Sermon for Quinquagesima Sunday: February 27, 2022 jj
Rev’d Mark B. Stirdivant, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Yucaipa, California
✝ sdg ✝

Jesus was talking about some scary stuff as He was getting nearer and nearer to Jerusalem. He had just taught His disciples about the Last Day, the Day of Judgment. He called it the Day when the Son of Man is revealed. He compared it to the time long ago when Abraham’s nephew Lot was rushed out of the city of Sodom, and He, that is, the Lord, rained down fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed everyone in that accursed city who were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, in short, life was going on as normally as one would expect. Then it was all over. Done. One will be taken and the other left. The disciples couldn’t lift their mouths up off the ground!

Then He took aside the twelve, His closest, most attentive students, and warned them that His day of deadly suffering was just around the corner. For the third time, the Lord predicted His passion, death, and resurrection. And they still did not understand anything He said. Actually, it was hidden from them, meaning that God hid it from them, but only for the time being. It was the Divine plan for the disciples to grasp what happened to Jesus later, once the mission was complete and Jesus rose from the dead. At the moment, though, all they feel is shock and despair.

In between these two shockers, Luke chose to include two parables, and two sets of contrasting responses to Jesus. And our Holy-Spirit-inspired narrator informed us that Jesus wanted to teach these things to us, so that we would always pray, and never lose heart. No matter what you face, no matter how scary it looks in this world as we lead up to the Last Day, no matter how opposite your blessings from God look to you at the moment, that they look more like curses instead, Jesus wants to ensure that you always pray, and never lose heart.

Now in this last part of chapter 18, that we read today, here’s a blind man, belonging to the lowest of the Bible world’s social echelons, a beggar who is at the mercy of anyone passing through Jericho. And even that city is low—literally cursed by God and actually situated below sea level. Suddenly, there’s a commotion; a crowd is coming past him, and the blind man doesn’t know what’s going on. “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” That’s what the sighted people say. A popular rabbi has visited a place that might as well be El Centro. People are trying to get a good spot so they can see a miracle, perhaps get a free meal like the other crowd did up the river in the rolling hills of Galilee.

But the sighted people themselves need help. They didn’t see the true Jesus, the full Messiah. Sure, they were correct about Jesus being from Nazareth; yes, He has more important places to go, like Jerusalem, up there in the high country. But we’re not going to let anyone, let alone this nagging beggar, get in our way of a good view of what Jesus will do in front of our eyes. They didn’t see Jesus. But someone else did.

It was the blind man! The beggar was the only one who really saw Jesus. He saw with his ears, that is, he believed what He had heard about Jesus from God’s Word. The Old Testament spoke clearly about the Son of David. King David himself called Him “My Lord,” to give the unambiguous clue that his prophesied descendant would be God in human flesh, sitting at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, maker and ruler over heaven and earth. This Son of David alone had the power to give sight, the power to take it away, and even the power to give it back again. Even more important, His power also is accompanied by mercy. That is what this beggar believed, and that’s what made him see the true Jesus, and plead to Him for mercy. In fact, the more he was rebuked and rebuffed, the more fervently he sought out the Lord. The blind man prayed Kyrie eleison, Lord have mercy, like we did at the beginning of our Service, and he did not give up, nor did he lose heart.

Jesus heard him. He stopped His uphill march to the cross. He wouldn’t forsake Jerusalem and all that had to happen to Him there, but He did stop here in God-forsaken Jericho for the blind man who truly saw Him; saw Him with the Word that he had heard. Luke wants you to know that it wasn’t because the blind man had a superior virtue or a faith that arose from some inner self-confidence. It was all because King Jesus, all of His own will, desired to show mercy to His lowly subject. When Jesus tells you always pray and never lose heart, He’s not wagging the finger of a demand and condemning you if you neglect to pray. Instead, He’s encouraging you that you can rely on a strength that doesn’t live inside of you, but it’s a strength that comes from Him as He gives that faith and confidence into your heart.

When you prayed Kyrie eleison, Lord have mercy, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. His procession to the altar has stopped for a moment so He can turn His attention to you. Today the Son of David has heard your prayer; He calls you forward into His presence, His healing body and blood that has been handed over as a substitute payment for you. Though you might have some scary stuff happening in your life, He is listening for your voice to cry for rescue and forgiveness, and He will give it to you. Recover this very day your sight of King Jesus your Savior and accept His invitation to pray to Him for all you need, all that worries you, all that occupies your mind and tries to steer your gaze away to the insignificant idols of this life.

Since Lent starts in just a few days, it’s important to regain anew an appreciation for all the suffering Jesus went through, that He endured a hideous and shameful death on the cross, that He rose victorious on the third day. But even more important than that is for you to be reminded that all that He endured, He went through it for your sake. His will for you is hidden no more, the mystery is uncovered: He wants you to be with Him in His kingdom, showered with everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness. He lives and reigns to all eternity, His power is accompanied by mercy, and it is His unchangeable will that you will be with Him, restored in a glorified body along with your immortal and ransomed soul. Soon the day will come when all curses will come to an end. All your blessings will be unmistakable. Anything of this life that had threatened to tear you away from your Lord will be annihilated on the Last Day and forgotten. No longer are you a beggar in lowly Jericho, you are a privileged citizen of the New Jerusalem, the Church of God that has been cleansed, forgiven, and made pure in the precious Blood of Jesus Christ.

Lent will continue on for six weeks, that is, 40 days from Ash Wednesday plus the Sundays. This season of repentance will give you the opportunity to take seriously once again all that Jesus did for you and for your salvation. Your pious observance of Lent, like giving something up, taking advantage of private confession and absolution, or donating more to those who are less fortunate, is pleasing to God, and Jesus Himself mentions something of a reward, but it’s not because you do something that He likes for you to do, but rather the pleasure of the Lord shines on you because He has already given you the sight that is like that of the poor beggar of Jericho. Today you recover the sight that sees Jesus as He really is, as the Son of David, the Savior King who desires to come to you. Believe this as you eat His Body and drink His Blood, and you will be ready this coming Lent to turn away from your self-serving deeds and anxious thoughts, and turn instead to Him who loves you with First- Corinthians- 13- style love, and has worked great wonders in your life.

In the Name of the Father and of the ✝ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Readings:
1 Sam. 16:1–13 Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!
1 Cor. 13:1–13 … but have not love, I am nothing
Luke 18:31–43 Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!