A sermon

Here is a sermon from one of my classmates at the seminary, Pr Eli Davis (He is serving Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Caruthers, California).  He posts them on Facebook for his members, and gave me permission to post it here.  I thought you would be interested in seeing how two different pastors preach the same text to two different congregations.  Enjoy!


Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our text this morning is the Gospel lesson, but I’m not going to start there. A friend of mine this week make a strange statement. He said he wasn’t sure if he believed a verse out of Hebrews chapter five about Jesus. So here it is. “Although he was a son, he learned to listen through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the cause of eternal salvation to all who listen to him....” And he’s got a point. Something in this verse sounds wrong. How can God who knows everything learn? That just doesn’t make any sense.

So with that question unresolved, we come to today’s text. And this text comes right after last week’s text. As soon as the disciples have gathered the twelve baskets of leftovers, Jesus immediately compels them to board the boat and set sail without Him. Jesus then lets the crowds go, and heads up the mountain from the wilderness. And finally, Jesus is alone.

But the last time Jesus was alone, he spent 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness. Not eating. Tempted by Satan with the words “If you are the Son of God.” Tempted to turn stones into bread. Tempted on a mountaintop with worship. Tempted to throw caution to the wind and dive into danger to prove who was God. And to each of these Jesus said no.

But this trip into the wilderness, this trip up the mountain, Jesus was alone. And as nice as that was, that shouldn’t have happened. Satan should have been there waiting for him. Ready with temptations. But no. Nothing.

Do you know why? Because Jesus had passed the last test. His humanity had been through an unbelievable physical trial. No food for 40 days. Under this incredible bodily stress, Jesus stood up to sin. Stood up to Satan. But this trip into the wilderness, Jesus was going to learn something new.

And there’s our question once again. How can Jesus who knows everything ever learn? And yet He does. Think about it. When He was born, He had to learn to walk. He had to learn to talk. Jesus had to learn everything there is about being a human being. Just like we do. Including learning to live in a world overrun by sin. Jesus also learned to withstand temptation even in the most impossible circumstances. Something we’re not good at under good circumstances.

And the last trip He learned under incredible physical stress. This trip, though, would put Jesus under intense mental stress. Remember, His home town rejected Him. His disciples didn’t understand Him. His cousin John was just murdered because of Him. And on the brink of escape, an enormous crowd of needy people swamped him with their sicknesses and hunger.

And so, Satan’s three temptations are back. But this time the answers have changed. This time, Jesus doesn’t face Satan alone. This time, Jesus faces sin the same way we all do. From our own brothers. “Send the people away so that they can go into the villages to go buy food.” “They need not go away, You give to them something to eat.” The temptation of bread returns. But this time the temptation is to say no. The temptation is to escape, and let the crowds suffer on their own. But instead, Jesus has compassion. Instead, Jesus answers yes.

Last time, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” This time, Jesus is alone on the mountain. And the temptation isn’t to worship Satan, but to worship self. Jesus is desperate for a break. But He is needed once again as the disciples are beaten by the waves and overcome by the wind. The temptation is to say no to those in need. But once again, Jesus has compassion. Once again, Jesus says yes.

Then comes the temptation to put Himself in harms way. The first time, Satan said, “
If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, 
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”” The temptation is exactly the same. Throw yourself into the tempestuous water. See if you strike your feet on the stones on the bottom of the sea. See if the angels protect you. Even Peter echoes Satan’s words. “If you are the Son of God.” “If you are, then command me to come to you on the water.” But again, the correct answer this time isn’t no, but yes. “Come,” Jesus said to Peter. Once again, Jesus has compassion.
Even when Peter sinks from doubt, Jesus reaches out His hand and takes ahold of him. For Jesus came precisely to save. Jesus saved the hungry and sick on the shore. Jesus saves the disciples from the storm. Jesus saves Peter from his own doubt. And in the midst of everything that Jesus suffers, Jesus learns to be our Savior.

And learns is the right word. Because everything that happens to Jesus, happens to prepare Him for the cross. The physical stress and temptations in Matthew chapter four. The mental stress and temptations in Matthew chapter fourteen. Both come together Maundy Thursday evening through Good Friday.

Because in Christ’s passion we have wilderness, where Jesus is abandoned by all. We have bread, My body given for you. We have the mountain, Calvary. We have the question, “If you are the Son of God.” We have the doubt. We have the physical pain. We have the mental anguish. All of which Jesus had spent is entire life learning how to bear. And He carried them all to death on a cross for you.

The God who knows all things became man in order to learn how to bear our sin. The Son learned to listen through suffering. Listen to you. Understand your pain. Comprehend your grief. And by hearing, Jesus took your sin into Himself. When we confess our sins at the beginning of service, we give those sins to Jesus, and they remain His.

And therefore He became the source of eternal salvation to all who listen to him. Listen to His absolution. Listen to His forgiveness. Listen to His proclamation. Listen to the promises made in the sacraments. That “Baptism now saves you.” That “This is my body, this is my blood for your forgiveness.” Through listening, Jesus hears you cry out with Peter, “Lord, save me!” Through listening, you hear as Jesus reaches out His hand and takes ahold of you. Even in your physical pain. Even in your mental anguish. For He knows it all first hand.

That God would do all that boggles my mind. God became man, and took on everything that entails. The all knowing needed to learn. The all powerful needed to face real weakness. The perfect one had to endured all sin. The author of life needed to die. God became everything we are. All so that we could be given what God has. Although he was a son, he learned to listen through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the cause of eternal salvation to all who listen to him.… And we in His boat worship him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God. Thanks be to God.

And now the compassion of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.