Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 12:12
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It is likely that among other things, 2020 will be remembered as the year of unprecedented fear. Terror has gripped our nation in a way unlike anything that has come before. Nineteen years ago we experienced fear when terrorists hijacked four airliners, flying two of them into the world trade center buildings less than 30 miles away from here. It was a terrible day that should never be forgotten, a day that changed us forever, but it was also only a day. When the dust had cleared, we came together and began to rebuild. And at that time the evil had a name and a face. Our country hunted him down and now he is gone.
The terror we face today is different. It is faceless, silent, and invisible. It lurks, or so we’ve been told, around every corner, on every surface, even in the air itself. Rather than coming together, as we did nineteen years ago, we are forced to live in isolation. And though it has been nearly six months since we began the two weeks to flatten the curve, there appears to be no end in sight. An invisible enemy has paralyzed our country, driven us apart, and succeeded in creating mass hysteria and panic on a scale far beyond that of the terrorists on September 11th.
Lifelong Christians have not set foot in their beloved church for over half a year. Of those who do venture out, many are now afraid to drink from the cup of the Lord, which he gave his life to place before us. We teach our kindergartners to wear masks so that they can be protected from their friends. Adult children forbid their elderly parents from attending church, forcing them to live it total isolation. And our fearmongering media seems to rejoice at every opportunity to spread more fear and chaos: “Don’t count on the pandemic ending even if we do get a vaccine, because it’s likely to only be 50% effective.” If a terrorist is someone who spreads terror, then perhaps our media should be held accountable for inciting mass panic.
On top of this we have widespread looting, vandalism, arson, wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, and the list goes on and on. Surely 2020 is the year of fear. And yet, I would like you to consider this morning that this year is actually no different than any other year. Perhaps you are more aware of one particular danger, thanks to the hype of the media, but every day of your life you have been surrounded by a thousand unseen dangers. God has safely brought you through them all, why should this year be any different?
In Psalm 91 we read of the man who makes the Lord his refuge, “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for the Lord shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways” (Ps 91:5–7,10–11).
Does this description of the man who trusts the Lord fit you? Or have you allowed your mind to be filled with fear and worry instead? Jesus says to you, “Do not worry about your life…nor about your body. Do not worry about these things, saying, ‘What shall we eat, or wear, or drink?’ For the unbelievers are worrying about these things. But your heavenly Father already knows everything that you need” (Matthew 6:25, 31–32). The opposite of worry is faith. Faith believes the promises of God. He tells you that nothing can harm you, that no evil will befall you, that everything will work together for your good. Do you trust your heavenly Father’s words to you, or have you given your heart over to fear?
When we were on vacation in Washington state two weeks ago near Seattle, my daughter and I were watching a bunch of ducks having a grand old time in a little stream—splashing and eating and swimming without a care in the world. I asked Katie, “Wouldn’t it be nice to be one of those ducks right now? They live short little lives without worry, and everything they need God provides. But Jesus says, “Are you not worth more than the birds of the heavens? How much more will your heavenly Father care for you, of you of little faith?” (Mt 6:26b, 30b).
In the first and greatest commandment God says, “I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me.” Whatever you fear, love, and trust in is your god. Search your heart and ask, “Do I fear God above all things, or do I fear the coronavirus more? Have I loved God above all, or have I loved my physical health, seeking to save and protect it at any cost? Have I trusted God and his promises above all, or has my trust been in the talking heads and experts on TV? Repent, and believe in God. Repent, and trust in the One who has never yet broken one of his promises. Repent, and return to faith in the tender care of your heavenly Father.
The heathen are enslaved by the fear of death. For them, there is nothing beyond this world, and so nothing could be more terrible than to lose one’s life. But you need have no fear of death. A new life of joy unimaginable awaits you. As a Christian, you believe your heavenly Father’s promise that nothing can harm you. Consider again the beautiful confession of faith that we sang before the sermon: “What God ordains is always good; This truth remains unshaken, Though sorrow, need, or death be mine, I shall not be forsaken. I fear no harm, For with His arm He shall embrace and shield me; So to my God I yield me.”
Here is a living and active faith in God’s providence. Whatever he sends, even if it is death, it will be for your good! Does this mean that a Christian is immune to the coronavirus? No. It means that nothing, not even death, can harm you. Death is a certainly for all of us, unless Christ returns first. You know this. What you don’t know, is the exact manner by which God will choose to call you home. The hour of your death is of his choosing, but of this you can be sure: it will be for your good. Your heavenly Father shall deliver you from the perilous pestilence and from every other fear. No evil shall be fall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone (Psalm 91:10–12).
When the hour of your departure comes, you have God’s promise that his angels will come to bear you to your heavenly home. And until that blessed day, you can take content what He has sent, knowing that even if His hand sends you sadness, He will turn your tears to gladness. Therefore, do not worry. Do not take thought about your life. Why? Because Jesus has already taken every thought for your life, be it here on earth or for eternity in heaven. His great care for your life compelled him to the cross of Calvary, where he filled the chalice of our salvation with his precious blood. And no poison can ever be in that cup.
The year 2020 may very well be the year of fear, that is, for those who are apart from Christ. But we who were joined to Christ in Holy Baptism have nothing to fear. Let this be for us the year of renewed faith and trust in the unbreakable promises of our loving heavenly Father. Does he not care for the birds and the flowers? Then how much more will he provide for your every earthly need. And when your days of sorrow are brought to a blessed end, then his angels will usher you into the joy of eternity. Amen.