Pentecost 2 (Proper 7C)-- Jesus the Judge

There is the literal insanity of the man living naked among the tombs who could not be bound even with chains. There is the fact that he was possessed, not by a single demon, but by a ‘legion’; that same legion of demons pleading with Jesus to be spared, asking to be allowed to go into the herd of pigs; and, arguably the most bizarre, Jesus granting the request of demons. It is a strange moment.

Perhaps most strange, though, (at least to our eyes!) is to see Jesus as a being of judgment.

Note well the reaction of these demons who recognize Him for who He truly is—namely the eternal Son of God: fear.

Make no mistake. This is the very same God who said in Isaiah 65, “6 Behold, it is written before me: “I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will indeed repay into their lap 7both your iniquities and your fathers' iniquities together, says the LORD; because they made offerings on the mountains and insulted me on the hills, I will measure into their lap payment for their former deeds.” Or, very similarly, He says in the conclusion of the 10 Commandments, “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me….” The demons see it more clearly than you and I do.

I’ve never seen a formal study of it, but I would be very curious to see a study of the way that Jesus is portrayed in works of art now compared to the way He was portrayed 200, 300, 400+ years ago.

Today, we depict Jesus most often as a caring shepherd. Hundreds of years ago, I suspect you were far more likely to see Jesus depicted as the all-powerful ruler, wearing a crown, holding a scepter, and seated on a throne.

Which do we see more clearly in today’s Gospel reading? The demons certainly see their judge. And they’re 100% correct. But they’re not the only ones. They’re not the only ones there who saw that side of Jesus. The people of the city came out and saw the demon-possessed man healed and in his right mind. When they did, did they start reciting Psalm 23? Not exactly. And to be fair, they didn’t necessarily recognize Him as their judge. But they realized His power and His authority— power and authority beyond anything they could imagine since He had healed this demon-possessed man who was completely beyond their power.

They saw His great power and authority; they were seized with great fear; and they begged Him to leave.

It gives the song “I Can Only Imagine” a bit of a different twist, doesn’t it? These people came face to face with Jesus— and they sent Him away in fear.

We may not like it, but the reality is that, if your ‘Jesus’ is not someone who people would ever fear, then you have a false god.

But this isn’t a side of God that we dwell on. In fact, not only do we not dwell on that side of God, many take offense at the idea of a God who punishes sin and sends people to hell. The critics are quite insistent: “Obviously, no benevolent being, supernatural or otherwise, would subject another being to even 5 minutes of indescribable agony for believing a certain way.” (Comment on CreateDebate.com, https://www.createdebate.com/debate/show/Would_a_benevolent_God_send_people_to_hell)

First of all, let’s recognize the absurdity of saying that God can’t exist because we don’t like who He is. If people ceased to exist because they’re jerks, how many of us would be here right now?

But, beyond that, it’s not simply a matter of not believing a certain way, is it?

You and I are all too keenly aware what human beings are capable of.

And, as others have pointed out, if any human is capable of it, then every human is capable of it. That means me. That means you.

But it isn’t even necessary to wonder about what you might be capable of. One of my favorite sayings is, “A clear conscience is the sign of a poor memory.” You know what you’re capable of. The vicious words. The callous indifference. The active hate. Is a judge unjust for punishing the guilty?

God threatens to punish all who break His commandments. And He isn’t joking. He doesn’t promise and not deliver on those promises. He does exactly what He promises.

The real prospect of God’s judgment should have kept you from breaking His commands. But it hasn’t.

Arguably, you and I are so quick to dismiss the picture of Jesus as judge because we know how terrifying the reality of the judgement should be. As one commentator on social media put it: “I think takes like this betray a fundamental misunderstanding of how truly awful and wretched we all are. We are disgusting creatures fit only for hell, and it is a thing of wonder that God has any mercy towards us at all” (Tweet from @unworthyhand, June 20, 2019). It’s much easier to criticize God for who He is and to complain that He is unjust than it is for us to see ourselves as we truly are.

It may be strange for you and me to see this side of Jesus, but it is most certainly necessary.

Who Will You See on the Last Day?

God’s judgment is real. And what God has done for you in Jesus Christ is just as real. On the Last Day, Jesus Christ will return and judge all humanity, all of the living and the dead. And it will be a real judgment with real punishment and genuine reward attached to it. Some will enter the paradise He has prepared and others will be cast into the lake of fire.

On that day, the One who comes to judge, who will judge perfectly, with full knowledge of even your motives and your hidden thoughts, will still carry the scars of the cross that He bears for you.

I’ve never been before a judge in a courtroom, but I imagine that, if I ever were, I’d hope for a sympathetic judge if not one who is genuinely friendly. This is even beyond that.

On the Last Day, the One seated on the throne who will pronounce your eternal judgment, is the One who has already been judged guilty in your place.

He has already suffered the punishment that you deserve so that He can declare you innocent.

On that day He will exempt you from any harsh word. The One who was treated so unjustly on the way to the cross will judge, on that day, in perfect righteousness. As He does, your sins will remain hidden by the umbrella of His grace and be cast into the depths of the sea as your soul is bound up in the bundle of the living God so that, with all the elect, you may reach the eternal fellowship of joy.

And already He is delivering you from the power of the devil and the satanic hordes.

You have received an even greater deliverance than that demon possessed man.

We don’t regularly see people out of their minds like him, living naked among the tombs. But the Word of God teaches that you and I are all conceived and born sinful and are under the power of the devil until Christ claims us as His own. You would be lost forever unless delivered from sin, death, and everlasting condemnation. And so the Father of all mercy and grace has sent His Son Jesus Christ, who atoned for the sin of the whole world. (Lutheran Service Book, “Holy Baptism.” p. 268.)

For a time, Lutherans included an exorcism as part of the baptismal liturgy. “Depart, unclean spirit,” the pastor would declare, “and make room for the Holy Spirit. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” That practice has largely been done away with. It’s been done away with because Baptism is the exorcism.

As the Holy Spirit was given to you in the waters of baptism, the devil and his servants were cast out and you are under their power no longer.

In fact, now it’s only a matter of time until they are cast into the abyss, never to trouble you again.

It’s doesn’t end there. One of the big reasons why your Lord comes to you, again and again, between now and the Last Judgment, giving you His very body and blood in Holy Communion, is that, as long as you are in the flesh and living in this world, you “will certainly have the devil also around you, who with his lying and murdering day and night will let you have no peace, within or without….” (Luther’s Small Catechism, “Christian Questions with their Answers.”) He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him (John 8:44). He prowls like a roaring lion, seeking to devour you (1 Peter 5:8) with his schemes (Ephesians 6) and snares (2 Timothy 2), and attacking you with flight after flight of flaming darts.

Until they are cast into the abyss once and for all, your Lord invites you— in fact He commands you— to come and receive the very body and blood He offered on the cross to take the full judgment of God that you deserved and to set you free from the power of the devil.

Now we finally come to our text. Everyone in the town saw and heard what had happened. And, seeing it, they begged Jesus to leave because they were afraid—everyone, that is, except for the man from whom the demons had been cast out. He begged to remain with Jesus. But what was Jesus’ response? “39 Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you” (Luke 8:39). And he did. He went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him. Hopefully, through him, the people of the city came to see and to know Jesus in a slightly different light. Still a being of tremendous power and authority, but One who choses to marshal that power and authority not to condemn, but to save.

Strengthened in the knowledge of what Christ has delivered you from; brought you from death to life, freed you from the chains of sin, and clothed you in the perfect garment of His righteousness. I now say to you, as well: “39 Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.”

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