Sermon for 8/14/22: Ninth Sunday After Trinity

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Merciful, Blameless, Pure, and Shrewd

II Samuel 22:26-34

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

 

Listening to King David speak about God, we hear a lot that makes perfect sense to our ears of faith. “With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; with a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; with the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.” God shows us all these things about Himself, and it all makes sense. That’s just who He is—merciful, blameless, pure, shrewd.

The easiest reading of this text tells us that God shows His mercy to those who are merciful. To the blameless He shows Himself blameless. To the pure He deals purely. To the crooked He makes Himself seem crooked, unfair, unjust. Simply put, God doesn’t play games. He doesn’t deal in lip service. He doesn’t deal in hypocrisy; He doesn’t merely put on a good outward show, while the inward reality is something much different. He is what He says He is, and He does what He says He will do. People boast all day long about being merciful. They put on a great outward show of good works. They make sure to let everyone know how kind and generous and merciful they are. And yet, when it comes to actually showing mercy, they show who they really are. If you show mercy only for a tax deduction or to get praise from people; if you show mercy to your friend, but not to the person you don’t like; are you truly merciful? If no one sings your praises, do you stop showing mercy? If so, is it really mercy you’re showing?

A careful reading of this text also shows us that God displays His mercy and love through us to our neighbors. His Light, the Light of Christ, shines through us. His Light gives light to all those in the darkness of sin and death. His Light shines upon us; it shines in us; it is to shine through us for all the world to see. God Himself is showing His mercy by means of His people showing mercy to others. The same goes for showing forth His blamelessness and His purity. It is through those who have been made blameless in Christ, whose sin He has washed away, that God shows forth His blamelessness and purity. He shows forth Christ.

God knows the heart. He knows the Truth. Faithful children of God are merciful to others because God first showed mercy to them. We love because He first loved us. He shows His spotless, blemish-free love that was made flesh and hung on a cross to die for us. He Himself washes us in Holy Baptism; He nourishes us with in His body and blood and His Word. To those who have been made pure through His means of grace, to those who cling to His purifying righteousness, He shows pure mercy and love.

Now, it is easy to recognize the proverbial merciful master as our God, but you must also look for God’s shrewdness. The astute wisdom and cleverness of God is something to be praised, is it not? God works all things for the good of those who love Him. Look no further than the cross. Who could ever think that this is good? Human wisdom cannot understand this as a victory. God certainly seems to be crooked and unfair and unjust in this wretched display. Christ bears the Father’s wrath against sin: battered, bloodied, nailed on a cross for all the world to see. Here is how God views and handles our sin. He puts His own innocent Son to death because of it. An innocent man paid the ultimate price for our sins! Holy and sinless God died for our sins! That’s about as crooked and unfair as you can get! But by means of this all-atoning death, God Himself paid mankind’s debt of sin in full. Nothing and no one was left out. This “one little word,” as Luther says it—“tetelestai: It is finshed!”—defeats the devil and death itself! This cross-shaped shrewdness is worthy of all praise and thanksgiving.

Here in Christ we see the merciful, gracious, loving shrewdness of our God. It is here on this bloody cross and in these humble means of grace that God Himself shows us and gives to us the gift that is Himself. Here is God, your Rock, your Refuge, your Light, your Life. Hold fast to His mercy, His blamelessness, His purity, and even His shrewdness. Be at peace, for He is yours and You are His, now and to all eternity. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.