"Waiting Pilgrims"
I Peter 2:11-20; John 16:16-22
Easter 3
Pastor Aaron A. Koch
Mt. Zion Lutheran Church
Greenfield, WI

  In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

 Peter tells Christians in today's Epistle that they are sojourners and pilgrims.  To be a follower of Christ is to be a pilgrim, a migrant, a traveler.  As God's baptized people you are on a journey to another place; you are traveling now through foreign territory to a greater destination.  Though the pilgrims of Christ are dispersed throughout the world, yet together in small bands like this one, we journey to the same heavenly goal.

 We must never forget that this is what we are.  This world is not home for us.  We are strangers in a strange land.  Like the children of Israel of old, we are on a pilgrimage through this wilderness land to the promised land of God.  It is written in Philippians 3, "Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."  And Hebrews 13 says, "Here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come."

 The temptation for us is to forget our pilgrim character as Christians.  Since the journey seems so long and is often difficult, we are sometimes enticed to give up the expedition and follow the native ways of this world, to adopt their thinking and their lifestyles.  The lure is always there for you to desert your identity as travelers and instead become settlers, to make this passing, temporary world your home rather than setting your hearts on that inheritance from God that is imperishable and undefiled and does not pass away.  It is written in Romans 12, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

 So if you feel a bit out of place in this world, that's good; that's actually how it's supposed to be.  Christians are not to be conformed to this culture.  It's not our goal to fit in with this world.  St. James writes, "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?"  For instance, while our culture teaches self-indulgence and doing whatever feels right to you, Peter writes here, "Abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul."  Fleshly lusts include not only sinful cravings for sex or food or drink or possessions but also the lust for power or entertainment or emotional highs or even the praise and approval of people. These things are more than just diversions from the journey, they are traps and snares which try to hijack you from making it to the final goal.  They take your eyes off of Christ, who alone is the way, the truth, and the life.  Peter says, "Do not use your liberty as a cloak for vice," as a cover up and an excuse for sin.  Abstain, stay away from any such thing.

 Now, all of this does not mean that we should stay away from the world altogether and cloister ourselves off in seclusion somewhere.  As pilgrim Christians who are not of the world, God still has given you to live in the world and to be reflections of His light to the world.  Indeed, St. Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians that if you were to try to avoid contact with the ungodly entirely, you would have to leave the world.  And God's intention for you is not yet to leave the world, but to be the salt of the earth as you travel on your way.

 Therefore Peter writes in the Epistle, "Have your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation."  Live honorably and with integrity among the pagans and unbelievers and skeptics of this world.  Though they may put down Christians or Missouri Synod Lutherans as being closed-minded or self-righteous or speak ill of you in some other way, let your good conduct show that their accusations are slanderous and false.  Perhaps by observing your behavior, they may be drawn to respect what you believe and want to join you in this pilgrimage, so that in the end they, too, will glorify the true God for what He has done for us all in Christ.

 That's one of our primary reasons for wanting to do good works, to lead lives that honor God and His saving Gospel.  It's not so that we can somehow win our way into God's favor.  For not only is that impossible, but Christ has already won us into the Father's favor by His good works and by His death for our sins which has reconciled us to God.  No, we do good works, rather, as it is written in Titus, "to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior."  The Gospel of Christ is the most precious jewel we could possess.  And we want our lives to be a setting for that jewel which ornaments and glorifies it, which draws others to the Gospel rather than dragging it through the mud and giving others the occasion to call Christians hypocrites.  Out of love for Christ we seek to live honorably and with love toward our neighbor so that others might also know the love of Christ and honor Him.

