It is a familiar saying that John 3:16 is the Gospel in a nutshell; that God loved the world, so He sent His Son. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17) Every week you sing the Agnus Dei which proclaims with the other John that Jesus is the “Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world.” St. Paul wrote that “[God] in Christ was reconciling the world to himself.” (2 Corinthians 5:19)
Therefore, from Scripture (especially these passages), you learn this truth: Jesus is the Savior of the world. But, you can also discern this truth: If Jesus is the Savior of the world, then He is the Savior of each person, individually, that is part of the world.
This morning’s Gospel finds Jesus of Nazareth having left Nazareth, after passing through the people unharmed as they sought to throw him over the brow of the cliff on which the town was built—the end of last week’s Gospel. He had returned to Capernaum, teaching and amazing His hearers. He spoke with authority…His own authority. He didn’t merely repeat what had been repeated by teachers before him and teachers before them: “You have heard that it was said…but I say to you…” (cf. Matthew 5:21ff)
A demon-possessed man was in the synagogue where Jesus was teaching with authority. This world that Jesus had come to save was the playground of these unclean demons. And so, this one cried out,
Now, isn’t it amazing that when the demon spoke, He identified Jesus as the Christ; there are very few people in the Gospel accounts that do the same. But, as it is written, “Even the demons believe—and shudder;” (James 2:19) the demons believe, in this case know who Jesus is, and shudder before Him. So, Jesus rebuked this knowledgeable but shuddering demon: “Be silent and come out of him!”
“Be silent!” “It is not for you to tell these people who I am. It is not yet my time. When my time comes, and the Son of Man is lifted up as the serpent was in the wilderness, then they can gaze upon me and know that I am the Christ. So, come out of him!”
And, once again, the people were amazed. “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” In other words, “How is He able to speak and the unclean spirits obey? Who is this that even the demons obey Him?” Oh, if only they knew, and they will soon enough.
“What’s next?” you can imagine them thinking. Simple! He got up, and left.
This past week, I got to thinking about my dear professor again—Dr. Norman Nagel. It happens from time to time. And I went looking for a file in which I thought I had collected a bunch of his sayings and quirks that others remembered and had shared—Nagel-isms we called them—but I couldn’t. I did find a few in other files, but not the one file of only Nagel-isms. However, there is always one that I remember: He would come in to the classroom, put his briefcase on the desk, and start pacing, eyes closed, and lecturing. He would walk from one side of the room to the other, coming mere millimeters from running into the wall at either end. Then, after about 15 or so minutes of lecturing, he would abruptly leave the classroom. He had said what he wanted to say. He had said what he needed to say. We were left in amazement at what he had said, and we were graciously given time to soak it in, ruminate on it, fully digest it, and come to class the next day and discuss it. Of any man I have ever met, I like to think that Dr. Nagel is the one of the most Christ-like.
In the same vein, I could imagine Jesus doing something similar in Capernaum that day. Not that it is written that he did or that I think that He did, but given what was written of that day in Capernaum, it seems like he taught for a bit, exorcised a demon, then left and let the people soak it all in. However, as you may recall from last week, when Jesus taught, He sat, as it was customary to do. So, it’s likely he didn’t do the Nagel-like pacing, but the rest is not out of the question.
Where did He go? He went into the house of Peter, His disciple. Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with a fever, and He had been told about it. This is an amazing bit of information. Jesus left the crowd, left the many, to attend to the one. God sent His Son to save the world, and in so doing, sent His Son to save the person who lives in the world.
The Holy One of God left His lofty, seated position of authority, and stooped down to one lowly soul who is suffering with a fever. He rebuked the fever, it left her, and she began serving them. There was no pomp or circumstance there, she simply went about the task of caring for the house and all who were in it. But she did so confident in the knowledge that her son-in-law’s teacher was sent for her, personally.
Now, the crowd had followed Him to Peter’s house, and by this time had assembled at the door with many of their own sick and demon-possessed relatives. “[A]nd He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.” He laid His hands on every one of them, individually. Every person who had need of God’s grace received it individually from the Son of God…well into the night, after the sun had set, and into the early hours of the next morning.
How deep is the love of Christ that He did this for those people, individually, in Capernaum? How deep is the love of Christ that He does the same for you. While I certainly mean you corporately, Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church, I definitely mean each of you individually assembled here.
