Author: Higher Things

By Rev. Eric Brown

“But he, desiring to justify himself…”

He had asked a law question. He has asked what he had to do to inherit eternal life. It was a silly question: you don’t do much to inherit. Someone else dies and then they give you something; that’s not really you doing something. But since this lawyer asked a law question, Jesus pointed to a Law answer – love God and your neighbor.

But here’s the things with Law answers. They are always beyond us. To fully love God, to fully love the neighbor – sinful folks like us can’t do that perfectly or completely. So this fellow, desiring to justify himself as best he could, tries to dodge. “And who is my neighbor?” Who do I get to not love, Jesus? Whom can I look at and say, “this person doesn’t need my love and compassion.” Who are the people that I can safely and happily hate and still feel good about?

And it is then that Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan. There’s a lot of fear and hate in this simple story that we overlook. We forget how scary the man beaten on the side of the road would be. If you saw some dude who had just been beaten by robbers, you’d want to hurry on by to safety too. And then the Samaritan – we are so used to saying “Good Samaritan” that we forget how hated the Samaritans were. If you want to impact, read the story again, but instead of Samaritan think of the sort of person you most dislike – a terrorist or a neo-nazi or antifa or some skin color or sexuality. That’s the impact of the story. Jesus plays upon every fear this lawyer has.

Of course He does. The law doesn’t give you an out. You don’t get to justify yourself by the Law. You don’t get to cut corners. And that lawyer failed, and we fail. We run in fear, we look down upon people with disdain. But Christ doesn’t. He calmly goes and cares for all. He doesn’t fear any robbers who might come; in fact He willingly takes up His cross and suffers, even as He is utterly disdained and reviled by those around Him.

Because while Jesus will give the Law answer on how you can try to inherit eternal life, that’s not really what He’s interested in. He’s interested in winning you eternal life with His death upon the Cross. Winning it for you and for your neighbor, whoever they might be, however you might fear them. That is the depth and perfection of Jesus’ love for God and for His neighbor. That is His love for you which will never fail you. That is what you inherited from Him when He had you joined to Him in baptism. 

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.

By Rev. Eric Brown

“And taking him aside from the crowd privately, He put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue.” – Mark 7:33

The deaf man was probably utterly confused. He couldn’t hear; couldn’t talk either because he was mute. But the people had seen Jesus of Nazareth coming, so they bundled the deaf man up and brought him to Jesus. Think about how confusing and bizarre this could have been for that poor fellow!

But then Jesus pauses and pulls the fellow away from the crowd, away from all that hustle and bustle. Then, privately, directly, Jesus deals with the deaf man. Remember, there’s no sign language. The guy is mute, so he probably doesn’t read lips either. So Jesus deals with him directly – puts His fingers in the ears and pops them out. I’m going to pop open these ears. Jesus grabs the guys tongue – I’m going to fix this thing. 

Do you see what Jesus does here, how gentle He is? He not only is going to do a great and wonderful good for this deaf man, but He takes the time to make sure the guy knows what is going on. Jesus takes the time to explain, come to the deaf man in a way that He can handle so that he is ready to receive Christ’s love.

This is how Jesus deals with you. Jesus has and does and will continually pour His love and mercy and forgiveness upon you, even until He raises you from the dead. But Jesus also knows that life in this world is harsh and cruel and confusing, so He pulls you out and away from the crowd and He deals with you privately, and directly. Of course He does! He’s already baptized you, marking you as His own. So He calls you to His Church, where He has a pastor stick not his finger but the Gospel of Christ Jesus into your ears. Jesus even touches your tongue with His own Body and Blood in the Supper. And why? Not only to give you forgiveness and life, but to do so in a way so that you understand His love for you, so that you aren’t terrified by what’s going on around you in the world.

This week, there will be plenty of strange, hard, and difficult things in your life. They might bug you, but they won’t throw Jesus off-stride. Jesus will still call you aside to come to His house, and there He will place Himself into your ears and upon your tongue, so that you know you have life everlasting in Him.

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.

By Rev. Eric Brown

“Would that you, even you, had known the things that make for peace” – Luke 19:42

So there is Jesus, riding on a donkey on Palm Sunday with crowds praising Him and shouting Hosanna. Yet, when He comes up to Jerusalem, He weeps. Jesus knows what’s going to happen and is driven to tears. Jerusalem will end up being destroyed. 70 AD by the Romans. It would be and was brutal. Horrific. And so Jesus has sorrow.

But this sorrow isn’t something Jesus has because the people have earned it. It isn’t just because some of those in that crowd shouting Hosanna would probably be killed in that revolt. No, it’s why there’d be a revolt in the first place. By week’s end Jesus would be crucified and Jerusalem would go back to looking for a new and better Messiah, one that would lead the glorious revolution and kick out Rome. Jerusalem didn’t want a Son of David that was a Prince of Peace, they wanted a man of war.

Jesus comes to make peace. That’s His goal. Jesus isn’t out to smack people around. His goal isn’t creating the perfect earthly kingdom or society. He wasn’t marching into Jerusalem to go to war with Rome; He was marching to go to the Cross, because there upon the Cross He made and established true and everlasting peace with His death and resurrection.

The world doesn’t want peace. It thrives on violence and anger, threats and intimidation. We’re supposed to be outraged all the time over everything and hating all the bad people out there. Christ Jesus came to put an end to this, to bring the peace that only love and forgiveness and mercy can bring – and He continually gives you this peace whenever He Himself comes to you in His Word and in His Supper. 

Now, may the peace that surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.