Holy Cross Day - A sermon for the Black Hills Winkel

 Holy Cross Day, September 14^th, Year of Our + Lord 2021

   We have a glory problem. 

   O.k., I suppose I should only speak for myself.  I have a glory problem.  But I think they’re pretty common. 

   The first time I lived in Spain, back in the 90s, at the request of the Marine Corps, I may have spent a lot of time visiting churches.  Shelee will attest that I could not get enough of seeing those marvelous structures, often built in tiny villages.  Hundreds, maybe thousands of little pueblos in Spain boast tall church buildings that we simply couldn’t build today, imposing stone sanctuaries built four or five or more centuries ago, by a slightly above subsistence society, working with crude tools and block and tackle.  It was, well, glorious to see and contemplate.    

   My mother came and visited us in Spain, and I enthusiastically dragged her to see any number of Spanish churches, including the Cathedral in Sevilla.  Spanish tourist information should always be double checked, but Wikipedia agrees, the Seville Cathedral is the largest Gothic style cathedral in the world.  It is immense.  And full of gold and silver, mostly from Peru.  It is a phenomenal space, with flying buttresses, and stone pillars as thick as California Redwoods, which soar into vaulted arches.  There is jewel encrusted artwork in every corner.  I eagerly showed Mom around, pointing out the architecture, the gigantic rose windows, the statuary, quite a place.  My southern-Minnesota German Lutheran mother, with uncharacteristic quiet, patiently took in my tour.  At the end she stopped me for a moment and asked: “But don’t you think that it’s a bit much?” 

   Agnes of course, was right. It is a bit much.  I am definitely not against beautiful church buildings or the people of God investing money, even significant sums, into beautiful things to adorn the worship of Christ.  But, the Cathedral in Sevilla belongs to Mary, and only secondarily to her Son.  And the Gospel in Spain, the land of the Counter Reformation, has long been and continues to be buried under layers of works righteousness and mystic superstition.  The Seville cathedral is filled with fantastically valuable processional crosses.  But it’s hard to argue that it truly glorified the Holy Cross of Jesus to pour the vast sums of wealth that were spent into building the Sevilla Cathedral.   Because the true Gospel is only rarely proclaimed there, if ever.  If we aren’t proclaiming the truth of the Holy Cross, then nothing else we do has any real value.    

   We of course don’t need to worry about the temptation of too much gold and silver coming our way, leading us to glorify ourselves and remove the true Holy Cross of Jesus from the center of our proclamation.  But we are more than capable of seeking glory in any number of less economically valuable things.  Like, “Will the pastors of my new circuit be impressed with me?  With the liturgy I lead, or the sermon I preach?”  Or, “Will the members of my church like me if I really preach God’s Law?”  Or, “If we truly strive to proclaim the radical Gospel of Jesus, and maintain the historic practices of His Church, won’t we end up offending other Christians in our community, who might be interested in our church?”  The fear of failure and rejection and the lust for glory are the opposite sides of the same coin. 

   It is completely and typically human to seek to please people, and to get puffed up when things go better than usual.  It is all too normal to begin to despise the daily bread our Lord rains down upon us.  And it is normal to avoid conflict, to go along to get along.  But the Lord doesn’t care.  Who else would declare a sculpture of a bronze snake on a pole to be the salvation of rebellious sinners, who have themselves been bitten by fiery serpents for their sins?  Who else would disregard, no, intentionally offend the piety and the intelligence of the elite of society, in a foolish attempt to save them with a scandalous story?  Who would declare God’s glory to be found in a horrible, shameful death, naked body nailed to a Roman cross? 

   Your Savior would.  And He has.  Because this is what it takes to truly love you, to love you to death, and to new life.  God does want to give you glory, true glory, so that your sins be washed away, and your eternal death sentence be vacated, once and for all.  It stings to have impressive people scorn you, and we will struggle to the end of this earthly life with the natural desire to be considered great and impressive now.   But keep your eyes on the Cross of Jesus.  The light and momentary afflictions we are called to face today do not compare with the joy of having a ringside seat as the Holy Spirit recreates a sinner, with the most unlikely story, the story of God bringing glory out of shame and life out of death.  And what can the world do to you?  Nothing, because you know that what the Lord continues to do for unbelievers, drawing them unto Jesus, He also continues to do for you, day by repentant day, bringing to completion the good work He has begun in you. 

   True joy and peace are found in this strange plan of the Lord, who took the most despicable executioner’s tool and turned it into the Holy Cross, the sign of forgiveness, life and salvation, delivered to you, by the blood of Jesus.   Rest in His glorious peace, so that you may also proclaim it others.

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.