MIDWEEK LENTEN SERVICE - EYES ON JESUS
O come, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
OPENING VERSES
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.
COLLECT
Lord Jesus, during this season of Lent we focus our eyes on the cross, for there we see our salvation. As You are the founder and protector of our faith, so keep us steadfast and true, that we may always walk and abide with You; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
VERSE
Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth.
SCRIPTURE READING 1 John 2:15-17
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. This is the Word of the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
SERMON HYMN “Glory be to Jesus”
Glory be to Jesus, who, in bitter pains
Poured for me the lifeblood from his sacred veins!
Grace and life eternal in that blood I find;
Blest be his compassion, infinitely kind!
Lift we, then, our voices, swell the mighty flood,
Louder still and louder, praise the precious blood!
SERMON Worldly Eyes – Spiritual Eyes
Grace, mercy, and peace to you, from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sees us through spiritual, loving eyes.
Our sermon series has been “Eyes on Jesus”. Today we talk about the worldly eyes of Jesus’ adversaries, and the spiritual eyes of Jesus.
The word “worldly” can be us in two different but related senses. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines worldly as (1) “having a lot of practical experience and knowledge about life and the world,” or, (2) “of or relating to the human world and ordinary life rather than to religious or spiritual matters.”
We can see both senses of the word “worldly” at work in Pontius Pilate, the Jewish chief priests, the crowd, and the Roman soldiers.
In the Roman Empire, you didn’t rise to the level of power that Pilate did without being wise to the world. As a governor, everything boiled down to convincing the emperor of your ongoing worth. So above all, you had to look out for number one, not for other people. That was the worldly approach followed by Pilate, and many others.
Pilate was worldly in the first sense in that he had worldly desires and ambitions. He was worldly in the second sense of not personally caring about religious matters.
As governor of Judea, the large population of highly religious Jews was a thorn in his side. Pilate and his peers pursued a policy of provoking and sometimes even persecuting the Jews. The Jews had no love for Pilate, and he had no love for them.
Given all that, it’s somewhat surprising to see Pilate cooperating with the Jewish leaders in the trial of Jesus. It’s true that he thought Jesus was innocent based on his own investigation, and on the warning from his wife’s mysterious dream about Jesus, but in the end, Pilate’s worldliness won out.
Pilate’s religious skepticism was on full display when he asked Jesus, “What is truth?”. He was clearly implying that it’s a relative thing, or that there is no such thing as truth.
Though he didn’t realize it, he was rejecting the beaten and bloodied Truth standing right there in front of him. As Jesus had told his disciples only hours before, I am the way and the truth and the life. John 14:6
Pilate’s pragmatic approach to worldly affairs is seen in granting the unruly Jews the crucifixion of Jesus that they clamored for, while the wicked Barabbas went free. Better to pacify them rather than place his position of power in jeopardy by risking a riot by the Jews, something the Caesar had warned him to let happen.
The leaders of the Jews had worldly eyes as well, although they masked it with external religiosity. The Sadducees saw the popularity of Jesus as a threat to the power they had gained and enjoyed through a number of compromises with the Romans. The Pharisees saw Jesus as a competitor to their own religious influence and as an opponent of their legalistic theology. So the worldly Jewish leaders stirred up the crowds to cry for Barabbas and demand the crucifixion of Jesus.
Finally, the Roman soldiers had worldly eyes. They knew a political king when they saw one, and Jesus was the opposite. Many had seen Caesar himself; others had seen Persian and other eastern kings during military campaigns. Jesus was nothing like them.
This Jewish carpenter, beaten and bloodied, wearing a crown of thorns, a king? Ha! What a joke, they thought. Their bowing down and honoring Jesus was all mockery: “Hail, you King of the Jews!”, they jeered.
Ironically, they got it right. Jesus is king; the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, as He’s called in Revelation 19.
Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). He came into this world from heaven to be a wealthy, worldly King. He had no need nor desire for that. He didn’t see the world as something to exploit for His own benefit, as worldly kings often have. And as we all sometimes have. Rather he saw the world as something to serve and save.
Jesus looked at the world through loving, spiritual eyes, not greedy, worldly eyes. And so he submitted to Pilate’s judgment; first being flogged, and then being crucified. Both were death sentences: if flogging didn’t kill him, crucifixion would. Jesus endured both to save the world.
