Seventh Sunday of Easter - May 16, 2021

“I’m bored” is the opening line to many a life drama. When we allow ourselves to be idle in mind - idle in activity - idle in heart, we become bored with the circumstance and feel a need to entertain ourselves. And though some may be more creative and productive with their idleness, many, including myself have the tendency to find themselves in trouble.

Why? Because idleness is the devil’s territory. In those times of so-called boredom a person can begin to make up their own truths about the meaning of life and what brings satisfaction. For a child, this tends to be what we would call “getting into trouble.” And eventually, this leads to what we would call “bowing to idols.” When we allow ourselves to be convinced of truths of the world - of truths other than the Truth - the truth that surpasses all understanding, the devil and our sinful selves will use those false truths as sources of personal devotion - as idols - as means of despising the pure preaching and teaching of God’s Word.

However, as children of God, we do well to be quick to repent of such sin of idol worship and amend our lives through the regular ingestion of the truth of Word and Sacrament. And as we do, we grow in our maturity and knowledge of such truth and learn to deny the spirit of sin and rely upon the Spirit of truth. And so today we give praise as the Word of God shows us that the Spirit of Truth bears witness to Jesus.

We begin by confessing that the Spirit of Truth bears witness to Jesus Who is truth. Jesus tells us such as He proclaims, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) For us to have faith in such on our own is impossible. Our idea of the truth is constantly being tainted by the ideology of the world in which we live. But out of His Divine love for us, God has given us the means through which we can cling to Jesus as truth. That means is our faith, which in turn is nurtured through Word and Sacrament.

In faith, we trust that what the Lord says is true. In faith, we trust that what the Lord has done is true. In faith, we trust that what the Lord has promised is true. This is the very core of the life of the Christian - faith. “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16) Faith is the hinge upon which the gate of our salvation swings. It is our faith that leads us to the truth of our sin - to the foot of the cross - to the words of our confession - and to the hope in the blessed absolution. In truth and by faith we are sinners saved by grace.

But our struggle with this blessing of faith is real and regular as we live in a world that wants nothing to do with the truth of God - nothing to do with Jesus. The world wants to convince you of its own truths. The words of John assure us of this. “Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.” (John 16:2) The world knows nothing of the Father because rather than clinging to the Truth, it chases after its own truth; the infection of prideful arrogance.

So what does it mean to create one’s own truth? Well, simply put, it means to set as true anything that satisfies whatever hungry measuring emotion or attitude or environment your liking of the day desires. When we chase after that which we have created to be true over and above the Truth, there’s a never-ending emptiness within one’s heart. For that which is not the truth, and has nothing to offer you beyond this temporal life, has nothing to give - leaving you right where you started - empty.

On the other side of these false truths is the reality that those who have established such begin to judge others through the shallow declarations of said truth. If you don’t agree with my truth, well then you are an enemy. This, dear Christians, is where we as the church are often scolded and misunderstood. To speak the Truth of God into a false truth of someone’s making is to speak of so called hatred, bigotry, or judgment.

The underlying truths of the world seem to wish nothing more than to make an enemy out of someone. Someone upon whom blame can be placed and the thrust of man's anxiety, frustration, and anger can be aimed. Therefore, if you present or represent a truth other than the world’s desiring, you are an enemy. And though this has been humanity’s demise since the Fall, there's certainly times in history when the brokenness of humanity is highlighted brighter than others. Such as this last year. See how easy it is for Satan to use times of human distress to pit us against one another? There’s only one Truth that will ever stand against all else and that is Jesus. And we need Him!

That brings us to our next point. The Spirit of Truth bears witness to Jesus who is our salvation. Though Christians may not share the same ideals of the world - or at least ought not - all of mankind shares one reality; sin and the need to be rescued from its eternal consequences. There’s not a day that goes by that we can’t look back and think about doing something better, saying something nicer, caring for someone better, doing a better job, holding that temper a little tighter, or any of the other many vices we face. That’s a truth of which you and I confess to our savior - “I, a poor, miserable sinner.”

For what reason? Because it’s by the death and resurrection of Jesus that we are saved. Though sin taints the reality of our daily lives it will not be what defines the faithful when we breathe our last. Though sin will cause us to be the reason many have gathered beside our mortal remains, our immortality in Christ will call us from our resurrection spots on the last day. That’s the truth that you and I are blessed to be able to confess about our Savior and our lives.

For now, we share in His sufferings. For certain, there will be many a vice into which you fall into tight grip, but there will also be the suffering that comes because of Jesus’ name. You will be mocked. You will be shamed. You will be accused of many things. You will be disregarded. You will be considered weak. You will be spoken ill of. But let us not fear the turmoil and sufferings. “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3–5)

It’s in that identity as ones covered in God’s love that gives us the strength to go about our days. Though our hearts and minds in times of trial will try to deceive us - will convince us that the way of the world is so much easier, attractive, and worth it, our faith pushes that all aside and clings to the promises of God’s love through Christ.

But what happens when we think we’re in it pretty bad and have many a battered bruises and scars upon our souls from the abuse of our idols? What happens when we begin to believe that if I only serve this idol better, and show love to this false god a bit more through devotion and labor? What happens if I give my all? Well, then we end up like an abused child who believes they can work their way into the hardened heart of their abuser. But they only end up finding out that the love, acceptance, gratification, salvation they seek will never come.

The Truth that surpasses all understanding is a blessing in that there’s nothing required on your part to earn it. It’s a free and complete gift. No need to try and define yourself or some wished-for truth. No, the love of God for you is pure and holy and will never leave you bruised and battered wondering where you went wrong. For your eternity is not up to you. Your eternity is won for you. Through the ministry of the Spirit of Truth, we are cleansed from the deceit of our idols and given a new heart and a new spirit, the heart and Spirit of Christ.

The final point today now directs our ways within that Truth. The Spirit of Truth bears witness to Jesus through our love of our neighbors. As I just said, you work nothing for your salvation, but you can be sure that your salvation puts you to work. A changed heart is a servant heart. A reformed mind is an ever seeking mind - seeking the opportunity to share the love of Christ through service and sharing of the Gospel.

Where this is the most experienced is when we are able to love others as Christ first loved us. Our reading in 1 Peter tells us that “love covers a multitude of sins.” Jesus now works in us fervent, self-giving love for one another, love which covers a multitude of sins, "that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever." (1 Pet. 4:11).

To go about our days begrudging one another brings glory to none other than the self - another idol. But a changed heart, one claimed by God, seeks to move beyond the brokenness sin causes and heal. This is the essence of love covering a multitude of sins . As one who seeks to love their neighbor you put the best construction on another’s actions, you seek to protect their reputation, you spread not rumors and slander - rather love. When you’ve been wronged you take time to work it out and talk it through. The focus of a child of God who lives according to the truth that is Jesus is that no matter what another has done to you, you rejoice in the fact that they, too, are a blessed creature of God.

And here too, we will struggle and not be perfect. Relationships are difficult. People are difficult. Situations are difficult. So when you find yourself in the struggle that is life, remember to go about faithfully. Remember the truth found only in Jesus. Repent of the tendency to chase after the false gods of this world and trust in the promise that is your salvation.

The truth of Jesus’ gift to you will be present and be nourished as often as you find yourself before Word and Sacrament. Dear Christian, do not despise the Spirit of truth by becoming distracted by the noise of the world. Rather, rejoice in the sure and certain hope that the Spirit of Truth bears witness to Jesus. And in Jesus you can rest assured that you are forgiven for all your sin. Amen.