“The Greatest Commandment”

Matthew 22.34-40

Pastor Tom Johnson, October 23, 2011

Everybody was trying to stump Jesus. Like a tag-team wrestlers, the Sadducees fail to take Jesus down. They exit the ring, slap the hand of their unlikely partner, the Pharisees, and they enter ready to finally pin Jesus with a trick question: “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Maybe they thought Jesus would choose one commandment over another. And when Jesus did, they would accuse him of neglecting the rest of the commandments. Or maybe they were legitimately interested in knowing how Jesus would sum up the the meaning of the Bible. What is the primary message of the Hebrew Scriptures? What is the core of the faith?

I believe that Jesus thinks this is an important question. If he didn’t think so, he would do what he normally does with ridiculous questions—he asks a better question or turns the tables on his opponents. But here Jesus answers the question. What is the greatest commandment? What is God most concerned with in the lives of human beings? What is our highest purpose? Or to be really philosophical: “Why are we human beings on this third planet from the sun in the Milky Way Galaxy? Why are we here?”

For many, this is a troubling question. There are few things more frightening than the thought that you and I are nothing more than improbable creatures in a vast, cold, and impersonal universe—simply here by accident without a purpose. To add to this disturbing thought, is the reality that we are incurably social beings—filled with an unsatiable need to relate to others. We need relationships. We ask why are we here because of our human need for meaning and purpose.

Jesus’ answer not only gives us the greatest commandment but also the meaning and purpose we long for as human beings. Jesus does not just satisfy the Pharisees’ intellectual curiosity. He gives a vision of what our lives are all about. “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Jesus gives the greatest commandment: to love God with our whole being. But there is a second commandment that must follow, because it flows from the first: to love one another. Jesus is quoting two Old Testament verses—one from the book of Deuteronomy and the other from Leviticus (Deut 6:5; Lev 19:180). To love is the greatest calling we have—to love God with our whole being and then let that love flow to those around us. Our greatest call is to enter into a loving relationship with God and those around us. The greatest commandment is not for us to do something for God; it is to respond to what God has already done for us.

We should remember that the very first sentence on the tablets of stone that had the ten commandments is what is sometimes called the preface to the Ten Commandments, which says: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” In other words, God does not give specific commandments or expectations for behavior until after he has first established his love for us. “I am the Lord your God! I took the initiative to free you as a people. I am the one who made you my own—adopted you as my daughters and sons. I have loved you with a tremendous love first. It is unconditional love. But the relationship is incomplete until you love me back.”

To love God begins by believing that he has adopted us and already made us his own—not by bringing us out of the land of Egypt and physical slavery—but out of our sin and brokenness through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. We begin to love God when he not only gives us his Son but also the faith to believe—to believe that we have forgiveness and eternal life in him. Our love is in response to God’s love. Our love flows from him. We love God when we trust in him to take us safely through our journey here on earth. We love God when we acknowledge and give thanks for all his gifts. We love God when we worship him. We love God when our thoughts, words, and deeds are transformed by his redeeming power.

And that is why Jesus is quick to add that this greatest commandment is not alone or isolated from another one like it—to love our neighbor as ourselves. The love that flows through his Son,toward us, continues to flow out through us as well. This is what it means to live—the greatest commandment is to enter a meaningful relationship—a relationship with our Creator that transforms our lives and relationships with one another. The greatest commandment is the greatest privilege that a creature could have—to experience the love of God in his Son, Jesus Christ and for that same love to extend through us to the world.

“Sing to the Lord a new song”

Psalm 96.1-9

Pastor Tom Johnson, October 16, 2011

 

The Psalmist has not taken an opinion poll. He’s not asking you. He is telling you. He is bidding you. He is calling you. “Sing!” “Sing to the Lord!” “Sing a new song!” The Holy Spirit has filled Psalmist up so much that he cannot contain it any more. His praise, thanksgiving, and worship has been welling up inside and he is ready to burst with song. He wants us to sing to the Lord.

It’s not enough to thank him in monotone or using your indoor voice. He has done too many marvelous things. His name is too wonderful. His goodness has overflowed too much toward us for our praise not to raise new heights, melodies, harmonies, and tones. God wants us to sing a new song about an eternal God who has no beginning and will have no end—a new song about an ancient, redemptive history—a new song with fresh intensity, joyful melody, and profound harmony. This new song comes out of God renewing our spirits and restoring to us the joy of our salvation (Ps 51). This new song springs out of a heart that has discovered for the first time—or for the 1,000th time—God's unconditional love and life-transforming grace.

Next, he calls us further: "Declare God's glory among the nations and God's wonders among all peoples." God wants this choir to take God’s glory on the road—on an international tour of praise. When God fills our heart with this new song—when our spirits are overtaken by his mercy—it is impossible to contain to ourselves. Music is never meant to only be enjoyed alone in our solitude. It’s enjoyable and useful to play and practice alone. But ultimately, music is meant to be shared. Especially this new song. It is meant to be contagious. This praise should spread from person to person until all nations sing God’s universal praise. Music and singing is evangelistic. It is winsome. It is completely positive. It’s beauty attracts its hearers. It’s good news stirs our hearts into action and calls and gathers others to join our heavenly choir.

Martin Luther said, "Music is an endowment and a gift of God, not a gift of men. It drives away the devil and makes people cheerful; one forgets all anger, unchasteness, pride, and other vices. I place music next to theology and give it the highest praise. And we see how David and all saints put their pious thoughts into verse, rhyme, and songs, because music reigns in times of peace."