Has there ever been such a king as this, who suffered so greatly to save His people; who died to save the world? A king so pure and innocent? A king so loving and courageous? He is the king the world needs most.
In this world we need our civil and political leaders. We strive to elect wise, just, benevolent, honorable people to lead us. Some prove worthy; some don’t. Some see positions of civil leadership as a platform to exercise power for personal gain. But none are perfect as is our spiritual King, Jesus our Savior, was, and is. and always will be.
For God’s Holy One, His Son, the Messiah, to be a mere political, civil, secular king, is too small a thing. He’s worthy of far more. Jesus was born to be King of heaven and earth, an eternal King. The One who made the greatest sacrifice of all, deserves the greatest honor and glory of all.
But the thing is, He never sought after the power and glory. He came to serve us in the way we need the most help: to conquer death and sin for us; to die and rise for us. He never saw his life on earth as the pursuit of power or wealth or glory. He didn’t have a worldly bone in his body. He never had a selfish or ulterior motive. He was driven to obey His Father, and rescue His children, because He saw everything through spiritual, godly eyes.
Shall we see the world through worldly eyes or spiritual eyes? Through eyes like Pilate and the Pharisees and Sadducees, who saw everything as existing for their personal gain, or the fickle mob, or the brutal guards?
Or shall we see the world through eyes like Jesus, who saw everything and everyone through the spiritual, selfless, loving eyes; bold and faithful eyes, eyes filled with godly wisdom and truth?
In seeing the world through pure and spiritual eyes, Jesus was able to save the world.
As we see the world through eyes like Jesus, we, too, see a world that needs to be rescued, a world that’s often confused about matters of life and truth, and needs the One who is the way, and the life, and the truth. We see a world for us to love with the love of Christ, and to share the truth that sets us free.
In Baptism, the Holy Spirit has given us eyes to know Christ, eyes of faith, eyes enlightened by the Gospel. With spiritual eyes that have been enlightened to know Christ, let us live to make him known.
Let us grow in godly wisdom and spiritual knowledge, that our eyes would not become clouded with worldly perspectives and selfish ambitions. Let us hold firmly to the truth that has set us free. As Jesus has promised: If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:31, 32.
Worldly eyes are enslaved to the lies and desires with which the devil entraps us. Gospel eyes are free and enlightened to see sin and Satan and worldly desires for what they are: the bringers of death to the world.
When by faith, we see the Savior of the world, the One God sent to the world to rescue it and to bring life and love and salvation to it, then we see the truth that sets us free; the truth that we can trust completely, and learn more fully, and share more joyfully.
May God bless you always with spiritual eyes, eyes born of Baptism, eyes enlightened by the Holy Spirit in the Gospel, eyes filled with loving praise toward Christ, and eyes filled with benevolence toward others.
Finally, may God give you eyes filled with joy of salvation, and a spirit filled with the peace of God, which passes understanding, to guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus, our eternal Lord and spiritual King. Amen.
PRAYERS
Heavenly Father, we ask for Your loving kindness and mercy would be with us. Send Your holy angel to guard and keep us from all harm and evil. We pray for healing for all who have contracted the corona virus.; we thank you for all who have recovered; and we ask You to protect all who have not contracted the virus.
Bless all health care workers and first responders to keep them safe, and to guide them to serve well. We pray that all the medical necessities would be provided. Give wisdom to our leaders as they set policies to keep us safe. Bless all to be careful and responsible, and calm and trusting in You. In Your mighty and compassionate name we pray. Amen.
Lord, remember us in Your kingdom, and teach us to pray. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.
BENEDICTION
The Lord bless us, defend us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen
CLOSING HYMN God, Who Made the Earth and Heaven
God, who made the earth and heaven, Darkness and light:
You the day for work have given, For rest the night.
May your angel guards defend us, Slumber sweet your mercy send us,
Holy dreams and hopes attend us, All through the night.
Guard us waking, guard us sleeping, And, when we die,
May we in your mighty keeping All peaceful lie.
When the trumpet's call shall wake us, Then, O Lord, do not forsake us,
But to reign in glory take us With you on high.
Holy Father, throned in heaven, All holy Son,
Holy Spirit freely given, Blest Three in One:
Grant us grace we now implore you, Till we lay our crowns before you
And in worthier strains adore you While ages run.
God be with you and watch over you. Be well, be safe, and God bless.