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Holy Trinity Sunday [John 3:1-17] In the Name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit; God is beyond our comprehension. His judgments are unsearchable and His ways inscrutable. No human being can look at God and figure Him out like a scientist examines some kind of object or explores the universe thru telescopes. Philosophers might be able to discern a few truths about Him and how He made the world, but they really can't figure Him out. Indeed, He created and gave us our very minds and abilities to speak and talk about Him in the first place. He is aware of all, and active over all. We can hardly predict what He has in mind for our days, minutes, and seconds. God is awesome beyond human description, even more awesome than His creation. People of every culture seem to have a sense of this in some way. But simply knowing this alone about God doesn't help anyone much, of course. Indeed, many outright deny Him and even His existence, likely because they are so overwhelmed and fearful of the vast unpredictability of what they do and do not know. Perhaps they see trouble and injustice in the world and think any God must be far away. Sometimes they feel that all they can do in their fear, anger, and lack of control is to deny Him, thus imploding on themselves. They do not wish to think that He knows them, their situation, and that He judges. And yet God is still greater, so as to even give them temporal existence, despite their denials. And still there are others who are partially aware of the vast greatness of God, but they have no idea as to how they can truly please Him, even if they so desire. If you were to talk with someone who sought to know God, but did not know or worship the Holy Trinity, what would you tell them? This was what St. Paul said when he came to the city of Athens in the town square where their greatest thinkers often met (Acts 17): "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God in the hope that they might feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for "In Him we live and move and have our being," as some of your own poets have said, "For we are indeed His offspring." Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think of the divine being like gold or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a Man whom He has appointed, and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead." Like St. Paul said, God gives life and breath to all. As God, He has life in Himself. He is Life. He is ever-living from before all time, and ever shall be. He alone lives, and gives life. He's the source of all life. And in fact "in Him we live and move and have our being." And furthermore, we know that He is good, because He creates and gives even though He doesn't have to, without being compelled. He is good, and righteous, creating, and self-giving. And yet, though He does all this, though we live, move, and have being in Him, still many still do not know Him. Men can seek Him while they exist, and yet never find Him, and soon we perish. We cease to have our being. Like this, it is obvious that in our natural state we've been separated from a good and gracious God. If God is good, if He is life, and gives life, and gives of Himself, how does such a great tragedy happen for such intelligent creatures that we die, and that we don't readily know Him? If He made us good, and self-giving like Him, how is it that people don't obey Him and stray from Him and from seeking Him? This is the problem of sin. In your flesh you have the sin and mortality you've inherited from your parents in their rebellion. And to that you've added your own, going your own way, seeking your own life for yourself, from even inside the womb. ...Sin - that is to say, you've been self-turned, instead of being self-giving like God, who created you and provides for you in love despite your rebellion. You were created to worship Him, i.e., that is, to hear Him, to receive and share His life and love and words, living as He does. But you do not. You have separated yourself from God, from life. And just look at your flesh: you are full of death! How can you have life again? How can you have life even if you are going to physically die? How could you ever bear to stand before and worship the righteous God who gives life, though you are under His anger and are separated from Him? How could you ever ascend to God, and so come to know Him? Indeed, you cannot. But the fact that the One and only eternal God is triune -One yet Three; Three yet One - has made all the difference. ...For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. ...You could not reach Him; but He has come down to you. God has freely come and humbly taken up your rotting flesh in Christ, His only, eternally begotten Son, in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily; and mercifully suffered the punishment Himself, bearing it away in His body which was put to death. In His own flesh and blood He has cleansed your flesh and blood, and set you free from death. This did not happen merely back then. Thru the very earthly means of words, water, bread, and wine the same crucified, and risen Lord Jesus Himself does this here and now today, even as He said. He comes to you, dwells with you, and does this for you thru these - even you - now in this time. He is not simply like a human teacher, only wiser. He is God Himself, the One who reveals God, and bestows His heavenly, restoring salvation and gifts on you. As He came down from the Father, so does He pour out the Holy Spirit upon you. The Holy Spirit applies your sins to Jesus; and His righteousness to you. He quickens your heart to believe in Him and receive these renewing gifts. By the Holy Spirit you are brought to ascend with Jesus to the Father also. You are restored - restored to life - life in, with, and thru Him. You are restored to love, which is truly what God is and is all about. Today not a burning coal, but the body of the Son of God Himself in this lowly form of bread, will touch your lips. God comes to you in this humble form, even as He came as a humble man who would be ridiculed, and suffer, and be killed. This body of Christ comes from His altar of sacrifice and touches you, so that you do not perish, but so that you are cleansed from all sin. And as a receiver of this, you are fed for true life, restored to the way of self-giving love, the way of God. This is the Divine Liturgy of the Holy Triune God that is perpetually taking place: the Father gives His Son by and with the Holy Spirit to give His own divine life and light to man, His creature, in the flesh, for both body and soul. This is what God began doing for you when you were Baptized in His Name. And this is what He is doing here still with you now in this time and place - continually ridding you of the darkness, sin, and death that is in you, and giving you life. He reigns as your King, not like a dictator with things humans consider powerful, but from the cross and the altar where the benefits of His sacrifice are given for you. Like this so you are so then restored to worship God - the very purpose for which you were created. You are His priest - set apart to offer praise for His great work, love, and majesty, and to offer prayer and serve Him. You were created to sacrificially love and serve your neighbor in word and deed, body and soul, covering their sin and shame, even as God has humbly and thoroughly served you in word and deed, body, and soul. Thru faith in Jesus God delights in your worship and gladly receives you into His glorious presence. Here the Triune God purifies your lips, soul, and body, so you can join with all the host of heaven. Just as you heard of the cherubim in the temple with Isaiah, you join with them in the service and praise of God, though in your own place and role. The almighty and merciful God has welcomed you. Blessed be the Holy Trinity and the undivided unity. Let us give all glory to Him for He has had mercy on us. Amen. (with thanks to Rev. Dr. Richard Stuckwisch for certain material contained herein) |