It is no accident that some of the most glorious music ever written was about Jesus. From Handel's Messiah to Bach's Mass in B Minor, even unbelievers transcend this earthly existence into the heavenly realm of Christ's death and resurrection assuring us of God's grace, love, and eternal life. It is no accident that R and B singer Jennifer Hudson found her soulful voice at her home church right here in Chicago. Her musical roots run deep into the hill of Calvary, the cross, the empty grave, and celebrating our salvation. Even the rapper Eminem lost his voice and was absent from the music scene for about seven years and recently showed back up with a vengeance, a rugged cross around his neck, and a renewed sense of purpose and faith in his Savior, Jesus Christ.

It is not an overstatement to say that we would not have classical music, jazz, or most of the forms of popular music if God's people weren't first singing in the cathedrals in Europe and singing on the plantation fields in the south. In all likelihood, if Jesus did not put new songs into the hearts of his people, turning on our radios would only have the empty drones of a powerless humanity.

Sing to the Lord a new song...all the earth...from day to day...among all peoples! Rediscover the wonder of who God is—the Creator of such a vast universe and yet deeply concerned and interested in every one of his creatures. Be overwhelmed with his magnificence, his presence everywhere, his loving dominion, and limitless power. And let those thoughts, feelings, and eternal truths well up inside like the psalmist and have to burst forth in song.

It’s okay to make music and song a part of our spiritual journey. Not everything we do needs to be analyzed, expressed in a formula, and sound like creedal statement. It is okay to be swept up in the fervor of the Gospel and carried along the wave of Christ’s praise. We know the epicenter of this earthquake is the shout of Jesus on the cross “It is finished” and the stone that rolled away to reveal an empty tomb. You have heard the phrase "preaching to the choir." The psalmist wants the choir to preach to us—and we with them—and all of us to the world.

“The Heavenly Call of God”

Philippians 3.4-11

Pastor Tom Johnson, October 2, 2011

 

Our text from Paul is a remarkably candid and personal account of how he experienced God’s call. For Paul, experiencing the heavenly call of God completely transformed his view of himself, others, and God.

Paul calls this “confidence in the flesh.” His own story crowded out God’s story. His inflated view of self was an obstruction to a heavenly view of God. I rewrote Paul’s words here for our contemporary ears. If Paul were living today, he might have said it this way:

“If anyone has a reason to feel good about oneself, I do. If anyone is at the top of the food chain, I am—above anyone else I can think of. I was baptized by a fifth-generation pastor—the day I was born. The letters “LCMS” are inscribed on my baptismal certificate in permanent ink.

“My Christian heritage can be traced to the heart of the Reformation—I come from a long line of pastors, missionaries, and faithful believers who served in difficult circumstances and were persecuted for their faith.

“My parents brought me to church the first Sunday of my life and had perfect Sunday school attendance every year. I went to parochial school from preschool through grad school. I have a PhD in Theology. I’ve been willing to even perpetrate violence in the name of religion.”

At first, it may seem that Paul is bragging. He is not. In fact, he is telling us that he had this marvelous background and everything going for him, and yet, he did not experience “the heavenly call of God.” He had knowledge about God. But he did not know God.

When I think of Paul and his great heritage and credentials, I think about the pastor of my church growing up: Dr. James Tozer. Dr. Tozer was the descendent of a long line of prominent Christian men and women. Even more remarkable, his lineage is traced to the French Hugeunots.

The Hugeunots were killed by the thousands during the Reformation years and were driven out of France by the hundreds of thousands through religious persecution. Dr. Tozer was closely related to the famous Christian author A. W. Tozer.

Dr. Tozer received his doctorate in theology right here in Chicago at McCormick seminary. He went to my hometown to plant a church near Purdue University. Early on, he realized that he didn’t really have a personal relationship with God.

Dr. Tozer often told his story with his winsome sense of humor and reminded us that someone who has a PhD in Theology may still need to experience the call of God in a personal way—just like Dr. Tozer—just like the Apostle Paul.

After Paul lists his great credentials on his resume, he uses a very crass word to describe it. He calls his resume skubala. Our translation very politely translates it as “rubbish.” His resume a great big pile of—escrement, dung—you get the idea.

The thirteen year-old within me loves this passage of Scripture. It is such a human way to share the radical and heavenly call of God. Paul is thankful that he finally has come to his senses.

Everything else pales in comparison. For some, it is our earthly lineage and credentials. For others, it may be anything keeping us from having a humble view of our selves—anything that convinces us that we have arrived spiritually—either by our birthright or our own accomplishments.

The call of God does not mean that he is calling all of us into full-time ministry. It does not mean that we have to relocate our homes and jobs. What it means is that we experience the heavenly call of God in our life where we are now—to know what Paul calls “the suprassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

To know Jesus means that we trust in him the way we do any other person who is trustworthy. We are confident that he loves and accepts us no matter how broken our lives have become. We are assured that we have forgiveness and eternal life because he died and rose again for us.

The heavenly call of God changes the way in which we think, speak, view ourselves, view others, and relate to God. The heavenly call of God is crying out now. God is hot pursuit of our hearts, minds, and lives—zealously pursuing us now. And once we experience it, our lives will never be the same.

God’s call is “heavenly” because he calls us from outside of his creation. He calls through his Word which is the voice of “heaven” speaking to us here and now. He calls us through Baptism through the water and Spirit of adoption and calls us his daughters and sons.

He calls us to the Table to come as we are to be restored and forgiven—giving us his heavenly gifts of his Body and Blood in the bread and the wine. He then calls us out into the world to tell his story and our story so others may hear his call.

God calls us with authority from his throne of heaven. He calls us on a meaningful journey heavenward. And he calls us to assurance and certainty that in Christ we are heavenbound.