and with a lateral move. When asked why, he responded, “I just got tired of polishing the brass on the Titanic.” Sure enough, a few years later his old company sank.
That expression, “I just got tired of polishing the brass on the Titanic,” is a metaphor for any futile effort. After 20 years as a loyal subscriber I got tired of fighting with our local paper over subscription rates that I finally cancelled. How about trying to get the doctor to return your calls? Fighting the political system in Illinois? Or even battles with family members that get us nowhere that we just give up. It is futile and it wastes our time and emotions.
In today’s Epistle lesson, St. Paul describes the futility of trying to achieve a good standing before God. “I want to do what is right and good but I keep doing that which is evil and sinful. I am a wretched person and I continue on this treadmill of behavior. What’s the use of trying to do the right thing?” We want to know that . . .
“I’M NOT JUST ENGAGED IN FUTILITY”
Does Paul’s experience parallel your own? You are counting on your good behavior to get right with God. It is futile. It’s like polishing the brass on the Titanic. Two brothers were wrestling with each other and one pinned the other and panted, “Now, confess! You’re in bondage to sin, and you cannot free yourself” – proving that the brothers must have been Lutherans.
We cannot free ourselves. We are at war within ourselves. We see good and evil raging around us in society but it also rages in our hearts and in our minds. We have all been guilty of some horrible thoughts these last few months. We’ve made judgments that have been wrong. We’ve questioned authority. We’ve whined about things that make no difference to our spiritual life. You may even pray to stop this behavior and Satan slips right back in through the back of your shirt and your mind continues as a cesspool of bad thoughts. What we want and what God wants don’t always agree. This is where the conflict happens.
What God wants usually comes in 2nd place. In this time of upheaval, as Christians we need to stay upon the fray. We need to count our blessings and lean on our faith. Instead, we start to look at people differently. They are no longer children of God but misinformed malcontents. We need to use the Lord’s words but instead we pop off with our great wisdom. “What wretched people we are! Who will rescue us from this body of death?”
St. Paul had a quick answer. “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” He didn’t stop there. He filled his letters to the church in Rome with all manner of comforting words and uplifting thoughts. If God can raise Jesus from the dead, He is certainly powerful enough to deliver me from the sin that infects my body and soul.
In faith, this Jesus lives in me. In faith, this Jesus lives in you. This power is stronger than my sin. This Spirit of God has made us baptized children of the Most High. He lives in us through our Baptism and every day thereafter. His presence comes in body and blood each time I am privileged to enter His altar. He is renewing His presence within us right now as we hear His Word and trust his promise.
This Spiritual presence helps us overcome our judgment calls. This Spiritual presence helps us refocus so that we stop whining of what we don’t have to the wonderful blessings He does give us. We stop the me, me, me chant and look to “love thy neighbor as thyself.” It isn’t easy. Paul knew that. He was more aware than most that our standing before God is a gift, not achievement.
On the cross Christ gained for us our standing before God. We enjoy God’s love and favor because of Christ. Our faith and obedience didn’t cause that. God’s grace and mercy and love came upon us and made us men and women in which Christ dwells.
We are not just engaged in futility. The cross of Christ gives us a purpose. For some of you do it for your children and grandchildren. For some of us we glimpse our faith in our children and future grandchildren. For some of you your behavior now leads to that spouse the Lord has waiting for you and the children he will grant to you. By the power of God we are forgiven and given this great gift of the Lord in our lives.
We can’t help but exclaim it like Paul, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Amen.