In all of your cares and situations, you have the privilege as an individual in the world that Christ was sent to save to present your petitions before God. And God does hear them and answer them. In those times of illness, pray to God for God in Christ heals your diseases, if not in time, then certainly in eternity. If you are wrestling with some other burden, a sin or concern that has you sorely weighed down, or even demon-possession (yes, they can and do still happen), “take it to the Lord in prayer;” God hears your prayers, and He answers them for He has taken your burdens from you, individually, and placed them on the individual of His Son who bore them to the cross, for you, individually. All of this He does out of love for you, His people, and for you, individually, His son in Christ. As I often like to say, take this personally.
God is gracious—He has sent someone to you to care for you and feed you. So, in those times of need and tribulation, you can and should certainly pray to God, but you can also call your pastor. This man, as he is able, by the command and in the stead of his Lord Jesus Christ (and your Lord) will then come to you, individually, to hear your concern and to proclaim the Word of God to you in your personal need. He can be there to pray with you; he can be there to lay his hands on you in blessing and prayer.
You will get a beautiful taste of this grace given to God’s people individually in just over two months. On Maundy Thursday, the service will begin with corporate confession. After the congregation corporately confesses their sins, you are invited up to received Christ’s absolution individually. The pastor places his hands on the penitent’s head and pronounces, “In the stead and command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” What’s different about it this time is that “you” and “your” is singular. And this is just as valid and certain as if God in Heaven were speaking to you, personally, in the absolution. So, take it personally.
But, you don’t have to wait that long. If you ever find yourself burdened by any particular sin between now and then (and even after Maundy Thursday), call your pastor. He is called by God to hear your (singular) confession, speak the absolution over you (singular), and encourage you (singular) with the Word of God. Please, do not hesitate to make use of this gift that God has given to the Church, and to each of you, His sons in Christ.
With all of this comes a word of caution. It is easy be tempted to view Jesus as your “personal Lord and Savior.” While this is true, the caution comes in turning that into the belief that God sent His Son to do your bidding. “He’s my Savior to give me what I need and want when I need and want it.”
God does promise to hear your prayers, but only once is a promise is ever made to answer your prayers in a manner or time that pleases you. You are encouraged and commanded to call upon God in “every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.” St. Paul wrote, “[D]o not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6), and that, “God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) Still, only once is it ever said that prayers and wants are answered immediately and in the manner desired.
Therefore, do not be discouraged when God does not immediately heal you of your illness, as he did to Peter’s mother-in-law. Do not grumble against God when He doesn’t allow your favorite football team to win. Do not curse God when He does not give you the handsome raise or promotion you think you deserve—or if He doesn’t give you the job you want—or if doesn’t magically make the money you want appear in your lap. In other words, do not hinder the Christ from accomplishing the purpose for which He was sent.
On the contrary, in those times, look to the cross, for there you find the immediate answer to the one prayer, just as He promises. For it is written, “[C]all upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (Psalm 50:15), and, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9) Look to the cross, for it is there that the prayer, “Lord, have mercy” is answered with the death of His Son, a death which was the purpose for which He was sent. It is at the cross that you see the Son of God lifted up, that all may gaze upon Him, see Him, believe in Him.
However, here another beautiful Nagel-ism comes into play. He once said,
So, yes, the prayer for mercy is answered at the cross, but it is delivered to you personally once in the waters of Holy Baptism, in the Words of Absolution, and, as Dr. Nagel preached, in the Lord’s Supper where you take into yourself the body of Christ given for you and the blood of Christ shed for you under the bread and wine for your forgiveness, life, and salvation. Yes, look to the cross, but look even more to His means, for there you find the answer—the immediate answer—to your prayer, “Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.” (Psalm 25:18)
“Forgive me for despairing of your mercy when you did not take my fever away when I asked.” “Forgive me for blaming you when my team lost.” “Forgive me for cursing you for not giving me the money I wanted.” “Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.”
Dear hearers, cast your cares upon Jesus. By God’s grace, confess yours sins for what they are. God is faithful and just—He hears your prayers; He answers your prayers; He forgives your sins. Look at the cross and see your Savior hanging there; that blood was shed for you, all of you gathered here. Look to His means, for there He grants you forgiveness of sins individually. Take this personally!
So, with that prayer for forgiveness answered, you receive peace. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) Since this is true for all of you, it is true for each of you individually, because you, each one of you, are forgiven for all of your sins.