 One of the ways we adorn the doctrine of God our Savior is by submitting to the laws of the land. Even though as citizens of heaven we are like foreigners in foreign territory here, yet we honor governmental authority, just as we would honor the authorities if we were traveling through another country.  Peter writes, "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good."  Even though civil authority is temporary and of this world, yet the Scriptures teach that it is established by God.  Those in authority are put there by the Lord to punish what is wrong and promote what is right.  And that is good and necessary, even if the ruler is a pagan.  As long we are not caused to sin by the authorities and their laws, we are bound to obey them as God's representatives.  This honors God and, Peter says, it puts to silence the ignorance of foolish men who would want to assign evil motives to Christians in this world.

 The other way to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior mentioned in today's Epistle is to be a good and faithful worker, to be a diligent and honest employee.  And the situation that Peter addresses here serves to emphasize that point.  For he speaks not simply to employees but to servants.  It is written, "Servants, be submissive to your masters with all reverence, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh."  Now, if that applies in a master/servant relationship, which we wouldn't describe as being the best situation, how much more does it apply to an employer/ employee relationship.  In today's terms Peter is saying, "Workers be respectful and obedient to your boss.  Do what he asks carefully and considerately and well.  And do so even if he's not a nice guy, even if he's harsh and not respectable himself."  For it is written elsewhere, "Servants, whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men."  For He is the One you're truly working for.

 That's how the Epistle can state that it is commendable to suffer wrongly, if you endure grief because of conscience toward God.  If a Christian endures in doing good as a citizen under an unjust ruler or as a worker under a tyrannical boss, that is praiseworthy in God's sight, because that is the way of faith.  Such a person is seeing and honoring the God who instituted earthly authorities, even if the authorities themselves are dishonoring their God-given offices.  And, such a person is doing as our heavenly Father does, who gives daily bread even to the evil.  Now, Peter says, if you suffer by your own fault–if you break the law or are a lazy worker and have to suffer the consequences–that is of no credit to you.  But St. Peter concludes, "When you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God."

 Suffering and the cross and the resurrection define your life and your destiny as believers in the crucified and risen Christ.  That's what Jesus is saying to His disciples in today's Gospel, "A little while, and you will not see Me; and again, a little while, and you will see Me."  "I am about to go the cross to suffer your sins to death in My body and win your full and free forgiveness.  And you are my pilgrim followers.  You are baptized into Me.  So don't be surprised when those little whiles of affliction come, when you can't seem to see Me, when it appears all is lost.  Always remember, it really is only a little while that you must endure.  That pain, that disease, that heartache, that difficult situation is almost over.  Just hang on to Me.  Trust in Me to pull you through it.  It may seem like an eternity, but only three days.  Easter is coming.  Weeping may remain for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

 That final deliverance, the resurrection on the Last Day, is what you are to focus on.  It is written in Hebrews, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  Don't bow to the temptations of the devil and the world and your flesh to give up on Christ, to surrender to the moment.  Rather, trust in the Lord to carry you through.  For Jesus has in fact already carried you through by dying and rising again.  He's already conquered all that weighs you down.  It's just a matter of time for that victory to be revealed.  It's only a little while more, and then comes the forever, the unending while of dwelling in the majesty of our Lord and the perfect happiness and completeness that His presence brings.  Then comes the peace that far surpasses our human understanding.  Then comes the time when the sufferings of this present life will not even be able to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us.

 Jesus said, "You now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you."  Remember Jesus' words, "I will see you again."  What greater joy could there be than that, to be seen and known and embraced by your Savior, to know that He's coming again?  So do not lose heart.  You can't see Christ now, but you will.  And that divine vision will make all the difference for you.  It is written in I John, "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be.  But we know that when (Jesus) is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."  Simply beholding Christ will transform you to be like Himself.  Just as you are like Him in this world, partaking of His cross, so also you will be just like Christ in the world to come, partaking bodily of His divine nature and glory.

 And, fellow travelers, you get to behold Christ even now by faith in this place.  After the little whiles of the work week, you see Him again in His Supper, receiving His very body and blood for the forgiveness of your sins.  He comes now to comfort you and strengthen you to finish the journey.  He comes to give your hearts joy, joy that no one can take from you.

  In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit