Saint Luke Ev. Lutheran Church of Watertown

Sermon delivered by Pastor Anthony E. Schultz

January 29 + February 1, 2004 Epiphany 4

1 Corinthians 13:8f

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

People of God—rescued from the flaming lake of fire in hell by the innocent blood of the very Lamb of God: There was a lady in Pennsylvania who had a bunch of drinks. It doesn’t matter if they were beers—one little tapper glass after another—all golden with a little white foam around the top and a bowl of pretzels. Or if it was a bunch of martinis in those special glasses—with an olive on a fancy tooth pick. It doesn’t matter if it was some cheap wine—thick and syrupy and full of alcohol—drunk from a dirty oily paper bag. It doesn’t matter if the wine was from France—from just the right year—wine that was very fruity and finished well. This lady drank and drank and drank—until the amount of alcohol in her blood stream made her thinking fuzzy—her reaction time reduced—her vision diminished. She was in a crash. She caused an accident. An innocent man in another car is now dead and buried. She was convicted—found guilty and legally to blame. Her punishment? Only three months in jail—90 days. The other part of her penalty more personal. From now on—she is under court order—to carry in her wallet a picture of the man she killed—in his casket—in her wallet. Every time she opens her purse—every time she looks at her purse—every time she hears ice cubes—splink, splink—into a glass—every time she gets behind the wheel of her car—she will see in her mind—that man in his casket. I could see how—over time—that could drive you nuts! Don’t you think? Guilt like that could eat away at you until you can’t stand it! The fact is—every single one of us as done things that are horribly wrong. We are guilty—responsible—to blame in the sight of our Heavenly Father. We are forgiven for Jesus’ sake. We are forgiven because the innocent Lord Jesus suffered the penalty our sins deserve. We are forgiven for Jesus’ sake. We are made strong for Jesus’ sake—to live lives of love. Today God’s Word encourages us:

Jesus’ Love Never Fails!

1. Love is not hurtful

2. Love always builds up

Today is the 3^rd of what will be with Jesus’ permission 7 Sundays when the epistle reading is from Paul’s letters to the believers in the Greek city of Corinth. When you think of Corinth think of a big city—a place like New York or Chicago or LA. Think of a city where there is commerce and trade—buying and selling—all the things that money can buy. Think of a city where there is culture—stage plays like Broadway—comedies and tragedies—stories that are the basis for the plays and movies and TV we watch today. There was architecture like the Parthenon in Athens—architecture so wondrous that 2,000 years later—people are fascinated by the crumbled ruins! There were statues that today are in the Louvre! There were sweet wines and fine banquets and feasts. There were the sins that are found in a place of great earthly wealth—sinful selfindulgence and the gross and wicked perversions that come from hearts and lives lived apart from the one true God! There was violence—the rebellious hearts filled with Satan—that literally and physically fought against the spread of the Gospel and the rescue of immortal souls! The Corinthian congregation was at the same time—blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ—and at the same time torn apart by selfishness, pride and squabbling. Where our Heavenly Father plants wheat—the devil plants weeds—thorns, thistles and stickerbushes! There were priceless blessings and painful troubles! That’s often times how it is in the Christian Church today. Paul wrote words of instruction and words of encouragement to God’s people.

God’s Word says, “Love is patient…” The Greek word for patience here is more than just waiting in line at Pick N Save while some stock boy goes running for a new bag of Green Giant sweet corn nibblets because a bag got stuck in the conveyer belt and now there’s little frosty kernels of corn everywhere. It’s more than being patient with people driving across Watertown never using their turn signals. This is the kind of patience that doesn’t get angry and get even when somebody really hurts you! Love is patient when somebody thoughtlessly, rudely plows right into you and it’s almost instinctive to shove them back and say, “Hey! Why don’t you watch where you’re going?” It’s when somebody rolls their grocery cart over your foot or up your heel and almost rips off your ankle—and they yell at you—why don’t you watch where you’re going? Love is patient when somebody hurts somebody you love—and you would like to really hurt them back. Hurt them good—and say—So—how do you like it? Love is patient when the hurt is deep inside. Love is patient for Jesus’ sake. The one who patiently endured when soldiers blindfolded him and punched him and slapped him and said, “You who claim to be the Son of God—tell us—who hit you?” Love is patient for the sake of the one who was spit on—who had his beard—his whiskers pulled out—and did not retaliate—did not get even!

“Love is patient, love is kind.” They did one of those surveys the other day. They asked people if you could change your spouse’s appearance—would you? Practically everybody said—change their appearance? Sure! Change how they look? No kidding! Practically everybody said—I’d change their hair—maybe make it thicker—give them more hair—maybe change the color, the texture, the style. Practically everybody said—I’d change their skin—make all those wrinkles go away. Practically everybody said—I’d change their nose—maybe make it smaller—not so big—not so pointy! People who think that way and talk that way—themselves need to change. They need to change on the inside! Only Jesus can work that change I need on the inside. The change that makes us kind—thoughtful, considerate, making us slow to speak, slow to get angry—quick to listen—determined to change!

Love is not rude. There is a coarsening in our country. There is a coarsening crudeness in our country. There is debate going on right now in the highest levels of government—whether a person can say something incredibly obscene. But if that obscenity is used as an adverb instead of a noun or a verb—then it’s ok? There is a coarsening in our country—when you can watch the network news and actually see people being killed! Oh, sometimes they kind of warn you saying what follows is somewhat intense or the following is intended for mature audiences—viewer discretion is advised. The smallest children today are aware of violence and obscenity that once upon a time—people weren’t confronted with—until high school or college—or if you went off to war. This rudeness—this coarseness—this callousness that comes from evil so common, ordinary, every day has its ultimate harm in abortion—and in the putting to death of people who are elderly and unable to protect themselves. If truth and what is right and good is lost—then human lives and immortal souls are not valued either! Then people convicted of murder in civil court are accessed fines—and continue to play golf. People accused of molesting children dance on the tops of vans while people cheer and dance and sing along. People running for President say they will defend the right to abort a baby right up to the moment they are born—and Federal Judges in our country sign papers that say it is still ok to put to death a baby that is 80% born! Love—like Jesus’ forgiving love is not rude—not coarse and crude and hurtful and wrong!

Love is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. I can remember when I was in about 3^rd grade—when we lived in an old farm house. We rented the downstairs and our neighbor rented the upstairs. I remember one day when it was really snowing—and the temperature was just right for making snow balls. I remember making snow balls and throwing them at our neighbor—when he was carrying groceries. I remember shooting snow balls at him—because they were so easy to make. And I remember not realizing how terrible it must have been to be the person getting hit with these snowballs. Our neighbor said—probably yelled—“I’m gonna get you!” And not understanding he wasn’t kidding—I just waited outside—while he put his groceries in his house—and came back outside. I remember him picking me up and throwing me down into the snow. I remember his knee in the middle of my back. I remember him smashing fists full of snow into my face till I had trouble breathing. I remember his snarling—how do you like it? I thought to my self—not very much! That was a grown up kind of out of control. That was a long time ago. Love—real forgiving love like Jesus’ forgiving love—forgives and forgets that hurt. It keeps no record of wrongs. Like lots of things Jesus asks us to do—it’s surely easier said than done. But it’s not impossible! Jesus never asks us to do anything—without at the same time equipping us to do it! I’ve visited lots of people who have been in terrible accidents. More often than not they will say—I don’t remember what happened. I just remember waking up in the hospital—wondering how I got there! And I always tell them it’s ok not to remember. To forget the sins that people do to hurt us—is something we need to work at—all the time! Erase them from your memory. Delete them. Don’t think about them any more. Forgive one another from the heart. Forgive the way Jesus has forgiven us. Forgive those sins—and remember them no more!

Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Again God’s Word is talking about attitude! It is talking about an attitude that does not give up—does not quit! This world is full of quitters! People who took piano lessons for a little while and quit. They never practice. What little they knew—they forgot. People who studied languages when they were in college and the seminary. They don’t do much translation any more. Again what they knew—they have pretty much forgotten. Then there was a young man on the news the other day—who has a horrible muscular disease—who is on the cross country team. He falls down—three and four times every race—and can barely catch himself. He takes about four times as long as anyone else. But he runs as hard as he can. He always perseveres. It is that kind of attitude—built on Jesus’ never failing forgiving love that makes our hearts strong!

Love never fails! They have launched an investigation in Denmark—concerning people who were supposed to go to prison. But instead a substitute—someone else—somebody else was paid—to go to prison for them! Can you imagine that? Would you sell your freedom—to be locked in a cage—among robbers and rapists—murderers and thieves—liars, cheats, perverts and molesters of the most horrible kind—people without conscience? How much would you have to be paid—to go to prison for something you didn’t do? Would you serve months—years—a life sentence? Would you sit on death row—be executed—put to death for something you didn’t do? Would you do that for someone you loved more than life itself? Would you suffer to save someone who hated you? Just imagine how great Jesus’ love must be for me and for you—that he would live a life without sin—then die on the cross to wash away all my sins and mistake. The innocent is condemned and the guilty are forgiven because Jesus’ forgiving love never fails!

Love never fails! Jesus’ forgiving love never fails! Trail is a magazine for hikers. Not people who walk on the sidewalks and driveways and grassy paths around Watertown. Trail is a magazine for people who carry backpacks and tents and food and walk through the Outback of Australia—who walk the Inca Trail through the foothills of Peru. Trail is the magazine you read if you are going to hike through the mountains and rocky paths through Scotland. The other day it had a map—the directions you are to follow if you are in the mountains of Scotland—and there is a terrible storm—and you can’t see where you are going. The trail—the path that is outlined there has one fatal flaw. It directs you off a cliff! How horrible is that? God’s Word shows us Jesus. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. God’s Word is not a lesson in manners—that it’s nice to be nice to the nice. God’s Word points us to Jesus the Son of God. God is love! Jesus is our Redeemer—our Rescuer—our forgiveness. It is only out of thankfulness to our Savior and Lord that we will love one another until we are safe at home in Heaven. Amen!